Below
is a message which I have sent to relevant members of my UNISON branch, in line
with the agreed policy of the branch. I would urge every UNISON activist to
encourage their branch to send a similar message (if your branch has taken a
similar decision). As UNITE’s decision to nominate Jeremy Corbyn clearly shows,
this is a time at which we must make use of the relationship between the trade
unions and the Labour Party if it is to have any meaning.
Jeremy
Corbyn stands, in the most obvious way, for everything which UNISON stands for.
Whether UNISON nationally supports Jeremy (who has supported UNISON throughout
our existence) will be decided by the National Labour Link Committee on 29
July. Were the Committee to decide to nominate any other candidate that would
be tantamount to declaring in favour of disaffiliation. Were the Committee to
decide not to make a nomination that would be tantamount to declaring their own
complete irrelevance.
Maximising
the vote for Jeremy Corbyn maximises the influence of UNISON policy. Every
UNISON member should do all we can to maximise this vote. Here, then is the
message to APF members which I have sent (having sent a similar message to GPF
members encouraging them to switch);
As
a UNISON member you can have a say in the election for the leadership of the
Labour Party.
Your
trade union branch, Lambeth UNISON, supports the candidacy of UNISON member,
and London MP, Jeremy Corbyn. Jeremy stands for opposition to austerity and
supports the policies which UNISON supports – in favour of a fairer society
with well funded decent public services provided by workers who are well paid
and treated fairly. You can read more about Jeremy’s campaign at http://www.jeremyforlabour.com/.
It
is important for us as public service workers that Jeremy’s clear cut
opposition to the economic policies which threaten our job security and have
undermined our living standards receives as much support as possible. It is in
your interests as a UNISON member to support Jeremy Corbyn in this election.
(There are three other candidates and you can read about them at http://www.labour.org.uk/leadership).
You
can watch the UNISON hustings at which all the four Labour leadership
contenders spoke online at http://www.unison.org.uk/news/labour-contenders-make-their-pitch-to-unison-members.
As
a contributor to UNISON’s Affiliated Political Fund you can then obtain your
right to vote in the Labour leadership election by registering online (free of
charge) at http://support.labour.org.uk/ (check the box for “yes” that
you are a member of an affiliated organisation and then tick the box for
UNISON). The last date to register to vote is noon on Wednesday 12 August.
Ballot papers will be despatched from Friday 14 August and the ballot will
close at noon on Thursday 10 September.
I
hope that you will consider registering to vote in the Labour leadership
election in order to support Jeremy Corbyn.
2 comments:
Choose Corbyn and ensure Labour is out until 2025, or 2030.
You might say Corbyn represents "Labour values", but there's no use for these values if they can't be put into practise after an election. He is unelectable. None of the Labour leadership contenders are particularly electable, but atleast choose someone who will start rebuilding the party - Cooper or Kendall - not someone who will repeat 1983.
My dear anonymous, you seem to have no idea of the crisis facing European social democracy in general and Labourism in particular. Neither Cooper's warmed over "Brownism" nor Kendal's repetition of the tragedy of Blairism as farce offers anything at all. Corbyn invites us to take the socialist path out of our current impasse. Your preferred candidates (like you) don't even recognise the existential threat to which your politics has already fallen victim.
Do try to keep up.
Post a Comment