FREE TRIP TO BRIGHTON! (22 Sept)

Would you like a FREE TRIP TO BRIGHTON during Labour Party Conference 2013?

As activists in Walthamstow CLP and 7days4stow are continuing their work alongside Movement for Change, here in Walthamstow we are organising a coach to take CLP members to Brighton for the day on Sunday 22nd September, to hear what our activists are working on.

There is guaranteed entry to the Movement for Change Fringe event, promising to be one of the most engaging and interesting events at conference this year.

As well as hearing what Walthamstow activists are getting up to, you will also get to hear what other Labour and trade union activists from across the United Kingdom and across the Labour movement are working on in their communities using the power of community organising with Movement for Change.

It would be fantastic to get as many Walthamstow Labour members down to Brighton to support our activists, take in Conference 2013, and enjoy a day out at the seaside in Brighton.

Movement for Change will be funding the coach if we fill the required number of spaces - meaning that this trip is FREE TO ALL LABOUR PARTY MEMBERS, if enough people are interested.

The Movement for Change Main Fringe Event is outside the conference zone itself, so you DO NOT need to purchase a full security pass in order to attend.

If you’re interested in attending, RSVP to the event here, or call Jack on 07805825809, or emailjack@movementforchange.org.uk

Refounding Walthamstow - how should the local party be organised?

Following the 'Refounding Labour' consultation launched by Peter Hain, and its adoption by last year's conference we are now considering what we should do in Walthamstow. We are in the process of moving our AGM to November as requested by the National Party, so this will be a short 'year' (started in February) and one decision to be taken in November is what other changes (if any) we should make.

From now till the November meeting we are consulting with local members and supporters in various ways. Today sees the first of a series of 'brainstorming meetings', which is to quote our chair Simon Redfern 'a session where you can bring any idea to the table – sensible, crazy, anything goes – no idea is a bad one.' Don't worry if you can't make it today. There will be more sessions over the summer. There will also be discussions at branch meetings, and we're planning to launch an online survey shortly, so even if you can't get to any meetings (or you just don't like meetings - something we'd also like to hear about) you can still have your say. In addition you can also email any comments you'd like to make to: walthamstowclp@yahoo.co.uk (preferably with 'refw' in the subject line).

So what's it all about? There's a whole set of documents you can download from the party's members' website Labour membersnet refounding pages here. If you're a supporter and not yet a member (or if you just find it difficult to log in to membersnet) you can get some of them here, in slightly different format. Many of the points raised can be dealt with at informal meetings and discussions, but there are a few questions that need a formal decision at the November meeting:

• How do we take formal decisions (see below for some examples) - do we continue with a General Committee, or with a smaller Executive?
• How often do we meet, and when?
• What are meetings for?

Some examples of recent and forthcoming formal decisions:

• Who should be our conference delegate?
• Resolutions on blacklisting, and effects of housing benefits changes
• Should we change how we organise the party?
• Should we submit a 'contemporary resolution' to conference
• Who should be our officers (chair, vice-chairs, secretary, treasurer)?

"Cash for Petitions" - MP for Walthamstow involved

l-r: Mark Carney, Stella Creasy, Caroline Criado-Perez

The campaign to retain a famous woman on at least one of our banknotes has won a significant advance. Since Elizabeth Fry - the previous sole woman - was replaced on the fiver by Sir Winston Churchill, under the benign governorship of Mervyn King, it looked like our folding cash was an indication that women don't really count. 

However thanks to a campaign started by Caroline Criado-Perez and spread very effectively through change.org, yesterday the new Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, announced the design for a new £10 note showing the (only surviving) image of Jane Austen. 

The Guardian today reports on the significant role played by Walthamstow's MP:

"Stella Creasy MP, who helped organise a letter from 46 Labour MPs to David Cameron in support of the campaign, said: "Britain has many women in its history of whom we should be proud, and today's decision is part of creating a culture of expectation that there will be many more in our future too." Read the full article here.

The new design launch took place yesterday at the Jane Austen Museum in her old house Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. As well as the portrait of Austen, the new note will include images of her writing desk and quills at Chawton Cottage, in Hampshire, where she lived; her brother's home, Godmersham Park, which she visited often, and is thought to have inspired some of her novels, and a quote from Miss Bingley, in Pride and Prejudice: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!"

Wood St. al fresco - Sunday August 11th 2pm

"Summer's here and the time is right for (dining) in (Wood) Street"

Following a tremendous Chapel End ward pub quiz in April, East Walthamstow Branch Labour Party continue their fundraising drive with an invitation to all members and supporters from tribute band Angie and the Vandellas (aka Cllrs. Bean, Sweden & Barnett) to the Wood Street al fresco buffet on Sunday 11th August, starting at 2pm:

Tickets are strictly limited, on a first come basis

To book, and for more details:

• call 07702 436793
• or email cllr.angie.bean@walthamforest.gov.uk
• or contact any of the Wood St councillors

All proceeds go to East Walthamstow Branch Labour Party campaign funds, 23 Orford Road, London E17 9NL

Walthamstow CLP Euro Hustings - July 25th

First of all a big 'welcome to Walthamstow' to all members who have joined recently - whether new party members or transfers from other CLPs. A recent update means we have a sizable number of new members locally. 

