UNISON London Labour Link – Great News!

Today we held a very constructive and positive UNISON London Labour Link committee (APF) meeting. I chaired the first part of the meeting due to sickness of the committee Chairs.

Business included the London UNISON MPs Parliamentary report (Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn was unusually held up and came after we had finished the meeting but we had a chat about things and I am sure he will send us a written report to circulate). We had a written report (and apologies) from London Assembly member Joanne McCartney.

Gloria Hanson my joint deputy Chair (and of course our London region UNISON convener) gave an illuminating verbal feedback on this week’s Greater London Labour Party Board. The selection process for Labour candidates to stand in next year’s borough elections is in full swing.

There were also positive reports from delegates (including from myself) on the National Labour Party Forum in Manchester.

The rest of the business was the usual budget reports, work plan & priorities and an update on the UNISON Parliamentary Selection Process.

There was a discussion on the current row on Labour politicians appearing alongside the BNP/Nazi on programmes such as "Question Time". I think that we agreed that they should not appear but have to find better ways of challenging these "straw man" fascists and their stupid lies.

Things are currently very difficult (but not at all impossible!) for Labour nationally and UNISON Labour Link is doing its best to get the Party to adopt policies that will help us win next year.

My contribution to today's discussion which I think was accepted by the committee is that while recognising the Government has simply got to change tack in certain key policies - all of us believe that for trade unionists and ordinary people the worse day in any Labour Government is much, much better that the best day in any Tory government.

Then there was an announcement by Gloria which cheered us all up and made us look forward to the big fights next year. We agreed to keep the news to ourselves for now and - maybe - announce it at the London Regional Council meeting in October.

Mum’s the word!

(This picture is not directly related to Gloria’s announcement but since it also good relevant news of what happens when UNISON and Labour acts in concert – I just had to post it twice.)