labourlist--2020-10-27--Why I’m introducing the national minimum wage bill

This year has been a complete whirlwind for all Members of Parliament , but particularly new intake MPs who have spent the last year learning the ropes and adjusting to new circumstances under the cloud of the pandemic .
I can not complain : it is my constituents who have been at the sharp end of the public health and economic crisis that has ensued .
It is people in communities everywhere that are facing mass redundancies , cuts to pay and increased living costs .
This is without even mentioning the health crisis that has left so many , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social isolation and in many instances so much worse .
I entered politics to make a difference .
Being a backbench opposition MP , it feels as if opportunities to effect real legislative change are few and far between .
That is why I am delighted to be presenting my private member ’ s bill to parliament on Friday , November 6th .
My bill , titled the ‘ National Minimum Wage Act 2020 ’ , will focus on tightening up legislation with respect to the payment of the national minimum wage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government ministers will have to draw up regulations to ensure that employers keep detailed records , in conjunction with various enforcement bodies , to guarantee that wage obligations are met and individual pay transparency is afforded to employees on the NMW .
But the main premise of my bill is to end , once and for all , the scandal of domiciliary – or homecare – workers being discriminated against and denied their full entitlement under the law .
This often happens in the form of employees not being paid properly for so-called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time it takes to travel between individual home care visits .
Opponents will argue that the law as it stands already outlaws such practices .
This may be correct but there is currently no adequate mechanism to make sure such injustices do not end in protracted court battles between employers and employees .
My bill will put an end to these occurrences .
Thanks to trade unions such as my own , UNISON , employees with the backing of their union have been awarded thousands of pounds in some instances as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falling over themselves earlier in the year to clap for our key workers .
As I understood the concept , it included care workers .
That makes a welcome change , given they are often the forgotten workers of a forgotten sector – the majority of whom are , of course , women .
I have reached out to the government in good faith asking them to support my bill .
I am not asking for further outlays of money from the Treasury or substantial changes to existing legislation .
No , my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low pay or precarious employment across the care sector .
Nor will it re-imagine the service as one fit for the 21st century , properly funded and ran in the public interest , not for private profit .
Ultimately , the care job itself must be professionalised for those workers operating in the sector and seen as a career taking pride of place in a society with an ageing population .
Labour must grasp such an opportunity in the coming period , as the sector begins to creak under the financial turmoil exacerbated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meantime , we must start somewhere .
That is why on November 6th I am asking Labour MPs to join me in parliament to vote for this small but significant change .

This year has been a complete whirlwind for all Members of Parliament, but particularly new intake MPs who have spent the last year learning the ropes and adjusting to new circumstances under the cloud of the pandemic.
I cannot complain: it is my constituents who have been at the sharp end of the public health and economic crisis that has ensued. It is people in communities everywhere that are facing mass redundancies, cuts to pay and increased living costs. This is without even mentioning the health crisis that has left so many, especially our vulnerable citizens, with ill-health, social isolation and in many instances so much worse.
I entered politics to make a difference. Being a backbench opposition MP, it feels as if opportunities to effect real legislative change are few and far between. That is why I am delighted to be presenting my private member’s bill to parliament on Friday, November 6th.
My bill, titled the ‘National Minimum Wage Act 2020’, will focus on tightening up legislation with respect to the payment of the national minimum wage (NMW). For example, government ministers will have to draw up regulations to ensure that employers keep detailed records, in conjunction with various enforcement bodies, to guarantee that wage obligations are met and individual pay transparency is afforded to employees on the NMW.
But the main premise of my bill is to end, once and for all, the scandal of domiciliary – or homecare – workers being discriminated against and denied their full entitlement under the law. This often happens in the form of employees not being paid properly for so-called ‘travel time’, or the time it takes to travel between individual home care visits.
Opponents will argue that the law as it stands already outlaws such practices. This may be correct but there is currently no adequate mechanism to make sure such injustices do not end in protracted court battles between employers and employees. My bill will put an end to these occurrences. Thanks to trade unions such as my own, UNISON, employees with the backing of their union have been awarded thousands of pounds in some instances as a result of this scandalous malpractice.
Ministers were falling over themselves earlier in the year to clap for our key workers. As I understood the concept, it included care workers. That makes a welcome change, given they are often the forgotten workers of a forgotten sector – the majority of whom are, of course, women. I have reached out to the government in good faith asking them to support my bill. I am not asking for further outlays of money from the Treasury or substantial changes to existing legislation.
No, my bill will not end the scandal of low pay or precarious employment across the care sector. Nor will it re-imagine the service as one fit for the 21st century, properly funded and ran in the public interest, not for private profit. Ultimately, the care job itself must be professionalised for those workers operating in the sector and seen as a career taking pride of place in a society with an ageing population.
Labour must grasp such an opportunity in the coming period, as the sector begins to creak under the financial turmoil exacerbated by the health crisis. In the meantime, we must start somewhere. That is why on November 6th I am asking Labour MPs to join me in parliament to vote for this small but significant change.


labourlist--2020-10-27--Why every council needs a food poverty action plan

After last week ’ s vote against the Labour motion on free school meals , the surge of support for Marcus Rashford ’ s campaign brought much-needed cheer .
His Twitter feed was a roll call of English towns , cities and villages , with offers of help flooding in from Bradford to Bude .
In amongst the cafés and football clubs promising free meals were dozens of local councils , predominantly Labour ones , guaranteeing to fund holiday provision in lieu of government support .
Given the severe strain on their resources , it is admirable that councils have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some , stepping in to do the work government should be doing is nothing new .
These councils have food poverty action plans in place to combat hunger .
The entirely preventable growth of food poverty since 2010 has created a public health crisis , exacerbated by the fallout from the pandemic .
Welfare policy is “ significantly involved in triggering destitution ” – something the government has repeatedly failed to address .
Around two-thirds of food bank use is consistently linked to problems with benefits .
Latterly Universal Credit , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , has caused extreme hardship .
While a food poverty action plan can not reverse the government ’ s welfare changes , it can mitigate their impact and build up resilience locally , providing buffers against hunger .
At a time when the pandemic is causing the number of people in crisis to escalate , it is especially urgent to have a local strategy in place .
It ’ s why the Labour Hunger Campaign is working alongside the Co-operative Party ’ s Food Justice campaign to encourage Labour councils to implement an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to present a motion on one , as councillor Jack Abbott has successfully done on Conservative-led Suffolk County Council .
Food poverty action plans are a collaboration between the council , statutory agencies , charities , local stakeholders and people with lived experience of food poverty .
While addressing short-term crisis needs , they also put measures in place to reduce the structural causes of food insecurity .
In the longer term , they aim to create a sustainable and accessible local food culture .
They are emphatically not about creating more food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them .
The council has a key role to play – not least because it can coordinate local initiatives , resulting in a collaborative approach to reducing food insecurity .
Most significantly , it can use the levers already at its disposal to address the structural causes by encouraging full uptake of free school meals and Healthy Start vouchers ; boosting people ’ s incomes through schemes such as council tax reduction ; and using planning decisions to prevent ‘ food deserts ’ and promote low-cost healthy food outlets , for example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heart of policymaking , it is extraordinary what they can achieve .
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has introduced a pilot scheme on universal free school meals in secondary schools , using funds negotiated from property developers .
These funds also provide universal breakfast provision in primary schools ( in collaboration with the charity Magic Breakfast ) and holiday food schemes .
Commenting on the scheme , cabinet member for children and education Larry Culhane said : “ We take a very tough negotiating stance with property developers , insisting that they offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of it social , and make large financial community contributions.
’ ” The council has , he added , “ used a lot of soft power , working with schools , voluntary organisations and businesses to implement our industrial strategy , of which tackling food poverty and building shared prosperity is a key strand ” .
Newham Council has also prioritised school food .
Buttressed by a community wealth-building strategy , it funds an ‘ eat-for-free ’ scheme that provides universal free school meals in primary schools .
In Liverpool , meanwhile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to food projects in their wards , while , in a ‘ cash-first ’ approach , claimants can access an urgent needs payment ( usually £70–100 ) via a code sent to their smartphone , redeemable at local pay points .
Measures to tackle poverty at source include maintaining an effective welfare assistance programme and topping up the government ’ s discretionary housing payment scheme to help prevent bedroom tax evictions .
Assistant mayor for fairness and tackling poverty Jane Corbett said : “ There ’ s no point tackling food poverty in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the causes and speak truth to power , while trying to react downstream as best we can.
” In the absence of a national strategy on food poverty , Labour councillors must make the arguments in council on the need to prioritise tackling it .
For years , my local council has been the biggest referrer to food banks in the area – a trend replicated elsewhere .
We must change that relationship so that , instead of increasing the burden on food charities , councils work to reduce it .
By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they send out a powerful message that hunger is unacceptable – and they are serious about addressing it .
If you would like to find out more about setting up a food poverty action plan , check out Sustain ’ s resources here .

