A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Ballot papers

Good to see that Amicus, as well as inserting a call to vote Cruddas with their ballot papers, has put in a party membership form and the nominations booklet with statements from all the 6 candidates, so every one has had some chance to communicate with members of the union. This is a big improvement from my memory of 1994 as a TGWU member when I think we just got a letter of instruction on who to vote for from Bill Morris, and no material about the non-TGWU nominated candidates - maybe this is a false memory but I don't remember getting the nominations booklet with my union ballot that time.

TGWU have done the same as Amicus this time, though their pro-Cruddas leaflet features the same picture of Jon as Amicus', but carefully trimmed down the left hand margin so you can't see that he was actually having his pic taken with Derek Simpson - shades of Soviet era air-brushings out.

The Fabians have gone one better and sent a nice little book of essays -http://fabians.org.uk/publications/book/deputies-choice-07/ - with the ballot paper, though it does have some rather unflattering cartoons of the candidates.

Anyone know what material other unions and affiliates have sent with the ballots?

6 Comments:

Blogger Tom said...

I love those fabian cartoons.

2:31 am, June 10, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

More interestingly, does anyone know what the CWU is sending out with their ballot papers, given their conference' decision to withdraw support from Johnson ? I have to admit feeling rather sorry for him over that decision,( although like many teachers, would rather chew off my own arm than vote for AJ.) My line is that if the CWU exec had been asked to make the union's recommendation (which they did) then that should have been accepted. Anyone know what the CWU line with the ballot papers now is ?

9:35 pm, June 10, 2007

 
Blogger Chris Paul said...

Not had any yet. Not Amicus. Not Co-op Party.

2:29 pm, June 11, 2007

 
Blogger Luke Akehurst said...

There is no Co-op ballot. Apparently they are not affiliated at UK level, only at CLP and regional level.

4:52 pm, June 11, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Christian Socialist Movement: letter from chair Alun Michael & director Andrew Brickstock urging us to take part. Mentioned their hustings:
"The atmosphere was gratifying - the candidates could have just come for 15 minutes and left but they all came and stayed to listen to each other and then stayed to the end to talk to members. The atmosphere was one of candidates campaigning FOR an important role and not campaigning AGAINST each other." You will have guessed from these kind words that CSM ain't nominating/recommending anyone! (Imagine leaving after 15mins would merit a less charitable aside...?)
PS GMB still to arrive...

1:26 am, June 12, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

GMB out now. GenSec's letter: Central Executive Committee met to consider who to recommend. Hain4Labour GMB RECOMMENDS flyer enclosed: "his decades-long membership of the GMB", narrowing inequality gap & creating new Employment Rights Commission.
Peter best person - unifier, team player, lifelong record of campaigning. TU issues: keep 50% share at conference "unlike other declared candidates"; protect pension funds & rights of temp/agency workers; investment & reform in public services "underpinned by Labour values, by keeping public services and staff in the public sector"; enforce new corporate manslaughter laws & review private equity funds' role in company takeovers. 2 pics - nurses & Nelson, of course!

9:15 pm, June 14, 2007

 

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