AN SNP activist who defeated a senior MP to be elected as the SNP’s policy convener is standing for a second term in the role, saying “there is a referendum to win and a new nation to design”.
Chris Hanlon has submitted his nomination papers for the post with the election for it and other roles on the party’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, taking place at the party’s conference at the end of this month.
Hanlon defeated MP and former MEP Alyn Smith for the position last year after getting the backing from members of the left-wing Common Weal group inside the party. Smith hit out afterwards and attacked the Common Weal Group for backing certain candidates.
Hanlon, who joined the party after the 2014 referendum, told The National: “A year ago I put myself forward for the role of national policy development convener because I, like many in the party, was frustrated that the party did not seem to be functioning well or living up to the ethos of democratic engagement enshrined within its constitution.
READ MORE: Chris Hanlon pledges not to step down from SNP NEC despite allies doing so
“I stood for election to that role on a platform of making change, of transparency, and of improving communication and policy development by implementing the mechanisms mandated in the 2018 party constitution. I wanted to put members very firmly back in control of deciding what the policy of the Scottish National Party was.
“A number of groups endorsed my candidacy, including the SNP Common Weal Group, although I did not explicitly seek such endorsement and I wasn’t the only candidate they endorsed for the role.
“There seems to be an odd attitude within the party that endorsement by such large groups of ordinary members is somehow not playing fair in internal elections. Endorsement by famous and well respected parliamentarians with enormous public name recognition is fine of course.
“May you live in interesting times is the ancient curse and it certainly is fitting to our present circumstances.”
Hanlon went on to say that “despite being elected overwhelmingly” after standing for change he felt little had changed.
“Institutions like political parties suffer from a great deal of inertia and resistance to change. So great was that inertia that a great many of those victorious candidates felt that the party was beyond reform and eventually left to form a new party of independence when their ambitions were thwarted,” he said.
“I am a lot more stubborn than that and while I have not achieved any of the campaign goals I set last year there has been a great deal of progress.”
He added: “We do not yet have a policy archive or an online policy forum. National Assembly has not been held since the election.
“The policy development committee however meets in full monthly and has weekly informal meetings. It has defined its terms of reference and has hopefully left something behind for its successors to build upon.”
READ MORE: Chris Hanlon: I wrote the leaked 'draft SNP manifesto' document
Hanlon went on to say that the committee had tried various forms of member engagement and have held a number of listening exercises to involve every member of the party and to listen to concerns.
“Most importantly we have helped branches and individuals get some of the most progressive and ambitious policies in the developed world onto the agenda and into policy,” he said.
“We have adopted in full the recommendations of the Social Justice and Fairness Commission and the Climate Assembly. Those two achievements alone will transform our society as we undertake to combat climate change over the next decade. We will trial a job guarantee that has the potential to lift every Scot out of poverty, put an end to precarious and poorly paid employment, and to ensure that everyone that wants a job can have one.”
He continued: “I will be standing again as policy development convener because I still have a lot to do and the job isn’t done yet. I do not know if others will also seek to stand for the position but I welcome that if they do. It is important that democracy not be allowed to stagnate. Oh, and there is that referendum campaign to fight and win. And an entire new nation to design ...”
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