After last week’s vote against the Labour motion on free school meals, the surge of support for Marcus Rashford’s campaign brought much-needed cheer. His Twitter feed was a roll call of English towns, cities and villages, with offers of help flooding in from Bradford to Bude. In amongst the cafés and football clubs promising free meals were dozens of local councils, predominantly Labour ones, guaranteeing to fund holiday provision in lieu of government support. Given the severe strain on their resources, it is admirable that councils have come forward in this way. But for some, stepping in to do the work government should be doing is nothing new. These councils have food poverty action plans in place to combat hunger.
The entirely preventable growth of food poverty since 2010 has created a public health crisis, exacerbated by the fallout from the pandemic. Welfare policy is “significantly involved in triggering destitution” – something the government has repeatedly failed to address. Around two-thirds of food bank use is consistently linked to problems with benefits. Latterly Universal Credit, with its five-week wait and deductions at source, has caused extreme hardship. While a food poverty action plan cannot reverse the government’s welfare changes, it can mitigate their impact and build up resilience locally, providing buffers against hunger. At a time when the pandemic is causing the number of people in crisis to escalate, it is especially urgent to have a local strategy in place. It’s why the Labour Hunger Campaign is working alongside the Co-operative Party’s Food Justice campaign to encourage Labour councils to implement an action plan – and Labour opposition groups to present a motion on one, as councillor Jack Abbott has successfully done on Conservative-led Suffolk County Council.
Food poverty action plans are a collaboration between the council, statutory agencies, charities, local stakeholders and people with lived experience of food poverty. While addressing short-term crisis needs, they also put measures in place to reduce the structural causes of food insecurity. In the longer term, they aim to create a sustainable and accessible local food culture. They are emphatically not about creating more food banks, but about reducing the need for them. The council has a key role to play – not least because it can coordinate local initiatives, resulting in a collaborative approach to reducing food insecurity. Most significantly, it can use the levers already at its disposal to address the structural causes by encouraging full uptake of free school meals and Healthy Start vouchers; boosting people’s incomes through schemes such as council tax reduction; and using planning decisions to prevent ‘food deserts’ and promote low-cost healthy food outlets, for example.
When councils put food poverty at the heart of policymaking, it is extraordinary what they can achieve. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has introduced a pilot scheme on universal free school meals in secondary schools, using funds negotiated from property developers. These funds also provide universal breakfast provision in primary schools (in collaboration with the charity Magic Breakfast) and holiday food schemes. Commenting on the scheme, cabinet member for children and education Larry Culhane said: “We take a very tough negotiating stance with property developers, insisting that they offer 40–50% genuinely affordable housing, much of it social, and make large financial community contributions.’” The council has, he added, “used a lot of soft power, working with schools, voluntary organisations and businesses to implement our industrial strategy, of which tackling food poverty and building shared prosperity is a key strand”.
Newham Council has also prioritised school food. Buttressed by a community wealth-building strategy, it funds an ‘eat-for-free’ scheme that provides universal free school meals in primary schools. In Liverpool, meanwhile, money is allocated to councillors to give to food projects in their wards, while, in a ‘cash-first’ approach, claimants can access an urgent needs payment (usually £70–100) via a code sent to their smartphone, redeemable at local pay points. Measures to tackle poverty at source include maintaining an effective welfare assistance programme and topping up the government’s discretionary housing payment scheme to help prevent bedroom tax evictions. Assistant mayor for fairness and tackling poverty Jane Corbett said: “There’s no point tackling food poverty in isolation. We have to look upstream at the causes and speak truth to power, while trying to react downstream as best we can.”
In the absence of a national strategy on food poverty, Labour councillors must make the arguments in council on the need to prioritise tackling it. For years, my local council has been the biggest referrer to food banks in the area – a trend replicated elsewhere. We must change that relationship so that, instead of increasing the burden on food charities, councils work to reduce it. By implementing a food poverty action plan, they send out a powerful message that hunger is unacceptable – and they are serious about addressing it.
If you would like to find out more about setting up a food poverty action plan, check out Sustain’s resources here.


labourlist--2020-10-27--Coronavirus has been devastating for women. We must build back equal

The launch of the UN Women report ‘ From Insights to Action ’ , exploring the impact of Covid-19 on women , confirmed what many of us knew instinctively at the beginning of lockdown : the coronavirus pandemic has been , and will continue to be , devastating for women .
47 million women and girls worldwide will be pulled into extreme poverty , and a plethora of reports focusing on the UK back up the disproportionate impact here , too , especially on women from minority ethnic backgrounds and those in low-paid jobs or with caring responsibilities .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struck down , there was much talk of the ‘ virus that doesn ’ t discriminate ’ .
How wrong we were .
Empowered by a weak , floundering government , the pandemic has unearthed fault lines in our system that we have to address .
The myth of ‘ modern women having it all ’ has been truly debunked .
As the council cabinet member for women , children and families in Bristol , I have long recognised that outcomes for children and families in the city are inextricably linked to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The government ’ s decisions over the last few months have shown that they clearly do not .
For me , three of them stand out .
Women having it all .
First , the delay in implementing a decent and viable job protection scheme at the end of the first furlough scheme and the 10pm curfew combined to create a devastating impact for those working part-time in the hospitality , arts or creative sectors .
Women make up 73 % of the part-time workforce , and 77 % of those working without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the announcement early in the summer to open the retail sector before schools returned was problematic and clumsy .
58 % of retail workers in the UK are women , and a significant proportion of those will be working mothers .
A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that mothers in the UK were 1.5 times more likely than fathers to have either quit their job or lost it during the lockdown .
Third , the frequency with which children are having to isolate due to school outbreaks is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , the burden often falling on mothers .
A community worker in Bristol told me that many women in low paid jobs are racked with guilt and anxiety that their biggest fear right now is that their child might be sent home from school .
By not prioritising fast-track tests for school-age children , women will lose their jobs .
Sadly , this is not where the disproportionate impact on women stops .
During the peak of lockdown , it quickly became evident that working mothers who were no longer able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most of the homeschooling and caring for their children .
Worryingly from conversations with my constituents , for huge numbers of women the expectation on them from employers did not change , despite children being at home with schoolwork to do and no family support available .
We all smiled and thought it was cute when experts appearing on Sky News had children pottering in the background or in one case , negotiating for more biscuits whilst his mum was live on air .
But the emotional stress and challenge of combining work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into many families .
One area the government has stepped up in during the lockdown is responding to the scourge of domestic abuse .
The statistics showing a spike in calls to domestic abuse support services has been distressing .
A key part of Bristol ’ s Covid response was putting early additional measures in place so that victims knew they weren ’ t alone .
The government ’ s # YouAreNotAlone campaign , signposting help available for victims in venues such as supermarkets , was invested in and rolled out swiftly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister having laid the foundations for more government support through the landmark domestic abuse bill that is still progressing through the House .
A testament if ever there was one that strong representation of women ’ s leadership matters .
Anneliese Dodds is doing a fantastic job of articulating the impact of Covid on women .
Her forensic examination of the Chancellor ’ s various iterations of furlough have revealed time and again the lack of consideration for the economic contribution of women , whilst Angela Rayner ’ s everywoman style and experience @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it like it is in a way that would be unimaginable from the opposite benches .
Almost seven months on , the situation for women up and down the country continues to be disproportionately challenging .
The fragility of the economy and imbalance of the labour market has been laid bare .
How do we reform the workplace , wider industry , and ensure that high productivity combines with wellbeing , economic resilience and opportunity for all ?
One of the lessons of Covid must be the importance of having diverse voices at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being formed .
Only women ’ s voices can accurately share women ’ s realities .
We need more women elected to senior positions across all levels of government .
This is how we will not only build back better but build back equal .

