traditional membership model.
The thesis supplements this supply-side approach with a demand-side perspective: the reasons for change through the eyes of those central to enacting them. This
complementary perspective facilitates an analysis of the reasons, ideologies and rationales behind party membership change, and whether those match the membership response.
This research explores the supply- and demand-sides of multi-speed membership through a single party case study, in a party that has travelled significantly away from its original organisational practices and towards a multi-speed membership model. This critical case provides a lens to explore the implications of multi-speed organising, providing an insight into the challenges and potential successes of this model for other parties. And this
research does so at a time in the party when those implications were being felt by both the party elite and party members. Using this unique moment in the party, when new multi-speed rules were being used for the first time, and as their consequences unfolded, provides a rare perspective on the implications of multi-speed membership.
3.1 Research Question
Why and with what consequences is the Labour Party in Britain pursuing a multi-speed membership and mobilisation strategy?
3.1.1 Research sub-questions
1. Why has the Labour Party in Britain moved towards a multi-speed membership model?
1.a. Why did the Labour Party change its membership model?
1.a.i. Why did the Labour Party expand affiliation to registered supporters?
1.a.ii. Why did the Labour Party extend political rights to these new affiliates?
1.b. Why has the Labour Party retained traditional membership?
2. What are the consequences of multi-speed membership for the party and its membership?
Question 1 addresses the demand-side of the multi-speed membership strategy. As the multi-speed way of organising is a dual strategy of appealing to a wider constituency of support whilst retaining a traditional membership structure, this question has two prongs:
why is the party changing the membership model and why, at the same time, is the party continuing to pursue traditional member recruitment? This first part of the question must also be broken down into two parts. Whilst a party may expand affiliation, it does not necessarily need to use intra-party democratic rights to attract support. Question 1.a.
therefore incorporates two research sub-questions: why has the Labour Party expanded its affiliation model, and why has the Labour Party included these affiliates in party decision-making?
Question 2 addresses the implications for the party of a multi-speed membership
approach from the supply-side. It examines the impact of multi-speed membership on the traditional membership model through the relationship party members have with the party. It questions how the change in organisation affects the activities, motivations and attitudes of members in the party and what impact this has on organising capacity, party strength and cohesion.
3.1.2 Definitions
Multi-speed membership party - The multi-speed membership party is one that is centralised, digital and accessible and crucially, offers a range of affiliation options (in addition to membership) potentially extending rights to leadership selection and/or policy development beyond the membership (Scarrow, 2015). This expansion in rights is a critical component of the notion of a multi-speed membership party. The multi-speed party seeks to engage a wider group of supporters by using political rights as incentives but, at the same time, maintaining a traditional membership structure with similar rights and responsibilities.
For the purposes of this research the multi-speed party will be considered a party that:
a. Offers more than one type of affiliation option
b. Offers incentives in the form of political rights to attract members (and other affiliates)
c. Continues to offer/promote traditional membership options
Attribute a. does not necessarily entail attribute b. (though the multi-speed theory
suggests that parties offer rights to attract supporters) therefore, as noted above, research question 1 will consider these attributes separately.
Member - ‘Member’ or ‘party member’ is used in this research to refer to any individual who is officially signed up as a full member of the party. This means they have joined the party either online or through a constituency Labour party (CLP) and paid a membership fee. It includes members who paid a reduced membership fee as students, new members, retired, unwaged or through a specific discount membership offer. It does not include
‘affiliated members’ or ‘non-member supporters’.
Activist / active member - ‘active member’ is used to distinguish members who are or have been active in the party. The activities used to establish this are those commonly described as ‘high-intensity’. This includes various campaigning activity such as canvassing (‘door-knocking’), also known as ‘voter ID’, street-stalls, phone banking, envelope stuffing and other constituency office-related activity; attending meetings such as branch meetings and General Committees; holding a voluntary position in the party such as CLP Chair or Secretary; holding an elected position for the party (e.g. Councillors, MPs); or holding a paid party position such as CLP Organiser.
Many of the above ‘high-intensity’ activities are of course overlapping and the research recognises that members move in and out of activity over the course of their membership.
However, this category is necessary to distinguish those who contribute or have contributed to the party to a greater degree than simply paying their membership fee.
The research makes a distinction between ‘high-intensity’ activities outlined above and those that take place online. Though members may be intensively active online, those who are not active in person (face-to-face) have not been captured under this category. Whilst after the 2017 General Election there has been a growing suggestion that online activity has a significant impact on campaign outcomes, it is not placed in the ‘high-intensity’
category of activities because it is likely that such activity does not ‘cost’ the participant as much in time and effort as the other forms of participation highlighted above.
It is also important for the purposes of this research to recognise the difference between face-to-face activity and more isolated activities. Those activities in the ‘high-intensity’
category are all activities that require personal contact with other party members. This is an important distinction to make when analysing party members’ relationship with the party.
Non-member supporter - ‘Supporter’ or ‘non-member supporter’ is used to refer to individuals who have signed up to the party under the ‘registered supporters’ scheme.
From 2014 onwards, these individuals, sometimes referred to as ‘£3 supporters’, had the opportunity to register online for £3 and were given a vote in the 2015 leadership election. The fee for registering as a supporter was increased to £25 for the 2016 leadership election so the term ‘registered supporter’ is also used in reference to those registering under the revised rules that came into effect in advance of the 2016 leadership contest. ‘Supporters’ were also able to register under the previous ‘registered supporter’
scheme (pre-dating 2014 rule changes) therefore the ‘supporter’ terminology extends to these individuals too. ‘£3 supporter’ is used specifically to refer to those registering under the post-2014 leadership election rules.
Affiliated member and registered affiliates - ‘Affiliated members’ refers to any member of an affiliated (levy-paying) union or socialist society. Prior to 2014 rule changes, these affiliated members had automatic rights to Labour Party selection processes under the Electoral College election rules. After the 2014 rule change only ‘registered affiliates’
(affiliated trade union members who had ‘opted-in’) received a ballot.
Many party members are of course also trade union affiliates and members of Labour Party affiliated socialist societies (a situation that previously resulted in some members receiving multiple ballots for leadership selection under the Electoral College system).
3.2 Methodology
3.2.1 Aim of study
This research seeks to understand the multi-speed membership model, in context and in depth, to both test and expand understanding of this model of party organising. Its aim is