"On the knocker" in Hainault By Election

 

Today I went to help out in the Labour campaign to elect Helen Mullis as a Labour Councillor in a Council by election in Hainault, Redbridge, London. 

It was a lovely warm and sunny day. On route I saw local MP Jas Athwal. 

At first I was on a team with local activists (including a NHS UNISON member) and Portsmouth MP, Amanda Martin, which went knocking on doors of voters near Hainault Country Park to remind them to vote. 

I rang one video internet door bell and had a conversation with a voter who was away in Cyprus, who obviously could not vote that day. 

When I knocked on another door, I thought the resident who answered seemed familiar but I could not place her. She remarked on my UNISON tee-shirt and it turned out she is the sister of former UNISON National Health and Safety Officer, Hope Daily, who I did a year long TUC/IOSH safety diploma  course with many years ago. 

After a delicious home cooked chicken curry snack at the campaign headquarters, I went out in a second group with my colleague Newham Sue (Masters), local Councillors, Helen & Prabjit and activist Alex. I was asked to lead the Group using the Labour Doorstep phone app. Beforehand Wes Streeting MP came out with a canvass team as well. 

This canvass was very positive. Newham Sue treated us to ice creams towards the end of the canvass which went down very well. We had 35 contacts in total which wasn't that bad. 

Fingers crossed for Labour candidate, Helen Mullis, everyone I met who had actually spoken to her, were very complimentary. 

UPDATE: Helen won - by one vote! John's Labour blog: Every vote counts (wining by 1)

Labour Party Conference 2024: Sunday

 

Labour Party conference formally started at 11am on the Sunday but since I was not a delegate, I was able to go for a run in the morning around Sefton Park (which is near my hotel room). I once again left it too late to book accommodation nearer but it was only a 20 minute bus journey away. I find the buses in Liverpool to be as good or better than London. Sefton Park is a huge City "lung" with a marvellous lake in the middle. 

I went straight to the fringe panel that I was on representing the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF)  with Liam Byrne MP and TUC Economics head, Nicola Smith. The topic was "Labour New Deal for Working Peoples: How will investors react".  I will post separately on this event which I really enjoyed. 

My next fringe was also on Pensions but I missed the beginning. "The Pensions Review: What is the right role for Pensions in Supporting UK Growth". I did try and ask a question about possible risks of consolidation and being directed" by the Government into so called "productive finance" but was not picked (it happens). 

I visited the Fabians/UNISON Health & Social Care fringe in the Maritime Museum with Wes Streeting MP. Having a National care service and sectoral pay bargaining for all care workers will be transformational.

At 5.30pm I went to the Annual Trade Union Rally and Reception: For a New Deal for Working People (Labour Unions). Which went well and I was able to meet up with trade union friends and colleagues including someone I did a health and safety course in 2003 (remembered due to incident that year at an infamous  Trade Union BBQ).

I left early for The Housing Fringe "More than a Landlord: How can Housing Associations help tackle the Housing Crisis". Where I made the point that Housing Associations can certainly do many good things and help to tackle the housing crisis, we need public subsidy in order to meet the scale of the problem. For example, Newham has 6500 families in temporary accommodation, 30,000 on its waiting list and 50% of our children live in poverty after housing costs are taken into account. 

I went back into the Labour Unions rally then went to the Association of Labour Councillors Annual Reception. More speeches and gossip.  Final visit was to the Labour Friends of Bangladesh Annual Conference Dinner. I missed the speeches and the main meal but enjoyed the company.

Greater London UNISON AGM 2024

Today we had our London UNISON AGM and I was pleased to be re-elected unopposed as Regional Finance Convenor (and therefore a London Regional Council Officer)

Thank you to our keynote speakers, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, Wes Streeting MP and Richard Angell, Terrence Higgins Trust for their superb speeches. 

I gave the AGM finance report and as a Housing Associations Delegate moved our motion on "Peace and Justice for Palestine" which was overwhelmingly passed despite a couple of speaker who sadly wanted to attack the Labour Party more than the Israeli government. 

London Labour Conference 23 - Day 2

From my twitter feed as UNISON Labour Link Delegate lead.

