THE LABOUR leader, Mr Tony Blair, announced plans to reform the party yesterday which would tighten his grip over it by aiming to prevent any "potential areas of conflict" being aired during conferences, writes Rachel Borrill in London.
Launching his plans, outlined in a 30 page document Labour into power - a framework for partnership, Mr Blair said the reforms would prevent small groups of activists dominating policy making.
"This was the problem with the Labour Party back in the 1970s. The vast bulk of the ordinary party members at the time were perfectly decent people in the mainstream of politics. But because of the structures of the party at that time those small groups of activists ended up wielding quite disproportionate power," he said.
As part of his campaign to modernise "New Labour", Mr Blair explained that during conference time the number of days for policy debate will be cut from five to two, with the remaining three days being turned into a media friendly American style rally.
Although the party's ruling National Executive Committee voted for the reforms by a majority of 22-1, left wing party members immediately attacked the reforms, describing Mr Blairs proposals as dangerous and undemocratic. Mr Tony Benn MP pointed out that under those arrangements the suffragettes would have been regarded as troublemakers.
"It is the Americanisation of the Labour Party, in which the conference would become a rally for the leadership. The intention is to transform the Labour Party into a party of the centre and all the attacks on `old Labour' are really a warning to us - `we don't want any disagreement'," he said.
Mr Tony Banks MP said: "In principle it is dangerous. We are a democratic party and if we can't discuss and debate our differences the days of the Labour Party as a mass organisation are numbered."
After the meeting, the Shadow Chancellor, Mr Gordon Brown, announced his intention not to stand again for election to the NEC.