UNISON NDC 2026 - Reflections (Day Two)

 

Early Morning Run and NEC Conference Reflections – Brighton

It was an early start this morning with a run—well, more of a slow jog—along Brighton seafront. There’s something grounding about getting out before the day properly begins, especially ahead of a full conference schedule.

After a quick turnaround—shower, breakfast, and coffee—it was straight into the NEC pre-conference meeting. Overall, it went reasonably well. 

Next NDC. the debates were largely positive, with a number of thoughtful contributions. We also heard speeches from the new UNISON General Secretary, Andrea Egan, as well as from the General Secretary of the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions. Both were significant contributions and set the tone for the day.

That said, I do think there are some important strategic questions we need to reflect on. In particular, I’m not convinced that there is a full appreciation of the political threat posed by Reform/Restore. Alongside that, I’m concerned that simply attacking Labour—particularly using language that labels them broadly as racist—is not a strategy that will help us achieve what we need.

If our objective is to influence Labour policy so that it aligns more closely with UNISON’s priorities, then we need to think carefully about how we do that effectively. Constructive pressure, engagement, and clarity of purpose are essential. We should always be robust in challenging where necessary, but we also need to ensure that our approach creates space for change rather than closing it down.

At lunchtime, I spent some time handing out flyers outside the conference hall for the UNISON Labour Link Social. It was a good opportunity to speak to delegates and raise awareness of the event.

The Social itself went well. With local Labour MPs attending a by-election in Manchester, we didn’t have the usual panel discussion and debate, which was a bit of a shame. However, the event still provided a valuable chance to catch up with comrades from across the union. Sometimes those informal conversations are just as important—if not more so—than the formal sessions when it comes to building relationships and shaping thinking.

All in all, a busy but worthwhile day: a mix of debate, reflection, and reconnecting with colleagues from across the movement.

Apparently there is some sort of football game going on this evening? as Welsh/Scots I have no idea but wish all UK national teams well :-) 

UNISON NDC 2026 - Reflections (Day One)

For the first time in many years, I arrived late to the start of UNISON National Delegate Conference due to other urgent matters. I am attending conference in my capacity as an elected member of the UNISON National Executive Council (NEC) for Community, representing members working in Housing Associations and the voluntary/charity sector.

Despite my late arrival, it was clear that there had been a number of strong and constructive debates on the conference floor. A range of views were expressed in what I would describe as a positive, comradely manner. In my view, this was particularly encouraging, as there is not enough space for appropriate and constructive critical debate on motions. Unfortunately, I missed some of the more controversial items due to my late arrival.

Following the close of conference, I met with members of my branch delegation—where I also serve as Branch Secretary—to deal with some important admin matters.

I then attended a fringe meeting on Responding to Reform and the Populist Right. This featured several strong contributions, including from Nick Lowles of Hope Not Hate. While the discussion recognised the very real challenges posed by the rise of Reform and other far-right elements (including more extreme groups such as Restore), it was not entirely pessimistic. There were some important positive points highlighted, particularly that the overwhelming majority of voters rejected Reform in the recent local elections, despite the party achieving some high-profile results.

A key theme from the discussion was that our response should not be to simply demonise Reform or its supporters. Instead, we should focus on clearly exposing the reality of their policy platform—namely that it would undermine core public goods and protections such as a free NHS, decent public pensions, and essential employment rights.

During the Q&A, I made the point that while I agreed with much of the optimism expressed, there is a real danger that our movement could “sleepwalk” into allowing a Reform government in the future. The current political dynamics remind me strongly of what occurred in the United States, where dissatisfaction with the Democrats for not being “perfect” contributed to the election of Donald Trump—twice. That experience underlines the risks of complacency and fragmentation on the progressive side of politics.

Conference resumes tomorrow, with the NEC pre-meeting at 8:30am and conference business recommencing for delegates at 9:30am.

Our rights at work are under attack - Help us Stop the Steal Tuesday 2 June | 2:00 - 3:00

 

Trade union rights and renters’ rights are under attack.

