Westminster Question Time #LabLink14

Trying to catch up with posts from UNISON Labour Link National Forum 2014 earlier this month.

The first speaker on "Westminster Question Time" was  UNISON member and local MP, Dawn Primarolo. Dawn has been the MP for Bristol South since 1987. In fact in 1987 Dawn was the only Labour MP to be elected in the whole of the South West of England.

She is currently a deputy speaker at the House of Commons (official title "Second Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means").  Dawn said she had been asked whether use to be a teacher? She says, no, she learnt to cope as Speaker by being a parent.

At the moment Dawn is trying to stop the privatisation of a local Bristol GP Surgery.  A contract has been put out but it is totally unclear who is responsible and despite it being a 14 day process, the local NHS is refusing to speak to her, because it may "compromise" the tender.  Dawn asked the Labour Party to make it clear that we are not going to allow the privatisation of our NHS.

Dawn is also campaigning on the "Living Wage" and is asking the Mayor of Bristol why in a rich city, we are not paying everyone a living wage? Dawn is standing down as an MP in 2015 but is pleased that an excellent unison member, Karin Smyth, is replacing her as our candidate.

Next speaker on the panel was Kerry McCarthy MP for Bristol East.   Kerry supported the call for a Living Wage but also asked for the banning of "zero hour" employment contracts, which cause misery to many of her constituents. She also attacked the proposed privatisation of cancer services by this Government. Kerry pointed out that all of us here now know what will happen to the NHS if the Tories get in again in 2015.

During the Q&A the panel were asked what they thought of "Executive Mayors". Dawn responded that she was not a fan of executive mayors and thought they were undemocratic. There is now an opportunity with the Labour plan to devolve powers to look again at the system.. For one person to hold all this power without any accountability is wrong, no matter how good they are.

When asked about priorities of a new Labour Government Kerry said that there is a massive task and a lot to do since this Government had spent the last 4 years destroying all what we have done.

To a (leading) question about the Scottish referendum (by a Scottish delegate) "Is separation better or should we stand together and fight together?"Dawn replied "I'm for the union. All the gains we have ever got have been made by fighting together". 

West Ham Labour Women’s Forum Inaugral Dinner - Wed 18 June 2014

"West Ham Women’s Forum is hosting a dinner for Labour women, friends and supporters with guest speakers Dawn Primarolo MP, Deputy Speaker, and Lyn Brown MP, Shadow Communities Minister.

As well as lots of great food and conversation there will be an auction and raffle (with 25% of proceeds going to charity).

When: Wednesday 18 June starting at 6.30pm

Where: Eat16, St. Luke’s Community Centre, 87 Tarling Road, Canning Town, E16 1H (near Canning Town station)

Guests will be greeted with sparkling wine or orange juice and canapes, before sitting down to a dinner of grilled salmon or vegi frittata with new potatoes or spring salad followed by a dessert of sherry trifle or fresh fruit salad.

Tickets are just £18 until 18 June by contacting Rania on raniaramli@outlook.com 

Please let us know if you have a donation for the raffle or auction.

We look forward to seeing you there. But just to be absolutely clear, and sorry male comrades, this is a women only event". Hat tip West Ham Labour

1st Labour Landslide Victory of 2009

I am just back from a great meeting at the House of Commons of young Newham people from West and East Ham. They had been invited by local MPs Lyn Brown and Stephen Timms.

New electors whose date of birth was on the Newham electoral register were invited. The meeting was about participation in the electoral process and about 120 turned up.

Newham Young Labour provided volunteers to help out and ran a mock election with a ballot box and voting papers. There were stalls on the work of the House of Commons; what major political issues are important to young people and how the political process works.

UNISON sponsored the cost of snacks and soft drinks. The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown sent his apologies with a message of support and best wishes. The event was also well supported by many Parliamentary guest speakers who turned up to address the gathering – John Denham MP, Yvette Cooper MP, Andy Burnham MP, Iain Wright MP, Dawn Primarolo MP, Sion Simon MP and Mike Grapes MP. Also in attendance was Deputy Leader of the Commons, Chris Bryant, and Lord Young (former deputy GS of the CWU).

All of them did address the audience about the problems over expenses and allowances but I think still successfully encouraged everyone to still get involved in politics because politics really matters. Politics is about health services, about jobs, about education and about life chances. Many mentioned that they first got involved in politics as young people themselves because they wanted to “change the world” and how they still want change it.

UNISON Regional Convenor Gloria Hanson (and Newham resident) spoke about the importance of trade unions in the democratic civic process and about her own experiences growing up in Newham. How she is also a mother whose own children were educated in Newham who have now gone on to gain first class honours degrees and how she is also proud to be the first black female regional convenor in UNISON.

Group tours were arranged around the House of Commons.

Afterwards the volunteers were invited by Lyn and Stephen to Strangers Bar for a sherbet.

I was pleased that Housing Minister Iain Wright accepted my invitation to address Labour Link members of UNISON Housing Association Branch on Public Housing in the near future (subject to diary commitments).

I went to a similar event organised by Barking MP Margret Hodge. UNISON NEC member and Barking CLP Louise Couling helped out in both. Many thanks also to Lyn and Stephens Parliamentary staff for all the hard graft in organising the event.

LABOUR LANDSLIDE – as they came into the room the young voters were given a ballot paper to complete secretly and place in ballot box. Of those who voted the result was an absolute landslide for Labour. Labour 48; Tories 6; Lib Dem 5; Green 2; Respect 5; Spoilt 2.