National Executive Committee: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the Labour Party (UK). Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties, and socialist societies, as well as ex officio members such as the Party Leader and Deputy Leader and several of their appointees.

During the 1980s, the NEC had a major role in policy-making and was often at the heart of vitriolic disputes over party policy. In the Tony Blair era, the committee's role has declined and its membership has been reformed, but it retains a certain importance in overseeing the party. One of its committees has disciplinary powers including the ability to expel members of the party who have brought it into disrepute or to readmit previously expelled members.

Current Members

(As at January 2004)

• Douglas Alexander MP (Government)
• Jeremy Beecham (Div. IV - Labour Councillors)
• Ann Black (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• Tony Blair MP (Leader)
• Hazel Blears MP (Government)
• Danny Carrigan (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Matt Carter (General Secretary)
• Michael Cashman MEP (Div. V - PLP/EPLP)
• Debbie Coulter (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Jimmy Elsby (Treasurer)
• Michael Griffiths (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• John Hannet (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Dianne Hayter (Div. II - Socialist Socieites)
• Diana Holland (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• John Holmes (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Helen Jackson MP (Div. V - PLP/EPLP)
• Maggie Jones (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Shahid Malik (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• Ian McCartney MP (Government and party chair) Vice Chair
• Sally Powell (Div. IV - Labour Councillors)
• John Prescott MP (Deputy Leader)
• Jonny Reynolds (Young Labour)
• Tony Robinson (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• Mark Seddon (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• Christine Shawcroft (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• Dennis Skinner MP (Div. V - PLP/EPLP)
• Cath Speight (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Norma Stephenson (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• Gary Titley MEP (EPLP Leader)
• Mary Turner (Div. I - Trade Unions) Chair
• Ruth Turner (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
• vacant (Div. I - Trade Unions)
• vacant (Div. I - Trade Unions)

Elected or appointed through convention, for a term of one year. Chairs NEC meetings, Labour party national conference and any special conferences held during term. Chairman of the Labour party until 2001; Chairman of the NEC after 2001

• ? Before 1921
• Fred Jowett MP (1921-22)
• Sidney Webb MP (1922-23)
• ? 1923-1925
• Robert Williams (1925-26)
• ? (1926-27)
• George Lansbury MP (1927-28)
• Herbert Stanley Morrison MP (1928-29)
• Susan Lawrence MP (1929-30)
• Stanley Hirst (1930-31)
• George Lathan MP (1931-32)
• Joseph Compton (1932-33)
• Walter R. Smith (1933-34)
• W. A. Robinson (1934-35)
• Jennie Adamson (1935-36)
• Hugh Dalton MP (1936-37)
• George Dallas (1937-39 - no conference in 1938)
• Barbara Ayrton Gould (1939-40)
• ? (1940-41)
• ? (1941-42)
• Alfred Dobbs (1942-43)
• George Ridley MP (1943-44)
• Ellen Wilkinson MP (1944-45)
• Harold Laski (1945-46)
• Philip Noel-Baker MP (1946-47)
• Emmanuel Shinwell MP (1947-48)
• Jim Griffiths MP (1948-49)
• ? (1949-50)
• Alice Bacon MP (1950-51)
• Harry Earnshaw (1951-52)
• Arthur Greenwood MP (1952-53)
• Wilfrid Burke MP (1953-54)
• Edith Summerskill MP (1954-55)
• Edwin Gooch MP (1955-56)
• Margaret Herbison MP (1956-57)
• Tom Driberg (1957-58)
• Barbara Castle MP (1958-59)
• George Brinham (1959-60)
• Richard Crossman MP (1960-61)
• Harold Wilson MP (1961-62)
• Dai Davies (1962-63)
• Anthony Greenwood MP (1963-64)
• Ray Gunter MP (1964-65)
• Walter Padley MP (1965-66)
• John Boyd (1966-67)
• Jennie Lee MP (1967-68)
• Eirene White MP (1968-69)
• Arthur Skeffington MP (1969-70)
• Ian Mikardo MP (1970-71)
• Tony Benn MP (1971-72)
• William Simpson (1972-73)
• James Callaghan MP (1973-74)
• Fred Mulley MP (1974-75)
• Tom Bradley MP (1975-76)
• John Chalmers (1976-77)
• Joan Lestor MP (1977-78)
• Frank Allaun MP (1978-79)
• Lena Jeger (1979-80)
• Alex Kitson (1980-81)
• Judith Hart MP (1981-82)
• Sam McCluskie (1982-83)
• Eric Heffer MP (1983-84)
• Alan Hadden (1984-85)
• Neville Hough (1985-86)
• Syd Tierney (1986-87)
• Neil Kinnock MP (1987-88)
• Dennis Skinner MP (1988-89)
• Jo Richardson MP (1989-90)
• Tom Sawyer (1990-91)
• John Evans MP (1991-92)
• Tony Clarke (1992-93)
• David Blunkett MP (1993-94)
• Douglas Hoyle MP (1994-95)
• Diane Jeuda (1995-96)
• Robin Cook MP (1996-97)
• Richard Rosser (1997-98)
• Brenda Etchells (1998-99)
• Vernon Hince (1999-00)
• Maggie Jones (2000-01)
• Margaret Wall (2001-02)
• Diana Holland (2002-03)
• Mary Turner (2003-04)