Speech at Labour Representation Committee conference.
Inspired by all of us, I was elected as a Labour councillor on the Wirral two years ago. I am standing for election to Labour’s National Executive Committee. For two seats for local government representatives, alongside my brilliant comrade Councillor Matt White from Haringey. Only Labour councillors can vote for us.
All Labour members can vote for some great CLP candidates, such as Nadia Jama, Laura Pidcock and Yasmine Dar. They are also standing for fairness and justice in our disciplinary system.
Cllr Matt White and I are backed by a wide range of organisations including the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour Councillors (Socialist Cllrs), Labour Representation Committee (LRC), Jewish Voice for Labour, Don’t Leave Organise, Labour Briefing, Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) and Welsh Labour Grassroots.
I’m delighted to announce Matt White and I will definitely be on the ballot papers, because we have enough nominations from Labour groups. Thank you to East Ayrshire, East Staffordshire, Hastings, Haringey, Lancaster, South Ribble and Wyre.
Communities across the country face four crises: corona virus, unemployment, systemic racism and climate change. The answer to these crises is not more austerity.
Of course, Councils are required to set balanced budgets. But this Conservative government must provide more funding based on need. We support Unison’s call for £10bn to Save Our Local Services. Its a reasonable ask from this government who found £15bn for so called PPE contracts, but without any transparency. This government should cancel local authority debt, just as they cancelled NHS debt.
So, the NEC election for these two local government seats is a key battleground. Do we want more of the same old establishment out-sourcing, wealth extraction and neo-liberal management of Tory cuts? Or do we want socialist alternatives?
Socialist responses are being pioneered by dozens of Labour-led councils. For example:
Local test, track and trace
In-sourcing of care homes and other services
Community wealth building and common ownership
the Real Living Wage embedded into contracts
Council and community-led housing, shielded from the right to buy
Public and active transport
Ethical investment of our pension funds
Acknowledging all histories in our public spaces
My Jewish great-grandparents fled fascism in Europe. I’m horrified to see white supremacy in our country. We live in a very diverse society and world. We need much more understanding and much less hostility – not least because Black Lives Matter. There should be no place injustice in our Labour party.
Earlier this year in my NEC by-election campaign, 46,150 members voted for me – Thank you! I listened and talked with thousands of Labour supporters across the country. Party members are hungry for fair and just disciplinary processes, worthy of our trade union, Labour and co-operative values. Labour must lead by example with free and fair internal elections.
We should ‘retain and reform’ our complaints systems - based on the principles of natural justice and proper process. The Party should never outsource membership decisions to an outside body.
Next month, NEC ballot papers will be sent to six thousand Labour councillors. Please ask Labour councillors you know to vote for Matt White and Jo Bird. Better still, please ask councillors to put their names to this new public statement of support, launched today.
Even more importantly, please urge your Labour councillors to maximise socialism in local government. If they don’t?
Well we, the members, we can use Open Selection to democratically replace councillors that don’t, with candidates that will.
Keep up the good work comrades. Thank you for your support.