Rachel Reeves MP at gathering of East London Labour Movement family

On Wednesday evening at Newham Town Hall Rachel Reeves MP was the keynote speaker at a fund raising event organised by East Ham Labour Party.

There was around 400 guests mainly from East and West Ham but also from CLP's in Tower Hamlets, Walthamstow, Redbridge, Havering and Barking & Dagenham. There was also support from affiliated trade unions. London UNISON Labour Link helped sponsor the brochure. 

It had been organised by the notoriously shy and retiring, Cllr Unmesh Desai. The food was fantastic and there was live music and stage dancing. Followed of course by the traditional Labour Party raffle and auction (by Steve Pound MP). Local MP Stephen Timms spoke, as did the Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales and Labour GLA leader Len Duvall. East London Assembly member and Labour Tower Hamlets Mayoral candidate John Biggs also did the rounds.

Rachel reminded us that there was only 462 days before the next General Election. This election will be about values. Labour values against Tory values. If we all work together with the trade unions then we will have Ed Miliband as our next Prime Minister and a Labour Government.

Afterwards UNISON and West Ham colleagues met up with GMB comrades from Barking and Dagenham to put our world to rights at the local Spoons (and debate the provenance of local history photographs on the pub walls).

It was a good night. It was suggested that each of the East London Borough Labour Parties ought to organise in turn similar events each year. Good idea.

Professor Pound's lesson on Ken's Fare Deal

Steve Pound MP explaining Ken's Fare Deal. Find out more on http://www.kenlivingstone.com/faredeal

Labour Party Conference 2009 – London Delegate Briefing.

It’s now less than a week away from Conference. Last Monday evening I went to the London Labour Party delegate briefing in the Victoria Street Party HQ.

I’ve been before to conference as a UNISON delegate but this year I am going on behalf of my CLP (Constituency Labour Party) West Ham. We were elected at this year’s CLP annual general meeting and I’m the general seat delegate while we also have a female and young labour delegate.

There was a good turnout of delegate for this briefing. I thought a good mix also of people, a noticeably large number of young members as well as a good representation of black and female delegates. Tower Hamlets and labour list blogger Dan McCurry was sitting behind me.

The briefing was addressed by Ken Clark (London Labour Regional Director), Steve Pound MP (Ealing North), Peter May (Regional officer) and Phil Dilks (Regional publicity). London Region of the Labour Party is sending the most delegates (95) and visitors (a massive 800 odd).

Steve Pound MP gave a presentation and he was as usual very good value. He promised us that we were at the “beginning of a great adventure” which we should all enjoy but he reminded us that we were there as representatives of our CLP’s and the wider Labour Party.

There was a lot of practical advice about pacing yourself (“wear comfortable shoes"), the security restrictions, attending fringes, dealing with the media and how to prepare and try to be selected for speaking at conference debates.

We also got a huge pile of conference guides, booklets and invites to various fringes to wade thorough.

I hope to blog on a regular basis during conference and may even “twitter” for the first time. So - as they say “watch this space”.