Labour can reverse its decision to block Andy Burnham. Here is why it must | Neal Lawson

Good politics is about collaboration and contestation. The NEC’s ruling means the party has turned its back on that

• Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass

This government has become very adept at U-turns. Apparently it is time to turn again. By deciding to block Andy Burnham’s candidacy for the Gorton and Denton byelection, the Labour NEC has turned its back on a different and better form of politics, one that Labour and the country so desperately need. The decision today has implications far beyond personality or faction: instead, it is about how a modern and effective government operates to meet the complex and interrelated challenges our society now faces.

Francis Crick once said: “A good scientist values criticism almost higher than friendship.” This is equally relevant to politics. Any progressive party needs agility to navigate an endless onslaught of events beyond its control. What therefore matters most are systems and cultures that allow constant feedback, and different views and voices to be heard. Governing is always a mix of professional expertise, top-down control and open debate and negotiation. It is the latter trait that needs to become predominant for any organisation to survive, let alone thrive, given the complexity, even chaos, of governing today.

Neal Lawson is director of the cross-party campaign organisation Compass