This is not business as usual

I have had to miss important local meetings to attend a Regional planning meeting for local government branches this morning.



Whilst it is unfortunate that only a minority of local government branches were able to attend this was nevertheless a useful opportunity for representatives of branches across London to share information, experiences and ideas.



Branch activists need to transcend localism and engage with wider co-ordination in the fight to defend our public services - and we need our Regional structures to facilitate this coordination. Branch activists can and must help each other over the coming months and years. The Region must help us to do so.



The ideas thrashed out this morning need to be considered formally by the Regional Local Government next week - and those with budgetary implications will need agreement from the Regional Finance Team and ultimately the Regional Council.



If ever there was a time to spend some of the reserves in the Regional lay budget this is the time - and the modest ideas considered today for frequent and regular co-ordinating meetings drawing in representatives of local government branches across London certainly warrant the commitment of necessary expenditure.



If there was a theme to today's meeting it was that we will not be doing "business as usual" any time soon.



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