Lab12: Last post from Peoples Party Conference

Once again I ran out of time during the 2012 Labour Party Conference to write posts on the last two days. So here is a quick summary of some of the highlights during the last few days of Conference.

Clockwise. Due to disorganisation and meanness I stayed in a hotel in Rushholme which had the worse reviews on Booking.com that I have ever seen. It wasn't that bad but one of the things that kept me fairly sane during Conference was a morning run around the fantastic City green lung Platt Fields Park (the Peoples Park).

Picture of Peoples Republic Newham Crew (and guests) in Midland Hotel bar stairs. Below Gerry Sutcliffe MP, speaking at the EU fringe for Azerbaijan (UK is the biggest investor) ; Ed Balls MP speaking to UNISON reception at the "Peoples History Museum". Ed admitted that he would have lost his seat at the last General election if not for the help of UNISON - "no doubt" and he pledged to never ignore anything that UNISON said but we would not always agree.

Then a very good and sharp fringe on ending poverty by Webb Memorial Trust (lost notes), another on pension auto enrollment with Labour Shadow minster Gregg McClymont sponsored by the Peoples Pension (lost notes); then picture of UNISON reception with Andy Burham MP and Rachel Reeves MP and final centre picture of the great leader with UNISON delegates Mike and Mandy. What a great natural relaxed smile Ed? We never knew!

Roll on Brighton 2013.

TUC 2012: the long march towards the workers idyll?

A week ago the 2012 Trade Union Congress opened in Brighton. I was there as a UNISON delegate although I missed the final day (Wednesday). Here are some random and personal thoughts on this year's Congress.

I suppose the yardstick for deciding if it was successful or not is whether the movement is in better shape after Congress now than before?

Did "ding dong Thatcher gone", heckling Ed Balls and calls for a national strike wreck our image and credibility? or did the election of Frances O'Grady, the consensual chairing of El Presidente Kenny and the lack of blood on the carpet mean that a workers idyll is just around the corner?

Neither is true. While I have my doubts that it is indeed possible or desirable to call a national strike, the threat of it drew more media attention to Congress than even Liz Cameron's savaging of Ed Balls.

The media are even more obsessed with strikes than the most enthusiastic of ultra left newspaper sellers. The ding dong row was of course a complete and utter ring wing media invention that had nothing to do with the TUC itself.

I do think that Frances O'Grady as General Secretary is a huge advance for the movement. Apart from her many personal qualities and with all due respect to all the good work carried out by Brendan Barber and his predecessors, we finally have a GS that looks and speaks like one of our members and not just one of our activists.

It also seemed to me that the speeches and fringes at Congress this year were more hard headed and realistic than in previous years. There was less grandstanding and pontificating. We still talked to the converted too much and there was some completely off the wall wishful thinking but the starkness and enormity of the threat that faces us concentrated many minds.

 

We are against the wall. We have less than 6 million members out of a total workforce of over 30 million. While austerity, redundancies, pay freezes and attacks on employment legislations mean we either get our act together and organise effectively or we turn into just another protest movement. This makes me think that Congress was a "success" in these terms although it is only the start of a long, long road. During which we need to consider what works and what doesn't?

 

Is the traditional Anglo-American trade union "model" (aka the bosses are all bastards)"fit for purpose"? Do we continue to not want to dirty our hands by providing welfare or financial services pensions to the general public like they do in countries with much greater union density (and income equality)?  

Hat-tip caption Hope Not Hate

TUC 2012: Ed Balls speaks to Congress

Shadow Labour Chancellor Ed Balls addressed Congress followed by a Q&A.

He was introduced as the man according to David Cameron who is "the most annoying person in British Politics".

Ed started off well by taking the mick out of himself over that title. He then talked about how there is an economic alternative to the Coalition policies, there always has been.

He spelt out the Labour Party 5 point plan. While is all good stuff, I don't think you can really call it an alternative policy to getting us out of recession. He admitted that he understood that the unions cannot just wait for the return of a Labour Government but warned that the Tories are desperate for the unions to go on strike because they will then have someone to blame for the stalled recovery.

"Unlike Nick Clegg we will not make spending promises that we don't know we can deliver. We need credibility with the public". He argued that protecting jobs is more important than pay rises.  

"We need radical Banking reform. It was not too many teachers and health workers that caused Lehman Brothers to bust in New York" He finished by saying that the unions should never stop offering "strong advice" to him and the shadow cabinet (no chance of that) and that "the Labour Party must win back the trust of working people".

During the speech he had a little bit of heckling but was given some more stick during the Q&A. He agreed with Vince Cable that lack of demand was the biggest problem facing the economy but the government does nothing about it. Picture is of Liz Cameron from UNISON asking him the question (to loud cheers) why when she as a public sector worker has had a pay freeze for 3 years at then same time that inflation has increased by 12 % - he won't support a pay rise?

Sometimes Two 'Eds aren't better than one!

