It can be hard for Labour Party members to keep track of discussions if people use acronyms or phrases you are unfamiliar with.  Here is short A-Z of key terms that could help you navigate your way through the Labour Party.

• Annual General Meeting (AGM):
  The AGM is the annual meeting where Labour Party members elect the officers of the Executive Committee (see below).
• All Members’ Meeting (AMM):
  An AMM is a monthly meeting where Labour Party members can attend to receive updates about the work of the CLP and Labour representatives, vote on motions (if any are proposed) and engage in discussions about a variety of issues.
• Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic – BAME Forum:
  The BAME Forum is a space for BAME members to come together to discuss issues affecting their communities and how the Labour Party can better engage BAME members and voters.
• Board-runner:
  When out canvassing (see below), the board-runner will have the information about who lives in the properties you are canvassing and will record the data you collect. They essentially lead the group of canvassers during the canvassing session.
• Branch:
  Where CLPs (see below) have very large memberships, they can be broken down into smaller branches. These branches send delegates to the General Committee (GC) to act on behalf of the branches. Some CLP’s do not have branches.
• Canvassing:
  Canvassing involves going out and knocking on the doors of voters to find out what matters to them. There can be different reasons for canvassing – we might be wanting to find out if there are any problems in an area or we may want to find out how people are planning on voting in an election. We also canvas by phone, which is the same thing except we call people instead of knocking on their doors (this is sometimes called ‘phone banking’).
• Constituency Labour Party (CLP):
  The CLP is the official organisational unit of the Labour Party in a particular constituency.
• Councillors:
  Our Region elects Borough, District and County councillors. Borough and District councillors represent one ward (geographical area in their borough or district).  In the case of County councillors they represent an electoral division which is usually larger than one ward.  A councillors term of office is 4 years.
• Executive Committee (EC):
  The Executive Committee is the administrative body of the CLP responsible for the efficient running of the CLP and for coordinating activities across the CLP. Officers of the CLP are elected annually at the AGM. Not every CLP’s EC will have the same positions/number of positions, but each EC will have six key officers: Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair, Vice Chair (Membership) and Women’s Officer.
• General Committee (GC):
  Where CLPs have a branch system, branches send delegates to the GC to represent them. Delegate meetings function as AMM meetings, except only delegates will be entitled to vote.  Branch systems are favoured in CLPs with large memberships, especially in London.
• Get Out The Vote: (GOTV)
  Get out the Vote is exactly that! We get in touch with all of our ‘Labour promises’ we have identified while canvassing to remind them that it’s polling day, and to make their vote count by voting Labour.
• Labour Group (sometimes just referred to as ‘Group):
  The Labour Group is the group of local Labour councillors. They meet each month to discuss council business, including which way to vote on motions, whether they are proposing motions or amendments and points they wish to raise in council meetings.
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender+Labour LGBT+Labour:
  LGBT+ Labour is a group that campaigns for and protects LGBT+ rights,  provide its members with a platform for and improves the understanding of LGBT+ rights in the party and the wider community.
• Local Government Committee (formerly known as Local Campaign Forum (LCF):
  The Local Government Committee is responsible for finding candidates to stand in elections, which members then have the chance to vote for in selections.
• National Executive Committee (NEC):
  The NEC is the governing body of the Labour Party. It is made up of elected representatives from every section of the Party – government, MPs, Councillors, trade unions and CLPs. It helps set the objectives of the Labour Party and manages its running.
• National Policy Forum (NPF):
  The NPF is the body that oversees policy development and helps ensure the direction of the Party reflects the broad consensus of the members. It features representatives from all sections of the Party.
• Regional Executive Committee:
  The Regional Executive Committee acts in a similar way to the Executive Committee of a CLP, but it covers the entire region  and is made up of people from CLPs, affiliated trade unions, groups and organisations.
• Voter Identification (VID):
  When we speak to voters whilst canvassing, the data we collect for the questions we ask is commonly referred to as “Voter ID”.
• Young Labour:
  Young Labour members are those aged between 14-26.