Join the TUC and guest speakers for a webinar on the #StopTheSteal campaign and how union reps can help defend hard-won protections at work and at home. We’ll discuss what proposed attacks on employment and housing rights could mean in practice, how reps can organise effective conversations in workplaces and communities, and why solidarity between workers and renters matters more than ever. You’ll hear about Stop the Steal’s day of action on 11th June, with workers across the UK putting up Stop the Steal posters on their noticeboards at work or at home. This helps to raise awareness about the threat of the Great Repeal Bill. This session is for anyone who wants to help build collective resistance to insecure work, low rights, and unfair housing. We want everyone attending TUC events to have a safe and enjoyable experience. If you require any adjustments or assistance to participate at this event, please let us know at TUCEducation@tuc.org.uk Live captions will be available during the webinar.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3517768511757/WN_TJtJfWltSDmlU1rMQqhmTg?mc_cid=5ca57508be&mc_eid=3ad1a32733#/registration

✊ 48 Hours of Madness: Election Day, The Count, and a Bittersweet Victory in West Ham

 

After weeks and months of meetings, training sessions, leaflet‑folding, and relentless campaigning, the last 48 hours have felt like a lifetime. Election Day on Thursday 7 May, followed by The Count on Friday, pushed all of us to the limit — physically, mentally, emotionally. It became less a campaign and more a temporary way of life.

🌅 Election Day: From Dawn at Stratford Manor to the Last Knock at 9.45pm

I started early outside Stratford Manor polling station in West Ham ward, while my Labour colleagues Adjoa Kwarteng and Sam Mannion covered the others. Apart from one unpleasant encounter with an aggressive, foul‑mouthed Reform supporter, the morning went smoothly.

From there we headed to the campaign office to collect E-Day leaflets and the codes for our smartphones — the lifeline that tells us which Labour voters need a reminder to get to the polls.

Then began the long, punishing slog: street after street, block after block, knocking doors, speaking to residents, leaving leaflets where no one answered. We were kept going by brilliant support from local members including Varghese and Parvin, and the ever‑reliable retiring councillor John Whitworth.

We kept going until 9.45pm, then visited polling stations to check for issues and get a sense of turnout. After a quick drink at the Black Lion, it was home — briefly — before the next ordeal.

🗳️ The Count at ExCeL: A Marathon of Verification, Kangaroos, and Nerves

By 8am on Friday, those of us acting as counting agents for the Mayoral contest were at ExCeL for the briefing. The count began at 9am, and from observing the verification across three wards, it was clear that Labour’s Forhad Hussain was heading for victory. Still, nothing could be taken for granted, and counting agents from all parties had to stay laser‑focused.

Eventually, it was confirmed: Forhad Hussain had won by over 5,000 votes. The Independents came second, the Greens third — despite their confident claims that “only they can win”.

Then came the councillor counts, and this was a different kind of torture. West Ham ward showed strong Labour block votes, but there were hundreds of mixed ballots, where voters split their three votes across parties. Newham’s infamous “Kangaroo” system was used to allocate these — a slow, meticulous, mind‑bending process.

No one had any clear idea who was ahead.

⏳ The Long Wait — and a Bitter‑Sweet Result

As we waited, national and London‑wide news filtered in. Labour was having a very bad day. We lost wards and seats. Good comrades were defeated. But we also held ground in key areas.

Finally, at around 8.30pm, the West Ham declaration was called. Candidates and agents were told privately before the public announcement.

It was close.

I was elected. Adjoa was elected. But Sam — a hardworking, experienced campaigner — narrowly missed out, with a Green taking the third seat.

It was a bittersweet moment. Sam took it with grace and professionalism, but politics can be a cruel business. I have no doubt he will return and win a future contest.