The launch of the UN Women report ‘From Insights to Action’, exploring the impact of Covid-19 on women, confirmed what many of us knew instinctively at the beginning of lockdown: the coronavirus pandemic has been, and will continue to be, devastating for women. 47 million women and girls worldwide will be pulled into extreme poverty, and a plethora of reports focusing on the UK back up the disproportionate impact here, too, especially on women from minority ethnic backgrounds and those in low-paid jobs or with caring responsibilities.
In the spring, as Boris Johnson was struck down, there was much talk of the ‘virus that doesn’t discriminate’. How wrong we were. Empowered by a weak, floundering government, the pandemic has unearthed fault lines in our system that we have to address. The myth of ‘modern women having it all’ has been truly debunked.
As the council cabinet member for women, children and families in Bristol, I have long recognised that outcomes for children and families in the city are inextricably linked to the wellbeing and welfare of our women. The government’s decisions over the last few months have shown that they clearly do not. For me, three of them stand out.
Women having it all.
First, the delay in implementing a decent and viable job protection scheme at the end of the first furlough scheme and the 10pm curfew combined to create a devastating impact for those working part-time in the hospitality, arts or creative sectors. Women make up 73% of the part-time workforce, and 77% of those working without statutory sick pay are women.
Second, the announcement early in the summer to open the retail sector before schools returned was problematic and clumsy. 58% of retail workers in the UK are women, and a significant proportion of those will be working mothers. A report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that mothers in the UK were 1.5 times more likely than fathers to have either quit their job or lost it during the lockdown.
Third, the frequency with which children are having to isolate due to school outbreaks is a source of enormous stress for many working parents, the burden often falling on mothers. A community worker in Bristol told me that many women in low paid jobs are racked with guilt and anxiety that their biggest fear right now is that their child might be sent home from school. By not prioritising fast-track tests for school-age children, women will lose their jobs.
Sadly, this is not where the disproportionate impact on women stops. During the peak of lockdown, it quickly became evident that working mothers who were no longer able to travel to their workplace were also doing most of the homeschooling and caring for their children. Worryingly from conversations with my constituents, for huge numbers of women the expectation on them from employers did not change, despite children being at home with schoolwork to do and no family support available.
We all smiled and thought it was cute when experts appearing on Sky News had children pottering in the background or in one case, negotiating for more biscuits whilst his mum was live on air. But the emotional stress and challenge of combining work and home brought immeasurable stress and anxiety into many families.
The difference a female voice can make.
One area the government has stepped up in during the lockdown is responding to the scourge of domestic abuse. The statistics showing a spike in calls to domestic abuse support services has been distressing. A key part of Bristol’s Covid response was putting early additional measures in place so that victims knew they weren’t alone. The government’s #YouAreNotAlone campaign, signposting help available for victims in venues such as supermarkets, was invested in and rolled out swiftly.
The difference? A female former Prime Minister having laid the foundations for more government support through the landmark domestic abuse bill that is still progressing through the House. A testament if ever there was one that strong representation of women’s leadership matters.
Anneliese Dodds is doing a fantastic job of articulating the impact of Covid on women. Her forensic examination of the Chancellor’s various iterations of furlough have revealed time and again the lack of consideration for the economic contribution of women, whilst Angela Rayner’s everywoman style and experience means that she is able to tell it like it is in a way that would be unimaginable from the opposite benches.
Build back equal.
Almost seven months on, the situation for women up and down the country continues to be disproportionately challenging. The fragility of the economy and imbalance of the labour market has been laid bare. How do we reform the workplace, wider industry, and ensure that high productivity combines with wellbeing, economic resilience and opportunity for all?
One of the lessons of Covid must be the importance of having diverse voices at the table when economic and industrial strategies are being formed. Only women’s voices can accurately share women’s realities. We need more women elected to senior positions across all levels of government. This is how we will not only build back better but build back equal.


labourlist--2020-10-28--Jermain Jackman: Why I want to represent local parties on Labour’s NEC

Ten years of political failure has reached its fever pitch and is culminating in unquestionable incompetence , economic ruin and the destruction of livelihoods .
We ’ ve seen how the government ’ s contempt for working people and local businesses has led to its targeted attack on Northern towns and cities , as their failing Covid-19 strategy continues .
We ’ ve witnessed the heartlessness of this government as they refuse to feed hungry children and support the poorest and most vulnerable in our society .
We ’ ve even seen this government break international law and violate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country deserve better than this .
Members across our movement have rightly responded to this and argued that a Labour government is urgently needed .
I wholeheartedly agree .
No part of the UK , whether rural or urban , is beyond the help of a Labour government that is committed to a bold , radical and socialist agenda .
However , it ’ s within that shared desire that I fear we may lose sight of the journey we need to make .
This is what informs my campaign and my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour Party ( CLP ) representative on the national executive committee ( NEC ) .
Our movement , as it stands , is far from perfect – the general election result and Labour leaks are a testament to that .
Our members are the lifeline of our movement and the mobilisation of our membership is crucial .
However , this only works when we continue to empower our members , truly listen to their voices and build upon the democracy and engagement that has been established .
On the journey towards a Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with us every step of the way .
We must reaffirm our democracy by being accountable and transparent .
But what does this actually mean ?
• A complaints process that is truly fit for purpose .
Our members need to have confidence and trust in our internal procedures so that we can all feel safe and supported in our party .
At the heart of this must be a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of racism and discrimination , sexual harassment , transphobia and homophobia .
• Greater democratisation of the party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conference , the voices of our members are important .
Therefore , it is paramount that we build upon championing our members and take seriously the decisions made on the ground – party conference must remain sovereign .
• More political education .
This has always been intrinsic to the development of policy and is at the heart of what we do .
There needs to be a continuation of schemes such as the Bernie Grant and Jo Cox leadership programmes , which not only celebrate and empower our members , but provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge the Tories .
• Greater accessibility .
This is crucial , especially for members with disabilities or childcare commitments .
Our members need to be able to take part in every stage of the decision-making process .
Coronavirus has proven that we can be more accessible and accommodating .
Let ’ s continue to build on this , and ensure no member is left behind .
• Better campaigning .
Campaigning is tantamount to achieving the Labour government we so desperately need .
At the heart of this is greater resources being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just during an election .
My platform is uncompromisingly democratic and socialist .
I stand as a candidate with a vision for our party and a vision for Britain .
A Britain that is radically different from the one we inherit from the Tories .
One that defines itself by how we treat others and how we lift ourselves and each other up .
One that places the interests of the environment at the core of our socialism .
2021 and beyond has to be about the journey we are prepared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the destination .
This journey needs to be one of unity , democratisation , accessibility and inclusivity .

Ten years of political failure has reached its fever pitch and is culminating in unquestionable incompetence, economic ruin and the destruction of livelihoods. We’ve seen how the government’s contempt for working people and local businesses has led to its targeted attack on Northern towns and cities, as their failing Covid-19 strategy continues. We’ve witnessed the heartlessness of this government as they refuse to feed hungry children and support the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. We’ve even seen this government break international law and violate the UN disability convention. The communities across our country deserve better than this.
Members across our movement have rightly responded to this and argued that a Labour government is urgently needed. I wholeheartedly agree. No part of the UK, whether rural or urban, is beyond the help of a Labour government that is committed to a bold, radical and socialist agenda. However, it’s within that shared desire that I fear we may lose sight of the journey we need to make. This is what informs my campaign and my reasons for standing to be your Constituency Labour Party (CLP) representative on the national executive committee (NEC).
Our movement, as it stands, is far from perfect – the general election result and Labour leaks are a testament to that. Our members are the lifeline of our movement and the mobilisation of our membership is crucial. However, this only works when we continue to empower our members, truly listen to their voices and build upon the democracy and engagement that has been established. On the journey towards a Labour government, we must keep our membership with us every step of the way. We must reaffirm our democracy by being accountable and transparent. But what does this actually mean?
A complaints process that is truly fit for purpose. Our members need to have confidence and trust in our internal procedures so that we can all feel safe and supported in our party. At the heart of this must be a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of racism and discrimination, sexual harassment, transphobia and homophobia.
Our members need to have confidence and trust in our internal procedures so that we can all feel safe and supported in our party. At the heart of this must be a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of racism and discrimination, sexual harassment, transphobia and homophobia. Greater democratisation of the party. From local wards to the party conference, the voices of our members are important. Therefore, it is paramount that we build upon championing our members and take seriously the decisions made on the ground – party conference must remain sovereign.
From local wards to the party conference, the voices of our members are important. Therefore, it is paramount that we build upon championing our members and take seriously the decisions made on the ground – party conference must remain sovereign. More political education. This has always been intrinsic to the development of policy and is at the heart of what we do. There needs to be a continuation of schemes such as the Bernie Grant and Jo Cox leadership programmes, which not only celebrate and empower our members, but provide them with the skills and opportunities to challenge the Tories.
This has always been intrinsic to the development of policy and is at the heart of what we do. There needs to be a continuation of schemes such as the Bernie Grant and Jo Cox leadership programmes, which not only celebrate and empower our members, but provide them with the skills and opportunities to challenge the Tories. Greater accessibility. This is crucial, especially for members with disabilities or childcare commitments. Our members need to be able to take part in every stage of the decision-making process. Coronavirus has proven that we can be more accessible and accommodating. Let’s continue to build on this, and ensure no member is left behind.
This is crucial, especially for members with disabilities or childcare commitments. Our members need to be able to take part in every stage of the decision-making process. Coronavirus has proven that we can be more accessible and accommodating. Let’s continue to build on this, and ensure no member is left behind. Better campaigning. Campaigning is tantamount to achieving the Labour government we so desperately need. At the heart of this is greater resources being provided to CLPs throughout the year, not just during an election.
My platform is uncompromisingly democratic and socialist. I stand as a candidate with a vision for our party and a vision for Britain. A Britain that is radically different from the one we inherit from the Tories. One that defines itself by how we treat others and how we lift ourselves and each other up. One that places the interests of the environment at the core of our socialism. 2021 and beyond has to be about the journey we are prepared to make, rather than just focusing on the destination. This journey needs to be one of unity, democratisation, accessibility and inclusivity.


