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  • Sue Ferns – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    Sue Ferns – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    The speech made by Sue Ferns, the President of TUC, to the TUC Conference on 18 October 2022.

    Vice-President, Frances, Paul, delegates:

    It’s wonderful to address you as TUC President.
    To be at our first in-person Congress for three years.
    And I want to begin by thanking my two predecessors.
    Two good friends of mine.
    Gail Cartmail and Ged Nichols.
    As Ged said, there had been 152 TUC Congresses.
    And it was just his luck to preside over the first ever virtual one.
    But Ged and Gail both did us proud.
    We may have been apart – but they kept us together.
    I also want to thank Mike – boss and friend – and everyone at Prospect for their support throughout the year.
    I’m incredibly proud to be part of such a unique union.
    Private and public, we represent professionals and specialists on whom we all depend:
    The air traffic controllers keeping our skies safe.
    Our members keeping the BBC on air in the face of threats to the future of public service broadcasting.
    Scientists tackling our climate emergency.
    Energy workers supplying our homes, schools and hospitals despite the extreme weather events across the seasons.
    And I want to say a few words about our members in the civil service.
    Committed public servants who helped get us through the pandemic and Brexit.
    The scientists whose advice we all depended on, now openly derided by ministers.
    Civil servants who found out in the Daily Mail about the proposals to cut 91,000 of their jobs.
    Shortly followed by Liz Truss’s ill-conceived plans to introduce regional pay.
    To the government, to the new Prime Minister, we say this:
    Together we are strong. Together we are united. And together we will fight for our members every step of the way.
    Friends, my year as President has been dominated by Putin’s war in Ukraine and of course by the cost-of-living crisis.

    I’ve heard the Prime Minister is looking for the anti-growth coalition.

    Yes, the Prime Minister whose budget crashed the economy.

    After less than a fortnight in charge.

    So, I say this to the Prime Minister, if you want to find the anti-growth coalition, then take a look in the mirror.

    Because working people will be taking no lessons on growth from you.

    But there have been many highlights too.
    And none better than meeting trade unionists the length and breadth of the country.
    During the COP26 in Glasgow, I joined the GMB picket line during the refuse collectors’ dispute.
    Men and women who didn’t just care about the jobs they do and the communities they serve.
    But just one example of workers helping to care for our environment, yet so often taken for granted.
    Because it’s clear that it’s not just governments or businesses that will tackle climate change.
    A fair transition simply will not happen unless workers and their unions have a real say in decision-making and are properly supported through a process of fair change.
    And earlier this year, I travelled to Plymouth to unveil a plaque commemorating the return of the Tolpuddle Martyrs.
    That was on the same day as P&O workers learned that they were sacked on Zoom.
    A reminder that almost two centuries after Tolpuddle, workers still face many of the same challenges:
    Bad bosses. Insecure work. A government that serves wealth, but attacks labour.
    It’s worth remembering that during the pandemic, the government lauded key workers and worked with unions to deliver furlough.
    Two years on, and it attacks those same workers for asking for a decent pay rise – waging a right-wing assault on our movement.
    Well, I say this to the government: you’ve completely misjudged the public mood. But you don’t need to take my word for it – just look at the latest opinion polls.
    The British people have rather more faith in trade unionists than they do in Tory politicians. And we will fight any attempt to restrict our employment and trade union rights.
    When we marched on 18 June, we said there was more to follow.
    And Congress, today we are clear:
    Workers across the country have had enough and are fighting back.
    Rail workers, bus drivers, posties, NHS staff, teachers and many others across the economy are joining together to send a clear message.
    We know it’s not wages that are driving up inflation.
    But where’s the scrutiny of profits and bonuses?
    No more real term cuts – we demand fair pay now.
    It’s about time the real wealth creators got a look in.
    Despite promising to get wages rising, the government is once again treating us as the enemy within.
    What do politicians expect? We’re an industrial movement doing our job. Fighting for decent pay for working people.
    But Congress, we’re not perfect.
    At the start of my year as President, I made tackling sexual harassment a priority.
    We’ve done lots of good work. But there’s a lot still to do.
    As we know, sexual harassment takes many forms – from physical harassment to verbal abuse and downloading obscene images at work.
    But I want to make one thing clear: it doesn’t matter whether it’s Parliament or any other workplace, sexual harassment is never acceptable.
    And that includes our movement too.
    Most women in this hall will have experienced harassment at some point in our working lives.
    It’s upsetting, shocking, humiliating.
    It takes a toll on your self-confidence and wellbeing.
    And it makes doing a tough job even tougher.
    And delegates, it makes it harder for women to do our union job too.
    That’s another reason why it has to stop.
    It’s corrosive and ultimately it weakens us all.
    So let’s be clear: all decent trade unionists share an interest in preventing harassment of any kind.
    No woman, or man, should suffer in silence.
    And when harassment happens, let’s commit to take action to call it out, stop it, once and for all.
    Congress, the battle for women’s equality has reached a defining moment.
    Women still earn less than men.
    Our pensions lag behind.
    And our rights are under attack.
    The US Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v Wade rolls back 50 years of progress.
    An assault not just on women in America, but women worldwide.
    And today we are clear:
    It’s not for the radical and religious right to decide what women can, and can’t, do.
    It’s for women. And women alone.
    I’m proud that too we’re making a difference globally.
    Most importantly, by leading the fight against the far right.
    Let’s hope Lula gives Bolsonaro the thumping defeat he so richly deserves in the final round of the Brazilian elections at the end of the month.
    Congress, whether it’s fighting the imprisonment of trade unionists in Turkey.
    Or supporting the struggle for justice in Palestine.
    Let’s put our values of internationalism and solidarity into action.
    As a trustee of TUC Aid, I’ve seen what we can achieve.
    Supporting Iraqi women. Tackling sexual harassment in Brazil. And helping our Kenyan brothers and sisters win fair trade deals.
    Congress, in this country and overseas, equality really must be at the heart of everything we do.
    As the TUC’s Anti Racism Task Force has shown, we are at our best when we are boldest.
    So let’s secure good jobs for all.
    Address our epidemic of low-paid, low-skilled, low-productivity work.
    And deliver genuine flexibility for everyone.
    It’s great that flexible working is now so prominent on the agenda.
    But the debate shouldn’t just be about middle-class professionals working from home.
    That excludes the majority of the working population – including keyworkers.
    It should be about delivering flexibility for all.
    And that includes those in occupations traditionally denied the choices others take for granted.
    And Congress, it doesn’t matter whether it’s flexible working, or equality, or higher pay, we know the best way to win for working people:
    Stronger unions. Collective bargaining. And organisation.
    And that really puts the onus on all of us to rebuild our movement.
    Meeting the demands of a world which is changing fast.
    Automation, technological change, the climate emergency – all demand stronger, not weaker, trade unions.
    And so we must focus relentlessly on growing our membership.
    Reaching out to today’s workers, in all our magnificent diversity.
    And nowhere is that more important than where most people work, in the private sector.
    Times may change, jobs may change, but workers still need a union to fight their corner.
    Public or private, only strong, growing, representative unions can give working people hope.
    The confidence to demand better.
    And that to me is the essence of trades unionism.
    Workers joining together to win fairness, justice and equality. To secure good work, good jobs.
    Never did I imagine I would have the privilege of addressing this Congress as President.
    Nor that, within my working life, women would assume their rightful place as leaders of our movement.
    Frances, I imagine you’re going to hear a fair few tributes over the next two days.

