Tuesday, October 19, 2010

TUC Lobby of Parliament and Rally against the Cuts

This lunchtime I went to the House of Commons to lobby my MP about the "Cuts".  Since the "Lobby" could only hold a maximum of 100 people UNISON had organised a committee room for MP's to meet their constituents from up and down the land. 

I met up with my fellow London UNISON Regional Council Officer Monica Hirst and Roy Reid the UNISON Newham LG branch Chair (see main picture in Great Hall). 

Monica lives in Brent and her local MP (and Minister for Children) is Lib Dem, Sarah Teather. Monica was with a number of UNISON members who live in Brent and I stood and watched her "lobby" Featherstone in the corridor just off the central lobby.  There was about 12 members from various trade unions present.  I stood back since she is not my MP and waited for Monica, but of course, I tried to earwig on what was going on in the hustle and bustle of the corridor.  Moncia works in health and was most unimpressed when she asked Teather about GP commissioning only to be told that "Oh, I don't know how that came about".... 

Nor does anyone else outside Tory think tank LaLa Land Sarah.

We then went to the Rally at the Methodist Central Hall and bumped into various people from all over UNISON.  Included London UNISON Deputy Convener, Conroy Lawrence.

I had "interesting" conversations with Labour Party colleagues about Tower Hamlets.  Never a dull moment. 

Picture top right is of two very silly and rather sweaty (and probably rather smelly) Toryboys dressed as pink dinosaurs deficit deniers who are being "picketed" by Unite reps!

Afterwards I went to work and later while on a standing room only train home tonight, as I travelled through North and East London, I just despaired at what tomorrow's leaked £8 billion in cuts to housing will mean for the homeless, for overcrowded families and children and for all young Londoner's wanting desperately somewhere to live. 

I am forced to conclude that the honourable member for Brent Central doesn't share my concern.

2 comments:

Sean said...

Did you do Geography at School John? Lynne Featherstone's seat is of course in Haringey not Brent :) I am pleased someone managed to lobby her as she has studiously ignored the local Branch since her sell out for the limo! I was pleased at the turn out at yesterdays lobby which is of course just a warm up event for the campaign we need to lead

John Gray said...

Hi Sean

Whoops - even worse - I've named the wrong female LD MP. It is Brent - Sarah Teather not Lynne Featherstone (who obviously escaped being lobbied).

:)