labourlist--2020-10-28--Dodds urges Sunak to “come clean” over role in blocking free school meals

Anneliese Dodds has called on the Chancellor to “ come clean ” about his role in the government ’ s refusal to extend free school meals over the school holidays after it was reported that his department blocked the move .
The Shadow Chancellor has made the demand in a letter to her government counterpart today after reports emerged over the weekend that Rishi Sunak had blocked the £22m per week needed for the free school meals extension .
Calling on the government to U-turn on the issue , Dodds has asked the Chancellor to clarify whether he played a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury was never asked for the funding .
Dodds said : “ It ’ s unbelievable that this government would refuse to provide food to the country ’ s poorest children at the height of the pandemic .
And now ministers are engaged in a desperate blame game rather than admitting they got this wrong and putting it right .
“ The Chancellor should come clean about his role in this whole sorry affair .
Parents wondering how they ’ re going to feed their children during the school holidays have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down , by a majority of 61 , a Labour motion last week to extend free school meals over the holidays up to and including the Easter break next year .
Just five Tories voted with Labour to support the motion .
Various Tory MPs have faced criticism for their reasons for voting against the proposal , including Ben Bradley who is appeared to link free school meal vouchers with giving money to “ crack dens ” and “ brothels ” .
The Shadow Chancellor also criticised Sunak on Monday after Labour analysis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending free school meals was almost the £150m spent on a private contract for “ useless ” face masks .
Rosena Allin-Khan confirmed on Sunday that the Labour Party would be seeking a second Commons vote on the extension to free school meals before the Christmas parliamentary recess .
“ The Labour Party are not going to give up on our young people , on the children who are going to bed hungry , ” she told Sophy Ridge on Sunday .
“ We certainly will be pushing for a vote before Christmas.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the letter sent by Anneliese Dodds to the Chancellor .
Labour has called on the government to provide free school meals to all eligible children during all school holidays between now and Easter 2021 .
No child should be going hungry in the middle of a pandemic , yet you and 321 of your Conservative colleagues voted against that proposal .
It has been inspiring to see local councils and businesses stepping in to fill the void left by your government , though of course , they shouldn ’ t have to .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Treasury refused to approve the roughly £22m per week that this policy would cost .
Media coverage since then suggests that in fact the Department of Education never asked for the funding .
Parents who are wondering how they will feed their children during the Christmas and Easter holidays have a right to know what is going on .
So can you please confirm : did the Department for Education ask you for funding to cover free school meals provision in school holidays ?
If they did , why did you refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you approve such a request if it were to be made ?
Yours sincerely Anneliese Dodds Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Anneliese Dodds has called on the Chancellor to “come clean” about his role in the government’s refusal to extend free school meals over the school holidays after it was reported that his department blocked the move.
The Shadow Chancellor has made the demand in a letter to her government counterpart today after reports emerged over the weekend that Rishi Sunak had blocked the £22m per week needed for the free school meals extension.
Calling on the government to U-turn on the issue, Dodds has asked the Chancellor to clarify whether he played a role after sources close to Sunak said the Treasury was never asked for the funding.
Dodds said: “It’s unbelievable that this government would refuse to provide food to the country’s poorest children at the height of the pandemic. And now ministers are engaged in a desperate blame game rather than admitting they got this wrong and putting it right.
“The Chancellor should come clean about his role in this whole sorry affair. Parents wondering how they’re going to feed their children during the school holidays have a right to know.”
The Conservatives voted down, by a majority of 61, a Labour motion last week to extend free school meals over the holidays up to and including the Easter break next year. Just five Tories voted with Labour to support the motion.
Various Tory MPs have faced criticism for their reasons for voting against the proposal, including Ben Bradley who is appeared to link free school meal vouchers with giving money to “crack dens” and “brothels”.
The Shadow Chancellor also criticised Sunak on Monday after Labour analysis showed that the £157m overall cost of extending free school meals was almost the £150m spent on a private contract for “useless” face masks.
Rosena Allin-Khan confirmed on Sunday that the Labour Party would be seeking a second Commons vote on the extension to free school meals before the Christmas parliamentary recess.
“The Labour Party are not going to give up on our young people, on the children who are going to bed hungry,” she told Sophy Ridge on Sunday. “We certainly will be pushing for a vote before Christmas.”
Below is the full text of the letter sent by Anneliese Dodds to the Chancellor.
Dear Chancellor,
Labour has called on the government to provide free school meals to all eligible children during all school holidays between now and Easter 2021. No child should be going hungry in the middle of a pandemic, yet you and 321 of your Conservative colleagues voted against that proposal. It has been inspiring to see local councils and businesses stepping in to fill the void left by your government, though of course, they shouldn’t have to.
Media coverage over the weekend suggested that the Treasury refused to approve the roughly £22m per week that this policy would cost. Media coverage since then suggests that in fact the Department of Education never asked for the funding. Parents who are wondering how they will feed their children during the Christmas and Easter holidays have a right to know what is going on.
So can you please confirm: did the Department for Education ask you for funding to cover free school meals provision in school holidays? If they did, why did you refuse? If they did not, would you approve such a request if it were to be made?
Yours sincerely
Anneliese Dodds
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer


labourlist--2020-10-28--Free school meals, Channel crossings and a crucial report in the Covid crisis

The free school meal row is rumbling on , as one Tory council leader has advised parents who struggle to feed their children to shop at Marks and Spencer and accused Marcus Rashford of creating a “ political football ” .
He ’ s a real comedian , this one .
Dido Harding ’ s husband John Penrose has also chipped in , blaming “ chaotic parents ” for food poverty .
But will ministers listen instead to the government ’ s own food tsar ?
Henry Dimbleby has sent Downing Street a four-point plan for a holiday activity and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme , as well as Labour ’ s demand for extended free school meals .
He is urging them to “ set aside ideology ” .
If the government won ’ t listen to campaigners , maybe this Etonian from a famous family can convince them .
Devastating news emerged as a boat sank in the Channel yesterday , leading to the deaths of four people including two young children aged five and eight .
Others have been hospitalised .
As usual , the government has responded by promising to make crossings “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas-Symonds has called for “ compassion ” , and specifically for the Home Office to reopen safe legal routes and the Dubs scheme , which offered sanctuary to lone minors until ministers decided the mere 480 places had been filled .
The opposition is also urging the government to reverse the decision to scrap the Department for International Development and come to an agreement with France .
In Covid news , the Resolution Foundation has released a report with crucial data for the UK ’ s handling of the economic crisis .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate in September was likely to be 7 % , and 20 % for 18- to 24-year-olds .
Another group being disproportionately affected , as predicted by everyone and highlighted by the Lawrence Review this week , is Black , Asian and minority ethnic workers .
22 % of BAME workers furloughed during lockdown have since lost their jobs .
Youth and BAME unemployment are the two areas to which Gordon Brown has drawn attention in recent months .
Read our write-up here , which features the TUC ’ s response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ve got an interview with Kate Dearden from Community union on the struggle of self-employed workers to be heard during the coronavirus crisis .
We talk about their new campaign and new inquiry , how the self-employed are misunderstood and how they ’ ve been forgotten by the government .
I will also be in conversation with shadow minister Sarah Jones tonight .
If you have suggestions for questions on her policy brief , policing and the fire services , please email them to me – and don ’ t forget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6pm to watch the event live .
Sign up to LabourList ’ s morning email for everything Labour , every weekday morning .