🟥 Where We Stand Now

Despite the losses, Labour:

• Won the Executive Mayor contest decisively

• Remains the largest single party on Newham Council

• Outperformed the London anti‑Labour trend in both Newham and neighbouring Redbridge, according to early analysis

It will be tough. It will be messy. But with Forhad as Mayor and a committed Labour group, we can still deliver our ambitious manifesto for Newham.

With a fair wind, next time we’ll wipe the floor with our opponents.

I’ll share the full results once they’re officially published.

On Thursday, don't forget what Reform would have done. Vote Labour.

Stop the steal - Fight for our future!

 

Reform UK has pledged to rip up legal protections for workers and renters.

Reform are proposing a so-called "Great Repeal Bill" to scrap rights secured in the Employment Rights Act - rights that millions of working people have fought hard to win.

Add your name to protect workers' rights

Order free Fight for Our Future Posters

Their Great Repeal Bill would strip our rights and our voice. It would hand power to bad bosses and rogue landlords. The planned attacks include: Taking sick pay, bereavement leave, and pregnancy protections off millions of workers. Legalising fire-and-rehire and workplace discrimination. Reintroducing "no-fault" evictions and reducing limits on rent increases.

Other campaign resources

Campaign webpage Campaign video Social media graphics

Together, let’s stop Reform’s Great Repeal Bill. https://www.tuc.org.uk/LESE

Good riddance to bad rubbish when with Forhad we have real leadership we can reply on

Press release from London Labour 

“If Clive Furness and Robin Wales count as a ‘major London announcement’, Reform really are scraping the barrel.

Neither men have been part of the Labour movement for some time. In Newham, Robin Wales was removed by local members following concerns about his record in office.

Nigel Farage, Laila Cunningham and their allies spend their time talking London down and attacking the success of one of the most proudly multicultural cities in the world. 

Meanwhile Labour is focused on delivering for London – supporting 240,000 children by ending the two-child cap, cutting energy bills for 3.7 million households, expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs, and strengthening protections for 2.7 million renters.”

https://www.gbnews.com/politics/video-reform-uk-major-labour-defector-leaves-gb-news-hosts-baffled

"GB News hosts Andrew and Miriam were left baffled after Reform UK leader unveiled his Labour defector to the party.

As Nigel Farage announced former Labour Mayor of Newham and ex-leader of Newham London Borough Council Sir Robin Wales as Reform UK's London Director of Local Government.

Cutting away from the press conference, Andrew told GB News viewers: "If that is the major Labour defection that's been flagged for some weeks, that doesn't quite cut it... it's not quite up there with a former Tory Home Secretary and a former Chancellor."

Miriam then admitted: "He's not a household name, is he? I had never heard of him, I've just been googling him."

Better Woke than Broke "Opinion: Why Reform UK is misguided, mistaken and just plain wrong on the LGPS"

 

JG. Glyn was at our Community National Seminar on Friday and I attended his Pensions training workshop. I will post on the seminar later but his rebuttal of the truly ignorant attacks on the LGPS by very rich people who don't care about older workers makes perfect sense.

"By UNISON head of pensions Glyn Jenkins 

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2026/03/opinion-why-reform-uk-is-misguided-mistaken-and-just-plain-wrong-on-the-local-government-pension-scheme/

Reform UK’s announcement this week that, if elected, it would end defined benefit pension schemes for new local government staff would be a disaster. For council workers, the local government sector and communities in general.

The party’s leadership doesn’t want any new starters admitted to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). But that ignores the fact the scheme provides decent and not excessive benefits for those working in councils and schools. To do away with it would make recruitment to often low-paid roles much more difficult, and the staffing crisis would worsen. And that’s bad for everyone who relies on the many vital local authority services.

For anyone on low wages, the auto-enrolment system favoured by Reform will only lead to poverty in retirement. Such defined contribution schemes only deliver decent pensions for high earners who can get their employers to pay sizeable contributions too. The millionaires in charge of Reform look after the well-off, not those on low pay. We’ve seen it before and we’re seeing it again.

