UNISON Labour Link campaigning for Labour in Kent Council elections Thursday 2 May

On Thursday I went to support Labour candidates standing in the local elections in Kent. There were no London Council elections this year. Our West Ham Labour MP, Lyn Brown (a long standing UNISON member and Shadow Finance Minister) came along with Cara, her Labour attack dog as well as the Chair of West Ham ward, Ian Mills. .

We firstly went to support Lola Oyewusi, who is my UNISON branch assistant secretary who was standing for Labour in Tonbridge and Malling to be a Councillor. She also had support from her fellow Jo Cox Leadership colleague, Olga FitzRoy.  Sadly Lola was not elected in this safe Tory ward but she was elected to her parish council as the first ever Black Female Councillor! Well done Lola!

London UNISON Labour Link had been asked to support Gravesham. Lyn, Ian, Cara and I went door knocking to "encourage" Labour voters to come out to vote.  The local Labour Party was well organised and the lists of Labour supporters who we were targeted to "knock up" and remind them to vote was very accurate. Which is let me say, not always the case.

I carried on the West Ham tradition of buying everyone an ice cream 99 chocolate flake.

Great news that that Labour took control of the Council on Thursday and in that ward, Labour won all of the seats (and the Kent Council by election). Excellent!

I had to get back to Newham for my Councillor surgery, to be a judge at our borough school public speaking competition then go to a leaving do for a much valued Council officer.

Greater London UNISON Labour Link supports Kent candidates in Gravesham and Chatham Thursday 2 May 2019

There is no Council elections in London this year so we asked our next door regional UNISON Labour link comrades to recommend where London UNISON members could go on Thursday.

So far 2 requests both in Kent :-

1."London Labour Link Colleagues,

We have been asked to help out on election day in Gravesham in South East Region.

If you are free on 2 May and are able to travel to Gravesham you will be picked up and dropped off from the station.

They will be out door knocking from 9am until the close of poll, and any time during the day that you are able to help would be appreciated.

We can cover any travel expenses you may incur, and food and drink will be laid on locally.

If you wanted to travel directly there by car the committee rooms that have been booked are at the following locations; the Northfleet and Gravesend West Committee Room is 62 New House Lane, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 7JN which will be the key focus as they also have a Kent County Council by-election. The 2nd address for Gravesham East is 4 Kenia Walk, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 4HN.

Contact details for the day will be Shane Mochrie-Cox 0782 455 2520.

If you are able to help out on this day, please reply with the following info;

- What times you could help (eg. From 11am – 2pm)

- Whether you would prefer to travel by train and will need picking up, or if you will travel by car

- A contact number for you, so you can be contacted on the day if necessary"

2. Also my UNISON branch assistant secretary Lola is also standing near Chatham:-)

"You can get trains directly from Kings cross St pancreas platform 11 high speed to Chatham station and then take a taxi to the address. Bus 155 also from Chatham not that reliable takes you to the village. You can get trains from Victoria & London Bridge station to Chatham. Not an Oyster route . We don’t have a campaign coordinator we are doing everything by ourselves.

330 pilgrims Way Wouldham ME1 3RB. Park the car towards the Borstal end of the lay-by opposite. Up the steps in the middle (call me when you arrive if you need help climbing them). It’s the dark green one. Lola”