The free school meal row is rumbling on, as one Tory council leader has advised parents who struggle to feed their children to shop at Marks and Spencer and accused Marcus Rashford of creating a “political football”. He’s a real comedian, this one. Dido Harding’s husband John Penrose has also chipped in, blaming “chaotic parents” for food poverty. But will ministers listen instead to the government’s own food tsar? Henry Dimbleby has sent Downing Street a four-point plan for a holiday activity and food programme and a healthy food voucher scheme, as well as Labour’s demand for extended free school meals. He is urging them to “set aside ideology”. If the government won’t listen to campaigners, maybe this Etonian from a famous family can convince them.
Devastating news emerged as a boat sank in the Channel yesterday, leading to the deaths of four people including two young children aged five and eight. Others have been hospitalised. As usual, the government has responded by promising to make crossings “unviable”. Labour’s Nick Thomas-Symonds has called for “compassion”, and specifically for the Home Office to reopen safe legal routes and the Dubs scheme, which offered sanctuary to lone minors until ministers decided the mere 480 places had been filled. The opposition is also urging the government to reverse the decision to scrap the Department for International Development and come to an agreement with France.
In Covid news, the Resolution Foundation has released a report with crucial data for the UK’s handling of the economic crisis. The think tank has found that the unemployment rate in September was likely to be 7%, and 20% for 18- to 24-year-olds. Another group being disproportionately affected, as predicted by everyone and highlighted by the Lawrence Review this week, is Black, Asian and minority ethnic workers. 22% of BAME workers furloughed during lockdown have since lost their jobs. Youth and BAME unemployment are the two areas to which Gordon Brown has drawn attention in recent months. Read our write-up here, which features the TUC’s response to the vital research.
On LabourList today, we’ve got an interview with Kate Dearden from Community union on the struggle of self-employed workers to be heard during the coronavirus crisis. We talk about their new campaign and new inquiry, how the self-employed are misunderstood and how they’ve been forgotten by the government. I will also be in conversation with shadow minister Sarah Jones tonight. If you have suggestions for questions on her policy brief, policing and the fire services, please email them to me – and don’t forget to join us at this link from 6pm to watch the event live. Sign up to LabourList’s morning email for everything Labour, every weekday morning.


labourlist--2020-10-28--Missing chance for circuit breaker has put “Christmas at risk”, says Ashworth

Jonathan Ashworth has declared that the government “ put Christmas at risk ” by failing to implement a national ‘ circuit breaker ’ lockdown over the October half-term as Labour recommended .
In a Times Radio interview this morning , the Shadow Health Secretary said the chances of more than six people being able to meet indoors for Christmas depends on what the government does next to “ get on top of this virus ” .
Ashworth said : “ I think because they ’ ve missed this window of opportunity over the half-term I ’ m worried that what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more drastic lockdown action throughout November and December , which sadly probably does put Christmas at risk .
“ The government have got to do something quickly to save Christmas for everybody because we want people to have a family Christmas , don ’ t we ?
I think it would be awful if people don ’ t get that.
” Keir Starmer had called on the government to implement a short , sharp ‘ circuit breaker ’ lockdown over the October half-term to ensure that the country did not “ sleep walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While Downing Street rejected the policy in favour of their tiered local lockdown framework , a similar two-week national lockdown is currently in place in Wales and set to end on November 9th .
On the government ’ s much-criticised test and trace programme , the Shadow Health Secretary told Times Radio : “ You can keep a reasonable grip of the virus if you ’ ve got a test and trace system that works… “ If you lose control of testing that means you lose control of tracing , and when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose control of the virus .
And sadly , here we are , all these months later where the government quite evidently has lost control of the virus.
” The newest Test and Trace figures released last week revealed that the programme had hit record lows , with just 59.6 % of coronavirus “ close contacts ” being reached by contact tracers and only 7.4 % of test results being delivered in 24 hours .
Ashworth also described Labour ’ s failure to deal with antisemitism as the most “ shameful period in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) report being released .
The Shadow Health Secretary said : “ That was a shameful period in our history and we have to be clear that we are never going back to that and we will do everything we can to repair relations with the Jewish community.
” The EHRC launched an investigation in May 2019 into “ whether The Labour Party has unlawfully discriminated against , harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish ” .
Its findings will be released shortly .

Jonathan Ashworth has declared that the government “put Christmas at risk” by failing to implement a national ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown over the October half-term as Labour recommended.
In a Times Radio interview this morning, the Shadow Health Secretary said the chances of more than six people being able to meet indoors for Christmas depends on what the government does next to “get on top of this virus”.
Ashworth said: “I think because they’ve missed this window of opportunity over the half-term I’m worried that what we’ll see is deeper, more drastic lockdown action throughout November and December, which sadly probably does put Christmas at risk.
“The government have got to do something quickly to save Christmas for everybody because we want people to have a family Christmas, don’t we? I think it would be awful if people don’t get that.”
Keir Starmer had called on the government to implement a short, sharp ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown over the October half-term to ensure that the country did not “sleep walk into a long and bleak winter”.
While Downing Street rejected the policy in favour of their tiered local lockdown framework, a similar two-week national lockdown is currently in place in Wales and set to end on November 9th.
On the government’s much-criticised test and trace programme, the Shadow Health Secretary told Times Radio: “You can keep a reasonable grip of the virus if you’ve got a test and trace system that works…
“If you lose control of testing that means you lose control of tracing, and when you lose control of tracing, you lose control of the virus. And sadly, here we are, all these months later where the government quite evidently has lost control of the virus.”
The newest Test and Trace figures released last week revealed that the programme had hit record lows, with just 59.6% of coronavirus “close contacts” being reached by contact tracers and only 7.4% of test results being delivered in 24 hours.
Ashworth also described Labour’s failure to deal with antisemitism as the most “shameful period in our history” ahead of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report being released.
The Shadow Health Secretary said: “That was a shameful period in our history and we have to be clear that we are never going back to that and we will do everything we can to repair relations with the Jewish community.”
The EHRC launched an investigation in May 2019 into “whether The Labour Party has unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish”. Its findings will be released shortly.


labourlist--2020-10-28--Community: The self-employed are “falling into the abyss” during Covid

The Conservative Party is supposed to champion the entrepreneur .
Tories are expected to be on the side of the person willing to take a bit of risk in the hope of creating something innovative , starting a business that could flourish .
But the lack of support for freelancers and self-employed people during the pandemic has provided the clearest example yet that the ruling party is also ruthless towards this group of workers , who have been punished amid coronavirus .
“ It just goes against the government ’ s entire levelling up agenda , doesn ’ t it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nation , you don ’ t leave half of them behind with no financial support and put them in dire circumstances , ” Kate Dearden tells me .
The head of research , policy and external relations at Community Union has spoken out against the treatment of the UK ’ s self-employed workers throughout coronavirus , via media appearances , lobbying the Treasury and engaging with trade union members – many of whom have found themselves entirely excluded from state support .
Community describes itself as a “ proud champion of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the UK ” and a few years ago launched a drive to sign up self-employed workers .
Kate is responsible for analysing sectors in which the union has members , monitoring how government policy is affecting those workers , building relationships including with the Labour Party and shadow cabinet , and looking after the union ’ s campaigns .
In fact , Community has just launched a new one , ‘ We are the UK ’ s self-employed ‘ , which aims to educate people about what self-employment really looks like .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people seem to have the impression “ they ’ re tax-dodgers , they ’ re wealthy , they don ’ t need support – but that is not the case at all ” .
Has Rishi Sunak reinforced that impression with the lack of aid available to these particular workers ?
Self-employment is “ not what Rishi Sunak and his friends might think it is ” , Kate tells me .
“ Our members just say all the time , ‘ we just want to be treated equally , we pay into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chancellor unveiled the self-employment income support scheme ( SEISS ) in March .
It was originally set at an equivalent level to schemes for employees , in the form of a taxable grant worth 80 % of average monthly trading profits , capped at £7,500 over three months , although this excluded the newly self-employed and saw mothers of kids under four receive less as they were not able to exempt maternity leave periods from the SEISS calculation .
The situation is now getting worse .
Even after the third version of Sunak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-employed are set to receive just 40 % of average monthly trading profits – even if their work has dried up entirely due to Covid .
Kate describes 40 % as “ a bit of a joke ” , and that is if they ’ re eligible .
“ I think the government does not understand self-employment or what it means to be self-employed , ” she says .
“ They don ’ t understand the jobs self-employed people do , the sectors they work in , and how – in the creative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve massively struggled , both because they work in that sector and because they ’ re self-employed .
The government don ’ t understand their working arrangements or lack of safety net – or they do and don ’ t care.
” What should the government be doing differently ?
“ We want to see those gaps plugged , a great increase to the SEISS , and looking at how we can address the disparities that the self-employed have experienced throughout the crisis .
They ’ ve had no safety net , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to get by and protect their livelihoods and families if they don ’ t have the basic things that every worker should be entitled to ?
” To include the excluded , the government could ask SEISS applicants to nominate years to calculate average incomes , Kate suggests .
They could offer kickstarter loans to those who ’ ve missed out , and could give extra money to local authorities for the newly self-employed as they did in Scotland .
“ There ’ s loads of different ways that we could get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed out quickly , and we just wish the government would act soon and listen.
” Community also backs sick pay being extended to the self-employed both during coronavirus and beyond the pandemic .
Kate recognises that trade unions haven ’ t always prioritised the self-employed , and she describes it as “ transformative ” that the movement is now reaching out to those workers , “ which traditionally it wouldn ’ t have in the past ” .
What about the Labour Party ?
It has often appeared comfortable talking about bogus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the genuinely self-employed , I suggest .
“ I think it ’ s got a lot better , ” Kate says .
She is pleased that from the start of Covid-19 , Anneliese Dodds has called for targeted support for the self-employed and only last week Labour protested that half a million are being “ left in the lurch ” by the Chancellor .
“ We need to bring that collectivism together for the self-employed , ” Kate Dearden tells me .
“ It might not be collective bargaining , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to them in their work , on health and safety , on sick pay , on a gender pay gap that is still uncertain about the self-employed community .
Loads of issues , particularly around disabled self-employers workers – that ’ s a growing section of the community.
” In that mission , Community has launched a new self-employment inquiry this month with Prospect Union .
Investigating how the self-employed have been hit by Covid , it aims to report before the next Budget on measures they want to see taken .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future tax regime .
Sunak hinted in March that he would raise National Insurance paid by the self-employed , saying : “ If we want to all equally benefit from state support , we must all pay in equally.
” This argument has since been weakened by his increasingly asymmetrical schemes .
Kate describes Sunak ’ s threat as “ a Tory way of doing things ” , and says the government should not be looking at tax changes in this area without consulting the self-employed .
This is Community ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these often overlooked and misunderstood group of workers , and giving them a voice .
Because as one of their members said , “ People aren ’ t just ‘ slipping through the cracks ’ , they are falling into the abyss.
” Kate sums it up : “ Self employed are workers too .
That ’ s the home of the trade union movement and the home of Labour .
If we can be that voice and that home , that changes the perception of who the self-employed are and who the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

