London Labour Party Conference 2023 - Day 1

 

From my twitter feed as a UNISON Labour Link Delegate.

At @LondonLabour annual conference. Chair of Regional board #MaggiFerncombe opens conference

Next our @labour leader @Keir_Starmer MP gives key note speech on why we will only get a #labour government by winning the trust of the #British people.

Next a panel on #CostOfLivingCrises with our own @unisontheunion @unisonglr @labourunionsuk
secretary @JoelBodmer (former chair @UnisonHAB) @kimleadbeater @RNBlake #petermandelson. Peter advises us to treat recent polls like smoking cannabis "smoke but do not inhale"

After break we now have panel on "winning the General Election - getting into power" with
@LondonLabour Pearleen Sangha @elliereeves

During lunch I attended part of fringe by @RMTunion speaker Mick Lynch, @DawnButlerBrent
#ellybaker. Good to hear of their support for @labour "New Deal for working people"

Standing ovation for barn storming speech by @lisanandy on fixing the broken housing market by building #council homes (& many other things)

After Lisa panel on "House & home - solving Britain's housing crisis" @ShamaTatler Osama Bhutta
@Shelter Anya Marton @PricedOutUK chaired by @DannyBeales @Semakaleng makes point that in #london we need at least 30k social homes pa

Motions debate: @unisonglr convenor & @LondonLabour #labourlink delegate @Yvonneg57841905 seconds #Abuse is not part of the job" @CroydonUNISON

Proposing motion on "Post-Brexit - Working in Partnership" moved by @GMB_union @newham_labour @NewhamBooker @LondonLabour

Seconding the Post-Brexit motion is @CvobUnison Branch Chair & @unisonglr #LabourLink delegate @MarcelaBenede10

"It's now cheaper to save the planet than to destroy it" @Ed_Miliband speaks on "The green sprint" debate with @Miatsf @HughGoulbourne @hennassh

Final panel "Lessons from local government" @LGA_Labour Peter Robbins @timroca85 @CllrAsma_Islam @KamRai7 @GracieMaeW Regional @LondonLabour director Pearleen Sangha making her report to Conference

And final speaker @LondonLabour London Mayor @SadiqKhan . "More council homes being built in London since 1970s" "Nothing quite like handing a key to anew home to a family" "next election is a choice between a Labour Mayor on side of Londoners & a Tory on side of this rotten Government"

Forces of light & reason win elections for London UNISON Labour Link Committee, its National Forum (& I am going to Labour Conference as a London delegate)

Fantastic news today that the Greater London Labour Link elections resulted in a clean sweep for those committed to win a future general election. We won all the elected positions of our regional committee, national forum and Labour Party Conference delegates. Thanks to team work and some great organising. 

This also shows that activists are rightly worried about the direction of our current NEC junta and want real change. We are fighting the Tories and we don't want ultra left student politics and the unacceptable bullying/harassment complaints of so many of our staff. 

In our slate we had a coalition of UNISON activists from all traditions of the union and the Labour Party. However, we need to win over those who know that the current NEC majority is acting badly and even disastrously and not in the interests of our members. 

(Picture from UNISON centre 2020 with our Labour Leader Keir Starmer MP, UNISON London Regional Secretary Maggi Fermcombe (currently on secondment) and super NHS branch secretary and Staff nurse, Rose Minty-Tutton. 

London Labour Party AGM 2021 (& call for Co-operative Commission for London)

Last weekend was the Greater London Labour Party virtual AGM. I missed the Saturday due to some technical difficulties. I was able to join the second day on the Sunday as a UNISON political fund delegate (due to being Chair of the GLR Labour Link). 

Angela Rayner MP,  the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, was our inspirational  keynote speaker.  She gave a passionate speech about how this present Tory Government makes Margaret Thatcher look like a pussy cat and that we must come together to win a future general election, not least, in order to feed all our hungry kids. 