John Gray @grayee Start of day 2 of @LondonLabour conference. 9.10am start with opening remarks by Chair Maggi Ferncombe @unisontheunion

John Gray @grayee Proud to have proposed to @LondonLabour conference our motion on the Cost of Living Crisis. On behalf of @unisontheunion #LabourLink the political wing of the largest & best union in London

Rishi Patel @rishi175 ‘The worst day under a Labour government is never as bad as the best day under a Tory one’ great to hear from @grayee @unisonglr at day 2 of London Labour Conference 

Well said Carleene in support of UNISON motion Carleene Lee-Phakoe @cleephakoe "I spoke at #LonLab23, in support of the Cost of Living Motion. The Tory Cost of living crisis has hit the poorest the hardest. Today we said “enough is enough” @GMBLondonRegion are proud to stand in solidarity with those who have been hit hardest by this failing Tory Govt! 

Lloyd Duddridge @DuddridgeLloyd Great to see Ilford North legend Stephen representing
@UsdawUnion on the @LondonLabour conference stage on how we need framework on workers rights that faces the future.

Adam Hug @AdamHug Delighted that @wminsterlabour won the campaign of the year at the
@LondonLabour Merit Awards. Couldn’t have done it without our amazing cllrs, candidates, organisers @dgoodwinhotline @RosaElson1 and agents Andy Whitley @MargaretLynch06 Connor Jones and Jacqueline Bore

John Gray @grayee My @UnisonHAB colleague @JoeOgundemuren as his CLP delegate seconds
@UsdawUnion motion on automation @LondonLabour. Love his getting everyone on his feet for unions!

Anu did a great job as Chair. Thank you Deirdre Costigan @deirdrecostigan Proud of Anu Prashar from @unisontheunion who chaired this morning's debate at @LondonLabour conference. @anuox #LonLab23

Final speaker at @LondonLabour conference future @LabourParty SoS @wesstreeting "the Tories will not be able to fix the NHS that they broke" "Compare last 13 years of Tories with last 13 years of Labour Government" "over my dead body will we charge you to see your doctor" @unisontheunion #LabourLink

London UNISON at TUC #DemandBetter March & Rally 18 June 22

 

No rest for the wicked -  first day back from 4 day UNISON National conference at Brighton, I went up to join the TUC March and Rally https://www.unison.org.uk/events/tuc-national-demonstration/ in London demanding action on the cost of living crisis. 

We began forming up in Portland Place (outside the BBC studio) for 10.30am then started off at 12 (on time for a change). This was the first big national "march and rally" I had been on in 3 years due to Covid. It was great to meet activists and staff who I have not seen in person for so long. Obviously there was many of us there as well who had spend the previous week locked up in the huge shed that is the Brighton Conference centre.

We marched down to Trafalgar Square then along Whitehall (past you know who's address) and into Parliament Square for a rally. 

You can tell from the photo college that at some stage I had a new tee-shirt courtesy of UNSION London Ambulance Service, remembering the late and much lamented former UNISON President, Eric Roberts. 

As a UNISON Greater London Regional Council Officer, I joined our new Regional Secretary, Jo Galloway and the London team and helped out carrying the Regional banner. Which was a handful at times in the wind. 

It was fantastic that we got so many members coming up to us to wish us luck and offer support including Shadow Secretory of  State for Health, Wes Streeting MP,  Barry Gardiner MP and Leader of Redbridge Council (as well as Chair of LGA Labour Group), Cllr Jas Athwal. 

I was pleased also to see Rachel Blake (see photo bottom left), who as Chair of London Labour Link following a selection process with our vice chair Yvonne Green, we recently endorsed as a London Labour Link early nominee for the Parliamentary seat in Cities of London & Westminster. Good luck Rachel in this process since we need people like you to stand and win seats for Labour. 

While carrying the Regional banner, I had a number of conversations with various activists who for some reason were interested in the nomination process.

We finished in Parliament Square where there was a rally which included a brilliant contribution from our General Secretary Christina McAnea “The people holding the hands of dying patients were our members, while the Tories were partying in Downing Street”

Today I saw my union at its very best. I hope that from tomorrow onwards, those who profess that they want the union to succeed and keep us united will do the right thing. Nuf said after a great day.