For proportional representation to win Labour Party support in Sept. 2021, trade union endorsement is essential. How do we do this?

About this Event

Polls show overwhelming support for PR among Labour Party members. And as of 1st March more than 180 Constituency Labour Parties across the UK had passed pro-PR motions in the build-up to the next Labour Party conference expected in September 2021. But where do the critically important trade unions stand?

The current policy of Unite (the largest trade union in the UK), for example, is to support the archaic first-past-the-post voting system. Some unions have no position on electoral reform. About five unions have come out in favour of PR. But unless Unite and another large unions such as Unison can be won over to the “pro-PR camp”, the chances of winning Labour Party support for PR are greatly diminished. After all, trade unions have 50% of the vote on a motion at Labour Conference.

Hence, GET PR DONE! is very pleased that Howard Beckett, the assistant general secretary of Unite for Political and Legal Affairs, has accepted our invitation to speak on the urgent need for electoral reform. Howard accepts Unite’s policy, but says he is “is a vocal advocate for this to be reconsidered and debated and for Unite to consider adopting a pro electoral reform position before the next General Election.” Bravo! More than 50 of us in GET PR DONE! are Unite members and we welcome a senior Unite staffer taking up this important democratic cause.

About Howard Beckett

A solicitor who was raised in North Ireland during the troubles, Howard is no shrinking violet. In 2020, he launched his campaign to succeed Len McCluskey as the general secretary of the UK’s largest trade union and the biggest funder of the Labour Party.

Howard sits for Unite on the Labour National Executive Committee where, as he has written to us, he is “ an advocate for Labour to be much more robust in its opposition to the Conservative Government”.

NB Howard will speak in a personal capacity at this GPRD! event.

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Get your tickets early for this event! There have been no tickets left for the past four GET PR DONE! Zoom events and we expect the same on 16 March.

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GET PR DONE! is a cross party/ no party campaigning group set up in January 2020. Our top short-term priority is to have Labour make a manifeto commitment in support of a proportional representation voting system.

Website (lots of information and videos): http://getprdone.org.uk/​

Facebook group (join up!): https://www.facebook.com/groups/62514...​

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GetPRDone/​

Twitter: https://twitter.com/getprdone​

E-mail: [email protected]