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Kate Osamor is a new name on the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance NEC candidates slate. She tells Briefing about herself, her political activity and why she is standing for Labours top body.
with our GLA representative and local councillors to establish a councillor mentoring scheme for prospective women candidates. On a local and national level, the main task confronting the Labour Party now is to put forward policies that can solve the economic problems created by the Government. The Tory view that wealth can be created by reducing peoples standards of living is plainly false. The result of their austerity programme has been deterioration in the economy. It is clear that the Governments deficit reduction strategy is unfair and will disproportionately disadvantage women and families, particularly those on low incomes. Many women choose to work in the public sector because it offers a pension and secure, flexible work which allows them to combine work with their caring responsibilities. In Haringey over 1,000 council employees lost their jobs last year. Over 75% of Haringey council workforce are female, meaning a disproportionate number of women have lost their jobs. As the full impact of public sector job losses becomes clear, many women could find themselves having to take lower skilled work and a significant pay cut, or struggle to find work at all. This would be a shocking waste of talent and have a devastating impact on family incomes. Public sector job losses and welfare cuts will disproportionately hit womens income and set progress on closing the gender pay gap back years. Alongside the attacks on public sector jobs and pensions, women are more likely to depend on the welfare system and will be hit hardest by cuts to benefits. These include the three year freeze in the value of Child Benefit, in addition to the withdrawal of Child Benefit from women living in a household where one adult is a higher rate taxpayer. Also, the abolition of the Baby Element of Tax Credits (worth a maximum of 545 to eligible families) and a reversal of Labours commitment to introduce a Toddler Tax Credit (worth a maximum of 208 for eligible families) will hit women hard. The abolition of the Womens National Commission, cutbacks and a review of the functions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission and cuts to legal aid are further examples of recent government announcements which will have a direct, negative effect on women. To that end I ask that you all support the needs of women and families during this time of austerity. The Tories are creating a society that is less safe. They are offering no way forContinued on page 18
Kate Osamor
Labour Briefing 17
LABOUR PARTY
Continued from page 17 ward: they resort to fostering division and whipping up prejudice. However, there is already significant opposition to the Governments austerity programme. In March 2011, the TUC demonstration against government cuts saw around half a million people march through London in protest against cuts in the public sector. On 30th November last year, public sector workers joined in a mass walkout to protest against government pension reforms. Around 750,000 public sector workers voted for strike action across four sectors health, education, civil service and local government. The Labour Party must provide a lead to this opposition and, since the Coalition attacks on the public sector will hit women hardest, women must be central to this opposition. With Ed Miliband as leader we have come some way in rebuilding our lost support. Now the NEC needs to focus on developing policies and campaigns that pin responsibility for the current situation on the Government and indicate the difference Labour will make. Our message has to be one of decisive action to help people through these tough times. Labour should be investing in key sectors of the economy, including public services, to create jobs that will provide real help and support to families. The party needs a range of people with different experiences at the NEC, to help ensure our campaigns are relevant across the electorate. With the involvement of a black woman, the NEC would be stronger and better reflect the diversity of voters we seek to represent. We also need to reconnect with younger people who worry their future is being sold off to pay for the mistakes of the buy-now, pay-later generation. I support core Labour values of social justice, peace and public ownership, particularly of the public services. I encourage party members to become more involved including getting more women to stand for office. The NECs focus must be on winning the next General Election and if elected I could use my breadth of experience to assist that work. I would take account of the views of party members and be accountable.
Darren Williams (Cardiff West CLP) reports on Wales Labour Party Conference.
rather than criticism or demands. Aslef welcomed plans for a not-for-dividend Welsh rail franchise and Unite praised the launch of Future Jobs Wales, which will provide 4,000 16-to-24 year olds annually with six months of work or training at the national minimum wage. As ever, some of the most interesting discussions took place at the fringes particularly the well-attended meeting held by Welsh Labour Grassroots. Cardiff Council candidate Siobhan Corria argued that Labour needs to engage with local communities if it is to win back Welsh town halls and run progressive Administrations after 3rd May. Assembly Member and Welsh Labour policy guru, Mark Drakeford, excoriated Europes disastrous austerity policies and observed that the Obama Administration, in contrast, had promoted growth and jobs although, in a grossly unequal society, the benefits were flowing predominantly to capital and the rich. He hoped that, in Wales, we could get both the economics and the politics right. Unite and Labour NEC member Martin Mayer described his unions strategy for building an activist base in the Party, able to develop and fight for socialist policies and secure the election of union-friendly MPs. Welsh Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, reiterated Carwyns message about the NHS in Wales, reaffirming that reconfiguration would be governed by the best way to deliver quality services, not by neoliberal dogma. These discussions continue to play a vital role in arming activists for the battles ahead. Contact WLG at 33 Lansdowne Road, Cardiff CF5 1PQ, email: darren.s.williams@hotmail.co.uk.
18 Labour Briefing