Boris THE OMEN: Branch Labour Link report

This was my Annual Report to the UNISON Housing Association Branch as the Labour Link officer

"We had a well attended branch Labour Link meeting at the House of Commons with Shadow Housing minister Alison Seabeck MP as keynote speaker. Next year we will try to get the new shadow Jack Dormey MP to a similar event.

In 2011 branch activists have been out campaigning for Labour. They have taken part in street stalls, telephone and door to door canvassing. We have also taken an active part in the formation of a new London branch of the Labour Housing Group.

The big battle in 2012 will be over the GLA Mayoral elections in May. It is absolutely vital we do all we can
to get rid of Tory Mayor Boris Johnson and elect Ken Livingstone. This will also send a message to the
government to stop and think again about the disastrous economic policies they are following. Below is a message from Ken Livingstone to all members of our branch.

“Each week, I meet too many Londoners struggling on waiting lists, and living in overcrowded or
Unsuitable accommodation, who represent the reality of London’s social housing shortage. The facts show that these are some of the Londoners worst let down by Boris Johnson. The Tory Mayor should be ashamed that on his watch, London has had the biggest decrease in house building in the country, and just 56 affordable homes have been built in the last six months.

Tackling the shortage of homes in the capital and undertaking a large scale programme to build social housing will be one of my priorities if elected next mayor.  

Londoners need a Mayor who is on their side and committed to taking action on the big issues that
matter to them like housing, transport and crime.” Contact http://kenlivingstone.com to volunteer. 


John Gray
(hat tip caption Col. Roi)

#Lab11 Labour Housing Group/Co-op/SERA fringe

After the TULO fringe on Sunday I went with UNISON housing members to the Labour Housing Group meeting which was held jointly with the Co-operative Party and SERA.  It was called "Homes for the Future". It was chaired by Jacky Peacock OBE, Vice Chair LHG; Speakers: Alison Seabeck MP, Shadow Housing Minister and Leonie Cooper, SERA.  We were late but listened to the Q&A.   

Alison mentioned that she was looking into whether Council pension funds could be used to fund new homes.  This is a potentially a sensible idea in my view since we need to invest in so called "alternative assets" such as property and it should be a "safe" long term investment ideally suited to help match pension fund liabilities.  This has been talked about for years and should have legs but I think advisers are cautious about such "direct" investment since the days of Arthur Scargill and the Cowan decision.  I think that times have moved on.  This is not an "ethical" investment issue. 

"Something radical" Housing Policy? Shadow Minister speaks to Branch Labour Link

s.On Wednesday evening the Labour Shadow Minister for Housing, Alison Seabeck MP, was the keynote speaker at the annual meeting of

UNISON Housing Association branch Labour Link. This took place in the House of Commons.

UNISON National Officer, Mike Short, spoke first about how some employers (not all) are using the "cuts" as an excuse to attack their own workers while others are trying to invent "creative" reasons to evade their responsibilities under TUPE transfers.  Not only are jobs, pay and conditions under threat but also even union rights to organise and defend their members.  We need to campaign, regionally and nationally, against government policy with local community groups.  Win the argument with the public that we are not to blame for the deficit.

Alison Seabeck is of course a politician but also a widely respected housing expert, unlike her floundering ministerial opponent.  She spoke for 10 minutes then rushed off and voted against the (awful) Tory Coalition "Health and Social Care" Bill before coming back to continue.  The single most interesting thing (amongst many) that she said, in response to a question about what a future Labour Government would do over housing, was once in power, the housing crisis could be simply so profoundly bad that "we may have to do something radical..." and similar to the what was done "after the Second World War" do deal with the crisis. 

Bring on that Labour Government!

There was a lively Q&A with Alison, members bringing up problems in the sector for workers and residents.  I asked a question about low pay and the unacceptable level of top executive pay in our sector, using the example of the strike the previous day by UNISON members in the Scottish Charity "Quarriers" (who are facing up to 23% cuts in wages).  I pointed to research in "The Spirit Level" that unequal societies are destructive for everyone and that the same principle would apply to unequal organisations. Alison was I think genuinely horrified at staff wages being cut.  She also agreed that excessive pay for executives  was wrong and that as a start, all such employers should publish the salaries of everyone in their organisation and this may shame them into doing something about it.  She brought up the example of her own Constituency in Plymouth where the Tory City Council is trying to trying to cut the wages of its workforce and de-recognise UNISON, while its own Chief executive is paid huge amounts of money.

After the meeting, some of us went off to the Red Lion pub in Whitehall to continue to put the housing world to rights, where we met UNISON and TULO activists who had just come back from the candle vigil for the NHS.  (Picture of Alison 5th from left)

Quarriers..."a charity that is going to make the workers children, the poorest children"

YouTube of the rally in Glasgow on Tuesday following the unprecedented strike by UNISON members in Scottish "Charity" Quarriers, who are facing massive cuts to their pay and conditions. Ironically a Charity that was formed 140 years ago to tackle child poverty will now expect its workers to bring up their children on poverty wages.

Last night at the House of Commons, member's of UNISON Housing Association Branch Labour link lobbied the Labour shadow Housing Minister, Alison Seabeck MP on the battle Quarriers members are fighting in order to preserve their livelihoods.

Hat tip to "UnionNews reports from Glasgow as hundreds of UNISON members at one of Scotland's largest social care charities, Quarriers held a day of strike action on 6th September against pay cuts of up to 23%. Campaigners from other unions and anti-cuts groups say Westminster, Holyrood and local government cuts risk damaging services provided by those who care for some of the most vulnerable people".

...the end of the NHS as we know it...

This evening there was a candle vigil outside the House of Commons to draw attention to the potential
destruction of the NHS by this Tory led government. In particular the removal of the private patient cap and the threat of privatisation.

The Health and Social Care Bill was given its 3rd reading and will now go on to the House of Lords. UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis had warned Lib Dem MP's that by voting for this bill they will find their party out of power for a
generation.

"Our candlelight vigil marks the end of the NHS as we know it.

“Despite the denials, this government is throwing the door wide open to private companies, who will cherry pick profitable parts of our NHS, and make a fortune. We know that talks have already taken place with a German firm company about running 10-20 NHS hospitals".

I missed the vigil since by coincidence, I was chairing a meeting of my Branch Labour Link members at the Commons with shadow Labour Housing Minister, Alison Seabeck MP and UNISON National Officer Mike Short (I will post on this meeting later).  She had to dash out of the meeting for 10 minutes in order to go and vote against the Bill.  Afterwards, on the way out at the foot of the stairs from the committee rooms, we passed the statue head of the NHS founder, Aneurin Bevan.   I was reminded once again of his argument that "The NHS will last as long as there are folk with the faith to fight for it".

Alison Seabeck MP to Speak to UNISON Housing Association Branch Labour Link

This should be an interesting meeting.  Housing is the key London issue. An invite has been sent out to all branch levy members inviting them to this meeting. RSPV only.