London Reception #Lab15

After arriving at the hotel in Brighton and picking up my delegation pack from unison office, I went to my first conference event, the London Labour Party reception.

This is the annual shin dig for London delegates and Party members. London Labour Chair and Assembly member Len Duvall opened the reception.

The guest speaker was of course London MP and newly elected Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.  The meeting was packed and when Jeremy arrived he took ages to make his way through the crowd as he stopped to greet and speak to people. I managed to tease him for not turning up to our London Unison Labour Link meeting last week to give his quarterly Parliamentary report.  Jeremy being Jeremy, he sincerely apologised and said he will try and attend a future meeting. I said we would not denounce him on this occasion.

He gave a rousing and even emotional speech which went down well. I am trying to work out when the last time a London MP was Labour Party leader.

Dawn Butler MP spoke about the successes that London Labour had in May and introduced our new MPs.

Unison regional secretary Linda Perks introduced the next keynote speaker, Labour London Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan. His election next May as Mayor will be crucial to the Labour recovery.

During the reception I was able to join in with some fairly heavy duty lobbying about Housing Associations attempts to do a dodgy deal with the Government in favour of Right-to-buy and rat out local authorities. I hope that delegates will bring this up with CEOs at the conference fringes sponsored by Housing Associations.

Afterwards a very mixed bunch of us from Newham and a number of other CLPs went off for a meal to carry on chatting, arguing and (occasionally) gossiping. 

Tower Hamlets UNISON Labour Link Mobilisation House of Commons 2014

Collage from last weeks UNISON London Labour Link Tower Hamlets mobilisation reception in the House of Commons (click on picture to bring up detail).

This reception was for UNISON members who live in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets who have volunteered to pay the Labour Party political levy.  I was there as Chair of London Labour Link.

It is an opportunity for rank and file union members and their guests to meet Labour Party politicians to let them know what they think about issues important to them and for us to encourage them to get involved in the Party and campaign for Labour (and union values within it).

The guest speaker was Labour MP for Tooting and Shadow minister for London, Sadiq Khan, who is the son of a London bus driver and a good friend of UNISON. He and I briefly swooped horror stories on our London marathon adventures (he finished his 2nd marathon this year after 4 hours 19 minutes).

Labour Candidate for Tower Hamlets Mayor, John Biggs, also gave a well received speech about the vital importance of making sure the next elected Mayor of the borough is outward not inward looking. I have worked in Tower Hamlets for nearly 25 years and known John for many of them and while we have not always agreed on everything (who does?) I think he will make an excellent Labour Mayor

We also had Sanchia Alaisa speak, who is a London Labour Link Committee member and a Labour Candidate to be one of our Members of the European Parliament next month. Sanchia stressed how workers have benefited from our membership of the EU and if we leave,  TUPE protection, maternity rights, holiday pay, health & safety and protection for agency workers will be risk.

I think these events are really important to connect our Labour representatives with their core vote, who were not at all shy about letting them know their views and who many have also volunteered to fight the good fight for Labour in Tower Hamlets during the next crucial few weeks. 

Vote Jason Anderson for UNISON London National Labour Link

The ballot paper arrived this morning at my home address and I have already voted for Jason Anderson as the London representative on National Labour Link Committee. Jason works shifts providing front line emergency aid to the public for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) and will make a great rep for UNISON members in London.

He is also a committed health and safety rep and experienced trade union steward. Please encourage Labour Link members to support him.

Ken Livingstone meets London Labour Link

Last night following the London UNISON Labour Link Forum there was there was a "Ken for London"

meeting at the UNISON HQ in Euston.

Ken gave a 10 minute speech (see phone camera video here on YouTube - hat tip Phil Lewis from
Camden).

Picture is of Ken with the Chair of the UNISON London retired members Rob Beeston and Joel Bodmer who is chair of UNISON London Young members (and national) network.

We gave Ken a tour of the building and the campaigning phone bank.

UNISON has put out this press release 

Livingstone meets London Labour Link

UNISON activists raised their concerns about the future of public services in London at a meeting with Labour mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone last night.

The event, which also included Greater London Assembly candidates Andrew Dismore, Murad Qureshi - who are both UNISON members - and John Biggs, also gave union activists a chance to discuss the campaign with the candidates.

"Ken spoke about how he will put the needs of UNISON members and ordinary Londoners first by cutting fares, increasing the number of police on the streets, campaigning for a living rent, building homes for Londoners, restoring the campaign for the London Living Wage and standing up against attacks on public services," said John Gray of the Greater London UNISON Labour Link committee.

"We need to support Ken and the Labour candidates and return a Labour mayor and a Labour majority on the GLA on 3 May."

UNISON London Labour Link Forum 2011

This photo is from the Annual London Labour Link (APF) Forum meeting held last month in the Grimond Room, Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament. I was jointly Chairing the meeting with our Regional Convener, Gloria Hanson.

The Forum is the annual meeting of UNISON London Region Labour Link (APF) branch delegates.
To my right (speaking)  is Joanne McCartney, GLA member for Enfield and Haringey and to my left is our keynote speaker Sadiq Khan, MP for Tooting, Shadow Lord Chancellor and Secretary State for Justice.

We also had as speakers Karen Buck MP, MP for Westminister North and Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform: Margret Hodge, MP for Barking and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (picture right)

Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North and our final speaker, Chuka Umunna, MP for Streatham, member of Treasury Select Committee and Parliamentary Private Secretary to Ed Miliband (picture below).

All the speakers were well received and there was a good Q&A debate afterwards.The Forum passed a motion from the Housing Association Branch on "the Death and Rebirth of Public Housing" and "Fighting the Tory Cuts" by Waltham Forest LG Branch (which attacks the wreckers who are trying to split the opposition to this Tory led ConDem government).  Both these motions have been sent to the national forum meeting.

The importance of the TUC March on the 26th was made clear by everyone who spoke.

We also got UNISON members from Ekaya Housing Association who are facing massive pay cuts to lobby the guest speakers.

London Labour Housing Group

I was reminded today that I haven't posted fully on the successful launch last month of the London branch of the Labour Housing Group (LHG). 

Steve at the LHG "Red Brick" blog has of course posted an excellent report.  Check out the comments at this post which gives an accurate flavour of this event.

It was (IMO of course) a pretty damn good Labour Movement Family event that drew together the best elements of our movement. Labour Party elected representatives, trade unions and grass roots Party campaigners and members working together and sharing ideas.

It was held at the Grand Committee Room in Westminster Hall and was packed to overflowing.  Standing room only. It was more like a rally than a meeting. 

It was Chaired by Nicky Gavron AM, guest speakers were Ken Livingstone, Karen Buck MP and London UNISON Regional Secretary, Linda Perks.   Labour Shadow Housing Minister, Alison Seabeck MP came in and opened the meeting.

I think that many people present were fairly shocked at how mean, destructive and sheer bloody minded nasty the Condems polices are on Housing. 

Afterward there was a reception sponsored by UNISON London Labour Link in St. Stephen's Tavern which also went down well.  You can see in the collage above Party members of UNISON Housing Association branch with London Assemby member, Murad Qureshi (who use to be a member of our branch). Double click collage to bring up detail.

I think we will all be looking forward to a future LLHG Policy and Campaigning day soon. 

Check out more photos of the event at Facebook here.