Newham Labour PragRad "Pick of the Policies"

I arrived too late last night at Stratford Picture House for the "Pick of the Policies" competition due to
Tower Hamlets Pension committee.

But it had obviously been a great success. Lots of people still around who spoke about a lively and informative evening of political debate.

The Pragmatic Radical model was "Have you got a policy idea that you think Labour should adopt? If so come and pitch it, in just 90 seconds, at the Newham Top of the Policies event".

Newham MPs Lyn Brown and Steve Timms chaired and were time keepers. There were 16 pitches and the winner was West Ham, John Saunders, who spoke in favour of fixed terms for Council Executive Mayors!

Second was Aleen Alarice on "info Sharing" and joint third place was Alan Griffiths on "Housing"; Gavin Pearson on "profit from planning" and Newham UNISON NEC and West Ham CLP Kim Silver for the ending of Zero hour contracts.

Afterwards a group of us finished off the evening at the Pizza Express downstairs (see picture).

Who says politics can't be fun?

Many thanks for Julianne and Farah for organising this event. Hat tip Ayesha, Gordon and Seyi for pictures.

Labour Party & UNISON stall for TUC March Oct 20

Collage is from today's stall and leafleting session in Stratford High Street, Newham, East London. Members of the West Ham Labour Party and local trade unionists were encouraging the public to join the TUC March for "A Future that Works" on Saturday 20 October. There was a UNISON stall and also next door a stall with Unite Ford activists from Dagenham and the NUT.

We gave out 500 joint Newham Labour/trade union leaflets supporting the march and asking people to meet again outside Stratford Station at 10am on the 20th October for those who want to travel together to the march with local Labour Party, trade unionists and residents.

We had some interesting discussions at the stall. The reaction from people who realised what we were about was very positive. However, most people passed by politely refusing to accept a leaflet, badge or sticker. While I think that this type of activity is still very much worth while, we need to find another way to reach ordinary working people about "the message" in a busy sunny Saturday shopping centre.

The message is of course not only to go on the March if at all possible but also that Austerity is not working and we need an alternative economic policy. I tried chanting "What do we want, Keynesian, When do we want it, NOW" but it didn't really work apart from giving me a sore throat.

It was good for me as a UNISON NEC member to deal with enquires and comments, not only the good stuff from people wanting to join or thank the union for the help they have received but also those who want to complain about the way they felt they had been treated. Only two problems out of many compliments but things are simply so horrible out there at the workplace that we have to be humble at times that things can go wrong - as they will with a 1.3 million wide membership under attack.

Picture on top of collage is of "Battle of Cable Street" veteran Max Levitas who joined us last year as well to support the TUC March in March.

Middle is West Ham Labour Party members and Councillors supporting the TUC March. There was also a stall in Green Street today by East Ham CLP.

Bottom picture is Alan, Gavin and myself after we had returned the stall materials and table to the West Ham Labour Party HQ which has temporarily been taken over by the excellent "Newham Peoples Museum & Gallery".

Who also agreed to exhibit the UNISON Marching shoes placards as a symbol of modern day Newham peoples history. (hat tip picture Judith G).  

Lab12: One nation infrastructure in Britain

(Guest post by Cllr Gavin Pearson) Labour Party Conference saw the launch of a new ethos from Labour headlined “One Nation Labour” in Ed Miliband’s leader’s speech. Four hours later, a fringe reception held by the infrastructure industry, saw some interesting questions raised.

The World Economic Forum ranks the UK a disastrous 24th in the world for infrastructure. The British public face high and rising transport costs. We have drought warnings and flooding at the same time. Our rail franchises finance legal challenges not better trains. And we face an energy crunch.

Yet treating the UK as One Nation could solve this.

Infrastructure is what made the UK One Nation. Be it road, rail or canals, before these things were established, our clocks all read different times. Once they were built, we were as one.

But we remain divided. We may not want division between the North and the South, but economically speaking, we have it. Likewise with HS2. Rural villages declare it satanic while Birmingham welcomes business opportunities. Scotland and Wales meanwhile, look on enviously at the chance of such disagreement.

So can a One Nation spirit prove practical? It is probably too much to hope that rural areas will start welcoming wind farms in the service of their country. Many will continue to demand the lights stay on with energy produced out of their sight, far from their homes. But strategically, a plan for the nation makes sense.

A renewable future is likely to see over-generation in sparsely populated Scotland, with a grid able to carry it south to English cities. But it is also likely to see more generation and energy saving in people’s own homes and communities. Giving everyone a stake in the nation’s energy – and publishing a mapped out national strategy would be very One Nation.

Likewise we have plenty of national rainfall but no national distribution – thus vast areas face drought while others flood.

The biggest key though, remains transport. People need to move freely around their One Nation. Yet rail firms raise prices and franchises collapse in acrimony and legal costs. We break up the network and services into patches and regions instead of a cohesive nation.

At the same time our One Nation debates where around London we should build new airport capacity. But why not build a new hub airport in the North, serving Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle – instead of yet another London airport in the Thames that business travellers from the whole of our Islands must go to for flights to China and India?

Not that One Nation means ignoring the local. Look to Liverpool’s docks to see regeneration in practice. We can apply that to Hull. Look at London Overground’s impact at Dalston and Hackney. Let’s apply the model to West Bromwch and Bradford. One Nation should recognise its own successes and build on them for all.

So as Labour looks to a One Nation future, let’s take that ethos back to the hard-edge of nation building and bring our country together.