AMNT Summer Conference 2014 - Stephanie Flanders

I was only able to attend the first two sessions at this year's AMNT Summer conference before having to dash off to a represent a union member in a meeting out of London.

Our first speaker was Stephanie Flanders, who is now the Chief Market Strategist for JP Morgan but much better known as being the former BBC Economics Editor.

She has been told that she has 20 minutes to speak and is reminded of the advice that G.B. Shaw gave to an orator who claimed that he couldn't possibly say all he knew in 20 minutes. Which was "talk very slowly".

Stephanie pointed out that we have had a terribly long period of recession. UK growth is now ok and near its long term trend but we need to do recover faster to make up for the past 5 years. Risk asserts have struggled to find momentum. While it pays to be a risk taker it may not pay as well as did in the past.

Money is cheap still by historic standards, there will be less austerity in the next 3 years than the last 3 years. National Debt is levelling out. The unemployment rate has crashed in the UK and even Spain has managed to increase employment . Deflation is falling prices not reduced inflation, which is something she had to constantly explain to John Humphrys on the Radio 4 Today Programme. WDIAM use to be her favourite 6pm BBC News spot - "What does it all mean?". 

Long term growth and recovery is now so slow that the recent recession could be more damaging to the economy than the First world war or even the Second world war.

We are overdue a correction on equity markets but loose money will not cause a crash. Diversification matters.

My question to her was that the USA and EU recovery may be more genuine and sustainable than the UK due to our over heated house prices and soaring household debt. Stephanie agreed that there was a fear of a bubble in UK housing market but more confident about UK growth which is now far more balanced.

Labour Promise on GP appointment within 48 hours

I was delivering election leaflets this morning while listening on headphones to Labour Health Shadow Secretary of State , Andy Burnham MP, being interviewed on "Today" (Radio 4) about this new policy.

The Tories got rid of the right to see a GP within 48 hours in 2010. Andy made the common sense argument that the failure to see your GP quickly could mean that by the time your condition is diagnosed it will be more expensive for the NHS to deal with it.

Never mind the distress and discomfort of those waiting for an appointment. Particularly men who tend to wait until the last possible moment before seeking an appointment in the first place. 

I am aware from friends and relatives how difficult it is to see your GP (touch wood I haven't needed to see my GP for a while) and as a Union rep I am in constant contact with members who are off on certificated sickness leave who often have awful problems getting an early appointments to see their GP. The problem has got far worse since 2010.

In the interview Andy was accused of wanting to have national targets imposed on GPs. He made in response the perfectly rational argument that there should be national minimum standards on such vital services. You don't want a "postcode lottery" with primary health care.

To me it is clear that the Tories and their allies believe that the "market always knows best" and they think there is nothing wrong with letting conflicted self-employed GPs decide what local services and standards they should be paid to provide. This is clearly nonsense as anyone who has waited for over a week to see their GP knows all too well.

This is yet another Ed Miliband "clear red water" Labour policy that shows we are different than the Tories. Keep up the good work and more of the same please Ed.

UKIP Shipping Forecast

Enjoy. I did hear it on Radio 4 "The Today" on Monday morning but was reminded at UNISON NEC Policy committee meeting today. 

UKIP is an extremist right wing Tory protest front run by millionaires who want to destroy employment rights and protections for all workers. Never forget this.

Vote UKIP and you not only get the "mad, swivel-eyed loons" as your representative but your your job and wages will be put at risk.

TUC 2012: Monday morning

Day 2 of TUC Congress at Brighton. This morning I went for a very quick run along the beach while listening to Radio 4 "Today". The Congress was the second item on the news headlines after a report on last nights Paralympic closing ceremony.

Outgoing TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber was interviewed live by John Humphrys who repeatedly tried to suggest that trade unions have had their day and are old fashioned and ineffectual. Brendan saw him off. The suggestion that the union’s only plan for the economy is mass strike action is laughable but typical of silly media stereotyping.

Congress started at 9.30. There was a Dixieland jazz "improvisation" band playing beforehand. Appropriately of course they were playing "When the saints come marching in" as delegates entered the hall.

Brendan gave his keynote speech. He used the example of the Olympics to hammer those who think that "the market knows best" and "you can’t pick winners". Targeted funding resulted in Gold medals for British atheletes and the debacle over GS4 security showed that the public sector can actually be better than the private sector. Brendan received a well deserved standing ovation.

Debates this morning on Anti-Austerity campaign, The Economy and Health.

Doreen Lawrence on "Desert Island Discs"

This morning I was driving to a hearing in Kent listening to Radio 4. Doreen Lawrence, the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence was this week's "Castaway" guest .

I challenge anyone with a ounce of humanity in their soul to listen to this interview and the music played without a tear (or many) in their eyes.

This was perhaps not the best preparation for a wannabee rufftie tuftie union rep who should have been psyching himself up to take on management in a collective hearing over vital TUPE protection.

But thinking about it now perhaps it was.

Listen to here to the programme.

Rebekah Brooks Met Police Horse Song

Hat tip Captain Swing (and "The Now Show" and "Ernie").

Jimmy Reid: 'We don't only build ships. We build men'

I'm pretty sure that (nearly) all of us will forgive trade union leader, Jimmy Reid, who died this week aged 78, for the implicit sexism of the above wonderful comment.

I was hobbling along (dodgy Achilles heal) Wanstead flats on Thursday morning listening via headphones to "Today" on Radio 4 and was simply bowled over by this marvellous clip (only 3 minutes) of an interview with Jimmy from 2007.

Enjoy on playback here (not sure how long it will be available?).

Hat tip picture and a surprisingly interesting and even sympathetic story on Jimmy from the Torygraph.

"Redcar - Made of Steel"

While dashing along the M6 on Monday afternoon I listened to Radio 4 “Archive Hour” programme about a history of iron ore mining and steel production in Teesside. Some folk would have immediately switched over but if they did they missed something special (IMO). Check out BBC iPlayer here (7 days ).

At one time railway lines and iron bridges all other the world would have had “made in Teesside” stamped on them.

Production first began in Teesside following the discovery of nearby iron ore deposits. The mines were still producing ore until early 20th century while the steel production plant at Redcar was very recently put into mothballs to the despair of the local community.

The programme did not romanticise the physically hard, dirty and dangerous work of mining or being a steel worker but it did celebrate their strong sense of pride, comradeship and solidarity.

The programme reminded me of the closure of the main plant at Shotton Steel works in the 1980’s.  Check out my thoughts pre CONDEM gov.

Question: Do we need to have employment with such bloody awful working conditions to bring about a similar true sense of class and identity amongst working people?