The Conservative Party is supposed to champion the entrepreneur. Tories are expected to be on the side of the person willing to take a bit of risk in the hope of creating something innovative, starting a business that could flourish. But the lack of support for freelancers and self-employed people during the pandemic has provided the clearest example yet that the ruling party is also ruthless towards this group of workers, who have been punished amid coronavirus.
“It just goes against the government’s entire levelling up agenda, doesn’t it? If you want to level up a nation, you don’t leave half of them behind with no financial support and put them in dire circumstances,” Kate Dearden tells me. The head of research, policy and external relations at Community Union has spoken out against the treatment of the UK’s self-employed workers throughout coronavirus, via media appearances, lobbying the Treasury and engaging with trade union members – many of whom have found themselves entirely excluded from state support.
Community describes itself as a “proud champion of the five million strong self-employed and freelance community across the UK” and a few years ago launched a drive to sign up self-employed workers. Kate is responsible for analysing sectors in which the union has members, monitoring how government policy is affecting those workers, building relationships including with the Labour Party and shadow cabinet, and looking after the union’s campaigns. In fact, Community has just launched a new one, ‘We are the UK’s self-employed‘, which aims to educate people about what self-employment really looks like.
Kate says Community members have told her that people seem to have the impression “they’re tax-dodgers, they’re wealthy, they don’t need support – but that is not the case at all”. Has Rishi Sunak reinforced that impression with the lack of aid available to these particular workers? Self-employment is “not what Rishi Sunak and his friends might think it is”, Kate tells me. “Our members just say all the time, ‘we just want to be treated equally, we pay into the system too’.”
The Chancellor unveiled the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS) in March. It was originally set at an equivalent level to schemes for employees, in the form of a taxable grant worth 80% of average monthly trading profits, capped at £7,500 over three months, although this excluded the newly self-employed and saw mothers of kids under four receive less as they were not able to exempt maternity leave periods from the SEISS calculation. The situation is now getting worse. Even after the third version of Sunak’s winter economy plan, the self-employed are set to receive just 40% of average monthly trading profits – even if their work has dried up entirely due to Covid.
Kate describes 40% as “a bit of a joke”, and that is if they’re eligible. “I think the government does not understand self-employment or what it means to be self-employed,” she says. “They don’t understand the jobs self-employed people do, the sectors they work in, and how – in the creative industry, for example – they’ve massively struggled, both because they work in that sector and because they’re self-employed. The government don’t understand their working arrangements or lack of safety net – or they do and don’t care.”
What should the government be doing differently? “We want to see those gaps plugged, a great increase to the SEISS, and looking at how we can address the disparities that the self-employed have experienced throughout the crisis. They’ve had no safety net, no sick pay. How do you expect them to get by and protect their livelihoods and families if they don’t have the basic things that every worker should be entitled to?”
To include the excluded, the government could ask SEISS applicants to nominate years to calculate average incomes, Kate suggests. They could offer kickstarter loans to those who’ve missed out, and could give extra money to local authorities for the newly self-employed as they did in Scotland. “There’s loads of different ways that we could get money to self-employed workers who’ve missed out quickly, and we just wish the government would act soon and listen.” Community also backs sick pay being extended to the self-employed both during coronavirus and beyond the pandemic.
Kate recognises that trade unions haven’t always prioritised the self-employed, and she describes it as “transformative” that the movement is now reaching out to those workers, “which traditionally it wouldn’t have in the past”. What about the Labour Party? It has often appeared comfortable talking about bogus self-employment but less so when it comes to the genuinely self-employed, I suggest. “I think it’s got a lot better,” Kate says. She is pleased that from the start of Covid-19, Anneliese Dodds has called for targeted support for the self-employed and only last week Labour protested that half a million are being “left in the lurch” by the Chancellor.
“We need to bring that collectivism together for the self-employed,” Kate Dearden tells me. “It might not be collective bargaining, but we can stand up for issues that matter to them in their work, on health and safety, on sick pay, on a gender pay gap that is still uncertain about the self-employed community. Loads of issues, particularly around disabled self-employers workers – that’s a growing section of the community.”
In that mission, Community has launched a new self-employment inquiry this month with Prospect Union. Investigating how the self-employed have been hit by Covid, it aims to report before the next Budget on measures they want to see taken. One of the areas of scrutiny will be the future tax regime. Sunak hinted in March that he would raise National Insurance paid by the self-employed, saying: “If we want to all equally benefit from state support, we must all pay in equally.” This argument has since been weakened by his increasingly asymmetrical schemes.
Kate describes Sunak’s threat as “a Tory way of doing things”, and says the government should not be looking at tax changes in this area without consulting the self-employed. This is Community’s key focus: creating a collectivism for these often overlooked and misunderstood group of workers, and giving them a voice. Because as one of their members said, “People aren’t just ‘slipping through the cracks’, they are falling into the abyss.” Kate sums it up: “Self employed are workers too. That’s the home of the trade union movement and the home of Labour. If we can be that voice and that home, that changes the perception of who the self-employed are and who the labour movement is here to represent.”


labourlist--2020-10-28--My priorities as Labour’s shadow minister for policing and the fire service

The Conservatives ’ record on keeping people safe is woeful .
On their watch , violent crime has increased by 150 % , crimes are going unpunished , 21,000 officers have been cut from our streets and the police are struggling to deal with the devastating impact of dramatic cuts to mental health and other services .
In my constituency of Croydon Central , I have seen how crime – and in particular violent crime – is a top concern for people .
A concern that has not been addressed by the Conservatives .
It was six years ago that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts really started to hit , and the number of young lives tragically and needlessly lost to violent crime skyrocketed – not just in London but across the country .
In our fire service , we have seen the loss of 11,000 personnel since 2010 – a shocking 20 % of the service .
The government has failed to get a grip of the national crisis in fire safety , even after the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire .
Millions of people remain trapped in flats covered in flammable cladding , faced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Just last month , the government even voted against our amendment to the fire safety bill , which would have put in place simple safety measures that were recommended in the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry ’ s phase one report .
I set up the all-party parliamentary group ( APPG ) on knife crime and have spent the last three years fighting to prevent violent crime .
We have highlighted the importance of high-quality youth services , mental health support and tackling the huge rise in school exclusions .
And , crucially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health crisis , putting prevention at the heart of our response .
Sadiq Khan has shown how this can be delivered , doing huge amounts on this agenda in London .
Meanwhile , the UK government has failed to follow through on even its limited commitments .
With its own serious violence taskforce having not met in a year , it ’ s not hard to believe that Boris Johnson is more interested in a tough headline than actually tackling crime .
I was really delighted that Keir appointed me to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policing and fire , giving me the chance to serve on Labour ’ s frontbench in a role that I am truly passionate about .
I am in the brilliant shadow Home Office team led by Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds , and together we will do everything we can from opposition to bring down the crime levels we have seen under the Tories and hold this failing government to account .
As Keir set out in his conference speech , under his leadership Labour will be the party of opportunity , family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep people safe .
And building safer communities is my top priority .
This means safer homes and safer streets .
Police forces need adequate resources to ensure that offenders are caught and punished .
We need to rebuild our public services so that they can prevent people from committing crime in the first place .
We need to increase protections for our officers to allow them to safely do their jobs .
And we need to ensure our police service reflects and is trusted by the communities it serves , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ethnic minority recruits .
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic , our police and fire services have gone above and beyond in extremely difficult circumstances to support us .
I want to thank them for everything they do .
Every person , every family and every community deserves to walk the streets in safety and go to sleep at night without fear of a fire in their home .
As shadow minister for policing and fire , I will do all I can to challenge the government and make this a reality .
This piece @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the new frontbench .
Join us for our upcoming online event ‘ LabourList in conversation with Sarah Jones ’ on Wednesday , October 27th , at 6pm .

