In every community in the country there are businesses championing an approach based on protecting people and planet as well as making a profit. To build the just society we need, Labour needs to connect to businesses across our country and the people who work in them. CLPs can play a vital role in building the coalition we need. That’s why we are asking every CLP to appoint a Business Liaison Officer.”

Ed Miliband MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Jun 2021

“In order to win elections, I’ve always believed that Labour needs to engage with the local business community, demonstrating that we speak for responsible businesses as well as for workers and their trade unions.The role of BuLOs, working in partnership with TULOs, is to champion Labour’s engagement with local businesses at the grass roots level - including SMEs, social enterprises, micro-businesses, freelancers and the self-employed.

That’s why I want every CLP that hasn’t already done so to appoint its own BuLO.”

David Evans, General Secretary of the Labour Party, Jul 2021

The BuLO Campaign

Labour Business, the Party’s affiliated business membership group, launched the BuLO initiative in 2017 shortly after the General Election with strong support from Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey. We invited every CLP to appoint a BuLO to champion Labour’s engagement with local businesses up and down the country. Many CLPs have already appointed BuLOs – from Cornwall to Edinburgh, from Newbury to Darlington, and many places in between.

BuLOs must be members of their CLP, but they have no additional voting rights on the EC or GC. No rule change is required to appoint them; they are appointed by a simple resolution of their CLP. The resolution can be considered at an ordinary AMM or GC meeting, or at an AGM, along with the other functional officer appointments.

A BuLO must also be a member of Labour Business, but is entitled to free membership, so there is no cost to being a BuLO. In return, we provide support on business engagement and policy development work. The BuLO is in addition to the TULO. The idea is that they will work together in partnership. The BuLO and the TULO are 2 sides of the same coin.

Our target this year – with equally strong support from Keir Starmer and his leadership team – is for a BuLO to be appointed in every foundation seat in the country, and in 50% of all other seats, including those with a sitting Labour MP and those without. Hopefully we’ll exceed that target.

Next steps in appointing a BuLO

If you’d like to consider appointing a BuLO in your CLP, or just get more involved in the work of Labour Business locally or nationally, please email contact@labourbusiness.org.

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