We also know from experience that stopping new entrants from joining pension schemes leads to their closure even to existing members further down the line.

Reform also want all LGPS assets to be centralised in a UK wealth fund.

UNISON has proposed a single investment vehicle for English LGPS. But local people need to control the investment strategy, so it responds to the needs and wishes of scheme members in each fund. Ministers mustn’t be making these decisions. They need local, democratic control. Precisely the opposite of what Reform is proposing.

Reform talks of more investment in Britain. But the LGPS already does that. Almost a sixth (17%) of LGPS assets are in UK equities, compared to 5% for private sector defined benefit pension schemes.

And so much for claims that LGPS funds perform poorly and are invested in “woke nonsense”.

If Reform looked properly, the party would find LGPS funds returned an average of more than 7% in the past decade, compared to an average 1.3% for private sector defined benefit schemes. LGPS funds are invested broadly to ensure that if one type of asset performs badly, it dampens the effect across the whole fund. Investments are based on professional advice and locally elected councillors set the investment strategy.

Climate-oriented investment funds have, on average, delivered better returns than traditional funds over the past seven years. Better woke than broke.

And if we’re talking about “nonsense”, Reform claims LGPS funds pay high investment-management fees.

The reality is that last year investment costs were about 0.56% of the total asset value. That’s the same as the much-admired Ontario Teachers Fund pension scheme, and on a par with many other UK schemes.

A UK sovereign wealth fund investing more in domestic projects would inevitably have higher investment costs because infrastructure is more expensive and decisions need to scoped out more carefully to avoid bad moves.

In short, as with many other Reform UK announcements, there’s a worrying lack of understanding of the things the party intends to change.

Defined benefit schemes aren’t the ‘gold standard’ Reform has made them out to be. But for low to middle paid staff, they are the chance of an adequate income in retirement. Removing these schemes for future employees will do little for the finances of public services.

What many younger workers really need is an improvement in minimum direct contribution for auto-enrolment schemes. Not to dumb down perfectly adequate direct benefit schemes".

BREAKING: Reform's "shadow shadow" cabinet REVEALED

"The Tories are the Shadow Cabinet but Reform plc (the Tory Defects) have also launched their Shadowy Cabinet with a few surprises…"

Hat tip Neil Coyle MP!

Saturday Labour doorstep in Plaistow South By election

 

Picture college from yesterday's doorstep in the Plaistow South By Election campaign with our candidate Ash and local party activists. 

There was 3 teams out and the result was pretty positive. On one occasion I had some robust conversations with two residents, who had been totally taken in by Reform propaganda and hopefully they will reflect on our exchange. However, we have to deal nationally and locally with the underlying economic causes that such populist extremist parties thrive upon. 

Overhaul it went well and Ash is excellent at both listening and engaging with residents. A rare gift for someone standing for political office! 

Some beautiful gardens in the ward. 

Labour Street Surgery in Stratford

 

On Saturday afternoon I joined a street surgery and campaign session in Stratford with local Councillor, Sabia Kamali. There had been a morning session as well which I could not attend but I cycled to the meeting point in Stratford High Road, which was near an unusual stone pillar (bottom right) which I think is some sort of boundary post dated 1731. It seems that it once marked land owned by a Church in Southwark. There is a similar wall plaque in my ward in West Ham. I will find out more. 

The street surgery itself went well but it was a warm and sunny day with many residents obviously out shopping or enjoying the weather. It was also difficult to gain entry into some of the newer blocks in this area. 

I helped some residents with some housing repair issues and advice on waiting lists etc but the only "political" conversation, I had was with a cheerful young man, who answered the door and said he did not know anything about politics but said he had heard about Reform but did not know what they would do for him or his family. 

I gave him the example that Reform wanted to dismantle the NHS and introduce a health service based on insurance policies. He was pretty rude about that possibility and said "100% for Labour then". Hopefully, I have pointed him in the right direction. 

There was some lovely individual gardens on the estates and an impressive new play area and Community garden.