Delegates wished there to be a body which would implement policy between conferences, and also raise funds, and select candidates for Parliamentary elections.
However, the local organisations did not wish the new body to have too much power, requiring it not to initiate any policy which had not been approved by a conference, and to emphasise this subordinate nature, it was decided to name it the "National Administrative Council", rather than "Executive Committee".
The organisation decided to only permit ILP branches to send delegates, and this less individualised membership agreed to reduce the NAC to nine members.
[1] The title of president was changed to chairman in 1896, and by 1898, the membership of the NAC had begun to settle down, with Hardie joined by Ramsay Macdonald, Bruce Glasier and Philip Snowden, and the "Big Four" held the leading roles in the party for many years.
[7] Faced with a continuing decline in membership, in 1970 the NAC was restructured, with twelve members serving alongside the chair, treasurer and general secretary.