UNISON Labour Link National Forum:Day 2

Second day of Forum held this year at the Liverpool Marriot hotel. “A good time was had by all” the previous night at the traditional Labour Link Social.  For some reason a number of delegates were a little quiet and subdued.  Forum kicked off with more motions on future Labour Link policy and campaign priorities.  Yesterday we had debated and passed motions on The Economy; Spending cuts and the Black Community; ConDem attacks on public service workers; campaign for a Living Wage and a Robin Hood tax.  This morning we started with “Don’t CON-DEM young people; Pensions and Local Government Funding.

Next was the Labour Link Annual Report presented by Forum Chair, Steve Warwick.  Steve thought that Ed Miliband had a fantastic week around the News of the World scandal but when he goes knocking on doors canvassing for the Party people ask what Labour would do differently?  Labour has to be an opposition not just an alternative government in waiting. A party embedded in communities, leading the campaign and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.

Cllr Roz Gladden, the deputy leader of Liverpool City Council was this morning’s keynote speaker.  Roz started by praising the trade union link with the Party, proudly proclaiming that it would not be worth supporting the Party without the link.  She always remembers that she was a trade unionist before she became a Party member.  Labour won back control of the Council because the people of Liverpool had began to trust Labour again.  Never again should we indulge in gesture politics that merely feed our ego. 

After a break we continued with more motions on Housing (which I moved); the role of retired members in Labour Link; Building our own Coalition against the Cuts; Turning out the Labour vote at elections; defending the NHS; Education cuts; strike ballots and Families against Corporate Killers.  Forum finished at 12.30 with formal thanks to the Labour Link staff for organising Forum and to the Hotel staff for looking after us so well.         

Picture of London delegation including Rae Voller who is standing down as National Vice Chair.

UPDATE: Check out Ian Wooler World account of Forum here