Our final event this month (after yesterday's sweltering KING SIZE QUIZ - jam packed at the Rose & Crown, despite the heat) is the all member GC(General Committee) meeting on Thursday 25th July at the CLP offices at 23 Orford Road in Walthamstow Village. The meeting starts at 8pm.

• The main business of the meeting is an informal hustings for the London MEP candidates selections. 

All 6 of the new candidates will be joining us and this will be a chance for a 'question time' session to get to know more about them. No formal voting will take place in this session; there won't be a 'no latecomers' rule, but of course you wouldn't want to miss out on any of the debate! At the end of this post are links to the candidates' websites for more information.

Voting closes in the party's OMOV ballot on July 31st, so there is still time to vote, by post or online, after this meeting. If you haven't had your ballot papers (during early June) let me know and I'll try to find out what's happened. You can read more about the MEP selections process here.

• The hustings question time will last about 90 minutes, and there is then a short session of more formal business, finishing by 10pm at the latest. 

This will be the last meeting before the summer break. The next will be in September. Members will have been sent an agenda and the minutes of the June meeting. Discussion is open to all members, but in voting only delegates may take part. If you're interested in becoming a delegate to the GC let me know.

The six newly nominated Labour Party candidates in London are

• Women - Sanchia Alasia, Lucy Anderson and Ivana Bartoletti; 
• Men - Andrea Biondi, Seb Dance and Kamaljeet Jandu.

Clicking on each name links to the candidate's website.

Note there is also a separate ballot for the two sitting MEPs - Claude Moraes and Mary Honeyball

KING SIZE QUIZ with Baroness Oona

Weds July 17th, Rose & Crown, Hoe St E17 
Details here; book online here at the Labour Shop

Selection2014 - assessment interviews this weekend

As part of the process by which the local Labour Party chooses its candidates for the local council elections in 2014 a series of assessment interviews is scheduled to take place over the coming weekend. All eligible party members who wish to be considered as potential ward candidates have had to submit an application, and reports will have been submitted on them by branch secretaries, and in the case of sitting councillors wishing to stand again the Labour Group Whip will also have been asked to submit reports. Progress on this will be reported here as it becomes available.

For more information on this process see the Elections 2014 Local page here. (Also accessible from the link in the right hand column of your browser)

MP Pay: IPSA Consultation and Expenses Panel

Stella Creasy MP writes in this week's Working for Walthamstow newsletter:

"This week many residents have been in touch with me regarding the widely reported proposals by IPSA – the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority which evaluates and manages the MPs expenses and pay - on the next phase of its review of MPs’ pay and pensions. It was set up after the expenses scandal in 2009, to take decision making and policy about these matters out of the hands of MPs entirely. 

"This independent body has suggested an increase in salary for MPs from 2015, as well as bringing pensions in line with other parts of the public sector, changes to redundancy packages to business costs and the expenses scheme. You can find full details of the proposals by visiting IPSA’s website. A consultation on the proposals is now open for submissions until 20thOctober 2013 and you can email your comments to IPSA or visit the website for more information. I would encourage anyone concerned about these proposals- which I personally do not support- to participate in this consultation and raise their concerns. In addition, since my election I have held a regular residents panel to oversee my own parliamentary expenses proposals and approve my annual budget. Any resident who wishes to participate in this process should contact my office."

• To subscribe to the Working for Walthamstow newsletter email: stella@workingforwalthamstow.org.uk
• Visit the Working for Walthamstow pages here

Where to find Stella Creasy MP for Walthamstow this week

• On Friday 12^th July – speaking at the Women’s Aid Conference in Warwick and then running a workshop on tackling violence against women in Dudley 
• On Saturday 13^th July – attending the Ditchley Foundation lecture on national security issues
• On Monday 15^th July – taking part in questions to the Home Secretary in parliament as part of my role within the shadow home affairs team.
• On Tuesday 16^th July – holding a number of meetings with organisations and campaign groups
• On Wednesday 17^th July – attending the Walthamstow Labour Party fundraiser with Baroness Oona King- see below for more details. 
• On Friday 19^th July – holding a number of meetings with local campaign organisations in Walthamstow
• On Saturday 20^th July – holding a drop-in surgery at The Mall from 2pm till 4pm. For an appointment at a future appointment only surgery contact my office on 020 8521 1223. Then speaking at the Croydon Labour Party Dinner. 
• On Sunday 21^st July  - attending the Walthamstow High Street Art project