In August 2017, despite the Labour Party membership being 570,000 with an estimated 72,000 black, Asian and minority ethnic members, membership of BAME Labour has fallen to 731 members of whom 520 voted in the BAME Labour elections. This was in contravention of the 2,500 needed as per the stipulations of the Labour Party Rule Book. In August 2017, Vaz retained his place on the NEC on behalf of BAME Labour from challenger, Asghar Khan, a Leeds councillor, postal worker and trade union representative, who had the backing of several of the largest trade unions, including Unite the Union, GMB, Transport Salaried Staffs' Association and Communication Workers Union, and several videos in support of Khan's candidacy were made by Momentum. It was reported by the New Statesman that BAME Labour members "felt shut out by an archaic election process, which they say favoured an establishment within the society."
