#lab11 : Ed Miliband at UNISON Labour Link reception

On Wednesday evening last week at the Labour Party Conference there was the UNISON Labour Link reception.  This was held at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in the historic Albert Dock.

Steve Warwick, Chair of Labour Link, use to be the Council "rat catcher" for the Dock, when it was a working tobacco warehouse (a.k.a Environmental Health Officer). He firstly introduced guest speaker Ed Balls MP. Who said that while he was disappointed that we had not chosen him as leader - we did make the best choice of the two Ed's. Ed B also said that while we will not always going to agree, the unions will be at the heart of the Labour Party. Since we fundamentally want the same things. 

Labour Party leader Ed Miliband won great applause with his commitment to "fight with every fibre of his being" the Tory Government plan to make a 3% tax increase on public service employees. This increase is not needed for the pension schemes but is a unfair tax increase that all other groups of workers would be outraged if they had been also singled out.

In the picture Ed M is seen praising long time UNISON activist, new Labour Councillor and retiring Chair of the Labour Party, Norma Stephenson. Who was the Chair of the Labour Party NEC and this year's Conference. Whose strict, no nonsense, good humoured and on occasions, emotional Chairing manner had been described by journalist Simon Hoggart, as reminding him of "a spunky old duck of the kind I recognise from my northern childhood".  (double click picture to bring up detail)

#Lab11 Back home and Vote Yes X to protect your pension

Back home in Newham's "green and pleasant" land after the worlds longest (but cheap) London Midland train journey from Liverpool.

I really enjoyed myself last week. Not sure it was a "great" Party conference but we are in a bit of a silly season at the moment. If the Party announces any "bleeding obvious" good policies this far ahead of an election, then the Tories will simply pinch them.

While the Daily Hates will have plenty of time to simply fabricate the "cost" of any others, while pretending this is all the work of evil union barons. This is pathetic but so true. 

I will post more on conference as and when.  I probably won't report on everything I went to.  Life moves on.

I've come back to find a big stack of leaflets and posters from UNISON urging members to Vote YES to strike action to protect their pensions.  Which I will be taking into work with me.  What is being proposed is not fair or necessary.  It is a tax on (mostly) low paid workers to pay for the excesses of very, very, very rich people.  It is plain wrong.

#Lab11 Unions21 fringe on Pensions

Yesterday lunchtime (Tuesday) I was a last minute speaker at a fringe on pensions organised by Unions21.  The other speakers were Malcolm Wicks MP, Former Pensions Minister; Mary Bousted - General Secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers; David Pitt-Watson, Hermes (Speaking on Workforce Private Sector Pensions); Neal Lawson - Chair, Compass.

"People need an income after their working lives are over so that retirement can be comfortable and dignified. This fringe event asks how the cost should be shared between government, employer and employee".

Watching yourself on video is always pretty horrible.  Do I really, really sound and look like that? For some reason I called "Defined Contribution" schemes "Direct Contributions".  Hopefully in this case the message is more important then the delivery.  There should be another video clip on my response to a remark Malcolm made about the forthcoming public sector strike ballot which I will try and see if it can be published. 

#Lab11 Labour Housing Group/Co-op/SERA fringe

After the TULO fringe on Sunday I went with UNISON housing members to the Labour Housing Group meeting which was held jointly with the Co-operative Party and SERA.  It was called "Homes for the Future". It was chaired by Jacky Peacock OBE, Vice Chair LHG; Speakers: Alison Seabeck MP, Shadow Housing Minister and Leonie Cooper, SERA.  We were late but listened to the Q&A.   

Alison mentioned that she was looking into whether Council pension funds could be used to fund new homes.  This is a potentially a sensible idea in my view since we need to invest in so called "alternative assets" such as property and it should be a "safe" long term investment ideally suited to help match pension fund liabilities.  This has been talked about for years and should have legs but I think advisers are cautious about such "direct" investment since the days of Arthur Scargill and the Cowan decision.  I think that times have moved on.  This is not an "ethical" investment issue. 

#Lab11 Ed Miliband speech to Labour Conference

This post is out of sequence since I haven’t caught up on Sunday yet neither mind yesterday. I rushed over from the Unions21 fringe on pensions to join the long queue for Ed Miliband's speech as leader to conference. Unlike last year I was able to get in and find a seat. People behind me had to stand on the sides of the hall.

Some first thoughts on (some) of the things he said that I found interesting. I must admit the speech and the chorography reminded me of the GovNet fringe that I went to last night which listed the things he should saying at conference in front of the telly cameras to “reach out beyond the Party” in order to win votes. Such as stressing his personal side, his wife and young family, appealing to the aspirational so-called none “core” Labour vote.

I found his reaffirmation of the plan to make every company agree to an employee representative being on the board remuneration committee good news. But it was the only concrete idea put forward to on how to make the financial service industry change and how he will tax and regulate the “predators” while encouraging the “wealth creators”? I think better governance is also part of the solution.

The pledge on social housing and making it available to those in work or contribute to society is a welcome sign that housing is finally moving up the political agenda. But at the moment we don’t build enough homes to house practically anyone so this needs to be addressed and hard cash put up.

Some people I spoke to afterwards were concerned that he concentrated too much on the vision of getting working class kids into the top elite universities and not enough on getting the vast majority who need access to good apprentices and further education. He has got to be careful about referring to his background. Yes, he is indeed the son of outsiders and went to a comprehensive school but he is not a hoary son of toil.

Yes, we must “invent things, make things and sell real things”, Yes, “you can not trust the Tories with the NHS”, Yes, to change “a safety net full of holes”, Well done to standing up to Rupert Murdoch but who are the “vested interests” in public services? Hmmm – I hope not...

Overall a good speech which if fully implemented when he becomes Prime Minster will make Britain a fairer, more equal, progressive and successful society. Good start - roll on 2015.

#Lab11 TULO fringe

My first event of conference (Sunday) was the TULO fringe.  TULO is the organisation set up by trade unions who are affiliated to the Labour Party. It was packed out with trade unionists who listened to speeches by trade union leaders and MP's.  I had only just arrived from Cardiff and I missed Labour Leader Ed Miliband speech to the meeting which ended just as I walked into the hall.  However, there was tremendous applause for his speech.

I wondered if the media will report this rather than the misrepresentation they made of the last speech he made to trade unions that I heard at this year's TUC Congress?

As he walked out of the room his PA kindly offered to take "a picture". Afterwards I met up with the Unison delegation and some of us went off to the Co-op/SERA/Labour Housing Group fringe.

#Lab11 Labour Party Conference Liverpool 2011

This picture is from the inside of the ACC, Kings Dock, Liverpool next to the conference floor.  I arrived yesterday afternoon from Cardiff after the Unison Community Seminar. 

The Labour Party conference is a huge event with thousands of people attending.  It is not just about the debates and speeches on the conference floor that you see on the telly.  Meetings and fringes start as early as 8am and go on all day until the early hours.  They are often more interesting than much of conference business.

I am not a delegate for my union or CLP but here in an "ex-officio" capacity as a Labour Councillor which means that I can visit any part of the conference, speak but I cannot vote on motions or take part in ballots.  Not being a delegate gives you more time to spend outside the conference floor.  Obviously this is in my own time and at my own expense.

I hope to blog on conference fringes and debates that I attend at least daily.  Usually the day afterwards.