Labour Uncut

INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote Meg

15/09/2010, 05:13:11 PM

From: HILLIER, Meg
Sent: 15 September 2010 xx:xx
Subject: Shadow Cabinet Elections

MEG HILLIER MP

Dear colleague

I just wanted to let you know that I will be putting my name forward in the Shadow Cabinet elections.

Experience

3 years as a Home Office minister with a challenging portfolio (including ID cards, vetting and barring, Europe and immigration)

5 years as MP for inner city London

4 years as a London Assembly member, active in my scrutiny of Mayor Ken Livingstone and promoting an agenda that would deliver for my constituents in transport and planning in particular

8 years as an elected local councillor in both opposition and control (I was also Mayor with the casting vote when Labour was evenly balanced with the LibDems)

I am a practised media and Commons performer.

I am a strong grassroots campaigner – in the 1998 local elections Labour held control of the council because we won back a Lib Dem seat by three votes after a relentless campaign in my ward (Jeremy Corbyn and Stephen Twigg know the work involved)

Personal

We often talk about diversity in politics. I am a school gate Mum of three (the youngest is aged 18 months) and I have also been a carer for two disabled adults (I now provide respite care for one of them).

I grew up under Margaret Thatcher and saw the Tories dismantle Britain. Labour spent 13 years rebuilding our country. We have seen huge investment in schools, hospitals and other local facilities. We cannot let this Government wreck that. We need to win again in 5 years time to stem their worst excesses and work to invest in the human capital in our regions and nations. As a young journalist in South Yorkshire I saw first hand the direct impact on families and communities of Tory inspired pit closures. We must stop their wrecking spree.

I want to take on the Tories and Lib Dems in the House of Commons, in the media and on the doorstep.

We also have a huge opportunity to develop policies with our membership. I am no lone ranger. As a minister I reached out to MPs across the party and the UK to make sure their views were heard and acted on as policy decisions were made and implemented. As a shadow minister I would continue to work with colleagues in the party and in Parliament. The leader and shadow cabinet need this input.

I represent one of the poorest constituencies in the UK. Over half my constituents live in social housing and unemployment is still too high. Having a Labour MP and a Labour council is not enough. My constituents need a Labour Government.

I hope to speak to you over the next few days. You can reach me on XXXXXXXXXX.

Meg Hillier

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INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote Helen

15/09/2010, 05:06:19 PM

Helen Goodman

Shadow DWP Minister & MP for Bishop Auckland

Dear Colleague,

I am asking for your support in the Shadow Cabinet Elections.

I was really proud to be a Minister at DWP in the last government, when we were providing real support for young unemployed people through the Future Jobs Fund. In 1979 I lost my first job before I had even started due to the first round of Thatcher’s cuts and I had to live in a hostel for homeless women behind Victoria Station for several months, so I know how much our support mattered to people and I find it incredible that the Coalition Government is taking the country back through all that pain.

Clearly our first priority as an Opposition is to oppose the Government cuts, and the harsh social consequences. But we need to be forensic in going through the detail, as I have sought to do on Housing Benefit and Child Poverty and expose the big lie – that their course of action is necessary.

We also need to present the public with a more positive alternative. I believe that we need to concentrate on what people want, and I think we should be bolder. I would like see the next Labour Government undertake to deliver:

A million new homes

A million new childcare places

A million new green jobs.

Of course these could not all be financed through public spending: we should be flexible in terms of policy instruments and concentrate on what works. The key thing is to be confident that we can change things for the better.

I entered Parliament in 2005 and as well as being a Junior Minister at DWP taking the Child Poverty Bill through Parliament, I have been Deputy Leader of the House, in the Whips Office, PPS at the MOJ, and on the PAC. I was also elected as PLP rep on the NPF. I belong to the GMB, CSM, Fabians and the Co-op Party.

In my constituency I have campaigned strongly against the BNP and succeeded in turning the tide by building a coalition with the trade unions, local churches and community groups.

But I would say my experience beforehand was just as important: for seven years I worked in the voluntary sector mainly on children’s issues, and I was a Treasury official for 17 years working on both domestic and international policy, representing the UK in the EU and OECD.

I am currently not planning to write to you several times, so if you would like to talk to me further please ring me on xxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Yours,

Helen Goodman

Member of Parliament for Bishop Auckland

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INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote for Sadiq

15/09/2010, 03:27:47 PM

A shadow cabinet vote for me letter, from an actual member of the shadow cabinet.