The Conservatives’ record on keeping people safe is woeful. On their watch, violent crime has increased by 150%, crimes are going unpunished, 21,000 officers have been cut from our streets and the police are struggling to deal with the devastating impact of dramatic cuts to mental health and other services.
In my constituency of Croydon Central, I have seen how crime – and in particular violent crime – is a top concern for people. A concern that has not been addressed by the Conservatives. It was six years ago that the impact of the government’s cuts really started to hit, and the number of young lives tragically and needlessly lost to violent crime skyrocketed – not just in London but across the country.
In our fire service, we have seen the loss of 11,000 personnel since 2010 – a shocking 20% of the service. The government has failed to get a grip of the national crisis in fire safety, even after the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire. Millions of people remain trapped in flats covered in flammable cladding, faced with extortionate bills and unable to sell. Just last month, the government even voted against our amendment to the fire safety bill, which would have put in place simple safety measures that were recommended in the Grenfell Tower Fire Inquiry’s phase one report.
I set up the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on knife crime and have spent the last three years fighting to prevent violent crime. We have highlighted the importance of high-quality youth services, mental health support and tackling the huge rise in school exclusions. And, crucially, of treating violence as a public health crisis, putting prevention at the heart of our response. Sadiq Khan has shown how this can be delivered, doing huge amounts on this agenda in London. Meanwhile, the UK government has failed to follow through on even its limited commitments. With its own serious violence taskforce having not met in a year, it’s not hard to believe that Boris Johnson is more interested in a tough headline than actually tackling crime.
I was really delighted that Keir appointed me to be the Labour Party’s shadow minister for policing and fire, giving me the chance to serve on Labour’s frontbench in a role that I am truly passionate about. I am in the brilliant shadow Home Office team led by Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, and together we will do everything we can from opposition to bring down the crime levels we have seen under the Tories and hold this failing government to account.
As Keir set out in his conference speech, under his leadership Labour will be the party of opportunity, family and security. We must be trusted to keep people safe. And building safer communities is my top priority. This means safer homes and safer streets. Police forces need adequate resources to ensure that offenders are caught and punished. We need to rebuild our public services so that they can prevent people from committing crime in the first place. We need to increase protections for our officers to allow them to safely do their jobs. And we need to ensure our police service reflects and is trusted by the communities it serves, with a campaign to recruit more Black and ethnic minority recruits.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, our police and fire services have gone above and beyond in extremely difficult circumstances to support us. I want to thank them for everything they do. Every person, every family and every community deserves to walk the streets in safety and go to sleep at night without fear of a fire in their home. As shadow minister for policing and fire, I will do all I can to challenge the government and make this a reality.
This piece is part of a series by members of the new frontbench.
Join us for our upcoming online event ‘LabourList in conversation with Sarah Jones’ on Wednesday, October 27th, at 6pm.


labourlist--2020-10-29--Tories set up special channels for “VIPs” to win lucrative PPE contracts

Special pathways outside of the normal procurement process were set up at the height of the pandemic to help “ VIPs ” win lucrative government contracts for personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , according to the Good Law Project ( GLP ) .
The not-for-profit organisation has today revealed leaked documents , which it has argued show that the Cabinet Office was “ directly feeding its contacts into the procurement process , outside the normal public channel ” .
GLP also said the leaked information exposed a “ startling opportunity for price gouging by favoured suppliers ” , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were more than 25 % above the average paid to other suppliers .
Commenting on the documents , Labour ’ s Rachel Reeves said : “ These disturbing new findings confirm suspicions that this Tory government put the profits of its friends and donors above the interests of the frontline workers .
“ Not only were some of these “ VIPs ” paid over the odds – in one case for unusable PPE – they were awarded these contracts at the height of the crisis when our NHS workers needed urgent , high @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Duchy of Lancaster added : “ Labour has previously called for an investigation from the National Audit Office into this government ’ s strange procurement decisions – it is vital this new evidence is included.
” Also commenting on the findings , GLP director Jolyon Maugham said : “ The leaked documents reveal that Cabinet Office contacts and others were helping ‘ VIPs ’ sell personal protective equipment to government outside normal procurement channels .
“ The information that government would buy at 25 % above the price paid to ‘ regular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enormous margins – 35-45 % – on contracts sometimes worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
” One of the documents released by GLP this morning stated on pricing for the equipment contracts : “ Cost per unit ex VAT without shipping costs to be provided ad comparison made to average unit prices .
“ If greater than 25 % variation , explanation why price achieved is reasonable to be provided , explain why prepayment is necessary , action to reduce it taken.
” Jolyon Maugham QC added : “ Although government has tried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it paid to connected suppliers , we know that Ayanda enjoyed staggering margins above the prices paid to others .
“ So there are certainly questions to be asked about whether other politically connected ‘ VIPs ’ benefitted from lucrative inside information about pricing.
” The GLP has argued that suspicions were aroused over government procurement processes after what it describes as “ enormous contracts ” were awarded to new entities , long-dormant companies or those of “ dubious financial standing ” .
The organisation highlighted several examples including PPE Medpro , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven weeks after it was set up by the former business associate of Conservative peer Baroness Mone .
The Project pointed out that staffing agency SG Recruitment UK Limited won two PPE contracts worth over £50m despite auditors raising concerns about its solvency , and that Tory Peer Lord Chadlington sits on its parent company ’ s board .
GLP also explained that P14 Medical Limited , which it says is controlled by the former Tory councillor Steve Dechan , was awarded three contracts worth over £276m despite having negative £485,000 in net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outsourcing in the pandemic .
The party recently accused Downing Street of “ damaging public confidence ” after it emerged that contracts worth £81m were awarded to a firm owned by a major Tory donor .
The party also called for the government to abandon its reliance on outsourcing in the national coronavirus test and trace system last month , arguing that Conservative ministers have been “ rewarding private-sector failings ” .
Official figures showed earlier in October that the largely privatised test and trace reached only 68.6 % of contacts , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ teams managed a 97.1 % contact rate over the same period .
But the government has insisted on continued use of private companies , despite poor performance and errors such as one in which over 15,000 Covid cases were not passed onto contact tracers and public health teams earlier this month .
Labour analysis of this one “ computing issue ” , as the Prime Minister described it , meant that as many as 48,000 people – who had come into close contact with someone who had the virus – were not informed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voted down a Labour opposition day debate motion that called on the government to drop private firms such as Serco from the highly-criticised tracing system and instead expand the role of public health teams .
GLP is currently involved in several judicial review cases against the Department for Health and Social Care , including some relating to PPE contracts handed to a pest control company , a confectionery wholesaler and a family fund .
The organisation highlighted that in the family fund case , involving Ayanda Capital , the legal action has revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government on face masks that the NHS was subsequently unable to use .
The Good Law Project is a not-for-profit membership organisation with the stated aim of using strategic litigation as a way to “ challenge abuses of power , exploitation , inequality , and injustice ” .
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment .

