Statement on new Member’s Pledge

The values of honesty, decency and high standards in public life are the cornerstone of the Labour Party we are creating.

These values are embodied in the Nolan Principles of public life. Selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.

We are proud that the Labour Party embraces these principles every day. They are the values we want to take into government – the values by which we can rebuild trust in politics after a decade in which the public’s faith has been shattered.

This updated Code of Conduct will help us achieve that. It builds on the existing pledge and is a reminder to all members that we are a party of the people, for the people.

The first job we had to do when we were elected to the party’s leadership was to change the culture. That has not been easy. It has meant taking difficult decisions, while standing up to those who don’t like those changes. But it has been an essential pillar in ensuring that we are once again the party that focuses relentlessly on the priorities, the demands and the desires of the public. Now, three years on, we can meet the British public’s gaze and offer the real hope of a Labour government that will change their lives and our country for the better.

The Labour Party is an inclusive party. All members regardless of gender, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, age or disability have the right to feel comfortable, respected and heard. In all our dealings – whether on the doorstep, in a CLP meeting, at a husting, via social media or in our offices – treating people with respect is at the core of who we are.

This updated version of the Code of Conduct reminds us that we are not just a party focused on delivering – but a party that does so with compassion and decency. The way we deal with others is a barometer for this. It will help us work better together, to fulfil the promise on the back of each of our membership cards that ‘by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone’. And, most importantly, it will help us toward our mission to build a better, brighter, more hopeful future for our country and for working people.

– Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, David Evans, General Secretary of the Labour Party, and Johanna Baxter, Chair of Labour’s NEC