Labour Party Conference 2024: Monday

 

Monday was pretty wet, windy and rainy but being from North Wales originally - I was used to it. I had some UNISON stuff to sort out in the morning and my first fringe was "Why we need to track social economic diversity to break the class ceiling" (The Purpose Coalition and The Wise Group)".  

As one of the panellists quoted (who bravely admitted he used to be a management consultant) "if you can't measure it you can't manage it". 

In my question to the panel I said that I had taken part in engagements with major corporations on diversity in the boardroom and while some companies were very positive, when I asked about social economic diversity, some seemed very bothered that they will be expected to monitor class as well as everything else! I was sceptical that you will get meaningful data without regulation, such as the requirement to report on gender pay. 

My favourite memory of this fringe is the Chair trying to also encourage his toddler son, sitting to the side, to be good and eat his chips (due to a breakdown in creche arrangements). 

Next was "Building Worker Power: The New Deal for Working People" run by Labour Unions and IPPR. 

This took place in a large hall which was packed to overflowing with standing room only.  All the food had run out except for bread, cooked carrots and red cabbage. Which was still surprisingly tasty. UNISON & TUC EC officer, Gloria Mills, gave a passionate speech about rolling back decades of unfair, anti worker and anti-union laws and legal judgements. 

Then "Saving for the Future: How can Labour's Pensions Review Help to Deliver Sustainable Retirement" (New Statesman & People's Partnership". 

It was good to see Emma Reynolds MP in her new position as Minister of Pensions (and treasury role?). I can remember her speaking very well at a CLP meeting and at our UNISON Housing Association Branch AGM when she was the shadow Housing Minister. I think however, that we have to be careful in the pension world over the assumption that bigger is always better. I look forward to engaging with Emma another time about the role of pension consolidation, productive finance and retirement. 

Final fringe of the day for me was "Funding Homes for Social Rent: A Role for Institutional Capital: Drinks Reception.(Prowgress, Home Builders Federation & Left Foot Forward). 

While I would take issue with any wording that suggests you can provide social rented homes without government subsidy, there is definitely a role that Institutional Capital can play.  Leaseback schemes for example, are incredibly complex and therefore risky but may provide at least a partial solution to the real risk to Council finances from the rising cost of Temporary accommodation and provide decent homes. 

It was good to talk as well to a representative of a charity that I had "crossed swords" (big, big row) with in the past over their refusal to recognise trade unions for collective bargaining. This representative assured me that they were now very keen to consider trade union recognition and I will be sending their details to our UNISON Regional officer. 

Afterwards I went to a private dinner and had a fascinating conversation on the role of Local Government and Growth. By coincidence many of us on my table had a connection with Stafford. 

On the way home I stopped off for a drink at the first of the two "Newham Nights" with local Party members and Councillors. 

Labour LGA Conference 2024: Day 1

 

At our annual Labour Local Government Association Conference. Currently in a packed and lively training session led by Mo Baines, CEO of APSE on "How can a future Labour Government stem the tide of Section. 114?"

Mo asks why is local governemt beong treated so differently from other public service? 

Central government does not have to balance its books every single year? Why can't budgets be managed and spread over the medium term?

There are lots of good questions, answers, ideas and comments. Looking forward to rest of conference.

Community Wealth Building Seminar for Labour Councillors 21 July 2018

This well attended seminar sponsored by APSE (Association for Public Sector Excellence) of was excellent. Held in the UNISON centre (HQ) in Euston Road, London.

Speakers Paul O’Brien and Mo Baines, APSE; Neil McInroy CLES, Cllr Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council and Cllr Asima Shaikh, Executive Member for Economic and Community Development, Islington Council.

Chair was Mo Baines who works for APSE but is also a UNISON branch President and member nominated representative on the Greater Manchester Local Government Pension Fund.

Paul O'Brien warned us that the "Barnet Map of Doom" could still happen - social care budgets will rise and rise and soak up all Council budgets! London local authorities depends at the moment on Council Tax for 40% of its income. In 2020 that will be 51%! (a huge problem for Councils who have failed to increase Council tax in the past even by inflation and therefore decimated their tax base)

While Neil McInroy reminded that we live a world were 5 super rich men control 50% of its wealth while workers suffer wage contraction, how we must build wealth locally and stop global capitalism from extracting wealth for the super rich.

Cllr Matthew Brown described the "Preston Model" and long, hard, slog to bring about changes following the destruction of traditional local industries and the failure of private led regeneration schemes to develop the city centre.

Cllr Asima Shaikh explained how Islington Council had won court battles over private developers who had overpaid for land and therefore claimed that they could not provide 50% social housing.

A really positive event. At the end I had a number of very constructive conversations with London Councillors about the possible role of local government pensions funds investing in social housing. Watch this space.

(Hat tip pictures Cllr Sakina Sheikh)

#UNDC18 Motion 59.1 Privatisation and PFI - Building the Campaign (aka No to Moody Mutuals)

President, Conference. John Gray, NEC, speaking strongly in favour of amendment 59.1 and against the privatisation of our public services by so called "Public Service Mutuals".

