“We need Women’s and other Equality Conferences to be welcomed as an opportunity for members to be heard.”
By Jean Crocker
There have been widespread criticisms about the ‘postponement’ of Annual Women’s Conference (AWC) 2025. Most likely cancelled altogether, given elections in 2026 and money concerns.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that, in the wording of the Equality Act, sex means biological sex, May’s National Executive Committee (NEC) was warned of possible discrimination claims and protests. But there’s probably another reason: it is consistent with the constant downgrading of AWC since the vibrant, well-attended, and interactive conference at Telford in 2019, the last time that AWC was stand-alone, two days, and face-to-face.
In 2020, there were online events but no real conferences because of the pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, AWC was stand-alone and two days, but remained online, while Labour Party Conferences were face-to-face, with all the usual fringes and socials. In 2023 and 2024, we had a face-to-face AWC, but back in its previous slot as a one-day prelude to the Labour Party Conference. And this year there is none. Will it return in 2026?
I was a CLP representative on the Women’s Conference Arrangements Committee (Women’s CAC) for the AWCs from 2018 to 2024, i.e. for the whole time that AWC returned to its roots as a policy-making conference. CLP representatives and other comrades on the Women’s CAC fought intensively for democracy, diversity, accessibility, for CLPs to be able to put on fringe events with no fee, for networking, for visitor places to increase numbers and participation, and for a hybrid conference.
Preparing for AWC 2018, we argued hard and successfully for motions to be voted on (seriously, there were arguments that there were not the resources for that), for a motion to go straight through to Labour Party Conference (increased to two later), and for diverse delegations. Each CLP could have two delegates, as long as at least one was from a less represented group (BAME, LGBT+, or Disabled).
Leading up to the Telford AWC, we had to push hard for Disability Labour and myself to visit the venue. Their advice contributed to the 2019 success. Over time, the barriers grew, but we always worked hard to ameliorate the consequences.
AWC was envisaged by the Democracy Review 2018 as part of a thriving Women’s Organisation, including regional Women’s Committees, Women’s Branches, and a National Women’s Committee (NWC) to strengthen the voice of women in the Party. But the NWC has not had the resources or the number of meetings it needs; there is no longer guidance on the website on establishing a Women’s Branch, or a dedicated National Women’s Officer on the staff. Neither the NWC nor Women’s CAC were consulted or even informed about the proposal to cancel the 2025 Conference.
Policy-making debates are the key opportunity for grassroots CLP and affiliate voices to be heard and to influence the direction of the Party. When we were reduced to one day, there was pressure to cut these from eight to four. We held firm on six and showed how that could be done with time for both debates and speeches. But against our wishes, the time given to each debate was reduced, eventually to 20 minutes, in favour of more presentations from senior spokespeople.
AWC was also intended to be one among several Equality Conferences. A Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Conference and a Disabled Members’ Conference have been in the Rule Book since 2021, but have never been implemented. And last May’s NEC decided not to go ahead with them either (as well as not proceeding with structures for LGBT+ members). AWC is the only Equality Conference that has made it into existence at all. Will it be revived? Could it be replaced by an event with no democratic content, as in the two decades before 2018?
There is support for a stand-alone AWC across the political spectrum, as was evident at the 2024 AWC. We need Women’s and other Equality Conferences to be welcomed as an opportunity for members to be heard, to network, to bring forward new ideas, and to develop great enthusiasm to campaign for the policies to which they have contributed.
Women’s Branches and CLPs must act
- Send a motion to the NEC calling for the restoration of a democratic AWC: see www.clpd.org.uk/campaign/reinstate-labour-womens-conference.
- Consider organising local or regional events: contact us at clpdwomen@ gmail.com
- This article is from CLPD’s annual briefing, which you can read here.
- Jean Crocker is a member of Gateshead Central and Whickham CLP and the CLPD Executive. She is a former Vice Chair of the Women’s Conference Arrangements Committee.
- Vote for both Jean Crocker and Jack Ballingham in this year’s ballot for Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC).
- If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.