The UNISON motion on Social Care was proposed by our Regional Secretary, Maggi Fermcombe (congratulations to Maggi for also being elected Chair of GLR Labour Party Board). I spoke to second the motion calling for the London Mayor to set up a Co-operative Commission. See my speech below:-

Economy & Work – A Cooperative Commission for London

"Chair, conference, John Gray, from UNISON Labour Link, seconding this motion and welcoming this call to for the Mayor and the GLA to set up a cooperative commission for our City.

My longstanding UNISON comrade, Angela Rayner, reminded us this morning about the labour movement family and our shared history and values.  The cooperative movement is a vital part of our family

We are pleased though that there is an emphasis on a collaborative effect on this call for a commission, involving not only co-operators but also trade unions, voluntary sector and local government. As we are amongst comrades, let us accept, that there has been sometimes difficulties and disagreements between some supporters of particular co-operative models and trade unions - with Councillors often caught in the middle.

Conference, there are huge opportunities for genuine bottom up cooperatives in London, we have just passed a motion on good quality work in London, we all want these “good”jobs, but we also want new economic models, greater democracy  at work and the chance to build real community wealth.

We needed co-operatives in London before Covid and will need it even more, as we hopefully come out of it. Let us build collectively a model that suits and fits modern London, a model led by our Labour Mayor and Assembly members but co-produced with the cooperative movement, trade unions and local government. Conference, please support this motion". 

 

Rising housing costs forcing public service workers out of London

25% spend more than £300 per week on their housing costs...more than 50% of their income. Who is going to work in our hospitals, our schools, clean our streets, maintain our parks & provide all our other public services?

I missed the launch of this excellent report by UNISON last month.  This is not just a crisis facing London but in high cost housing areas throughout the UK. I used the report for this motion and speech to the London Labour conference.

"UNISON launches a survey report into the impact of housing costs on London’s public service workers

London faces an exodus of public service workers as housing costs become unaffordable, says a new report published today (Tuesday) by UNISON.

The report, based on a survey of over 1,000 UNISON members living and working in London, showed that two thirds of workers (63%) spend more than 30% of their income on housing. This figure rises to 82% for private renters.

According to the findings, nurses, teaching assistants, social workers and other public service employees are increasingly looking to leave London as a result of exorbitant housing costs. Almost two thirds (62%) of workers want to leave the capital because of the cost of housing. This figure rises to 87% for health workers living in the private rented sector.

The departure of staff from the capital would deepen the already serious recruitment and retention problems in public services, with knock-on repercussions for schools, hospitals and other public services, says UNISON.

Ahead of the launch of the report in the Houses of Parliament, UNISON’s newly-appointed London regional secretary Maggi Ferncombe said: “The lack of suitable, decent and affordable housing is hurting public service workers.

“Employers are also struggling to recruit and retain staff. In London, we are seeing evidence of staff shortages and high turnover of staff, with turnover rates at 30% in some areas.”

“The government needs to take real action to resolve the housing crisis. And that doesn’t mean just making changes to Stamp Duty.”

“That is why UNISON is calling on the Mayor of London and the government to set a target to build more genuinely affordable homes, working with councils and housing associations to solve the housing crisis.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON’s London Housing Survey Report is available here– The report will be launched in The Houses of Parliament on 28 November 18.00-19.30, hosted by Daniel Zeichner MP and chaired by Maggi Ferncombe, UNISON London Regional Secretary. Speakers include John Healey MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Housing), Melanie Onn MP (Shadow Housing Minister), Yvonne Green (UNISON Regional Convenor for London) and James Murray (Deputy Mayor of London), followed by a panel discussion.
– A recent study by the Chartered Institute of Housing shows that 79% of government spending on housing subsidises the private housing market.
– London has the highest rents in comparison to average weekly wages. According to the National Housing Federation: “The average rent in the Private Rented Sector in London is more than double the average for the rest of England. House prices in London are nearly double the national average (mean) at £563,000; and average house prices are almost 17 times local salaries, this means that a household in London will require an income of almost £130,000 a year to afford an average mortgage compared to average salaries of just 34,000.”
– Maggi Ferncombe has worked for UNISON for the past 22 years and became the Regional Secretary for the South East region in May 2015. Prior to that she was a regional manager in the London region for 10 years. She left school at 16 with 5 O’levels and worked in retail for a couple of years before getting a job with the trade union MSF (now part of Unite).

