About LI

Labour International (LI) is the organisation recognised as a constituency within the Labour Party that represents Party members and supporters who live or work abroad either temporarily or permanently. It works to promote the Labour Party to British citizens resident abroad; to help the Labour Party members resident abroad to keep in touch with the Party; to maximise Labour’s overseas vote; and to help the Labour Party benefit from the ideas and experiences of those members.

There are large numbers of Labour Party members and supporters throughout the world, and you can join and meet them on these pages.

LI’s executive committee is Labour International Coordinting Committee (LICC), the current membership of which is:

Frazer Clarke, Brussels, Belgium — Treasurer

Lorraine Hardy, Costa Blanca North, Spain — Secretary and Membership Secretary

David Mathieson, Germany – Chair

Jeremy Millard, Denmark — Webmaster

Alex Powell, Isle of Man — LI Group on Facebook

Jo Wood, Brussels, Belgium – Vice Chair, Branch liaison

Click here for full details of LICC (only available for LI members)

Gordon Brown’s message to Labour International (February 2010)

LABOUR’S INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

Social democracy by nature shares these global values, and LI branches, groups and individuals often develop very close relationships with sister parties in different countries, as well as with international organisations like Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists, for example through joint activities and campaigns.
We aim to use our broad international knowledge and links for the direct benefit of the UK Labour Party.

SOME THINGS WE DO

Participation in the Labour Party’s policy development processes.
Fund raising and election campaigning during UK and European elections.
Hosting and facilitating overseas visits of UK Labour Party members, elected representatives and ministers.
Globalisation has meant that a very broad section of British citizens now live around the world. Members of LI come from all walks of life and are of all ages. An important concern of LI is therefore campaigning for the rights of British citizens abroad, for example in areas such as pensions, voting and representation, medical services and similar civil rights.

LABOUR INTERNATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Promote the aims, values and objectives of the UK Labour Party.
Provide a focal point for the social and political needs of Labour Party members and supporters living or working abroad either permanently or temporarily.
Develop electoral support for the Party among British subjects abroad.
Work with sister parties in different countries where these share the aims, values and objectives of the UK Labour Party.
Develop the unique set of international competencies and talents of LI members for the benefit of both the Labour Party and the UK
Support the Labour Party, as and when appropriate, through the raising of funds.

THE GLOBAL LABOUR NETWORK

With 600 members in over 40 countries LI can truly claim to be international in scope with a wide diversity of membership and interests represented.
LI is structured into branches, groups, correspondents and individuals.
LI is managed by a six-member Labour International Coordinating Committee (LICC) elected by its members for a two-year term. LICC sees its role as representing the views and interests of LI members as the overseas Constituency Labour Party (CLP) organisation.
Membership of LI is not a condition for participation and many branches and groups encourage supporters as well as members of sister parties in other countries to take part in LI activities.

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RESOURCES

Ed Miliband’s speech to the Welsh Labour Conference: 19 February 2011

Ed Miliband’s Fabian Society speech. 15 January 2011

Ed Miliband’s New Year message, 30 December 2010

Ed Miliband sets out ‘profound’ changes to Labour party

22 November 2010: Ed Miliband today launches his party on “the hard road back to power”, saying it has to move beyond New Labour and commit to changes in policy and organisation as profound as those introduced by Tony Blair in 1994. He revealed he believes the 50p tax rate for those earning over £150,000 should be permanent. Making the country more equal, he says, is one of the issues that gets him out of bed in the morning. In his first full interview since becoming party leader, and marking his return to work after two weeks of paternity leave, he discloses:

A commission on party organisation will be launched this weekend. It will examine the rules under which he was elected party leader, including the role of the unions.
A policy review will be conducted including commissioned work by independent thinktanks and studies by each shadow cabinet member on the issues in their field. “In terms of policy, but not in terms of values, we start with a blank page,” he says.

Read the full Guardian article.

Ed Miliband was elected Labour leader in September 2010, pledging to restore trust in the Labour Party

In his acceptance speech, Ed said ”a new generation has taken charge of Labour. It’s a new generation that understands the need for change—in our party and in our country.” Ed added in his first leader’s speech three days later that Labour under his leadership will be devoted to making Britain ”more prosperous, more equal, more fair and just”.

Ed’s vision for the future is based on his values—values of family, fairness, community and decency at work. Ed has said many times that he learned these values from his parents during childhood; having both fled the Nazis during the second world war, they taught their son ”never to walk by on the other side”. (Read more)