Dover up for sale..

Looks like the ContheLibs 'coalition' is at it again with firm proposals to sell off Dover! They have gone privatisation mad and even one of their own MPs Charlie Elphicke who was a Con Councillor in Lambeth during the period when Revenues and Benefits were put out, is supporting the idea of having the port go to local people who live and work there.

This is of course the shape of things to come or as Tracey Barlow once said ' things can only get worst..' The French are of course interested in buying the port as they were never able to add it to their dominions a few centuries ago when the man from Corsica, who was so 'misunderstood' was expanding his stamp collection. I am hoping that the TUs will fight this daft idea and the good people of Dover rebel!

Last day of summer?

Older workers

Studies conducted by imminent economists show that whilst a graduate may not expect to get the job they were trained to do a worker over the age of 45 will have great difficulties getting any job after they are made redundant so the governments obsession with changing the benefits system and increasing the retirement age will have an impact on the job market. But the whole strategy is bad economics as one public sector cost centre will have to absorb the so called savings made by another. The person who could not retire at the age of 65 and will now be unemployed even longer will simply have to live off a different set of benefits? So there is, in real terms, no saving! What a lot of bananas!

Clarification

My good comrade John of the Gray placed an entry on his blog yesterday in response to what I said in my piece re DMiliband and specifically a debate I was having with someone in Clapham about the meaning of life and the Labour party. I would like to clarify that this discussion was not with anyone from Lambeth Unison ( I do know people who live in the borough and don't work for Lambeth, they do, apparently, exist)

In terms of the 'Permanent Revolution' links around this I would also like to make it clear that whilst I totally disagree with almost everything they say and do ( all 5 of them in London) and their methods I will still defend their democratic right to say what they think and what they believe in. Or as Deidrie Rashid Barlow once said ' I disagree with them but I will fight for their right to express what they think'.

I also disagree that those who wish to associate Jon of the Rogers with ET I think he looks nothing like ET he is much more like Del Boy's brother Rodney in only fools and horses.. so leave our Jon alone.. Anyway I have moved away from Lambeth Unison and its politics and very happy with that!

The case for David Miliband

David Miliband

There is nothing clever about supporting a clear winner and my decision to campaign for David Miliband has more to do with the fact that he will be the one who could persuade the huge number of floaters to vote against the ConLibs. The argument is the same as the one used when Tony (not so nice) Blair was elected. He attracted those who were sitting on the fence and gave us 13 years of Labour government which allowed us to bring in necessary reforms the minimum wage Act being one of those big changes that no Tory governmnet would have introduced. He then went totally mad and took us into an illegal war but he was removed because of that. So even though Tony Blair was not liked by the average left to left or even soft left activists he did bring in the customers at the start!

And I know this very pragmatic way of thinking is not at all attractive but it is real and the evidence shows it will yield the desired result. Ed Miliband isn't a bad candidate at all but his brother looks and sounds better on television and that will bring in the extra votes we will need to throw the Tories out of government. Its a simple PR exercise!

I was in fact having this debate with a 'commrade' from Lambeth last night (he happened to be there in the same pub as me) this lefty who is as good looking as Nora Batty and has the wit and charm of Robert Mugabe, was arguing that we (those of us in the Labour party) should regain the party before we start supporting any leaders better still, in his opinion, leave the Labour project and join a real (in his Mugabian reasoning) party. This is the kind of person of course who would rather spend time and energy arguing with the other 28.4 ultra left versions of the far left than concentrate on achiieviing change and therefore and that way help those wo need it most?

Anyway I conclude by saying that a vote for David of the Milibands is a vote for reality and real chance of change! This is drastically important as the ConLibs will soon be collapsing and the Tories will be running the show for the next 13 years! By the end of that time we will all be working until we are 92 have 5 days annual leave and pay for our childrens education (we already do of course via taxation)



David Miliband for Leader!!

Nick Venedi

Barnet Unison

I must say that I am rather impressed with the excellent communication systems Barnet Unison have. Information is emailed out to all members who are on email almost immediately after an event or before a major gathering that could be of interest or relevance. This practice is excellent and much better than what we used to do in my old branch where I was Secretary, and to think that Barnet have more members than what we had in Lambeth, lol!

TUC Appeal

The TUC is supporting the DEC appeal and would like to invite union members and the general public to contribute generously to it.http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-18382-f0.cfm