"𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀"

 

"Everything I’ve achieved as general secretary has been alongside dedicated UNISON members. We’ve delivered real change and together, we can keep our union strong".

Ballots arrive from 28 Oct. All UNISON members can vote include Retired.

LHG Policy Day 2025: Building 1.5m homes - who should they be for?

 

I cannot make this policy day due to a clash, which is a shame, since it is such an important and topical subject. Hopefully there will some form of report back to members.

Labour Housing Group Policy Day 2025 Saturday November 15th 1.30 – 5pm (1pm Registration) Venue: Friends’ Meeting House, 6 Mount St, Manchester M2 5NS (an in-person event) LHG is pleased to invite you to join us at our annual Policy Day, which will this year be hosted in Manchester on the theme:“Building 1.5m homes: who should they be for?” Topics  Devolution and building homes: developing strategic spatial plans and good collaboration    Breakout groups 1: Strategies for different areas A - Building social housing: progress and challenges in the North West B - Building homes to free up family homes / meet older people’s needs Breakout groups 2: Strategies for different groups   C - Building homes to meet needs of younger people & families D - A key issue for the NW: homebuilding in small towns?   Building New Towns and extensions              Delivery of social housing at pace Invited speakers:  Andrew Western MP (chair)  Mayor Steve Rotherham, Liverpool CR plus NW group Paul Dennett, Deputy Mayor, GMCA  Matt Turmaine MP  Issy Waite, Labour Students and LHG EC  Josh Dean MP Maya Ellis MP Cllr Scott Brereton, Hyndburn Markus Campbell-Savours MP  Lucy Powell MP Mayor Tracy Brabin Manchester Social Housing Commission   Deadline for registering:  Monday 10th November

Click here to register

Useful Resources and Links Read all of the latest housing commentary and analysis on our Red Brick blog Catch up with our recent podcast on tackling the crisis in temporary accommodation Read our report: ‘Housing is a Human Right’, a joint publication with the Labour Campaign for Human Rights

Time running out for UNISON Labour Link National Elections: Vote by Monday 27 October

"Dear Branch Labour Link Member

You should should have received a ballot paper to your home address (with SAE) inviting you to vote in the UNISON London Labour Link elections. You can vote either online or by post (obviously only once).

Voting closes on the 27th of October at 5pm.

If members have not received their ballot by the 30th of September, they can contact the ballot helpline on 08000857857.

UNISON Housing Association branch Labour Link has nominated our Committee member and active Shop Steward, Lady Lola Oyewusi to represent the Greater London region on the National Labour Link committee.

Lady Lola is a strong advocate for the Greater London region and has a proven track record.

Lady Lola will work tirelessly for our members, holding the government to account on vital issues such as the Employment Rights Bill, ensuring it’s implemented in full, on welfare rights, Palestine and in responding to the threat from Reform UK and the far right.

Lady Lola will work for fairer workplaces and communities where our members thrive and our rights are protected, no matter who’s in power.

If you wish to contact Lola with any questions please email her omololly2002@yahoo.co.uk

Yours faithfully
John Gray
Branch Chair and Labour Link Officer"

Outside London please consider voting for Tracey (Northwest region), Wendy (Yorkshire and Humberside region) and Fatima (South East Region)

How to write a motion webinar

 

Well done to our UNISON Community National officers (Community members work in Housing Associations or Charities) for organising a webinar on how to write a motion at our annual conference. 

Despite my many years of experience in the Labour movement I still get motions that I have written, ruled out of order, often due to basic mistakes. Motions that I have been involved in have been accepted by standing orders committees but not been prioritised and debated.  Which with hindsight I now realise were because they were unconvincing or even a bit boring. 

So I will be attending this training next week, every day is a school day and hope that my comrades in UNISON Community will also attend, so we can have some great and meaningful debates at our conference next year.  

