Mayor Sadiq Khan speaks to London UNISON Labour Link

It was great to have this supportive video from Sadiq at our Greater London Labour Link regional forum today. 

Many thanks to all our speakers including Labour GLA report by Assembly member Len Duvall; National Labour Link by Julian Cooke and TULO/Labour Unions by Joe Cox. 

Thank also to our vice chair, Yvonne Green, for chairing the meeting during motions (where I moved my branch motion on the NHS Pay and also spoke against the motion on open selections). 

We also agreed to support our Committee member, Lola Oyewusi, who is standing as the Labour Candidate to be the next Kent Police and Crime Commissioner on May 6. 

London UNISON Labour Link Forum, Keir Starmer Pic & Labour Unions for Sadiq

A busy Labour movement day. Firstly I chaired the Greater London UNISON Labour Link Annual Forum. Our guest speaker was Assembly member,Len Duvall, who is a longstanding UNISON member and the Labour Leader in the London Assembly.

Len gave a passionate speech about the need to support our Labour candidate, Sadiq Khan, for London Mayor and why we need and can win the marginal seats.

I stood back from the Chair to speak on an amendment to a motion on Local Government funding to include opposition to the Government's dreadful "First Homes" proposals to give private builders  money that should be used to build social rented homes (e.g our section 106 money).

This is what Tories do when they are in power and we must defeat them in a future General election.

Also I opposed a motion calling for full reselections for all Labour MPs even if local party members are happy with them and think they are doing a good job.

I am pleased that both of my arguments were accepted and it was also good to see a range of speakers participated in these debates.

After Forum my branch delegate, Doreen and I "bumped" into UNISON Labour Leadership candidate, Keir Starmer and got I a picture with Keir, Doreen and my Welsh Paramedic NEC comrade, Angie Roberts.

I then went to the UNISON activist floor on the 8th floor and did work emails and phone calls.

At 6pm we had a Labour Unions event also at the Unison Centre to support Sadiq Khan for London Mayor. This was another positive meeting and first we had Sadiq's organisers to talk about the campaign and tactics.

Then we had Deputy Mayor for London, Fiona Twycross, give a great political speech about why we need to support Sadiq.  But also a sombre expert report on why we should trust our Chief Medical Officer and public health experts on measures to tackle Coronavirus but to hold them and the government to account in a measured and pragmatic way.

UPDATE: All local elections called off until 2021 due to Coronavirus. 

London Reception #Lab15

After arriving at the hotel in Brighton and picking up my delegation pack from unison office, I went to my first conference event, the London Labour Party reception.

This is the annual shin dig for London delegates and Party members. London Labour Chair and Assembly member Len Duvall opened the reception.

The guest speaker was of course London MP and newly elected Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.  The meeting was packed and when Jeremy arrived he took ages to make his way through the crowd as he stopped to greet and speak to people. I managed to tease him for not turning up to our London Unison Labour Link meeting last week to give his quarterly Parliamentary report.  Jeremy being Jeremy, he sincerely apologised and said he will try and attend a future meeting. I said we would not denounce him on this occasion.

He gave a rousing and even emotional speech which went down well. I am trying to work out when the last time a London MP was Labour Party leader.

Dawn Butler MP spoke about the successes that London Labour had in May and introduced our new MPs.

Unison regional secretary Linda Perks introduced the next keynote speaker, Labour London Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan. His election next May as Mayor will be crucial to the Labour recovery.

During the reception I was able to join in with some fairly heavy duty lobbying about Housing Associations attempts to do a dodgy deal with the Government in favour of Right-to-buy and rat out local authorities. I hope that delegates will bring this up with CEOs at the conference fringes sponsored by Housing Associations.

Afterwards a very mixed bunch of us from Newham and a number of other CLPs went off for a meal to carry on chatting, arguing and (occasionally) gossiping. 

Rachel Reeves MP at gathering of East London Labour Movement family

On Wednesday evening at Newham Town Hall Rachel Reeves MP was the keynote speaker at a fund raising event organised by East Ham Labour Party.

There was around 400 guests mainly from East and West Ham but also from CLP's in Tower Hamlets, Walthamstow, Redbridge, Havering and Barking & Dagenham. There was also support from affiliated trade unions. London UNISON Labour Link helped sponsor the brochure. 

It had been organised by the notoriously shy and retiring, Cllr Unmesh Desai. The food was fantastic and there was live music and stage dancing. Followed of course by the traditional Labour Party raffle and auction (by Steve Pound MP). Local MP Stephen Timms spoke, as did the Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales and Labour GLA leader Len Duvall. East London Assembly member and Labour Tower Hamlets Mayoral candidate John Biggs also did the rounds.

