UNISON Labour Link Forum 2012: Day 1

Picture is of Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Health Secretary and key note speaker at today's UNISON Labour Link Forum which this year
takes place in Cardiff.

Labour Link is the UNISON political fund that is affiliated to the Labour Party. Delegates to the Forum are elected regionally and from our self-organised groups. The Forum began with a welcome from National Chair, Steve Warwick, who was the first to make the point about how good it was to be in a Country with a Labour Government. This was followed by motions on "Constitutional Change" and "The Welsh Approach".

Andy gave a short speech followed by a Q&A. He repeated his promise to appeal the Coalition Health and Social Care bill if a Labour government is elected in 2015. He warned Forum that we must not fall into the Tory trap and fight amongst ourselves. The Party must stop being dominated by elites and encourage more ordinary working people to become Councillors and MP's.

The next key note speaker was Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales - Prif Weinidog Cymru .  He was proud that the Party was implementing the Labour manifesto commitment to introduce a living wage for Wales. Carwyn said while it was desperately important to re-elect Labour in 2015, you had to give voters reasons why to vote Labour.

After this was more motions on "Public Sector Pay", "A New Direction for the Labour Party" (my branch and London region motion) and "defending the NHS". There were a number of attacks on the shadow Labour team over its shambolic response to pay and spending cuts. 

After lunch there was an address by Assistant General Secretary, Cliff Williams. He stressed the importance of  UNISON using its political influence alongside its industrial strategy. He also made clear that while UNISON does not mind debate, it will not tolerate attacks by Progress on our link with the Party.  An unaccountable organisation that has secretive funding, its own membership and is even a listed private company!

This was followed by seminars and a Parliamentary Q&A with Lillian Greenwood MP (former UNISON National officer), Dave Anderson MP (former UNISON President) and Derek Vaughan MEP.  Lillian defended Councils from Coalition attempts to blame them for cuts. I liked Dave's comment that Lib Dem MP's shamefaced excuses  for voting with the Coalition was "bo****ks". While Derek pointed out that £50 billion could be raised from a Robin Hood Tax (a Tobin or Financial transaction tax). Make the Banks pay to clear up their mess.

First day finished with more motions on "Universal Credit"; "Trade Union Facility time" and "Justice at Work".

You can follow the Forum on #lablink12

Save Our NHS Rally

Below are the tweets (and retweets) I made at last nights "Save Our NHS" rally at Westminster. It was a really impressive display of the wide breath of opposition to the proposed reforms. The first tweets start on the bottom.

• "Just congratulated Mary Locke (see picture) for making great speech. She is making her way home by train to brum
• Good to see the LRC trots showing their true colours and heckling those who are trying to do something about the bill
• "If I become the next S of S for health I will repeal this Bill" Andy Burnham MP
• Last but not least Andy Burnham MP labour Shadow Sec of State for Health. "No longer one NHS"
• Dr Alex Scott-Samuel, public health physician: The NHS is in danger of becoming nothing but "a logo, a budget & a few quangos"
• "Non cooperation with evil is a duty as much as cooperating with good" MG
• Another public health professional against the bill. Dr Alex Scott-Samuel. "There will be more deaths under this new system".
• So, why are people yelling at an MP who has voted the right way every time?
• RT Lots of heckles for George. Bravo him for not giving up. A Lib Dem that gives a shit is more useful than some1 outside the party

  Dorothy Matebeni President SA nurses union DENOSA Viva NHS Viva!!!!
• "We are being ruled by a Dickensian mob who know the price of everything and the value of nothing." John Ashton

  Andrew George MP liberal democrat "better reception than I get in the Leadership office... NHS more private profit than care
• Prof. John Ashton director of public health and country medical officer, cumbria. Have big society pickle picnic in gate head
• Don't let r NHS slide into a USA model. Video of US health worker talking of their privatised health service. Steel worker union?
• Mary Locke houskeeper in a hospital has adopted over 350 peers to drop the bill. "We don't want spaghetti junction nhs"
• Michael Edwards Barts Unison contracted out patient transfer driver describes the future for many NHS staff if bill goes ahead
• Top unison hospital house keeper Mary Locke tells it as it is!
• Dr Clive Peedell who ran 190 miles to publise Save our NHS. He will be running 42 miles on Friday to Newcastle to lib cons
• epetition is at 170,000 sigs. Please sign the petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22670 #

  Lyn Ward, occupational therapist from UNISON and @BAOTCOT: The NHS is about teamwork, not competition
• Rehana Azam GMB National officer and head of NHS "if we had the Royal College of Surgeons we would have a full house"
• Why r people heckling speakers who are doing their best to defeat the bill? Hmmm
• Blast from the past. Lord Dr David Owen. "I have never been a Liberal" response to heckle
• David Skidmore Paramedic. People comes before profit. 10 years and I have never been political I have never talked to an audience
• Cecilia Anim clinical nurse. Fight to save r beloved NHS. Kill the bill not the NHS
• Dr Peter Carter GS RCN NHS reform "we will have people competing with each other rather than cooperating with other"

  Jo Brand - "I do have a soft spot for Nick Clegg, it's face down in a bowl of custard"
• 169k signatures for NHS risk regsiter debate but Gov still refusing to hold one Dr Kailash Chand
• Jo Brand NHS could mean "Not here soon"

  Circle vultures. The same people who left patients to look after themselves with faulty breast implants

  Dr john Lister "keep r NHS public" attack Circle owned by investment bankers and the theives who rip people off at Wonga.com
• More selfish wreckers and splitters leave with via a helping hand. One dressed as a cat? Was it george galloway?
• BMA Dr Hamish Meldrum supports his fellow health workers. A unusually dapper trade union leader
• Patient Vikki Mills pregnant with twins does not want anyone to jump que if they have money. 
• Cathy warwick GS RCM "kill the bill"
• Bunch of Monty python idiots "demanding" national strike thrown out of hall. :)

  "Its about what health service we leave our children...our NHS is not for sale"
• Dave Prentis next speaker "tories say nhs liberated"... What liberated to go bust
• In a packed Westminster Hall for the #SaveOurNHS rally- Woman who gave Lansley a piece of her mind rightly gets a standing ovation

  At packed Save our NHS rally at Westminster Central Hall. Brendan Barber speaking.
• John's Labour blog: Rally to Save Our NHS Tonight at Central Hall,
• UPDATE: Check youtube of speeches here