I’ve had a comment wondering why I haven’t posted on the two Eds' recent pronouncements on cuts to spending and public sector pay. 

I was thinking of writing something but I thought I will calm down a bit before doing so. Ironically I remember listening to a speech by Ed Miliband himself reflecting on the last Labour government. He remarked how sometimes he would be listening to the radio in the morning and hear for the first time a new government announcement and he would say to himself “why on earth did we say that”? I had a very similar feeling listening to reports of Ed Balls speech last Saturday on my headphones while out on a long run. Why on earth did he say that?

At best this is similar to the 1997 Labour manifesto to keep to Tory government spending limits during the first (two) years. At worse it seems just a complete back track on any alternative economic policy.

I can get the argument that any opposition party cannot commit to all cuts being reversed. I understand that you cannot predict exactly what state the economy will be in 2015. But to give the impression that there will be no rebalancing of budget cuts and taxation is simply daft.  Equally why would an opposition Party want to agree with the Government on such profound and controversial issues? That is not their job? They are ...The Official Opposition. They are there to hold the government and its policies to account. While I don't expect yah boo politics and pointless oppositionalism. There is an alternative economic case to be made. I agree that we are not winning this argument at the moment but I genuinely think that the Party is in danger of missing the boat.  The economic crisis will deepen and so many people will be so adversely affected by both unemployment and cuts to services and pay that there will be a political mood change for a fairer and more progressive society. 

Finally, I simply don’t believe that a Labour government in power will do this and I also don’t think that the public will believe it either. So it is in my view pointless guff which has done nothing but to genuinely upset many Labour Party supporters and our core vote. I was pleased to hear today (while on another run) Margaret Beckett ring in to "Any Answers" and indicate that the whole matter had in deed been some sort of a presentational cock-up.

Being in Opposition is a pretty awful and frustrating job. Everyone in the Labour movement is absolutely desperate to do every thing possible to get rid of this government. But on this particular issue the Party leadership has got it wrong. These things happen from time to time.  What really matters now is that the Two 'Eds stop digging holes and start building for change. 

Check out UNISON response here.

#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)

Key moments from UNISON Labour Link forum

Key moments of Forum from UNISONTV.  My reports here and here.

UNISON Labour Link National Forum: Day 1

The UNISON Labour Link (APF) National Forum started today in Liverpool.  This is the annual meeting of the UNISON affiliated political fund.  UNISON members have a choice whether to pay a voluntary levy to the Labour Party or to a non-aligned General fund (or none).  Elected union lay representatives from all over the UK met to debate policies and campaigns, take part in workshops and meet Councillors, MPs and MEPs.  The first speaker welcoming us was newly elected Labour Liverpool Councillor Jake Morrison, who is a UNISON member and local hospital steward.  Jake is 18 and in May this year he was the youngest ever Liverpool Councillor defeating a former Liberal Council leader.

The keynote speaker was Ed Balls MP, the shadow chancellor.  Ed received a fairly tough reception due to his remarks and that of the Labour Leader, Ed Miliband, about the recent pension strike.  His argument that he was trying to stop the Tories blaming the unions for the poor performance of the economy was not accepted by the meeting.  Ed did argue passionately that he wanted a real partnership with the trade unions and the Labour Party based on our “shared commitment to social justice, equality and fairness”.

Next was UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis who reminded the forum that the former Labour Leadership were wrong to introduce the profit motive into the NHS and public services while at the same time not regulating the Banks.  Labour lost 5 million supporters between 1997 and 2010.  Most of them are “our people”.  Labour has to offer an alternative economic policy that will attract back these voters and it is the job of Labour Link to argue and campaign within the Party to help bring this about.

After lunch there was a series of workshops available on “influencing elected reps”; “campaigning with councillors and members” and “Refounding Labour”.  Followed by a meeting and Q&A with Arlene McCarthy MEP and Linda McAvan MEP.  The Tories and their right wing allies act even more appallingly in Europe than they do even here. Next was a serious and detailed debate over national issues with former UNISON official, Lillian Greenwood MP and Angela Eagle MP.  Amongst the topics discussed was Libya, trade union rights, arguments against the cuts and the book “The Spirit Level”. This was followed by more workshops before finishing at 5.30pm.

An Evening with Ed Balls and Red Ken in honour of a British Revolution

Last night there was a London Labour Party fund raiser for the Ken Livingstone's Mayoral campaign 2012.  This took place at Planet Hollywood in the Haymarket, Central London and since it took place the day after 4 July, it had an obvious “Independence Day” (or rather the only ever successful “British” Revolution) theme

The restaurant was closed to the public but was packed out with Party members, supporters and the affiliated trade unions.  Everybody seemed determined to talk politics and have a good time. It is also opportunity to meet Party activists from across London.  People you might have come across while out campaigning during cold, wet winter by-elections or Facebook “Friends” you have only ever met "on-line".

