<P> The party's decision - making bodies on a national level formally include the National Executive Committee (NEC), Labour Party Conference and National Policy Forum (NPF)--although in practice the Parliamentary leadership has the final say on policy . The 2008 Labour Party Conference was the first at which affiliated trade unions and Constituency Labour Parties did not have the right to submit motions on contemporary issues that would previously have been debated . Labour Party conferences now include more "keynote" addresses, guest speakers and question - and - answer sessions, while specific discussion of policy now takes place in the National Policy Forum . </P> <P> The Labour Party is an unincorporated association without a separate legal personality, and the Labour Party Rule Book legally regulates the organisation and the relationship with members . The General Secretary represents the party on behalf of the other members of the Labour Party in any legal matters or actions . </P> <P> In August 2015, prior to the 2015 leadership election, the Labour Party reported 292,505 full members, 147,134 affiliated supporters (mostly from affiliated trade unions and socialist societies) and 110,827 registered supporters; a total of about 550,000 members and supporters . As of June 2016, a few days after the 2017 General Election, the party had approximately 552,000 full members, making it the largest political party in Western Europe . </P> <P> For many years Labour held to a policy of not allowing residents of Northern Ireland to apply for membership, instead supporting the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) which informally takes the Labour whip in the House of Commons . The 2003 Labour Party Conference accepted legal advice that the party could not continue to prohibit residents of the province joining, and whilst the National Executive has established a regional constituency party it has not yet agreed to contest elections there . In December 2015 a meeting of the members of the Labour Party in Northern Ireland decided unanimously to contest the elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly held in May 2016 . </P>

What is the current membership of the labour party