Labour Housing Group (London) AGM 10 Sept 2012

"The Annual Meeting of the London Labour Housing Group will take place on Monday 10 September 2012 at Portcullis House, London SW1 at 6.30pm.

The business to be transacted will include reports on activities so far, guest speakers, announcement of election of an Executive Committee for 2012-2013, and discussion of policy and campaign priorities.

If you wish to stand for the LLHG Committee - Nominate yourself NOW Membership of the Committee will be decided by postal ballot of members of Labour Housing Group living in the London area.

If you wish to stand for election, please nominate yourself by emailing the Secretary of LLHG, Jamie Carswell, at jamie.e.carswellATgmail.com including a 100 word (maximum) statement in support of your candidacy by Saturday 18 August at the latest. If required, a postal ballot will be held thereafter.

London LHG operates under the national rules of LHG and will have a Committee of 12 members. The Committee will in turn elect officers and will have the power to co-opt a small number of additional members.

If you wish to submit a resolution for consideration at the meeting, please keep it succinct and submit to Jamie Carswell by 18 August. Please note we will keep strictly to this deadline in order to conduct an election and turn papers round in time for the AGM. If you have any queries please contact me by email at steve@hilditchonline.com (or on 07961 414809 if you do not have email).

Regards Steve Hilditch Chair"

(Jon Cruddas MP, now Shadow Cabinet member for the Labour policy review, has agreed to speak as well as Karen Buck MP).

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT AGM ONLY FOR LONDON LHG BRANCH MEMBERS!

Homes under Threat! Boris plan v. Ken's plan

Great template leaflet from London Labour Housing Group for Social Housing residents (double click to bring up detail) but I think everyone is interested in affordable housing.

London Labour Housing Group Committee

Last week there was the first Committee meeting of the London branch of the Labour Housing Group (LLHG) in Camden.  This was following our AGM last month.

I think the Branch is doing really well and to take the proverbial has gone from strength to strength. It has a great opportunity of making a real impact in London on progressive housing issues and campaigns.

Steve Hilditch was elected as Chair and Nicky Gavron as a Vice Chair. We now have specialist working groups on Campaigns and Communications; Finance & benefits; Private Rented; Planning & Targets; Older People; Labour Groups and Leasehold/Commonhold. Each committee to meet in person or virtually before the next full committee meeting. I volunteered to go on Campaigning (convened by Steve Cowan) and Private Rented work groups (convened by Jackie Peacock). 

London Labour Housing Group at Tower Hamlets Federal Branch meeting

This evening I was at the Tower Hamlets Labour Party Federal branch meeting of Bethnal Green North, Mile End and Globe Town and Weaver wards. On  behalf of the new London Labour Housing Group to talk about the LHG and its new London branch.  I use to work as a housing officer in Weavers and Globe Town.

I was a little late (apologies) because a City and East GLA 2012 campaign meeting beforehand took longer than expected.

It took place in St Margaret's House, Bethnal Green and was well attended (and chaired by Jemima Olchawski). There was a bit of a mix up about what I was to say, since the branch were expecting me to speak on their Housing and Affordable Rents debate while I was expecting to speak about the London Labour Housing Group.  However, I think it went okay.  Housing is a huge issue in Tower Hamlets, even more than the rest of the London.

I explained how progressives need to win the "Battle of Ideas" in Housing and that if you are interested in fighting this battle you ought to consider joining the LHG.  I had to rush off after 30 minutes to go to my West Ham ward meeting to give my Councillor report.  Speakers are available from the branch to attend Labour Party meetings and explain more about the Labour Housing Group.  You can join here.

At my ward meeting we discussed the future ballot of public service workers over possible strike action to save decent pension schemes. We hope to get the West Ham Labour Party banner to the planned March and Rally on November 30th. (picture of Tower Hamlets LP banner at 75th Cable Street rally last Sunday)

London Labour Housing Group AGM

On Monday evening after TUC I went to the first annual general meeting of the London branch of the Labour Housing Group (LHG). The LHG is a Socialist society affiliated to the Labour Party concerned with Housing. The meeting took place in the House of Commons and was chaired by Steve Hilditch. The room was full.

Steve welcomed everyone. He reminded us that 300 people turned up to first open meeting of the London branch which shows how important housing is in the capital.

London Assembly member for Housing, Nicky Gavron introduced the LLHG report “Housing Policies for London”. Nicky spoke about the need to defeat the Tories and elect Ken. Boris is working hand in glove with the government and has given the green light to his Tory friends to get rid of social housing in London.

The guest speaker was John Cruddas MP. Jon was open about the failing of the Labour government over housing. It did a lot of good things but while he understood Labour policy over health and education he never did on housing. It is strange that housing is so important in MP surgeries but not a tension in Westminster itself. Housing did not even feature in Tony Blair’s first cabinet. There is some evidence that housing is moving up the agenda. He made an interesting point linking housing to the financial crisis due to the need to produce complicated financial products that resulted in sub-prime investments. He is thinking about affordable rent models that will also house families who would not be entitled to Council or housing association homes - with different levels of rent. The housing crisis does give opportunities to try new things.

Next was an opportunity for those present to make their contributions and share their experiences on Housing policy. Clive Efford MP turned up to listen as well. There was the usual grass roots Labour Party robust exchange of views. Many had passionate and very personal views on housing in London. My contribution was that we must firstly all work together to get rid of the Tories starting with Boris  before we can get anything done.

The meeting was I thought another successful milestone for the new branch. We now have a committee made up of tenants and leaseholders, Councillors, housing workers, academics and many other ordinary members of the Party who want to do something about housing. Putting the housing world to rights continued afterwards in the St Stephens Tavern.

London Labour Housing Group First AGM

"London Labour Housing Group First AGM - 7pm, Monday 12 September, House of Commons
Guest Speaker, Jon Cruddas MP

After an excellent launch and a really successful Policy Day, London LHG is firmly on the map and working closely with Ken Livingstone as Labour candidate for mayor. There is a lot to do to make sure that housing is an issue in the mayoral election, to remind people of Ken’s housing legacy and Johnson’s failures. We think that housing issues can have an impact in the election. As well as trying to make sure that Labour has strong housing policies for the election, we also want to encourage as much campaigning as possible in the boroughs around housing issues. 

We have had a great core group of people working on this so far, but we now want to put London LHG on to a more formal footing. We will therefore be holding the London Labour Housing Group’s first Annual General Meeting at the House of Commons, Committee Room 11, at 7pm on Monday 12 September. Our guest speaker will be Jon Cruddas MP, Member of Parliament for Dagenham and Rainham. 

LLHG Executive
The agenda also includes the election of a London Labour Housing Group executive committee. We have agreed that there will be an EC of 15, to be as inclusive as possible. Who can attend?

To attend the meeting, stand for election and to vote you must be a member of LHG. To join LHG you must be a Labour Party member.  To be as open and flexible as possible, you can join LHG at any time – see http://www.labourhousing.co.uk/join-lhg - and membership forms will be available on the door on the night so you can join and take part immediately. You must RSVP

If you wish to attend you must RSVP to Steve Hilditch at steve@hilditchonline.com to register your attendance. If you plan to come to the meeting, please allow 15 minutes to get through security.  Please note we are unable to offer refreshments at this meeting.  We do hope you can join us.
Steve Hilditch, Acting Secretary : Nicky Gavron AM, Acting Chair"

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