Welcome back Maggi to UNISON Greater London Region

Many thanks to Stephanie for doing such a good job while holding the fort but great news that Maggi is coming back to London as our new Regional Secretary. Apologises to South Eastern region for stealing her :)

Dear Colleague

As you are aware Stephanie Thomas has been Acting Regional Secretary for Greater London Region since November 2016. I know the past two years have at times been difficult for colleagues  and I thank you on behalf of the General Secretariat for your patience and continued hard work on behalf of the union. It has been determined that permanent arrangements need to be established to support both staff and members in the Region.

I am very pleased to advise you that Maggi Ferncombe will transfer from the South East Region to take up the post of Greater London Regional Secretary with effect from 27^th November 2017.

There will be a handover period and Maggi will be working very closely with Stephanie Thomas and the Greater London Regional Management Team to ensure a smooth transition.

I am sure you will join me in welcoming Maggi back to the Region.

I would also like to thank Stephanie Thomas for the work she has undertaken whilst overseeing the Region.

Kind regards

Yours faithfully

Cliff Williams

AGS

Regional Management and Governance

London Labour Party Biennial Conference 2013

Add caption

Today was the London Regional Conference of the Labour Party at the Old Town Hall in Stratford, E15.

I had my ward surgery beforehand and missed the opening speeches and arrived towards the end of the plenary Housing debate.

The main hall of the Town Hall was packed with delegates. Standing room only.

Activist Jeffrey Blay, 62 years a Party member received an award from Iain McNicol, the General Secretary of the Labour Party as did the former London Regional secretary, Ken Clarke.

Iain addressed Conference next. The last time he had been in this hall he had  "piped in the haggis" for the Newham Burns Night (I saw him do this in 2012. I wonder if any other political party has a bagpipe player and black belt in Karate as its GS). He reminded everyone that the Labour Party started in this town hall with the election of Kier Hardie in 1892. Sadiq Khan MP, in his first outing as Shadow Minister for London spoke next and praised the Party links with hard working people through the trade unions and slams the London Tory record on housing. London faces a catastrophic housing crisis & social cleansing.

The morning session finished with the debate on the NHS. Picture above of Maggi Ferncombe from UNISON moving the motion on defending London's NHS.  

I didn't go to any of the lunchtime fringes due to a meeting but after the end of the NHS (no pun intended) and the London economy debate, I attended the workshop on Trade Unions and Labour Party Liaison.  Chaired by Fiona Twycross with UNISON Regional Secretary and Vice Chair Labour Board Linda Perks, Labour Party Regional Secretary Alan Olive and Alan Tate from CWU.

A delegate got herself into a little bit of a pickle when she realised that there could be a double meaning to her claim that the Labour Party is always looking at Scandinavian models! In the Q&A I mentioned the successful London training events London UNISON has run for branch Labour Link officers and that you can arrange union meetings at the House of Commons with friendly Labour MPs to attract rank and file members who would never normally attend any union or political meetings. 

My second workshop was led Margaret McDonagh and John Braggins on "Winning in low turnout areas and building our winning alliance". A key point was that we should "Stop Voter ID Now" (which will upset our organiser!).  Instead of asking people to do something for us (go out and vote Labour) we should be asking them what we can do for them. Makes sense to me.

After the motion on the London Economy there were emergency motions on the plans by Tory Mayor Boris Johnson to slash the fire service in London and the threat to our education services from the so called "Free Schools". I seconded the motion against Free Schools and will post my speech later. I then had to run off to another commitment and missed the election results, the close and the singing of the Red Flag and Jerusalem.