To be clear Unison is a supporter of the Co-operative movement and I happen personally like many people here, to be a longstanding member of the Co-operative Party and try whenever possible to shop and buy from coops and genuine mutuals.

However, "Public Service Mutuals" are not and never can be genuine co-operatives. Real co-operatives are bottom up, formed by grass root workers in order to tackle exploitative employers not to replace democratic and accountable public services. The international definition of cooperatives states that a real Coop is an “association of persons united voluntarily”. Note the word voluntary, staff are being forced into Public Service Mutuals against their will so they can never be cooperatives and no one in the Co-operative movement should support them.

There is one reason and one reason why the Tories are planning these dodgy Mutuals and that is a political one. The Tories want to privatise all public Services. councils, schools, health services - everything. This attack is ideological.

And let us spell this out to our friends in Co-operative movement who may be taken in by this. In unison we have a long, first hand and bitter experience of what happens when you privatise under whatever name you want to call it. Workers pay, their pensions, their holidays, their sick pay is cut, cut and cut.

Cutting pay, terms and conditions of its is the only way they will save money and if they didn’t they will go bust and be snapped up by bigger for profit privateers.

Ironically, in recent years there has been a minor revival in directly employed public services. With many local authorities (even Tory Councils) realising that they can save money by economies of scale and take control of services by bringing them in house. Direct Labour organisations such as APSE have produced stacks of reports and evidence on how you can keep services in house, improve quality and save money.

Conference, we want to work with the cooperative movement and we want to support and grow genuine cooperatives but we will not tolerate or accept privatisation however it is dressed up and we will call it out and tell it as it is.

Conference, please support this amendment.

Labour Local Government Conference 2018 "Rokhsana Fiaz for Newham Mayor"

Last weekend I was at the Labour Local Government Conference in Nottingham. I really recommend this conference for all Labour Councillors.

There was a conference dinner on the Friday evening and it was great to see how many people who were so supportive of Newham Councillor, Rokhsana Fiaz, for her to be a candidate for the likely Mayoral open selection process.   

At the conference itself on Saturday, LGA Labour Leader Nick Forbes,spoke about how unfair it was that Councillors only had only 2 NEC seats while unions have 13. He also made a point how Councillors cannot just "wait" for a Labour Government but have to deliver in the here and now. 

Our Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn also spoke and mentioned that he is the first Labour leader since since Clem Attlee to be a Councillor. (this has been challenged by some CLP members)

Jeremy also pointed out that the number people diagnosed at NHS hospital with malnutrition had tripled in recent years. 

"Services for the many have become cash cows for the few" and how "Private shareholders dine on public services".

There was a number of really good debates and seminars during the conference. In the particular  Apse on insourcing of council services back to public control. 

I asked a question to the meeting about whether Executive Mayors should be allowed to go on and on forever or have time limits?  Didn't really get an answer strangely enough. 

Will keep trying :)

Beware of Shapeshifters & Outsourcery: Protecting public services and the public purse - APSE seminar

Last weekend I went to a well attended seminar for London Labour Party Councillors at the UNISON Centre in Euston Road presented by Mo Bains from APSE (Association for Public Sector Excellence).

It was an eye opener and I would recommend that all progressive Councils and Councillors should also get this alternative view of how to challenge the so called "orthodoxy" regarding cuts and privatisation before they make any final budget decisions. 

Mo reminded us that the provision of public services only came about in the first place due to massive private sector market failure.

There is little or no evidence that "the market knows best" in public services. The "savings" from privatisation of public services are often down to cuts in terms and conditions of low paid staff and more than off set by paying profits to shareholders and increased salaries to senior management. 

It seems that many private companies see the public sector as "easy meat" to rip off and defraud.  

"the National Audit Office study in 2013/2014 explored the £40BN contracts market. Of 60 contracts tested 34 found billing issues".

Public policy is not set in stone but if services are privatised and policy changes then Councils are being penalised and held to ransom if it means contracts have to be altered.

The privatisation (top down "mutalisation") of Council services into small businesses only results into a greater risk to the Council from failure and massive inefficiencies due to fragmented dis-economies of scale. Many so called former local authority "mutuals" have collapsed or staff have been forced into accepting massive pay cuts.

"Outsourcery" of public services is no panacea and can result in greater cost and a reduced service.   This is not political. More services are currently being taken back in house by Conservative Councils. 

Councils should make greater use of their expertise and resources to offer services to other councils and local businesses. They most also be prepared to make evidence based difficult decisions on the provision of services to ensure they remain in house. For example if a council runs a personal social care service 9-5pm but the users want a service in the early morning or evening then the in house service must to be changed to provide this need after full consultation with staff and the unions.

The great thing about APSE is that it is about public sector excellence and not provider interest. I would recommend that Councillors should ask for APSE to present to their Councils before decisions are made in the coming months on budgets following the savage government cuts.  There is an alternative way to protect public services and the public purse.