Rachel reminded us that there was only 462 days before the next General Election. This election will be about values. Labour values against Tory values. If we all work together with the trade unions then we will have Ed Miliband as our next Prime Minister and a Labour Government.

Afterwards UNISON and West Ham colleagues met up with GMB comrades from Barking and Dagenham to put our world to rights at the local Spoons (and debate the provenance of local history photographs on the pub walls).

It was a good night. It was suggested that each of the East London Borough Labour Parties ought to organise in turn similar events each year. Good idea.

An Evening with Rachel Reeves MP - East Ham Town Hall 29 Jan 2014

East Ham CLP invites you to “An Evening with Rachel Reeves", MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in the company of Stephen Timms MP, Sir Robin Wales, Newham
Mayor and Len Duvall, Chair of the London Labour Party.

London Labour Party Biennial Conference 2010 (Morning speeches)

On Saturday at the Old Town Hall in Stratford there was the 2010 London Labour Party Biennial conference. 

This is now the 2nd London Biennial conference that I have posted upon. Check out 2008 here. I was again a member of the UNISON affiliate trade union delegation.  However, before the meeting I was helping out with the distribution of flyer's to all delegates about the impending launch of a London Branch of the Labour Housing Group (which was sponsored by UNISON Labour Link).

Usual health warning on the accuracy of my hurried notes. London Labour Party Regional Director Ken Clark opened the conference.  The first speaker was the the borough host, Newham Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, who happily reminded all delegates to sniff and enjoy the "Tory free" air in Newham.  Even better, in next door Barking and Dagenham, they enjoy the air being totally fascist free after the May elections! (loud applause).

Robin points out the sheer inequity and political gerrymandering of the "cuts" which has meant Newham will suffer £71 in cuts while Coalition run Richmond upon Thames, will only suffer £5 million.

Next was GLA Labour Assembly and London Pary leader, Len Duvall. I'll concentrate on the interesting bits of his speech (to me).  He condemned the Henz 57 model of community and personality politics.  Where elections are decided not on the basis of transparent London issues but on what is happening elsewhere.  The London Labour Party does want to have local parties (Tower Hamlets) in special measures, its not that we don't like someone or their politics but we are genuinely worried about what would happen.

Len spoke about the importance of London Labour Councils, not being too managerial and technical.  We need to be political and show there is a difference between us and them.  Between Labour and Brian Coleman.  We are different.  We want to genuinely negotiate and consult meaningfully.  If we look at terms and conditions of staff we need to think very carefully and make sure that everyone knows there is a difference.

Finally, never forget that Boris is an "anti-politician" who can make people laugh.  But the Tories fear Ken.  Because they know that Ken at his best is so superb.

Next was Barking MP Margaret Hodge.  Not only were the BNP in Barking and Dagenham "smashed" in May but their local defeat has contributed to their national destruction. Since May their BNP group leader has emigrated to Australia; BNP Assembly member Richard Barnsbrook has been expelled from their Party; their national leader Nick Griffin has agreed to resign and the BNP is also facing bankruptcy (shame). But we cannot take things for granted - such as the growth of the EDL. 

In London in May we won control of 10 new councils and 200 new Labour councillors. But this was still the 2nd worse defeat nationally in our history.  The Coalition policies are based on ideology not deficit. They are doing this because they believe in a small state, and "private good; public bad". This is worse than Shirley Porter in Westminster who only affected 1000 residents.  This policy will try and create middle class ghettos cleaned of anyone working class.

Remember always that Boris is at heart an enthusiastic right wing slasher.

Karen Bucks MP was warmly welcomed not least when she announced that dispute Tory predictions she was still the Labour MP for Westminster North!  Karen asked whether London stopped the Tories getting an overall majority? What will happen to waiting lists when the budget for new build is slashed by 50%?  Housing benefit may be a issue that makes ears bleed but even Boris is aware that if the housing benefits cuts go ahead then 20,000 children could lose their homes.

Finally, Labour should accept that they did not built enough houses while in power but instead did spend billions on much needed refurbishment and decent homes. However, we should agree that we did not spend enough time and money on new building new homes.

Note the recent comments by Tories that they only lost Westminister and Hammersmith seats to Labour because there are "too many poor people" living in these boroughs.

