Unmesh Desai for NE CLP London Labour Board 2010.

Newham Councillor & GMB activist Unmesh Desai is standing for election on Saturday to the NE and East CLP seat on London Regional Board.

Unmesh is a hard working Party activist and campaigner. 

The election will take place at the Biannual Labour Party conference. This is his election statement.

"I have been nominated by my CLP, East Ham, for the above position and now write to seek your support.

London Labour faces a number of challenges over the course of the term of the new Regional Board :

. Campaigning with trade unions,affiliated organisations and community organisations to connect with and shape rising anger over the savage cuts proposed by the Condem government. In particular we need to win over those Londoners who voted for the Libdems only to find themselves betrayed.

. A positive London Labour alternative appealing to all Londoners in both inner and outer London which also exposes the Tory Mayor's failure to deliver on key issues such as transport and policing.

. Continuing our successful Barking campaign to reengage with and win back white working class voters without pandering to any sectional prejudices or vested interests.

The Regional Board has the key role in coordinating and implementing a strategy to deliver these goals and I believe that in my 25 years of party membership I have demonstrated the political commitment and experience to play an effective part in delivering this -

* I have held positions at all party levels including LGC Chair and past membership of the Regional Board. Currently I am Vice Chair (Campaigns) of East Ham CLP and Labour Group Vice Chair (Campaigns and Media).

* Newham Councillor since 1998. Currently Cabinet Member for Crime and Anti Social Behaviour.Vice Chair of the Local Government Information Unit.

* School governor, Coop Party member and Chair of Newham Fabians.

* GMB member and particularly proud as East Ham's delegate to have seconded the GMB motion to 2009 Conference to extend Newham's free school meals policy nationally.We still provide free school meals to all our primary school children.

* Election agent at parliamentary,mayoral,council and GLA elections. Election agent to Stephen Timms,MP,in May when we secured the biggest parliamentary majority and vote in the country.

* Active in community campaigns around race, anti-fascism, civil liberties and social justice, but particularly in East London, since the late 1970's.

If elected I will represent your views and report back.I am and will always continue to be available on 07976 218 584 or email unmeshdesai_per@yahoo.com.
Regards.
Unmesh Desai

(UPDATE: He won)

Alan Griffiths for London Labour Party Regional Board

Alan is a top UNISON activist, a fellow Housing officer and West Ham CLP comrade who is standing for the London Labour Party Regional Board. The election will take place at the Biannual conference this Saturday at Stratford Town Hall. Alan is standing against a certain well known blogger from Hackney who thinks Alan is a "good" person (Er, no, not Dave).

This is from Alan's nomination address.

The third term of Labour Government is uncharted history.

We’ve a lot of hard thinking and work to do to win a fourth term. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved. I believe that the electorate want to be convinced that we can protect and support them through this period of rising food and energy prices and can deliver the next new agenda.

They will want to know that we can continue the tremendous success of the Labour Government’s Economic policies. They will want to know that they will expect to benefit, and that new opportunities will open without undue risks.

In the last 3 to 5 years, we have had a succession of reminders that London is the most right-wing of the big cities. Despite the surge in Tory votes in their safest areas this May and losing the Mayor of London, the detailed figures from the counts do not show many Labour MPs loosing on the 1 May 2008 results. We need to face up to where we are fairly and squarely if we are to improve our vote it in time for the London Borough elections in May 2010 and win the fourth General election victory. Let’s do that.


Effective Campaigning

· I have been involved in about half of the Council By-elections in these nineteen constituencies.
· I was the agent in West Ham for the 2005 General Election, seeing off the waves of outside campaigners bussed in by Respect / Socialist Workers Party. In 2008, our vote was up locally.
· Interviewed on TV and Radio on subjects from Crime to Labour's Membership to Abandoned and Untaxed vehicles.
· I’ve been the person who has promoted computerised electioneering, targeted mailings and worked out delivery rounds in my constituency.
· West Ham has a Voice Over Internet phone bank, which allows multiple canvassers to use just one BT landline.
· I am the Labour Link Officer of UNISON in Waltham Forest, with the most delegates to CLPs of any UNISON Branch in London.
· I am Newham membership officer of the Co-operative Party and on the North London Party Council

Newham - leading the way

· We set out to be "Best in Class" before the Labour Government was elected, and were a Best Value pilot for everything.
· Staying in School at 16 is above the English average, despite low incomes. And so is entry to Higher Education.
· Our 12 hour, 5 day Call Centre on 020 8430 2000 offers the front-line service for all the Council's responsibilities. It has been widely copied.
· I played a leading role in getting the first agency agreement for Newham Council to enforce against untaxed vehicles as agent for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing agency, also widely copied.
· And we’ve won the International Station and the Olympic Games, which will also do wonders for neighbouring Boroughs.

The People's Priorities

· Serious improvements to public transport are now in place or on site and people are seeing the results. We must ensure that the Labour regime that began this unprecedented investment gets credit for it.
· Crime remains at he top of public concerns, but it would be only too easy for Labour to fail to get the credit for all the now powers and techniques we have made available and put to use.
· Health needs long-term investment, training and management improvements - the Tories can't be trusted, the Liberals don’t know what long-term means.