Newham Fabians AGM 2011

Picture is from Newham Fabians AGM which took place at the Town Hall in East Ham on Monday evening. The Fabians are an independent socialist society affiliated to the Labour Party. 

The Guest speaker was local MP Stephen Timms (main picture).  He spoke about the role of the Fabians in the current climate.

I missed most of the meeting due to a clash.  When I came in there was a robust but comradely debate going on about possible past mistakes and the future direction of the Party.  Very Fabian!  Stephen then had to leave in order to go to the House of Commons to vote against the Tories (to loud cheers from one and all).

It had been a very positive and constructive Labour Movement meeting.  A local MP, Councillors, trade unionists, (a former MEP) and Party activists meeting up together to exchange views and progress Labour politics.

Many thanks to Tower Hamlets Labour Party activist and photographer, Dan MCCurry, for the excellent photos.  They really bring the event to life. Check out his "Newham Fabians" FaceBook album here.

Thought for the Day: What have the unions ever done for us?

With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organisation of men that ever existed. They have done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in man, than any other association of men.”

Clarence Darrow (hat-tip J)

UNISON Nurses meet Labour Health spokesman after Government "pause".

"UNISON nurses and midwives meet with Labour Health spokesman John Healey and local Tooting MP Sadiq Khan at the House of Commons (4th April 2011) to discuss the on going campaign against the Coalition's NHS & Social Care Bill, after Conservative Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley was forced to invoke a two month pause in the passage of the Bill because of growing opposition from NHS professionals and the public.
 
Maureen Brown UNISON Nursing Convenor stated  "The growing campaign against the NHS Bill, had forced the Government to pause, now we need to move forward with the public to ram home the overwhelming opposition to the NHS Bill and NHS privatisation".

John Healey stated the Government NHS proposals were now weighed down in "confusion, chaos and incompetence" he also referred to Andrews Lansley's ability to unite in opposition to his NHS Reforms former right wing Thatcherite Minister Norman Tebbit and rap star NxtGen, the later responsible for viral video hit Andrew Lansley NHS Rap.

Sadiq Khan MP stated  "He would work tirelessly with UNISON, NHS staff and patients to defend the NHS from this vicious attack". (UNISON press release)

Workers' Memorial Day 2011: Cuts cost lives

"Take part in a minutes silence on International Workers Memorial Day, on Thursday 28 April 2011. Join the many others across the UK and internationally, who will be remembering the dead and fighting for the living".  This year's theme is "Cuts cost lives

The TUC is encouraging unions to use Workers Memorial Day on 28^th April to campaign against the cuts in HSE and local authority funding and enforcement activity".

Check out UNISON Health & Safety unit site on WMD here.  You can also order posters, leaflets and other materials.  Find out what events are being planned to mark this day and let the unit know if you are planning any local events.

Hazards WMD site

HSE WMD site

TUC WMD site

Labour Party Banners on TUC March 26th

Hat tip to this LabourList post featuring the 121 photographs taken by Kirstin Hay of Labour Party Banners at the TUC March 26th.

Including of course West Ham CLP (2nd row)

Click on picture to enlarge.

Check out the flickr pages with all the photos here

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.

"The NHS is not for Sale you Toss.." - 208k hits on Youtube

The Observer and the Sunday Mirror today reveal that Council Binman and rap singer "NxtGen" (aka Sean Donnelly see picture) age 22 was supported by UNISON with regard to the filming of his song

on Youtube - "Andrew Lansley Rap".  

I had listened to a BBC Radio news report on the huge success of the song on YouTube while driving home this lunchtime (over 200,000 hits - which I had posted last month here).

Hat-tip COHSE

Update: You can buy the single online here from itunes

TUC March for the Alternative 26.03.2011

Another great video - this time of the TUC March last Saturday.  It tells the story of one group of campaigners, from Northampton, and their journey to join the big 26 March.  It follows them and interviews other protesters then ends up at the TUC celebration Party that took place later that night.

The video was funded by  http://www.philosophyfootball.com/.

Bringing The Cuts Home

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Great, great video. Winner of TUC 60 second Ad Contest.  by False Economy.

'Protecting Our Best Interests: Rediscovering Fiduciary Obligation'

On Wednesday evening I went to the launch of the latest report by "Fair Pensions" the respected campaigning organisation for "responsible investment". 

"New research by Fair Pensions calls for an ‘enlightened fiduciary' model for institutional investors to parallel the new duties of company directors introduced in 2006. The report argues that such a provision would provide a valuable ‘nudge' towards sustainable, long term investment to overcome narrow interpretations of fiduciary obligation which emphasise profit maximisation at the exclusion of all other factors, including financial system stability".

Lib Dem Government Minister for "Employment Relations, Consumer and Postal Affairs" Ed Davey gave a positive but guarded welcome to the report. 

Hermes fund manager, David Pitt-Watson was also one of the speakers and gave his usual demolition job (how going dutch can double the value of the average Brit personal pension) on most private pension schemes.

He also pointed out that pension "trustees" came about historically to prevent pensioners from being ripped off and still perform this role.  I made a comment about this and the anomaly that if trustees are seen as a "good thing", why are there huge penison funds run by insurance and investment companies where there is no such representation to look after the interests of beneficiaries?