(I'll hopefully post on rest of conference later UPDATE: here)

London Labour Party Dinner 2010

On Thursday evening I went with UNISON colleagues to the London Labour Party fund raising dinner.  It was packed with people.  The guest speaker was David Miliband MP who gave a simply superb speech.  He was as usual very articulate and thoughtful but he was also I thought far more passionate and expressive than I had ever seen him before.  He gave in fact a tour de force. Even people who don't agree with him politically thought it was excellent and inspiring.

He told a great self deprecating story about being in a husting in Norwich and waving what he thought was his Labour Party membership card at the audience while reading out our aims and values.  Only to realise what he was actually waving was his Premier Inn hotel card. 

Another great story was that he had been approached to speak at this meeting 3 or 4 months ago while he was still of course campaigning to be leader.  After being invited by the London region organiser his office queried whether the invite was only in the event of him being elected Party leader or not? Which he took when he found out as meaning even his own office had its doubts about whether or not he would win!

Without any apparent bitterness or rancour he again and again stressed the importance of helping to get Ed elected as the next Prime Minister.  Only 4 out of the previous 19 Labour Leaders had actually been elected as Prime Minister.  He even swore a little (well, he used the word “bloody”) when describing this ‘orrible coalition government. 

David argued that the much better than average results during the election in London was the base for the renewal of the Party nationally.  Which obviously went down pretty well with the audience.

London Labour Chair and GLA Group leader Len Duvall was the compere and Stephen Pound MP (of course) took charge of the inevitable Labour Party raffle and auction. It was a good night.

(picture above of the London UNISON Labour Link crew)

“Building London’s Future” (& defending London’s poor & vulnerable)

The proposed Tory/Lib Dems reforms of housing benefit (HB) “will lead to two things - firstly a dramatic increase in homelessness which will result in a shift in London’s population -equal in size to a typical post war new town and secondly - deepening and abject poverty”.  So said the host, MP for Westminster North, Karen Buck MP, in her introduction to a “crisis” housing meeting on Thursday to launch this report by London Labour Party.

The report details David Cameron’s and his London Mayor, Boris Johnson, attempts to “cleanse” the Tory controlled boroughs in the Capital of their poor and the vulnerable by changing housing benefit to private tenants.

To show the seriousness of the situation there was a pretty high profile panel of speakers.  Labour Party Leader Harriot Harman MP, Shadow Secretary of State Yvette Cooper MP, Leader of LB Hammersmith & Fulham Labour Group Cllr Steve Cowan, Shadow Minister of Housing John Healey MP, GLA member and London Labour Party leader Len Duvall and Shadow Minister of London, Tessa Jowell MP.  This was before an audience of Councillors and housing activists from across London.

Despite working in housing in London I must admit to being rather shocked at the report and its conclusions.  I will try and post in more detail on each speaker and on the rest of the report another time (there was a lot of interesting stuff) but I’ll outline now the key thing about HB changes that should have every single person who gives a damn about London (and elsewhere) jumping up and down.

Housing benefit provides a roof over the heads of millions of people.  If these cuts to HB go ahead it will mean:-

Yvette Cooper MP: “One million families will lose £12 per week...50,000 of the poorest pensioners will lose £11 per week...Working families will also lose £12 per week...Disabled residents will lose £13 per week.  These are averages...A pensioner in a one-bed flat in Hackney will lose £21 per week...150,000 households in London will not have enough benefit to cover the rent...A population the size of Hackney could be forced to move to cheaper accommodation.  This is what you get from the £550 million of cuts to HB already announced.  Remember that the CONDEMS want £2.3 billion cuts in HB”. 

From the “Building London’s Future” report: “People in London will face on average £1,000 a year cut in support”....159,370 private sector tenants on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will lose an average of £22 a week in the first wave of cuts....80% of LHA recipients in London will lose more than £10 a week...990 families in a 2-bed property in Tower Hamlets will lose on average £27 a week...73 families living a 2-bed property in Camden will lose on average £53 a week.

(as soon as I find a link to the report I will update but you can check this government site here to find out what will happen to your local authority)

GLA Labour Group Reception

Busy day on Monday. In the evening after work I went to the Christmas reception laid on by the GLA Labour Group in City Hall.

The event was on the 9th floor “Living Room”. There is an outside balcony with simply fantastic views over London and the river Thames.

Ken Livingston was there looking far more healthy and relaxed than I ever saw him as Mayor (watch out Boris). The last time I was here on the 9th floor was I think for the May Day reception in 2007.

The GLA Labour Assembly members were very hospitable and friendly. Nicky Gavlon who chairs the Planning and Housing committee agreed to come (if diary allows) and speak at my Housing Association Branch AGM. I was also speaking to people about a possible London Labour housing network?

