14 Ways I help Labour win the next election (Tip 8) by Ryan Chamberlain

8. Attend Branch Meetings
Now you're a member of the Labour Party you can have your say in how it's run. As you can imagine with half a million or so members there needs to be a structure to ensure everyone has their say.
 
The Branch meeting is the local wing of the Party.  Branch meetings are generally relaxed and will talk about politics at ground roots - be it local councils, Cornwall Council or the plethora of local organisations, agencies, projects, charities or community interest companies. I'll be honest until I joined the Labour Party and attended branch I had no idea about any of this, now I sit on two town councils. One of my favourite topics in branch is local history you really get a sense of the longevity of the socialist cause. Branch meeting is usually 1-2 hours a month.
 
Until recently St Austell & Newquay Constituency didn't have a branch structure but in the recent resurgence the party membership has gone from a hundred or so members to seven hundred.
 
The recent branch structure voted on by the constituency is
Newquay and St Columb
The Clays
St. Austell
Mevagissey and Roseland
St. Blazey Tywardreath Fowey
 
Each of these branches consist 3 or 4 unitary (Cornwall Council) Wards and each branch has 150-200 members. Not all members attend all meetings, we appreciate members have lives to live. It's a branch level that Cornwall Council candidates can be selected.