UNISON Labour Link campaigning for Labour in Kent Council elections Thursday 2 May

On Thursday I went to support Labour candidates standing in the local elections in Kent. There were no London Council elections this year. Our West Ham Labour MP, Lyn Brown (a long standing UNISON member and Shadow Finance Minister) came along with Cara, her Labour attack dog as well as the Chair of West Ham ward, Ian Mills. .

We firstly went to support Lola Oyewusi, who is my UNISON branch assistant secretary who was standing for Labour in Tonbridge and Malling to be a Councillor. She also had support from her fellow Jo Cox Leadership colleague, Olga FitzRoy.  Sadly Lola was not elected in this safe Tory ward but she was elected to her parish council as the first ever Black Female Councillor! Well done Lola!

London UNISON Labour Link had been asked to support Gravesham. Lyn, Ian, Cara and I went door knocking to "encourage" Labour voters to come out to vote.  The local Labour Party was well organised and the lists of Labour supporters who we were targeted to "knock up" and remind them to vote was very accurate. Which is let me say, not always the case.

I carried on the West Ham tradition of buying everyone an ice cream 99 chocolate flake.

Great news that that Labour took control of the Council on Thursday and in that ward, Labour won all of the seats (and the Kent Council by election). Excellent!

I had to get back to Newham for my Councillor surgery, to be a judge at our borough school public speaking competition then go to a leaving do for a much valued Council officer.

West Ham Labour - Past, Present, Future

On Saturday ward members from West Ham branch went out campaigning in Paul Street E15. We had 2 newly active members out with us for the first time ever "on the knocker".  They seemed to enjoy it - talking to residents, mastering the art of using the "drop key" to open entry doors, the rain and even the prospect of meeting "Buster" (a huge Staffordshire Bull Terrier - who is actually as soft as butter) did not faze them.

West Ham Constituency Labour Party now has a staggering 1264 members (and hundreds of affiliated and other supporters). 251 members are under the age of 27. This is amazing growth. In 2009 we had only 423 members and even in 2014 (year before the general election) we had just 689.

While I will not agree with all that the new members may say or believe (just as I don't agree with many of the existing members) at the risk of being a patronising git - I think that it is great to have people interested in politics who want to change the world, joining and taking part in the Party.

The Labour Party is going through a difficult period of adjustment and is still bitter about defeat but the new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has kept the Party together and he must be given his chance to succeed. We will only win power if we remain a coalition of democratic progressives, left and centre left. That doesn't mean mind that the Party cannot re balance British politics towards the left - both locally and nationally.

To bring about change, the new members will have to participate in all the boring party structures. Branch meetings, Executive committee, General Committee, Local Campaign Committee and affiliate meetings. They will also be expected to canvass and deliver leaflets. They will have to be disciplined, organised and be prepared to turn up and argue their case and to vote for the motions, officers and the representatives they want.

Being a life long collectivist, I would also hope and expect them to be collective, pragmatic and to seek consensus whenever possible. Lets see if a "new kind of politics" will actually work in West Ham.

Defending the Union Link to the Labour Party

This motion was passed by West Ham Ward/Branch and was supported at the November CLP General Committee. (post to follow).  It will now be submitted to the Party by the 24th December review deadline.  

"West Ham Branch/CLP notes that the Labour Party was founded as an alliance between trade unions and socialist organisations to provide a political voice for working people. 

With the current attacks on working people it is most important that the Labour Party and trades unions work effectively together – poor working conditions and low wages require more union organisation and legislation to protect workers.

We believe that Labour’s continuing relationship with three million trade unionists who are affiliated members of our party helps to root our party in our communities and workplaces. We believe the party can best achieve its aims and values if it is funded primarily by its affiliates and members. Both state funding and large business finance cannot tie the party so closely to its principles.

We recognise that trade unions are collective organisations of working people, and understand that the relationship between the unions and the Party, locally and nationally should be on the basis of collective affiliation.

We support positive measures to strengthen and improve the relationship between the Party and the unions, for example by encouraging the greater democratic engagement of ordinary trade unionists in party structures and by developing the understanding of the nature and purpose of trade unionism among party members.

We oppose any moves that would weaken or undermine the relationship between the Party and the trade unions based upon their collective affiliation.

We believe that the Party’s priority at present must be to win a Labour government. The political focus, the energy and resources of the entire party should be focussed on this fight against the Tory-led coalition. Proposals to reduce the role of Labour’s affiliates in the Party’s internal decision making would be a diversion from this fight against the Tories.

We call upon Ray Collins and the NEC, in the current review, to reflect these concerns".

Picture of Ed Miliband at West Ham Labour Party leadership hustings 2010