Welcome to the Labour Diversity Fund website. This is a campaign that Ed is running to change the Labour party in these tough economic times, to help bring about a more diverse parliament and to help disadvantaged groups stand for parliament.

What is the Diversity Fund?

A percentage, for example, 1% of all donations to the Labour Party would go into the Diversity Fund. Out of this central pot of money, grants could be applied for by any members of the Labour Party from a low income background who is seeking selection as a candidate for the Westminster parliamentary elections.
The Diversity Fund could also be drawn upon by Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) to support the work of developing talented individuals from under-represented groups and also to provide bursaries to individuals who would otherwise be unable to sustain the costs of candidacy.

Did you know…

• That non-white Labour MPs make up 6% of the PLP?
• That women make up only 31% of Labour MPs?
• That a mere 4% of the current PLP comes from manual working (low income) backgrounds, whilst 80% of Labour MPs are drawn from traditional professional occupations?
• That a third of MPs went to fee paying private schools (compared with a national average of around 7%)?
• 20 MPs (19 Conservative and 1 Lib Dem) went to Eton, compared with 14 in 2001?
• That occupational background of MPs continues to be ever more biased toward business and the ‘metropolitan professions’, particularly finance, law, public affairs, and politics?

This is something Ed feels must change, and it must be the Labour party that leads the way in brings about a more diverse parliament.

So what can you do?

• Add your name to our petition.
• Write to your local MP and get them to sign the EDM. If they contact you refusing, please send us the response so we can name and shame. We will publish the names of all MPs who support it.
• Join our Facebook page and/or follow our Twitter feed.
• Why not write to the fellow leadership candidates and ask them to back Ed’s campaign?
• Sign up to Ed’s E-Newsletter to be kept up to date with the campaign.