Ken spoke first and gave his usual relaxed but polished speech evidently looking forward to taking on Boris next year.  He did seem to really enjoy the event and it appears from the obvious chemistry that he does get on with our future (fingers crossed) Chancellor of the Exchequer.  Ed’s speech  was rousing and he was mean auctioneer for the inevitable Labour Party auction. 

I won’t pretend that everything is always sweetness and light in the London Labour Party and the wider movement but last night was a success both in terms of raising money and showing a united front.  We must - repeat - must - get rid of the Tory Government Cuts stool pigeon in London next year and elect Ken as our Labour Mayor and all our GLA candidates.  This must be our absolute priority.

Picture of London UNISON Labour Link with Ed and Ken. I’ll post other pictures from the event on Facebook.

West Ham Labour Party National Leadership Hustings

Many thanks to our MP Lyn Brown and her staff for helping to organise Sunday’s Hustings at the East London University lecture theatre in Stratford, Newham London.

There was about 170 Labour Party members and trade union affiliates there - not only from West Ham but also from all over East London. East Ham MP Stephan Timms was also present.

We did not have the usual “Question Time” panel format (admittedly due to candidate availability problems) but instead gave each candidate a 2 minute space for an opening address followed by 20 minute Q&A then a short minutes finishing address.

This seemed to work pretty well. There were a few scares on the way but all the candidates turned up in time to take their place, speak and go.

Since I was helping out with the stewarding I didn’t see all the speeches or Q&A’s but my impression was: - local MP Diane Abbott got the loudest applause for her ideas; David Miliband’s “who do you think will be the leader who will win the next general election for Labour” did hit home; Andy Burnham came over as a passionate contender with genuine working class roots even though I’m not sure that admitting that the he only usually comes to West Ham to watch “Everton win 3 points at Upton Park” was particularly wise (I declare a past youthful and present day interest in this matter); Ed Miliband was of course in my completely and utterly unbiased view - the clear winner (Nuf said) while Ed Balls in his contribution proved once again to be a cracking attack dog on the CON-DEMS.

It was a good night. Many thanks to UNISON Greater London Labour Link and local CWU for help and sponsorship. The Labour Movement family in our part of East London is alive and kicking.

Ed Balls in Newham - Save Free School Meals

Labour leadership Candidate Ed Balls, visited a Newham School yesterday and he talks above about the threat to free school meals. Hat-tip thingy Labourlist.

A Million Voices at Westminster

Yesterday UNISON took its Million Voices campaign to the House of Commons. Check a report here “more than 100 MPs accepted our invitation to hear from our members just how important the work they do is, and why investment in these services is vital during a recession.

Dave Prentis introduced the campaign, talking about how UNISON members are “helping individuals, families and communities get through this recession. They’re laying the foundations for a better future – a fairer, stronger society.”

Ordinary UNISON members - A school cook, a teacher assistant, a child social worker, a psychiatric nurse and a ward housekeeper explained to the audience about the key public services they provide. Our London Convener Gloria Hanson also spoke.

Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, thanked members for driving the campaign: “your words speak more powerfully than we ever could.”

Picture is of Susan an UNISON nursing rep.

West Ham Parliamentary Shindig.

On Wednesday evening our local Labour Party GC (General Committee) was held at the Jubilee Room in the House of Commons. West Ham Labour Party activists were also invited by our MP Lyn Brown for an informal meeting and thank you event for all the hard work done by members in the previous year.

Lyn had provided a cold buffet spread for us and she had managed to “persuade” (whip speak) 8 Cabinet Ministers and other high profile ministers and MP’s to come and talk to us. Instead of the usual sequence in these type of events of 3 minute (and the rest!) soapbox political speeches we had John Denham; Ed Balls; Ed Miliband; Hilary Benn; Douglas Alexander, Ben Bradshaw; Liam Byrne, John Healey, Stephen Timms, Gareth Thomas, Ian Wright, Chris Mole, Dianne Abbott and fellow whip Sharon Hodgson - just mingling and chatting with Party activists about their views and concerns. Which I thought was simply marvellous. Needless to say West Ham Labour Party members were not slow to give their Parliamentary comrades the benefit of their opinions!

A very good night was had by all (I had to rush off early to take the train to Manchester for the Thursday UNISON National Housing seminar where Minister John Healey was the keynote speaker - will post soon on this).

Apologies to West Ham members who were on the optional House of Commons tour when I took the Group photo (and those I could not get in the photo or cut in half!).

“Will our new schools deliver for pupils and communities?”

After fringe on Corporate Social Responsibly I rushed off to the UNISON “Will our new schools deliver for pupils and communities?”

It was Chaired by Pat Hetherton from Labour link. Schools minister, Jim Knight MP, took a bit of flack over Academy Schools from the audience before main speaker Ed Balls arrived.

It was the most heated fringe that I attended this conference.

Both Jim and Ed argued that they were more interested in Kids education rather than “structures” but I think they got the point.