Stratford and West Ham Summer Festival - This Sunday 19 September

This will take place in West Ham ward on Sunday.  "Attractions include a stage of international music, lindy hop and zumba classes, fashion show, clothes stalls, free bike doctor and bike marking, Gladiators-style Swing ball, craft stalls, massages, food stalls, free fitness checks, free smoothies, 5 a-side football tournament and activities for children including face painting, athletics tournament, and bug hunts.

Also information on all the latest 2012 developments, jobs, training and volunteering opportunities at the Games". Check out TFL.

"Labour Bloggers fight the Coalition"

 Labour blogger Mary Honeyball MEP has organised this fringe at Labour Party Conference. 

I am also taking part and am looking forward very much to it. 

Apart from me, of course, there is a really good panel!

Hope you can make it as well?

Can blogging make a difference?  I think so...but there again, I would say that....

Ed Miliband in Leadership Lead

 Check out this report that a YouGov poll gives Ed Miliband a small lead over his brother.

Luke's blog breaks the figures down.  The Preference votes are going to be absolutely key.

Ed has a clear lead (57%) over David in the trade union vote (43%).

This news should give Ed further momentum.

It is going to be very close....

I read my emails properly yesterday and found out that my application for tickets to the actual Leadership conference on the 25th September had been successful! :)

(Don't Mention the Housing Crisis)

I've just signed up to support this National Housing Federation (NHF) campaign.

They are right that during the general election the housing crisis was hardly mentioned.

Yet "over a million children live in overcrowded accommodation"...it may "take 30 years" for some people to save up to buy a home....we are "building fewer homes" now since the second world war yet we "have 4.5 million people in housing need".  The icing on the cake is they estimate that Treasury plans ‘will cut off 400,000 of society’s most vulnerable’.

Contact your MP to support the campaign via the website (it takes 2 minutes)

Fourth International: East London 2010

This music video so, so, so reminds of "Ed"...who use to try and sell a "newspaper" outside the Malmesbury Estate, Bow...early 1990's (and the rest). 

Who is probably now Head of HR in financial services somewhere in Canary Wharf.

Hat-tip thingy various FB comrades
:)

Supporting Union Reps at Work & Campaign to Defend Public Services

SERTUC have sent me details of these two Saturday conferences to be held in November. 

Lutfur Rahman acceptance speech as Labour Candidate for Mayor

I have just come across this Youtube video of Lutfur Rahman outside the Labour Party headquarters in Bethnal Green last weekend.  He was clearly elected as the Labour party candidate to be Tower Hamlets Exectuve Mayor.  The election is on 21st October 2010. 

Hopefully Galloway will stand as a candidate for Respect but since he obviously doesn't like losing (or rather being trounced) - I doubt it.

North Korea celebrates Socialist diss-Unity coming 11th in Total Politics Tory guide

It must be true - See Labour Party reformists list here!

John’s Labour Blog: No 2 (ish) Trade Union Blog 2010

"The horror! The horror! ...despite being toppled by them from Number 1 spot as (tongue firmly in cheek) “trade union blog of the year” I do offer (obviously insincere) congratulations to the new No 1 blog- ToUChstone!

See results here by the trade union supporting website TIGMOO (“This Great Movement Of Ours”) run by New Media wizard, John Woods. This is the forces of light and reason (aka British trade unions) answer to Total Politics and Tory Iain Dale’s “Annual Guide to Political Blogs”.

I’ve been No 1 for the past 2 years but alas this year...

1: ToUChstone (2)

The TUC‟s public policy group blog, offering current affairs comment by the organisation’s policy staffers and guest contributors. Having probably the largest blogging team of any union blog pays off in terms of content and readership.

http://www.touchstoneblog.org.uk/

2: John's Labour blog (1)

Finally deposed after two years at the TIGMOO top spot, this one-man blog by a UNISON convenor has a strong focus on Labour party activism through the UNISON Labour Link and on developments for union pension’s activists.

grayee.blogspot.com

I had thought of asking John W for an affiliate block card vote to decide things but for some reason...anyway, inspired by Ultimate Big Brother I’ve emailed John to warn ToUChstone that - watch out comrades -this time next year ...I’m coming to get you!

:)

NHS DIRECT "Critical Victory"

Some good news for a change!  The Governments appears to have changed their mind on the plan to close NHS Direct. 

Is the lesson that we should learn be that an immediate, sharp and vigorous response to plans to cut can mean they can be overturned?

UNISON press release:

U-TURN OVER CLOSURE OF NHS DIRECT

Commenting on reports that Health Minister Andrew Lansley has denied plans

to shut down NHS Direct, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:

³This is great news for patients and for staff at NHS Direct. The service that NHS Direct offers is tried and tested and is of great value to the public, as the outcry over the threat of closure shows. The service provides a reassuring voice for worried parents in the middle of the night and is a well of advice that the public can tap into 24 hours a day. Andrew Lansley should not have put nurses and staff in fear of their jobs in this way

³I am sure staff will still be confused and worried that the Government may have another change of heart. I would like a guarantee from the health minister that the 1,300 nurses working for NHS Direct will still have a job there this time next year.²

Michael Walker, UNISON national Officer for NHS Direct Staff, said: ³This sounds like fantastic news and a victory for common sense. It shows the effectiveness of the Unions campaign against the threat to axe NHS Direct. There has been a real groundswell of opposition from the public, with thousands of people signing a petition against the closure.
³The service employs 3,400 NHS dedicated specialist nurses and professionals and provides expert help - taking more than 27,000 calls a day. It successfully takes the pressure off the emergency services and from busy GP surgeries.

³However, I think we still need to be vigilant. I want to hear more detail of Andrew Lansley¹s announcement today, to make sure that staff and the valuable service they provide, are truly protected in the longer term."
"UNISON congratulates NHS Direct staff and their union reps for getting behind the campaign and making their views known to the public".