Eating Fish ‘N’ Chips with Ken to help fight off Boris

Last night I went to a Labour Party fund raising “Meet Ken Livingstone and the Assembly candidates” event at the historic Old Town Hall in Stratford, London. At the balcony of this former “West Ham” town hall, in 1892 election, Keir Hardie the first ever elected “Independent Labour MP”, gave a victory speech to supporters gathered outside.

The main hall was full with about 300 people present. A number of trade unions and local CLP’s had adopted tables. We of course had a UNISON table. Apart from the “Fish ‘N’ Chips” and free pickled unions and wallies (aka as pickled gherkins) we had the usual Labour Party raffle and auction (prizes ranged from such as a free trip to the European parliament via Eurostar to “Tea at the House of Commons Terraces” with Harriet Harman. The mystery prize was a (new!) pair of boxer shots with a design of the London underground system upon them.

Ken’s speech was as usual very good. Apart from being generally engaging, and at times very funny he can also switch very quickly to being serious and sombre (BNP). He gave a 30 minute speech without any notes. I have already heard Ken speak several times this campaign in person and on the TV and he somehow is able to make it different, fresh and thought provoking each time.

This time what impressed me was his obvious personal outrage not only at the prospect of an ignorant right wing toff as the Mayor and a BNP assembly member representing his beloved London. But the chronic shortage of affordable housing in London brought about by 18 years of deliberate and ideologically Tory failure to build new affordable homes to rent for London. The housing problem for London is not immigrants coming into London but the decision to sell off homes and not build new ones.

Many existing Labour Assembly member were there drumming up support. We spoke to top Local City & East AM John Biggs, Leader of the Labour group Len Duvall (UNISON member), Lambeth & Southwark AM Valerie Shawcroft and London wide member Murad Qureshi, (UNISON member of the London Housing Association branch!), Bow East Cllr Alex Heslop (UNISON member) for Bromley and Bexley. Tower Hamlets Council leader, Denise Jones, joined us to eat her Fish ‘N’ Chips, listened to Ken before rushing off to another meeting.

We were able to lobby (pushing a very, very open door) London MEP Claude Moreas over equal rights for agency and temporary workers.

At the end there was a London Music Hall act who by co-incidence sang my favourite song of that era “The Lambeth Walk”.

Tories want £4 million cut to London Police & Fire Brigade

"Tories on the London Assembly have announced they would cut £4 million from London's Fire Service to save tax payers just 14p a week.

Their proposals leave most of the Mayor's budget in tact and show there is only one party setting the agenda for London.

John Biggs, Labour's Assembly budget spokesman, said, "For the last four years City Hall has been full of Tory hot air as they huff and puff about our 'over-spending, wasteful Mayor'. So why have they accepted 90% of his budget? Where are their fresh policies for the future of London? Their proposal for a £4 million cut to London's Fire Service will put Londoners - especially older Londoners - at risk for the sake of saving them 14p."

"There will be a clear choice for Londoners in May: continuing investment in public transport, police and the fire service alongside free travel for the young, disabled and elderly, more affordable housing and action on climate change OR a 14p weekly council tax saving, cuts to our emergency services and not a single new policy to speak of."

After eight years in opposition, London's voters will expect more than the same old tired promises on tax. The Conservatives have shown they have neither the the ability nor the imagination to run our city.

"Commenting on the Tories' proposal to cut community and home safety fire services - relied on by the elderly and those on low incomes Assembly Member Val Shawcross, who chairs London's Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) said, "Be in no doubt, the cuts proposed by the Conservatives would put Londoners at risk. At a time when the Authority's budget is already stretched, the Tories want to impose cuts. The Authority has already voted against their dangerous proposals."

"The Conservative amendment to the Mayor's budget proposes a £10 million cut in the grant provided to the Met by the GLA for additional officers and equipment and almost £4 million from the Fire Authority's budget)

(press release from GLA Labour group.)

Labour CLP TULO training with Assembly members

On Saturday, Labour Party "Trade Union Liaison Officers" (TULO), from all over London met up at a training event with Labour Greater London Assembly members John Biggs, Valerie Shawcross and Murad Qureshi (see pic with UNISON members Louise Couling and Fazlul Chowdhury). There were speakers from London Labour Party regional office and London Labour Board. The event was organised by London TULO and there were trade union CLP officers from all parts of London present. All of whom were Labour Party members who are also trade union affiliates to individual London Constituencies. There were trade union members from Amicus, ASLEF, CWU, GMB, MU, TGWU, TSSA, UCATT, UNISON and USDAW.

It may be helpful to explain that in London, the Labour Party (usually) organises around Parliamentary Constituencies (CLP). In each CLP there should be a Trade Union Liaison Officer(CLP TULO), who is elected by the trade union affiliates to that CLP. Rather confusingly, there is also Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation (national TULO) which is the national body representing Labour Party Trade Union affiliates.

After speakers, there was a Q&A, followed by workshops. One of the main aims of the event was how as trade union affiliates we were going to support the Party in the GLA elections next year and in particular defeat the BNP.

I thought the event was a huge success and very encouraging. Trade unions have been a traditional source of finance for the Party. However, its organisational potential for electoral campaigning has not been fully utilised in recent times. Future training sessions have been planned. Watch this space.