Labour has lost a safe seat and its soul

Time for the Trade unions to think about its funding.

George Galloway

Respect party’s George Galloway’s has scored a truly remarkable bye election victory in ‘Labours safe seat’ of Bradford West. Winning by an amazing 10.000 votes should send a message to the Con- Dem coalition, but also to Labour and the Trade Unions that fund them to them unconditionally, to the hilt.

Galloway’s mantra was ‘Bring the troops home from Afghanistan’: ‘No to the privatisation of the NHS’: ‘End the attacks on pensions, jobs and services’: ‘Tax the rich: Make the Banking bosses pay for the crisis which was of their own making’.

Jerry Hicks said “Labour [New or not] you've not just lost a 'safe seat' but more importantly you've lost your soul. You should look up the word 'opposition”.

I say [Jerry Hicks] “The time has come for Unite the union to stop immediately throwing £10 millions of pounds of members money at Labour for nothing in return”.

“We must only fund Labour MP's and councils who support our policies, only those that back us when we are fighting to defend our jobs services. And most importantly, only those who will repeal all of anti union laws”.

Greetings and solidarity for the 101st International Women’s Day

It's great to be marking this event once more. So here are some random facts for your information. I note the TUC Equality Audit Report 2011 omits the number of General Secretaries by gender.

Worldwide            

• 17 countries in the world have women leaders (2012)
• 9 of 151 elected heads of state and 11 of 192 heads of government are women.
  
• Globally, women hold only 16 per cent of ministerial posts. (2010)
  
• Women make up nearly two thirds of the worlds 759 million illiterate adults

UK

There are 21.5% women MPs in the UK parliament . There are 15 women High Court judges and 92 men in the UK .

Local Government

• 469 councils in 2001 of these Chief executives 36 = women
  
• Women make up 30.6% of councillors across the UK (2010)
  
• 149 BME women councillors. To be representative needs to be nearer a
  thousand. (2009)
  
• 2010 over 40% of newly-elected MPs at the General Election had been
  councillors. Nearly three quarters of these were men. Suggests a
  springboard effect from local to national politics that is biased in favour of
  men
  

Private sector (2011)

• 18 FTSE 100 companies have no female directors.
• Nearly half of all FTSE 250 companies do not have a woman in the boardroom. (I wonder how many men clean board rooms?)  

Health 

• Women's life expectancy at birth was more than 80 years in 35 countries, but only 54 years in the WHO African Region. (2007)
  
• All (99 percent) of the half a million maternal deaths every year occur in developing countries. (2010)
  
• Girls are far more likely than boys to suffer sexual abuse. (2010)
  
• On average - two women are murdered by their current or former partner each week. (2012)
  

For all we have done in the trade union movement and the difference we have all made we still have a long way to go. Mustn't forget to thank the progressive brothers for your support.



A luta continua



Lesley Mansell