(picture of my Community NEC colleague, Denise Thomas moving a motion at this year's Community conference)

UNISON Community Conference: How to write a motion webinar

Dear John, On Friday 27 February 2026, UNISON National Community Conference and Seminar will begin in Solihull.     Democracy is at the heart of our conferences, and they are an opportunity for you and your branch to set the direction of the union. To facilitate this democracy, every UNISON branch with community members has the opportunity to submit a motion to community conference by 12 noon on 6 November.     On Monday 20 October, we will be running two webinars on how to write a motion for conference. We’ll go through:  what a motion is what it is used for good practice for writing a motion and how to draft your own motion. To register for the webinars, please use one of the links below:      Monday 20 October, 12:30 – 13:15     Monday 20 October, 18:00 – 18:45   UNISON Community Conference and Seminar is for the 85,000 UNISON members who work for voluntary, charitable, and not-for-profit organisations, including housing associations, major charities, and those providing social care from the third sector.     Further information on UNISON community can be found using this link.    To find out more about this conference, you can follow this link.    We hope to see as many of you as possible on Monday.    Best wishes,    Michael Doolan  Assistant national officer – community     James Randall  National officer - community

Join an online campaign rally with Christina: UNISON General Secretary elections

 

I have just signed up for the Greater London Rally on Thursday at 6pm and submitted a question.

"Have you signed up to one the campaign rallies yet? Come along to hear how UNISON is safe in my hands and how we'll keep winning for members. Submit your questions and sign up at: http://votechristina.org.uk/rallies"

Surgery, Canvass then Forest Walk

Busy day. Cycled down to my Newham Council advice surgery in Stratford Library then joined Forest Gate North ward colleagues for a local door knock. Which went well, I experienced a mostly very positive approach to Labour, which I think is down to the excellent local Councillors, Rachel and Liz. It was nice to get back campaigning after a couple of weeks off due to Conference and annual leave. The cleaning and communal repair standards of the housing blocks we visited was mostly good. 

Afterwards, since it was such a pleasant, warm and sunny day, Gill and I walked from home to Chingford through Epping Forest. We took the train back home and then had delicious pub grub at the nearby Holly Tree, where we came across other Labour folk including the very quiet and retiring, Cllr Alan Griffiths. 

A good day. 

Welfare at Work Week is back! 29 Sept to 3 Oct

 

Welfare at Work Week is back! 29 Sept to 3 Oct UNISON branches are highlighting the support available from UNISON's charity - There for You - including grants, debt advice, and budgeting tools. Contact your branch or organise your own event https://unsn.uk/4lUBWeR

Labour Conference 2025: Sunday

Conference started at 11am. I was at a UNISON delegation pre meeting at 9am were we confirmed who would speak on debates and which motions to support or oppose. First item was Conference Arrangements Committee Report, where delegates whose motions had not been accepted for debate were given the opportunity to ask for this to be reconsidered. Conference voted to accept the report.

There was also a minutes silence to remember Party members who have died during the past year. A list of names was shown on the main screens to music, which included the name of Newham Councillor, Neil Wilson. 

There was also number of good speakers including a passionate speech on the new Hillsborough Law followed by a choir singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

There was also international speaker, Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who gave a very thoughtful speech on how the Labour movement’s in both our countries had chosen Parliamentary democracy rather than protest to benefit working people. 

After Conference I went to be part of a panel for a fringe with Michael Shanks MP (Minister for Energy, Security & Net Zero), Bill Esterson MP (Chair of Energy, Security & Net Zero) and Tessa Khan (Uplift).  The panel was chaired by Sue Ferns (Prospect). I was there in my role as Vice Chair of Local Authority Pension Fund Forum. I will post later on this event. For some reason the photographs were all red!

Afterwards I joined friends and colleagues at the best social of conference, the Labour Friends of Bangladesh event and had a fantastic meal with one or two speeches.

 

Labour Party Conference 2025 - Saturday

I travelled up to Liverpool on Saturday to be a UNISON Labour Link delegate to Conference. I had been elected to the delegation by my NEC colleagues. 

Conference starts officially at 11am on the Sunday. We had a delegation pre meeting at 9am, so a fairly sensible night, but I did go the the London Labour Party reception, were there was a number of excellent speakers and took this picture of my Newham and CWU colleague Bashar, with the very pleasant spouse of a certain well known Labour politician!

UNISON Seasonal Food Fund 2025 opens soon!

 

There for You – UNISON’s charity – is here to help Seasonal Food Fund 2025 opens soon! Keep the date https://unsn.uk/4noavvh Opens 12 noon, Tue 30 Sept – 24hrs only £30 voucher per eligible household member For those on low income/in financial difficulty

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