John McDonnell started his speech by talking about the recent scandal of MP’s expenses and said we should all be very angry. He went on to say that the solution wasn’t just sacking a few MPs. The crisis is systemic, the Political crisis and the economic crisis are not isolated they are two sides of a corrupt undemocratic system. An unequal system where the rich pay less tax than their cleaners. Former ministers are awarded contracts with big businesses within months of standing down as ministers and are then employed as consultants with those companies.
We shouldn’t lose site of the morality that is at stake in government today and we should be angry at the immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, be angry at the expenditure of tax payers money on their extravagant lifestyle, by angry at the expenditure on Tridant when children and pensioners are still living in poverty, be angry at plans such as airport expansion, be angry at the expenditure on second homes and be angry that after 12 years of labour government they still haven’t housed the 80,000 homeless families that we have in our country.
He went on to say we should not waste that anger and that we should link up with others that are angry and challenge the anger into a demand for change. Not just a new parliament but a new society with rights at home, a clean environment, medical treatment and community rights. We should have a continual say on our rights and not just every 4 years at the ballot box. We should own and control our own public services and we should bring back democracy. The crisis will be exploited by the Tories and the fascists and the economic crisis will be paid for by us and not them. We need new voices and change will come through the people and PCS not through parliament. The people at the sharp end should be the ones who decide the future of our society, it may mean we have to take it to the streets and the picket line and call other unions to unite with us in solidarity for a new society.
The full speech can be viewed below 15 mins 57 secs
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) have set up a new website that explains a current project, which sets out to move the remains of more than 600 casualties from Pheasant Wood to new military cemetery at Fromelles for their reburial.
In May 2008, after several years of painstaking research and investigation, five burial pits dating from the First World War were identified at Pheasant Wood, near Fromelles in northern France. The pits, which have lain undisturbed for more than 90 years, are believed to contain the remains of between 250 and 400 British and Australian soldiers, buried behind German lines after the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
The British and Australian governments have asked the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to oversee the operation to recover the remains and to create a new military cemetery at Fromelles for their reburial. The work began in May 2009 and will be completed by July 2010.
The website explains that the attack at Fromelles took place during the night of 19th July 1916 and that by the time the action was called off in the morning, 5,533 Australians had either lost their lives or were wounded and missing. The casualties amongst the British who fought alongside them were 1,547.
I think this is worthy project and a fitting way to commemorate those who suffered to make the world a better place.
I have nearly come to the end of my conference postings, so you can all breath a sigh of relief
I have shown you the conference hall, covered some of the debates, fringe meetings and guest speakers (one more to come). Today I am going to share with you the seafront at Brighton. How could you not wish you were there?
On Saturday the 27th June 2009 the first ever national Armed Forces Day will be held, it is an opportunity for the nation to show support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community. The day aims to celebrate everyone who has served within the Armed Forces; those currently serving, veterans and cadets and to let them know that their services are valued.
Around the country many events are taking place to celebrate the day, with the national event taking place at Chatham Docks.
The MoD is encouraging councils, businesses and homes across the country to show their support by flying the flag . I will pledge to fly the banner on my blog on the 27th I hope some of you take up the challenge too.
During recent weeks PCS members and reps have been speaking and writing to MPs who will be standing in the upcoming election. The results with only 2 days left before polling day show that most of the Conservative or Labour candidates are not interested in engaging in the process:
PCS and its members asked a series of questions as part of the union’s Make Your Vote Count campaign, which also saw 34 candidates’ question time events organised by PCS reps and members across the UK. The purpose of the survey is to find out the views of the various candidates on where they stand in relation to public services. The answers are then published on the PCS website, this allows people to make an informed choice before voting. It also seeks to get people more interested in the election process and encourage them to go out and vote.
To find out where candidates stand on key issues such as jobs, privatisation and European co-operation to close tax gaps, European election candidates were sent a questionnaire. While the union does not recommend any party or candidate, candidates’ responses are then publicised to members to assist them in deciding who to vote for.
Labour and Conservative candidates mostly either failed to respond to the survey or simply referred voters to a national manifesto.
This shows a worrying contempt for the public at a time when politicians ought to be talking to the electorate to regain some of the trust lost through the scandal over MPs’ allowances, the union says.
Delegates at PCS’s annual conference last month overwhelmingly agreed to build on the MYVC campaign, and over the coming year members will be consulted about the possibility of standing or supporting trade union candidates in some elections. There will then be a ballot of the union’s 300,000 members on the issue.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “You would think that in the current climate, with public trust in politicians at an all-time low, that candidates would want to talk to the public. Instead what we have seen is either a refusal to participate or a robotic response referring us to a manifesto. This is simply not good enough.
So after all that hard work helping out with the campaign I had better go and cast my vote hadn’t I
