London UNISON supports Ken for London Mayor

 London UNISON "Labour Link" (APF) today decided to support Ken Livingston to be the Labour Party candidate for Mayor of London in the 2012 elections.

I chaired this part of the meeting and the decision by the elected Committee lay members was pretty one sided and there was a clear consensus. Everyone present said their bit.

I also reported that UNISON National Labour link had carried out a telephone poll of our levy payers and had found that Ken had 2:1 support.

A number of committee members spoke highly of the other candidate, Oona King, but we felt the person best placed to beat Boris in 2012 and work with UNISON was Ken.

After this decision we then had yet another really good wide ranging political debate about who to recommend to our national Labour Link delegate for London, Rachel Voller, for the Labour Party leadership.  The result of which we agreed to keep confidential until after the meeting of the National Labour Link committee next week.  This committee will decide who we should advise Labour link members to support (or whether or not to make any nomination).  Again, everyone present contributed to the debate and we also watched on DVD the closing speeches of all the candidates at the UNISON Labour Link hustings last month.

Finally, on behalf of the committee I offered congratulations to the other Chair, Lollypop Louise, on her victory last week in defeating the Nazi BNP candidate, Richard Barnsbrook, in the by-election in Barking and Dagenham Council.  Great news!

Members were also reminded of the West Ham Leadership hustings we are sponsoring (and to which local UNISON Labour link members have been invited) this Sunday evening at Stratford, E15.  All candidates have confirmed that they will attend and we will be trying a "different format" than other hustings.
(picture of Ken at our London UNISON Regional Council in May with our Convenor Gloria and BA picket Nikki)

Lollypop Louise defeats BNP in Barking & Dagenham

 Great New! UNISON NEC member  Louise Couling clearly defeated BNP Nazi Richard Barnbrook in yesterday's by-election in Barking & Dagenham.

Check out background here.

Results for the Goresbrook Ward By-Election

•Ayer, Paul - Conservative Party. Votes cast = 108

•Barnbrook, Richard - British National Party. Votes cast = 642

•Choudhury, Faruk Ahmed - Independent. Votes cast = 11

•Couling, Louise - The Labour Party Candidate. Votes cast = 881. Elected

•Manning, Nobby - UK Independence Party. Votes cast = 50

•Northover, Warren - Independent. Votes cast = 63

•Taiwo, Felicia - Liberal Democrat Focus Team. Votes cast = 136

Turnout = 25.29%

UPDATE: From Luke's blog "Last night's results - some very pleasing ones for Labour in London (suggesting the good borough results in May were not just down to the General Election high turnout) and Wales: 

Goresbrook Ward, LB Barking & Dagenham. Lab hold. Lab 881 (46.6%, +3), BNP 642 (34.0%, +6.8), LD 136 (7.2%, -2.1), Con 108 (5.7%, -7.4), Ind 63 (3.3%, -3.5), UKIP 50 (2.6%, +2.6), Ind 11 (0.6%, +0.6). Swing of 1.7% from Lab to BNP since May this year. This ward returned 2 BNP councillors in 2006."

NB: 3% increase in Louise's % vote!!!

“On the knocker” for Lollypop Louise against the Nasty Nazi.

Yesterday afternoon I went to help out in the Goresbrook ward by-election in Barking and Dagenham. UNISON NEC member and long serving Lollypop Lady (aka "school crossing officer") Louise Couling is fighting it out with BNP Assembly member Richard Barnbrook for the seat. Louise had been elected as Councillor in May but due to a cock-up with the paperwork she had to resign and refight the seat.

Newham Labour members had turned out in the morning to help the campaign including Mayor Sir Robin Wales and East Ham MP Stephen Timms. The meeting point was the 3rd floor of “Transport House” which was only a few minutes walk away from Goresbrook Road. The Anti-fascists “Hope Not Hate” are based on the same floor and I met up there with my former branch secretary Jean Geldart who is spending part of her very busy “retirement” helping them out.

Looking out of the back windows of the building you can get some idea of the problems that have faced this community in recent years. Next door are some decaying Ford buildings. The Ford motor car factory at its peak use to stretch for as far as you could see.  An incredible whole 1 mile by 3 miles and employed 40,000 workers. It even had its own railway station and ferry. No wonder there has been huge difficulties - but let’s not forget that (a much smaller) Ford still produce a million car engines per year at this site.

The voter ID session actually went very well. People were in general very positive and promised to support Louise and Labour - and to keep Barnbrook out. We didn’t see any BNP canvassers although their Führer "I hate Londoners" Nick was supposed to be about. But complacency and a low turn out is a big, big risk and we need to get everyone out for Thursday.

Ring 07540 079 685 if you can help out this week and especially on polling day (this Thursday 8 July).

UPDATE: email from Margaret Hodge "Campaign HQ for the day will be 34 Amesbury Road RM9 6AB, Dagenham, which will open at 6.45am and close at 10pm. It's a two minute walk from Becontree Underground Station, on the district line.  However, the District Line caught fire at Barking on Friday, so we are not sure if it will be up and running again. If it's not, we will lay on minibuses from Barking Train Station throughout the day.

Barking is on the c2c line, which runs every ten minutes or so from Fenchurch Street, West Ham and Limehouse - it takes a maximum of 15 minutes to get here. Look out for people in 'Lollipop Louise' t.shirts.  If you need directions, more information or want to let us know you are coming, please phone  07540 079 685 or e-mail back (margarethodgebarkingATgooglemailDOTcom).

Defeat the BNP in the Barking & Dagenham By-Election 6 July

UNISON NEC member Louise Couling who won the election last month has had to resign and re-run in a by-election on 8 July.

BNP assembly member Richard Barnbrook is standing against her.  I also received this email from local MP Margaret Hodge. 

"We now have just over two weeks to go until polling day. This election will be vital in determining whether we have truly seen the back of the far right in our Borough.

Please do come and help us if you have time over the next few weeks.

We will be campaigning this Saturday 11am-3pm at Transport House 50-52 New Road, Dagenham RM9 6YS. We'll provide lunch, training for anyone who is new and of course a warm welcome. The nearest train station is Dagenham Dock, trains run from Fenchurch Street (Tower Hill) and West Ham every half hour and it's a five minute walk from the station to Transport House.

This Thursday and Friday we will be delivering postal vote GOTV letters, this is crucial to our strategy of getting all of our Labour promises out to vote.

Please put Saturday 3rd July in your diary - it is the final Saturday before polling day and we will be holding a big final push to make sure we speak to all of our promises before July 8th. We will be meeting again at Transport House at 11am. I do hope that you will be able to join me".

If you can help with any of our activities or have a spare hour or two, please do call Jen on the campagins hotline on 07576 323 109 or e-mail me at margarethodgebarking@googlemail.com".

Promoted by Jennifer Oliver on behalf of Louise Couling all at 304 Hedgemans Road, Dagenham, RM9 6DA.