Len Duvall, Leader of the GLA Labour Group and of the London Party (& UNISON member), gave a short and to the point speech asking us to enjoy ourselves but reminding us of those Londoners who are having a tough time at the moment. We are the only Party who really cares about people and has the ability to change things. Next year will be really important for the London Labour Party and we must all work hard to win Council by-elections, fight off the BNP in the EU ballot and build up our capacity for the General election.

London Labour Party Biennial Conference 2008

The conference was in the historical Old Town Hall in Stratford, Newham, E15 so I was able to walk there from home this morning enjoying the blue skies, cold fresh air and winter sunshine.

I was there as a member of the UNISON Labour Link delegation. We had a delegation meeting first where we discussed motions and whether we should support them or not and who should try and speak on motions from the conference floor.

The morning session of the conference was dominated by speakers, reports and Q&A’s. The afternoon had workshops, “our Ken” and Resolution debates, finishing up with the internal regional election results.

I’m not going to try and give a “full report” on the conference. Rather, a snapshot of some of the stuff I personally found interesting, usually from my own particular trade union perspective. A health warning is that this post is based on my hurried and often illegible scribbled notes.

Ken Clark, London regional director of the Labour Party brought us all into order (eventually, a Labour Party meeting of any kind is loath to start on time). The main hall of the Town Hall was pretty full with delegates. I assume about 300 plus people? Len Duvall, Chair of London Labour Party (and GLA Labour leader) chaired the conference. He had been re-elected Chair unopposed. From my hurried squiggles I note that he pointed out that this was not a time for the London Party to be sending out mixed messages; Labour in power makes a huge difference to people’s lives and we should never forget this; in the recent GLA elections despite the loss of the mayor we actually polled more votes than in the past and we had support in inner and outer London. Labour represents all of London.

The first main speaker was Sir Robin Wales, the directly elected Mayor of Newham who welcomed delegates to smell the fresh air of a Tory free Newham (there are no Tory or Liberal Democrat opposition councillors in Newham). He reminded everyone of the Labour history of Newham and this very Town Hall. It was at this very place that Keir Hardy was elected as the first ever Labour MP in 1892. The balcony overlooking the High Street that we had all walked past to get in the hall was were Keir gave his victory speech.

The first ever Labour Council was elected in West Ham, Newham has the largest Labour majority in the Country. London as well as the “North”, has its Labour heartlands. Robin was very, very direct about his opinion about Galloway’s Respect (no comment). He also warned the conference about Boris and that we should judge him on what he does rather than what he says. This was a common theme from the day.

Harriet Harman MP (and deputy leader), reminded the conference that the Labour Government had indeed paid off debt in the past so now was in a better position to deal with present problems. While in the past you had to believe in prudence, now it is prudent to be bold. Labour in the current economic difficulties will not be saying unlike the Tories “if it isn’t hurting, it isn’t working” or that unemployment is “a price worth paying”. Traditional Labour values are about fairness and equality. She also noted that all London Tory MPs are white.

Next was an unopposed Conference Arrangements report (standing orders committee) followed by Guest speakers.

First was Tessa Jowell MP, Minister for the Olympics, who started her speech by mentioning that on route to Stratford today, the Jubilee Line had been partly closed. If Ken had still been in charge of Transport of London, this of course would never have happened! (Joke) She also said that the last time she had been at a London Biennial conference in 2006 she never thought that she would be present when Labour had nationalised the commanding heights of the British economy! (Joke – if somewhat true). Tessa pointed out that 75p in every £ spent on the Olympics would be spent on regeneration. 8,000 jobs will be created in the newly built Stratford Olympic shopping centre alone while 10% of the current 3,000 construction jobs are recruited locally from the unemployed.

Tony McNulty MP, Minister for London, Employment and Welfare Reform was next. He argued that some were overdoing the “doom and gloom”. The Tories are proving themselves not to be serious politicians. Cameron is very like “Strictly Come Dancing” Star, John Sergeant, (I can’t remember exactly why but it seemed applicable at the time and got a good cheer from conference). Tony reminded everyone about a fundamental difference between the Labour Party and the Tories – you would not get anyone in Labour “singing in the bath” about market cruelty. He also accused Boris of imitating disgraced Tory Westminster Politician Shirley Porter, for trying to use housing policy to gerrymander elections. Finally, he reminded everyone that if the election of Barack Obama taught us anything the last thing this country needed is an Old Etonion as our Prime Minister.

