I was naturally really pleased to see this election declaration yesterday (see previous post John’s Labour blog: “On the knocker” in Hainault By Election) but winning – by one vote out of 2903 cast! It must have been so stressful …Read more…
It’s Manifesto Time!
It’s manifesto time. As someone who has drafted and haggled over a few in my time, I enjoy this part of an election campaign while recognising that this makes me a less-than-typical voter. You might think in a snap election that manife…Read more…
TUC Pensions Conference 2024: pensions under the next government
I have just registered. https://www.tuc.org.uk/events/tuc-pensions-conference-2024-pensions-under-next-governmentOverviewRegistrations are now open for the TUC Pensions Conference 2024 on Wednesday 13 March at Congress House, London. With a g…Read more…
Manifesto 2021 – National Recovery Plan
After more than two years of consultation and engagement, it was good to see the Scottish Labour election manifesto launched today. I have been working part-time managing the process leading up to…Read more…
It’s time for an election to settle Brexit, says UNISON
Commenting on the failure of the Withdrawal Bill, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: “Theresa May must stop trying to railroad her awful Withdrawal Agreement through Parliament. It’s been…Read more…
Disenfranchised
Every time a group of people is disenfranchised, the arguments justifying it are often the same – that they are too immature to vote, that they are politically ill-informed, that they themselves…Read more…
A very different election
Well that was different! From landslide victory to hung parliament breaks the received wisdom that the short election campaign can only marginally shift voting intention. I have been fighting…Read more…
The election result shows that we need a new deal for working people
This election was about bread and butter issues – what needs to change for ordinary working people. And no wonder: if current trends continue, in five years’ time 3.5 million people will be in insecure work, as gig working, self-employment, agency work and zero hours contracts rise and rise….Read more…
Election 2017 – Labour’s ownership plans are the radical shift in energy policy
Not for the first time, energy policy has received very little attention in this election campaign. In Scotland, key elements are reserved so you might expect a bit more attention to be paid to it,…Read more…
Election 2017 – what side are you on?
Election slogans are generally meaningless, but in this election they clearly differentiate the offer. Comrades, left and right, should focus on that.
Today’s Scottish Labour manifesto will set out…Read more…
Why all the political parties should be talking about pay, jobs and rights?
What’s at stake for working people in this election? Economic issues increasingly risk being the dog that didn’t bark in this election. The 2015 campaign saw a fierce debate about the figures, whether on the scale of the cost-of-living crisis or the size of the deficit, at the centre of parties’…Read more…
Councils should defend local services and those who deliver them
Musical chairs around the council chamber won’t alter the challenges facing local government in Scotland.
The voters have had their say and there are a lot of new councillors taking responsibility…Read more…
Climate inspiration – film and @SCCScot online debate, as UK CCC calls for strong action
UNISON and Global Justice Now are holding a free community screening of the climate film This Changes Everything next month.
And the union is supporting Stop Climate Chaos Scotland’s Climate Day #AskClimateQ Holyrood election online evening debate on 18 April, as well as holding a joint fringe with SCCS at the STUC Congress in Dundee that lunchtime.
Yesterday the UK Committee on ClimateRead more…
#AskClimateQ online debate #Holyrood2016 18 April
Ask the climate question – Stop Climate Chaos Scotland’s online debate with political parties
Monday 18th April 2016, 7pm – 8.30pm
With elections in Scotland this May, use your voice to call on political parties to turn climate ambition into climate action.
Join us online from anywhere in Scotland on Monday 18th April at 7pm.
For many years now, all parties in the Scottish Parliament haveRead more…
‘Insidious’ move
If there were any remaining doubts that the Tory government is aiming to lock in its grip on power for generations, this week they were laid to rest. New details were published on Wednesday…Read more…
The TUC’s 2015 election post-mortem poll
When the TUC commissioned a poll to go straight into the field the day after the election, we had no idea what the result would be. Now it has a painful relevance to Labour’s post mortem, and emerging leadership debate. As the TUC is making the poll’s findings public – and it is available…Read more…
Election- what it means to young workers
Last Thursday’s general election saw a Conservative majority government voted into Westminster. After having had the weekend for it all to sink in, it’s time to look at what the election result means…Read more…
What the Party Manifestos say on health and safety.
We now have the manifestos of all the main parties, it is interesting to see what they say (or don’t say) about occupational health and safety issues.Read more…