Special pathways outside of the normal procurement process were set up at the height of the pandemic to help “VIPs” win lucrative government contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the Good Law Project (GLP).
The not-for-profit organisation has today revealed leaked documents, which it has argued show that the Cabinet Office was “directly feeding its contacts into the procurement process, outside the normal public channel”.
GLP also said the leaked information exposed a “startling opportunity for price gouging by favoured suppliers”, with questions only being asked if prices offered were more than 25% above the average paid to other suppliers.
Commenting on the documents, Labour’s Rachel Reeves said: “These disturbing new findings confirm suspicions that this Tory government put the profits of its friends and donors above the interests of the frontline workers.
“Not only were some of these “VIPs” paid over the odds – in one case for unusable PPE – they were awarded these contracts at the height of the crisis when our NHS workers needed urgent, high-quality PPE.”
The Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster added: “Labour has previously called for an investigation from the National Audit Office into this government’s strange procurement decisions – it is vital this new evidence is included.”
Also commenting on the findings, GLP director Jolyon Maugham said: “The leaked documents reveal that Cabinet Office contacts and others were helping ‘VIPs’ sell personal protective equipment to government outside normal procurement channels.
“The information that government would buy at 25% above the price paid to ‘regular’ suppliers was a licence to make enormous margins – 35-45% – on contracts sometimes worth hundreds of millions of pounds.”
One of the documents released by GLP this morning stated on pricing for the equipment contracts: “Cost per unit ex VAT without shipping costs to be provided ad comparison made to average unit prices.
“If greater than 25% variation, explanation why price achieved is reasonable to be provided, explain why prepayment is necessary, action to reduce it taken.”
Jolyon Maugham QC added: “Although government has tried to cover up the per unit prices it paid to connected suppliers, we know that Ayanda enjoyed staggering margins above the prices paid to others.
“So there are certainly questions to be asked about whether other politically connected ‘VIPs’ benefitted from lucrative inside information about pricing.”
The GLP has argued that suspicions were aroused over government procurement processes after what it describes as “enormous contracts” were awarded to new entities, long-dormant companies or those of “dubious financial standing”.
The organisation highlighted several examples including PPE Medpro, which won two NHS contracts worth £200m just seven weeks after it was set up by the former business associate of Conservative peer Baroness Mone.
PPE Medpro told LabourList that the company “did not operate a VIP path and is not businesses friendly with the government in order to win PPE projects and at boosted prices”.
The organisation added: “We should be celebrated in what we achieved in an emergency crisis were materials and component prices went through the roof. The award of such contracts was entirely proper and lawful and was based on merit.”
The Law Project pointed out that staffing agency SG Recruitment UK Limited won two PPE contracts worth over £50m despite auditors raising concerns about its solvency, and that Tory Peer Lord Chadlington sits on its parent company’s board.
GLP also explained that P14 Medical Limited, which it says is controlled by the former Tory councillor Steve Dechan, was awarded three contracts worth over £276m despite having negative £485,000 in net assets.
Asked for comment, P14 said that all of the contracts awarded to the company “have been delivered on time and to the highest standards” and added that the organisation has been “supplying the NHS for over a decade”.
It also told LabourList: “P14 has long standing relationships with manufacturers across the globe, this has enabled us to deliver a high volume of products in a short period of time; including supplying the Nightingale Hospital based at the ExCeL centre with specialist PPE within days of the request.”
Labour has repeatedly criticised PPE outsourcing in the pandemic. The party recently accused Downing Street of “damaging public confidence” after it emerged that contracts worth £81m were awarded to a firm owned by a major Tory donor.
The party also called for the government to abandon its reliance on outsourcing in the national coronavirus test and trace system last month, arguing that Conservative ministers have been “rewarding private-sector failings”.
Official figures showed earlier in October that the largely privatised test and trace reached only 68.6% of contacts, while tracing undertaken by local public health protection teams managed a 97.1% contact rate over the same period.
But the government has insisted on continued use of private companies, despite poor performance and errors such as one in which over 15,000 Covid cases were not passed onto contact tracers and public health teams earlier this month.
Labour analysis of this one “computing issue”, as the Prime Minister described it, meant that as many as 48,000 people – who had come into close contact with someone who had the virus – were not informed and told to self-isolate.
The government voted down a Labour opposition day debate motion that called on the government to drop private firms such as Serco from the highly-criticised tracing system and instead expand the role of public health teams.
GLP is currently involved in several judicial review cases against the Department for Health and Social Care, including some relating to PPE contracts handed to a pest control company, a confectionery wholesaler and a family fund.
The organisation highlighted that in the family fund case, involving Ayanda Capital, the legal action has revealed that £150m had been spent by the government on face masks that the NHS was subsequently unable to use.
The Good Law Project is a not-for-profit membership organisation with the stated aim of using strategic litigation as a way to “challenge abuses of power, exploitation, inequality, and injustice”.
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment.


labourlist--2020-10-29--“Get a grip,” Labour tells Tories as attendance plummets for poorer pupils

Kate Green has demanded that the government “ urgently get a grip ” as new analysis has revealed that students in the most deprived areas across the UK are more likely to have had poor attendance since schools reopened in September .
Following the publication of the first data to compare attendance since children returned to school earlier this year by the Education Policy Institute , Green described the government ’ s failure to close the attainment gap .
The institute labelled the low attendance among disadvantaged pupils as a “ double blow ” as evidence has also shown that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus lockdown period in the spring .
Commenting on the analysis this morning , Shadow Education Secretary Green said : “ Labour has repeatedly called on the government to put measures in place to close the attainment gap but they have failed to do so .
“ The government must urgently get a grip of the situation and ensure that any child who has fallen behind will get the support they need to catch up including proper access to digital devices and broadband .
“ No child should be left behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The analysis by the EPI revealed that in some local areas over a third of pupils have been unable to attend school during the autumn term , with attendance levels as low as 61 % in Knowlsey , 67 % in Liverpool and 70 % in Rochdale .
The organisation has also highlighted that while attendance was predictably low in areas with a high prevalence of Covid cases , other authorities with a lower rate of Covid also saw high proportions of children missing out on school .
Local authorities to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases but a high rate of non-attendance in schools include Calderdale with 64 % attendance , Kingston-upon-Thames with 68 % and Bracknell Forest with 72 % .
Data from the study showed attendance rates were much higher in Northern Ireland and Scotland than in England and Wales at the start of the term , and the EPI speculated that this could be due to them having more time to prepare to reopen .
The EPI ’ s David Laws said : “ The most disadvantaged children in the UK are facing a double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the most learning time during the lockdown period in the spring and now during the autumn term of the new school year.
” The executive chairman added : “ Government support for these pupils currently falls short of what is required .
In England , the £650m to help pupils catch up with lost learning time allocates the same amount of funding to a pupil in an affluent area as it does to a pupil in a poorer area .
“ Funding also currently fails to take into consideration the rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of disruption faced by schools .
It is unclear why the government has not directed a greater proportion of funding to those pupils most in need of support .
“ There is a compelling case for a more targeted approach to support poorer pupils who are disproportionately missing out on learning time , in order to prevent a significant widening of the attainment gap.
” The government had to abandon an initial self-determined deadline of June 1st for the partial reopening of schools as government figures showed that just 52 % of schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 25 % of children eligible returning .
Schools eventually reopened in September , but only after the government had reversed its position on the use of masks in educational settings following pressure from the Labour Party , unions and teachers .
A number of Covid outbreaks were reported in schools shortly after children returned to classes last month , including at a school in Castle Rock that was visited by Prime Minister Boris Johnson .

Kate Green has demanded that the government “urgently get a grip” as new analysis has revealed that students in the most deprived areas across the UK are more likely to have had poor attendance since schools reopened in September.
Following the publication of the first data to compare attendance since children returned to school earlier this year by the Education Policy Institute, Green described the government’s failure to close the attainment gap.
The institute labelled the low attendance among disadvantaged pupils as a “double blow” as evidence has also shown that disadvantaged children lost the most learning time during the coronavirus lockdown period in the spring.
Commenting on the analysis this morning, Shadow Education Secretary Green said: “Labour has repeatedly called on the government to put measures in place to close the attainment gap but they have failed to do so.
“The government must urgently get a grip of the situation and ensure that any child who has fallen behind will get the support they need to catch up including proper access to digital devices and broadband.
“No child should be left behind because of this crisis or government incompetence.”
The analysis by the EPI revealed that in some local areas over a third of pupils have been unable to attend school during the autumn term, with attendance levels as low as 61% in Knowlsey, 67% in Liverpool and 70% in Rochdale.
The organisation has also highlighted that while attendance was predictably low in areas with a high prevalence of Covid cases, other authorities with a lower rate of Covid also saw high proportions of children missing out on school.
Local authorities to have seen a relatively low number of coronavirus cases but a high rate of non-attendance in schools include Calderdale with 64% attendance, Kingston-upon-Thames with 68% and Bracknell Forest with 72%.
Data from the study showed attendance rates were much higher in Northern Ireland and Scotland than in England and Wales at the start of the term, and the EPI speculated that this could be due to them having more time to prepare to reopen.
The EPI’s David Laws said: “The most disadvantaged children in the UK are facing a double blow to their education, after having lost the most learning time during the lockdown period in the spring and now during the autumn term of the new school year.”
The executive chairman added: “Government support for these pupils currently falls short of what is required. In England, the £650m to help pupils catch up with lost learning time allocates the same amount of funding to a pupil in an affluent area as it does to a pupil in a poorer area.
“Funding also currently fails to take into consideration the rate of infection in an area and the level of disruption faced by schools. It is unclear why the government has not directed a greater proportion of funding to those pupils most in need of support.
“There is a compelling case for a more targeted approach to support poorer pupils who are disproportionately missing out on learning time, in order to prevent a significant widening of the attainment gap.”
The government had to abandon an initial self-determined deadline of June 1st for the partial reopening of schools as government figures showed that just 52% of schools mandated to open did so, with only 25% of children eligible returning.
Schools eventually reopened in September, but only after the government had reversed its position on the use of masks in educational settings following pressure from the Labour Party, unions and teachers.
A number of Covid outbreaks were reported in schools shortly after children returned to classes last month, including at a school in Castle Rock that was visited by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.