Labour Conference 2025: Sunday

Conference started at 11am. I was at a UNISON delegation pre meeting at 9am were we confirmed who would speak on debates and which motions to support or oppose. First item was Conference Arrangements Committee Report, where delegates whose motions had not been accepted for debate were given the opportunity to ask for this to be reconsidered. Conference voted to accept the report.

There was also a minutes silence to remember Party members who have died during the past year. A list of names was shown on the main screens to music, which included the name of Newham Councillor, Neil Wilson. 

There was also number of good speakers including a passionate speech on the new Hillsborough Law followed by a choir singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

There was also international speaker, Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, who gave a very thoughtful speech on how the Labour movement’s in both our countries had chosen Parliamentary democracy rather than protest to benefit working people. 

After Conference I went to be part of a panel for a fringe with Michael Shanks MP (Minister for Energy, Security & Net Zero), Bill Esterson MP (Chair of Energy, Security & Net Zero) and Tessa Khan (Uplift).  The panel was chaired by Sue Ferns (Prospect). I was there in my role as Vice Chair of Local Authority Pension Fund Forum. I will post later on this event. For some reason the photographs were all red!

Afterwards I joined friends and colleagues at the best social of conference, the Labour Friends of Bangladesh event and had a fantastic meal with one or two speeches.

 

Support Abdi Mohamed - Labour Candidate for Bow East By Election

 

A perfect Labour fundraiser last night in Tower Hamlets for our candidate, Abid Mohamed, who is standing to replace Cllr Rachel Blake in Bow East. Rachel was elected as an MP for Cities & Westminster in the general election (and I was so happy to congratulate her in person on her fantastic victory). 

I have worked in Bow East, off and on, for the last 31 years and I am certain that Abdi will make a superb Councillor. 

He has the support and respect of Newham and Tower Hamlet Labour Activists in the new shared Parliamentary Consistency of Stratford and Bow. 

Many thanks for Adam Allnutt for organising such a well run event. I continued with my run of luck in Labour Party raffles by winning a bottle of wine!