I chaired a lively meeting this morning of Greater London UNISON Local Government Pension Scheme reps from 10 different funds helping to look after some £15 billion of funds. Huge range of important issues to wade through including Climate Change,…Read more…
Turning rubbish into pensions
Picture collage from a visit on Friday with Cllr Joshua Garfield, Newham Council Pension officer and our Canadian fund managers, Fiera Infrastructure (top left) to the Cory Riverside “energy from waste” plant in Belvedere, Bexley, Kent.
New…Read more…
UNISON LGPS Seminar – Tuesday 11th of December 2018 – 10.30am to 4.30pm
The union’s Capital Stewardship Programme is holding our annual seminar for all LGPS Board members, branches and activists on the governance and economics of the LGPS. There are major reforms being implemented England, Wales and Scotland and these will…Read more…
A day in the life – Thursday 27 September 2018
This is one day in my life as a Newham Council Cabinet member, which was particularly busy but pretty much reflects what all Newham Cabinet members experience on a regular basis. Compared to the Mayor’s normal diary, it was probably a walk in the park….Read more…
“Support our strike and say no to pension poverty and privatisation”
Support Staffordshire strike
Dear John,
Staffordshire University employers have announced that they will move lower-paid staff into a “subco” or wholly-owned subsidiary company, …Read more…
Thank you Cllr Veronica Oakeshott – Boleyn Ward
This is simply a lovely photograph of Newham Council Executive Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, presenting flowers to Councillor Veronica Oakeshott, who has announced her resignation in order to move closer to her family outside London.
Veronica has been a fanta…Read more…
Local Government Chronicle Investment Summit 2018
Last week I went to this summit in South Wales on investment in the Local Government Pension Scheme. There was around 250 Councillors and Council pension staff from all over the country.
I am particularly interested in the latest ideas on Risk, Asset …Read more…
Why Pensions are so important and organising to defend the Local Government Pension Scheme
Today I had a record breaking 3 meetings on Pensions. First I chaired a meeting of Greater London UNISON reps who sit on local Council Pension Boards (see group picture of Forum members above).
UNISON has cross service group national and regional foru…Read more…
PLSA Local Government Pension Conference 2018
Just arrived for the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association annual conference in Gloucestershire as
Newham London delegate from Investment and Accounts Committee.
Some interesting speakers and seminars ahead. Local Government minister Rishi …Read more…
“Climate Change and Bangladesh: First Affected. Worst Affected” (Pension Carbon divestment)
(I am due to speak at this seminar as a Councillor & trade union pension activist).
“Fossil Free Newham, Tower Hamlets Divest and Hackney & Tower Hamlets Friends of Earth are teaming up to screen ’30 Million’, a film which focuses on the pligh…Read more…
Dancing on the graves of decent pensions: Double Bubble for the Few, Misery for the Many
There was a really rubbish and ignorant article here in the Evening Standard recently about a so called “black hole” in London Local Government Pension schemes.
This story is completely nuts. Most Local Government Pension Schemes are in better shape n…Read more…
Paul Finch – Canadian Pension Funds Investments In UK infrastructure – privatisation or nationalisation?
Picture of Paul Finch, Treasurer of British Columbia Public Service Union with London UNISON Local Government Pension Scheme reps (Paul centre in black suit) & our Regional UNISON manager, Helen Reynolds last week.
Paul gave a well recei…Read more…
The role of pensions in building Community Wealth
Professional Pensions: John Gray says we should think about investing more locally, but there are a number of serious practical investment problems to overcome
As austerity bites and local authorities up and down the country struggle to provide service…Read more…
“UNISON launches campaign to divest pensions from carbon”
I chaired a packed 10th UNISON annual Local Government Pension Fund seminar yesterday.
The “Divest Campaign” is potentially one of the most significant things we can do as a union, not only to save our planet but also to save our pensions future.
Wil…Read more…
Councillor Report 3.1.17 – “Could we become Haringey Development Vehicle (HDV) Two?”
This is my latest written report (previous one 7 December 2017).
Council Issues
Meeting with Senior Council officers
13 December. I met again with other concerned backbench Councillors senior officers at Newham Dockside to discuss and examine reports…Read more…
UNISON LGPS Seminar – date change now January 10th 2018 UNISON Centre (& London CIV meeting)
(I will be chairing this meeting again. London UNISON LGPS will also be meeting on Monday 11 December in order to attend the public meeting of London CIV at London Councils building. We will have pre-meeting at venue nearby beforehand. Details to follo…Read more…
“Why Boris Johnson should not decide where we invest our pensions”
On Tuesday I spoke at a seminar on the Government’s attempt to instruct Council pension funds that they can only invest in accordance to their political prejudices.
On Thursday Professional Pensions published my article below
“John Gray explains&…Read more…
There is No PPF or Crown Promise for the LGPS Pension scheme which must be run in the interests of pensioners and not the employers
To be clear.
A Council (or administering authority) is responsible for the majority of any pension deficit but that if the fund does badly and the Council runs out of money (which due to austerity it has been widely predicted will happen to some autho…Read more…
“Pension Costs and Charges” – UNISON National Delegate Conference 2017
I was tasked to speak on this motion 26 on behalf of the NEC at Conference last week but it did not receive sufficient prioritisation by branches and regions to be debated.
Which is a shame since if we don’t bring down the costs and charges of no…Read more…
Court tells Government they cannot make Council Pensions funds be dependent on Boris Johnson Whims
In a victory for common sense the Courts have apparently thrown out the requirement that Council Pension funds have to invest according to the political whims of the UK Foreign office.
Who on earth would want their pension being dependent on the…Read more…