Proposal among measures to give grassroots activists a say on controversial national policies such as Trident

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Labour is planning to introduce electronic voting for annual conferences, local constituency ballots and decisions over policy, a review of internal democracy has concluded.

As part of Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to give power back to members, they would be able to participate remotely without having to attend meetings in person or vote on paper.

The development is part of a package of measures approved by the ruling national executive committee (NEC), which is expected to approve the changes in September before the party conference in Liverpool votes on the recommendations later that month.

Led by the Corbyn aide Katy Clark and the NEC member Claudia Webbe, the e-vote proposal means grassroots activists would be able to have a say on controversial national policies such as the renewal of Trident, which is backed by the big unions but opposed by many peace activists including Corbyn.

The party is also proposing an overhaul of BAME Labour, the party’s minority ethnic affiliate, which holds a valuable seat on the NEC. The seat is held by the MP Keith Vaz, whose election sparked some controversy when only 700 people took part out of an estimated 90,000 black and minority ethnic party members.

The changes will include an annual national BAME conference and a higher percentage of reserved BAME seats in areas with high minority ethnic populations.

The planned changes will result in all members who self-define as minority ethnic becoming automatic members of BAME Labour and the election of a new national BAME committee with places elected using the one member, one vote system.

Other recommendations include a review of parliamentary selections for MPs if Westminster boundary changes go ahead – a proposal that Corbyn critics believe is a way of deselecting sitting MPs who oppose him.

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Current boundary changes are being drawn up on the basis of a 2011 law that agreed in principle to cut the number of MPs by 50 to 600. Many MPs do not now support the boundary changes and could reject it in a vote that could come before parliament this autumn.

The democracy review has also called for a fresh look at affiliation to local parties by unions and socialist societies. This follows concerns that the current system is being manipulated to pack membership selection meetings.

It also makes it easier to hold more all-member meetings, as opposed to “general committee” meetings that are dominated by a group of activists acting as delegates.

All-member meetings tend to see leftwing candidates do well, whereas general committees tend to favour Labour centrists. Under the plans, the quorum for an all-member meeting will be lowered to 5%.