From: KHAN, Sadiq
Sent: 13 September 2010
To: KHAN, Sadiq
Subject: Shadow Cabinet election

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to ask for your support in the Shadow Cabinet election that will take place between 30th September and 7th October. I know you’ll be receiving many other emails along the same lines from other colleagues, so I’ll try to keep it concise.

Over the last few years, I hope that I have shown the energy, skills and values to be an effective, hard working and approachable member of the Shadow Cabinet. If elected to continue serving, I will be:

Campaigning – highlighting and challenging the failures and bad policy of the coalition nationally while making sure you have the materials and information you need to campaign locally and represent your constituents in the House.

Collegiate – working with all colleagues, through the backbench committee and PLP policy groups, to shape policy, develop our arguments and define our positions

Committed – I’ll put to use the same zeal and energy which saw me re-elected in a key marginal to tackling the Tories and Lib Dems and representing the Party to the public

Following stints as a Whip and then a Minister at DCLG, I worked with Andrew Adonis as Minister of State for Transport (attending Cabinet). I’m immensely proud of the work we did in that time, and of the ambitious approach we took to tackling the transport challenges of the future. I’m confident that our actions improved our national and local transport networks, contributing to improved quality of life, fairness, and economic recovery across the country.

As you know, I was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Transport in May, a position which, as the son of a London bus driver, I’ve been very proud to hold for these last few months. During that time, I hope that you have found me approachable and ready to take on board any insights you have had on transport (or any other area), to answer any questions and to provide support and advice on your local campaigns. I also hope you have found me to be an effective performer both in the Commons and the media.

I realise that voting will take place during recess, so if we don’t have chance to speak in person during the next few days or at Conference, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by phone or email. I’ll be writing again over the next few days to set out in more detail why I’m standing for the Shadow Cabinet. I know that you’ll be receiving a lot of communications on this subject, so if you’d rather not hear from me again, please do let me know.

Best wishes
Sadiq

Rt Hon Sadiq Khan MP

Member of Parliament for Tooting

House of Commons

London

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INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote for Kevin

15/09/2010, 03:12:30 PM

We have recieved four of these already.

From: BRENNAN, Kevin
Sent: 15 September 2010 15:01
Subject: FW: Shadow Cabinet Election

Shadow Cabinet Elections
Help shape Britain’s progressive future

Dear friend,

This is to let you know formally that I will be a candidate for the Shadow Cabinet.

At the first PLP meeting after the General Election I said that we would be fooling ourselves if we thought that the coalition would last months rather than years. I hold to that view, and to the belief that we need to think strategically about our path back to power.

The Coalition’s strategy is to emphasise the pain, to lower expectations and hope that, like in the 80s, Labour will be divided. Even with higher unemployment they calculate that sufficient voters will be relieved to have survived the recession and still be in work, and that this will win them re-election. Combined with the rushing through of partisan constitutional changes, they hope to consign us to opposition for at least two terms.

If we are going to thwart them we need to set out a strong positive alternative to their politics of fear, as well as exposing how their policies are damaging Britain.

We need a powerful, united and strategically focussed Shadow Cabinet team to counter their plans, containing colleagues capable of taking on Government Ministers in the Commons, the media and the country.

As well as having been Head of Economics in a Cardiff, I have been in the Party for 31 years, was a local councillor for 10 years and ran Welsh First Minister Rhodri Morgan’s office and campaigns. I came into the House in 2001 and led the campaign on behalf of Allied Steel and Wire workers which led to the setting up of the Pension Protection Fund. I was epolitix Disability Charity Champion of the Year 2004 for my work on Muscular Dystrophy. Comprehensive School

Until May I was Minister of State for Apprenticeships, FE, Skills and Consumer Affairs at BIS. I have also served as Minister for the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office, as well as Children’s Minister at DCSF. Prior to that I spent two years serving in the Government Whips’ office. I established a reputation across the House as a strong campaigner and performer in all these roles.

I believe that I have a lot to offer to the party in opposition too, and have got stuck into the new government from day one. I hope that you will give me one of your votes in the upcoming contest. Please call me on xxxxxxxxxxxxx if you would like to ask me anything.
Best wishes

Kevin

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INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote for Ivan

15/09/2010, 03:03:41 PM

From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2010 XXXXXXXX
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Shadow Cabinet Election

Dear XXXXXXXX,

Shadow Cabinet Election – A fresh Start

I am writing to ask for your support in the Shadow Cabinet election. This election provides an opportunity to ensure new voices and fresh ideas can play a key role in shaping the renewal of our party.

I offer:

1. A substantive track record of delivery and innovation

In my nine years as a Minister I demonstrated that Government can transform people’s lives through strong political vision and leadership underpinned by Labour values.

