Left Unity’s annual conference is looming (November 21/22, London), as is the deadline for conference motions (September 18 – full details here.) We urge LU comrades to submit Communist Platform’s model motion on the Jeremy Corbyn challenge to their branch. In addition, here is a Communist Platform motion to the NC on the organisation of conference – any support you can muster for this would be much appreciated given the tight deadlines:

“1. The National Council is concerned by the decisions of the Standing Orders Committee and Executive Committee to adopt for the November 2015 Conference of Left Unity
(a) A word limit of 500 words for resolutions proposed by branches and members, including proposed changes to the Constitution
(b) A “priorities ballot” of branches, which the website notice falsely asserts is provided for by the LU constitution.

2. The NC considers
(a) That while branches and the proposers of motions should be strongly advised to avoid writing long motions and in particular against long recitals of the evils of present-day society, the effect of imposing a word-limit on motions from branches and individuals, but not on those proposed by this committee or by commissions, is anti-democratic, by preventing alternative proposals to those formulated by the leadership.
(b) That whatever the general merits of a ‘priority ballot’ of branches, the present state of LU branches, the variable frequency of their meetings, and the necessary timetable of a priority ballot, means that a priority ballot for this conference cannot be organised in a way which will have a representative result and democratic legitimacy.

3. The NC therefore:
(i) Reverses the decision of the EC to support these arrangements for the organisation of the conference;
(ii) Strongly urges the Standing Orders Committee to reverse its decision to introduce these arrangements;
(iii) If the Standing Orders Committee does not reverse its decision, will recommend rejection of the Standing Orders Committee’s report on these matters when the Conference meets.