Clean Sweep: Centre Left Victory in London UNISON elections

This is a picture of myself, Monica, Gloria and Conroy after the London Regional Council AGM.

Emma and Lynn had to leave straight after the meeting.

Our Sensible Left slate won all the Regional Council Officer posts (Executive) for the 6th year running.  I don't know yet what the margin was this year but I suspect it is as good or even better than in the past.  Local government branches are coming on side as they realise that sloganeering and grandstanding is not going to achieve anything. 

The AGM went off very smoothly and guest speakers UNISON President Angela Lynes and Deputy GS of the PSC Hugh Lanning were well received. 

I had to answer a few questions during my presentation on the financial report.  The debates over number of regional council meetings and quorum were actually pretty good and people listened to the arguments.  There was little hostile heckling and no attempts to shout down speakers that the Ultra left (some of them not all) didn't happen to agree with.  Which I think is very positive.  It was agreed to cut the number of meetings to 3 per year (at last) and keep the quorum at 1/3rd (thankfully).  It was a pity that there wasn't time to debate my branch Housing motion and the others since we ran out of time. 

I hope (and expect) now that the Region will unite around Gloria and Conroy as we oppose the cuts while defending our members.

There was tremendous support shown for the TUC March 26th and I am sure that UNISON London region will play a major part in mobilising for it and making it a great success.

TUC Lobby of Parliament and Rally against the Cuts

This lunchtime I went to the House of Commons to lobby my MP about the "Cuts".  Since the "Lobby" could only hold a maximum of 100 people UNISON had organised a committee room for MP's to meet their constituents from up and down the land. 

I met up with my fellow London UNISON Regional Council Officer Monica Hirst and Roy Reid the UNISON Newham LG branch Chair (see main picture in Great Hall). 

Monica lives in Brent and her local MP (and Minister for Children) is Lib Dem, Sarah Teather. Monica was with a number of UNISON members who live in Brent and I stood and watched her "lobby" Featherstone in the corridor just off the central lobby.  There was about 12 members from various trade unions present.  I stood back since she is not my MP and waited for Monica, but of course, I tried to earwig on what was going on in the hustle and bustle of the corridor.  Moncia works in health and was most unimpressed when she asked Teather about GP commissioning only to be told that "Oh, I don't know how that came about".... 

Nor does anyone else outside Tory think tank LaLa Land Sarah.

We then went to the Rally at the Methodist Central Hall and bumped into various people from all over UNISON.  Included London UNISON Deputy Convener, Conroy Lawrence.

I had "interesting" conversations with Labour Party colleagues about Tower Hamlets.  Never a dull moment. 

Picture top right is of two very silly and rather sweaty (and probably rather smelly) Toryboys dressed as pink dinosaurs deficit deniers who are being "picketed" by Unite reps!

Afterwards I went to work and later while on a standing room only train home tonight, as I travelled through North and East London, I just despaired at what tomorrow's leaked £8 billion in cuts to housing will mean for the homeless, for overcrowded families and children and for all young Londoner's wanting desperately somewhere to live. 

I am forced to conclude that the honourable member for Brent Central doesn't share my concern.

UNISON London Lay Leadership visit to Bromley Local Govt Branch

Catching up on some posts - picture is from a recent visit I went on with UNISON London regional Convenor Gloria Hanson and our deputy Convenor, Conroy Lawrence.

The Bromley Local Government branch has been under "regional supervision" for the past several months. There was a number of  problems in the past but I think it is safe to say that we were all very impressed with the way the branch has reorganised itself and is out there connecting with members and fighting constructively for their interests.

Well done!