Some examples

In Education – I created young apprenticeships which give talented young people the chance to fulfil their potential via vocational education and developed the first ever Government led anti bullying programme which to this day is impacting in every school across the country.

In Health – I moved the complex issues of social care and dementia from the margins to the top of the political agenda.

2. An engaging style of politics

In every Ministerial role I developed an authentic two way dialogue with people on the front line building mutual trust and respect beyond Whitehall. This included road shows in every region and meant I was able to champion the need for reform while maintaining goodwill towards the Government. I treated Trade Unions as social partners not “embarrassing relatives”. As Social Care Minister the media presented me as more of a campaigner for change than a politician defending a failing system.

3. The courage to stand up and be counted

I am a loyalist but also someone who is willing to speak his mind when necessary. Three years ago I was the first Labour politician to warn that there was an urgent need for us to reassure both working and middle class voters that we were still the party of fairness and “on their side”. Sadly, while we subsequently adopted fairness as our political mantra by that stage too many people no longer believed it was our true mission. As a Labour team we must never allow such a disconnect to happen again.

In the weeks ahead I want to hear your views and will be expanding on my vision for the future. I ask for your support with humility but also a genuine belief that I can make a serious contribution to renewing Labour as an effective opposition and credible alternative Government.

Best wishes.

Ivan

PS If you would welcome a chat please call me on XXXXXXXXXX

Ivan Lewis MP

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INSIDE: Shadow cabinet: Vote for Barry

15/09/2010, 02:57:09 PM

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INSIDE: First of the ShadCab “vote for me” letters

15/09/2010, 02:46:15 PM

We’re going to post these until we get bored of them.

We think it’s more likely to be days than weeks.

From: IRRANCA-DAVIES, Huw
Sent: 14 September 2010 20:00
Subject: Shadow Cabinet Elections

Dear Colleague,

I am writing to let you know that I am standing for the Shadow Cabinet, and to ask you to use one of your votes for me. My guarantee is this: I will draw on all the talents of the PLP to turn our government-in-waiting into a government in power.

With the clear direction of a new Leader, the Shadow Cabinet team must quickly capture the imagination and hopes of the public with bold ideas and a clear vision of the Britain we want to see. Our cabinet must be truly representative of wider society, with a blend of old-hands and new faces, of gender and ethnicity, of intellect and ideas and passion. We need people with varied life experiences – in direct contrast to the Coalition Cabinet of multi-millionaires.

As a member of the Shadow Cabinet, I will work directly with members of the PLP because we simply cannot ignore this wealth of talent and knowledge. For me, this is more than words: the hallmark of every policy and piece of legislation I have taken through the commons as a Minister – including the Marine and Coastal Access Act last year – has been an active and constructive engagement with colleagues.

My experience as a Minister for the Environment, in the Wales Office, as a Government Whip, and as a parliamentary aide in the Northern Ireland Office, DCMS and DWP has provided a thorough and varied preparation. Alongside my experience in negotiations with devolved administrations and at the European Council, I can confidently say that I am ready to serve in the Shadow Cabinet.

Before Westminster, I had a successful career in public and private sector management, and in Higher Education, but I began as a sports centre recreation assistant. My wife – an NHS front-liner – and I juggle the responsibilities for three boys aged 14, 13 and 12 with our work. I’ve been through the shock of redundancy – a real lesson in life – subsequently working as a night-shift security guard. These experiences – the knocks and the successes of life – make us what we are, connect us with the people we represent, and make us better politicians.

I have campaigned for this great Labour Party since I was young, as a grassroots activist and community organiser. Having served the party in many capacities, I am now ready to serve in the Shadow Cabinet in preparation for our return to government.

I ask for your support, and I look forward to speaking with you in the next few days.

Regards,

Huw

Huw Irranca-Davies

Shadow Environment Minister

***************************************************************************************

From: BLACKMAN-WOODS, Roberta
Sent: 15 September 2010 11:54
Subject: Roberta for Shadow Cabinet

Dear colleague,

Sorry to add yet more to your overloaded inbox but I want to let you know that I am standing as a candidate for the Shadow Cabinet and to ask for your support.

Since I arrived in Parliament in 2005 I have shown myself to be a hard working MP who is not afraid to take on the opposition and speak up strongly for the Labour cause.

I am pleased that colleagues elected me a number of times onto the Parliamentary Committee as one of your six representatives. I was a Deputy Minister in the last Parliament and am currently a Shadow Minister in BIS. I have served on the Education Select Committee, the Science and Technology Select Committee and the BIS Select Committee. I also served on 13 Bill Committees and spearheaded new legislation on private rented accommodation and licensing. Along with other MPs I also led the campaign for universal free school meals in our primary schools.