Good stuff - I’ll post on the rest of conference tomorrow.

Eating Fish ‘N’ Chips with Ken to help fight off Boris

Last night I went to a Labour Party fund raising “Meet Ken Livingstone and the Assembly candidates” event at the historic Old Town Hall in Stratford, London. At the balcony of this former “West Ham” town hall, in 1892 election, Keir Hardie the first ever elected “Independent Labour MP”, gave a victory speech to supporters gathered outside.

The main hall was full with about 300 people present. A number of trade unions and local CLP’s had adopted tables. We of course had a UNISON table. Apart from the “Fish ‘N’ Chips” and free pickled unions and wallies (aka as pickled gherkins) we had the usual Labour Party raffle and auction (prizes ranged from such as a free trip to the European parliament via Eurostar to “Tea at the House of Commons Terraces” with Harriet Harman. The mystery prize was a (new!) pair of boxer shots with a design of the London underground system upon them.

Ken’s speech was as usual very good. Apart from being generally engaging, and at times very funny he can also switch very quickly to being serious and sombre (BNP). He gave a 30 minute speech without any notes. I have already heard Ken speak several times this campaign in person and on the TV and he somehow is able to make it different, fresh and thought provoking each time.

This time what impressed me was his obvious personal outrage not only at the prospect of an ignorant right wing toff as the Mayor and a BNP assembly member representing his beloved London. But the chronic shortage of affordable housing in London brought about by 18 years of deliberate and ideologically Tory failure to build new affordable homes to rent for London. The housing problem for London is not immigrants coming into London but the decision to sell off homes and not build new ones.

Many existing Labour Assembly member were there drumming up support. We spoke to top Local City & East AM John Biggs, Leader of the Labour group Len Duvall (UNISON member), Lambeth & Southwark AM Valerie Shawcroft and London wide member Murad Qureshi, (UNISON member of the London Housing Association branch!), Bow East Cllr Alex Heslop (UNISON member) for Bromley and Bexley. Tower Hamlets Council leader, Denise Jones, joined us to eat her Fish ‘N’ Chips, listened to Ken before rushing off to another meeting.

We were able to lobby (pushing a very, very open door) London MEP Claude Moreas over equal rights for agency and temporary workers.

At the end there was a London Music Hall act who by co-incidence sang my favourite song of that era “The Lambeth Walk”.

Ken meets London Labour Party campaigners

Last night I went to a meeting of the Labour Greater London Assembly & Mayor campaign 2008 at the Party HQ in Victoria Street.

It went very well. There was a good mixture of London assembly members, the Mayor Ken Livingstone, London MP’s, PPCs, MEPs, Councillors, Regional board members and TULO members.

Picture is of Harriet Harman, Labour Party deputy Leader (who addressed the meeting), Ken, Joan Ryan MP, Len Duvall AM (Chair) and Ken Clark (Regional director).

Ken was on good form and gave his usual cracking speech. He was introduced by Len beforehand as the model candidate who always does what his agent is told to do and never interferes in the campaign. Of course.

Boris says Ken to blame for knife crime

Yesterday received a news release from Labour London Assembly Leader, Len Duvall about Boris's attack on Ken for his supposed lack of leadership on gun and knife crime. This attack was a feature, in the ever so neutral and objective, London Evening Standard on Monday evening.

This is a ridiculous argument. Ken has always been consistently strong on law and order. His arguments that it is was the poor and vulnerable that suffered the most from crime and they needed protection by the Police, use to infuriate the left. Now the right are making fools of themselves (and worse) over what should be a serious issue, by claiming he is soft on crime. Len’s comment on Boris was: -

BORIS MADE MORE SENSE WHEN HE KEPT QUIET

Londoners will see through Boris Johnson’s hollow words on knife crime according to Labour’s leader on the London Assembly.

Assembly Member Len Duvall today told a meeting at City Hall that Johnson’s lack of understanding was down to his self-imposed six-month exile from London politics.

Len said, “To suggest that the Mayor is to blame for the recent spate of appalling teenage violence just goes to show how much Boris Johnson has got to learn.

“We have a Mayor who has invested heavily in the police after years of Tory cuts when crime went through roof. We now have dedicated neighbourhood and transport policing teams and more police on the beat. And the number of murders has actually fallen since 2000.

“The Mayor has also just committed nearly £80 million to youth provision in the capital. Maybe Boris was still in hiding when this was announced? I can think of no other reason why he would be completely ignorant of the investment in policing and youth services we have seen under this Mayor.”