Before entering parliament I had a successful career in higher education and I now chair the All-Party University Group. I also chair the Associate Parliamentary Group for Afghanistan and the Balanced and Sustainable Communities Group. I have previously been Co-Chair of the Women’s PLP and colleagues recently elected me to Labour’s most senior position within the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association as Vice Chair.

I write this to demonstrate that I would very much want to use this experience and expertise to help make the Shadow Cabinet a really effective fighting force.

I am a good listener too and would want to keep open a real dialogue with the PLP. I think this is ever more important as we seek to develop a new set of policies. These need to challenge the Coalition’s damaging and divisive agenda, driven by a right-wing ideology that we need to expose and defeat.

I think it is vital that we elect members of the Shadow Cabinet who not only have stamina, and can inspire and motivate others, but are also team players. Resources are much scarcer in opposition and members of the Shadow Cabinet must be able to make the most of the talents of the Shadow Ministerial teams and the PLP. I think I can do this, but we can also draw on wider support which can help us win our arguments.

For example, there are sympathetic academics I know who will help us gather the evidence we need to undermine the policies of the current government. We didn’t always manage to do this when in government, and it is essential that we do it in opposition so we can win the argument and shape a renewed progressive agenda for Labour.

If elected I would also make sure we keep listening to our party members. They too have expertise and knowledge that we need.

Please do get in touch if you would like further information. I won my Durham seat this year against the odds because of relentless campaigning and hard work, a reputation for listening and delivering, and by mobilising a truly collective effort. I now want to offer these skills and commitment to serving the Labour Party in our Shadow Cabinet.

I hope that you will give me your support.

Best wishes

Roberta Blackman-Woods

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INSIDE: As the cold war begins, so do the defections

15/09/2010, 11:45:43 AM

What have Liverpool, Exeter, Hull and Rotherham got in common? Football clubs not playing in the champions league tonight? Too easy. All places that charmless hacks would patronisingly dismiss if any poor lamb from the capital were ever forced to live there ? True, but still not quite right.

Add in the midlands authority of Sandwell and the preposterously well informed among you will have guessed we are in the glamorous world of post-election defections. We’ve all heard about the thousands of new members joining Labour since May, but there is one standout group – local councillors crossing the floor to join the party with no leader.

Observers of British politics see local government in the way casual sport fans view county cricket – it’s an interesting diversion but it’s only really important when it affects the national team. This may well be true, but just like in county cricket, what goes on in the provinces can tell us an awful lot about the direction of travel for the wider game.

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UNCUT: We need a more sophisticated response to the big society, says Peter Watt

15/09/2010, 09:00:11 AM

I know what is best for me and what is best for my family. You don’t.

I suspect that most people in the Labour party feel the same about themselves and their families. By and large, we are a pretty independently minded bunch which doesn’t take kindly to being told what to do, how to think and how to vote in (say) internal elections. Presumably this is because we think that we are intelligent, capable of free thinking and able to take decisions for ourselves?

So why do we think that voters want us making so many decisions for them? We have set rules about what school people can send their kids to; what, when and how their home-support services are delivered if they are infirm; when they can visit the GP; which part of town they can live in and even what sort of food they can eat or feed to their families. Of course if you are wealthy enough then you can bypass the rules that we set and decide for yourself. No, our rules are very inequitable and only apply to those who can’t afford to buy their way out of sticking to them. Understandably people are beginning to say “enough – I want to make some decisions for myself.”

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UNBOUND: Wednesday News Review

15/09/2010, 07:16:00 AM

Closest since 2007

Factor in the usual caveats about polling so soon after a change of government, but the latest Sun/YouGov poll is still pretty eyecatching. It has the Tories on 40 percent, Labour on 39 and the Lib Dems on 12 – the smallest gap between the two main parties since the election-that-never-was in October 2007. Here’s a graph of the the two parties’ positions since the beginnning of the general election campaign:

The Spectator

David twice as popular

David Miliband is the choice of Labour voters to be the next leader of the party, according to a ComRes survey for The Independent. He is more than twice as popular as his nearest rival, his younger brother Ed, when Labour supporters are asked to name their preferred candidate; who would make the best leader of the opposition; the best prime minister and have the best chance of leading Labour back to power. The poll, conducted among more than 1,500 people who have voted Labour at least once since 1992, found that David Miliband was also the most likely of the five Labour leadership candidates to win over floating voters and those people who backed Labour in 2005 but switched to the Liberal Democrats or Conservative Party this year. – The Independent

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