    You have been a brilliant general secretary.

    Thank you for everything that you have achieved for working people.

    You may have been our first woman general secretary, but mark my words, you will not be the last.

    Finally I must say thank you to you, the trade union team.

    The officers, reps and activists who make our movement what it is.

    A unique democratic movement of, and for, working people.

    So thank you delegates for everything you do.

    Keep up the good work.

    Be proud of our trade union values.

    And let’s build for the future.

  • Paul Nowak – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    Paul Nowak – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    The speech made by Paul Nowak, the Deputy General Secretary of the TUC, to the TUC Conference on 18 October 2022.

    President, Congress.

    When I joined the GMB over 30 years ago, working part-time in ASDA, I never thought for one minute that I would have the honour and the privilege to be elected general secretary of the TUC.

    So, I want to thank Congress for your support, and because trade unionism is always a collective endeavour, I want to thank every member, every rep, every full-time officer, every TUC staff member who has supported and helped me over the last 3 decades.

    I promise to do what I can to justify that support, and to extend it to the next generation of reps and activists coming through, the people who are the lifeblood of our movement.

    Now, last thing on a Wednesday afternoon is not the time for long speeches – and no doubt you will get to hear plenty of those from me in the months and years to come…so I just want to say three things.

    First of all I want to sincerely thank Frances for everything she has done for the TUC.

    Frances has been my good friend and colleague for over twenty years, so I am not an impartial observer, but I think it is absolutely right to acknowledge that she has been an outstanding leader of the TUC.

    The first ever woman to lead our movement – and she won’t be the last – she has seen us through some incredibly difficult times.

    · Ten years of hostile government, and austerity

    · A vicious and vindictive anti-Trade Union Act

    · Brexit

    · And, of course, the pandemic and the cost of living crisis

    Now, I could list all of her achievements in the face of those challenges, but let me just pick out one.

    I have no doubt in my mind that if it wasn’t for Frances O’Grady, there would have been no furlough scheme.

    It is thanks to her, that 12 million people saw their jobs and incomes supported during the dark days of the pandemic; 12 million people kept their livelihoods; 12 million people and their families were able to pay the bills.

    Frances, thank for you for that and for EVERYTHING you have done over the last decade.

    The second thing I want to say is this. I want my time leading the TUC to focus on one thing above all else.

    Growing, diversifying and strengthening our movement.

    More union members.

    More union reps.

    A genuinely active, confident, inclusive, vibrant and diverse movement – one that is as relevant to a young black woman working in digital or in a care home, as it is to this middle aged white bloke from Merseyside.

    Think of everything we have debated so far this week.

    · A £15 per hour minimum wage

    · Rebuilding our public services, a proper industrial strategy

    · A new deal for working people

    · Decent employment rights and an end to fire and rehire

    · Genuine equality and tackling racism and sexual harassment in our workplaces.

    Our ability to deliver on all those things and so much more, depends on our ability to grow our movement.

    · Only a stronger trade union movement can win disputes

    · Only a stronger trade union movement can influence government & beat back hostile legislation

    · And only a stronger trade union movement – indeed trade union and labour movement – can bring about the political change our members desperately need

    We’ve grown the last four years out of five. That’s a start.

    But let’s make sure that each and every year from now, we grow our membership, we expand our reps base, we extend collective bargaining – not waiting for political change, making that change happen here and now, workplace by workplace, dispute by dispute, campaign by campaign.

    My last point is simply this.

    Growing our movement will require a collective effort.

    The TUC has and always be more than the general secretary, or the staff who work in Congress House, the regions and nations.

    The TUC is its unions. You are the TUC.

    48 unions. 5 and a half million members.

    And if we are serious about growing our movement, we have to be serious about working together.

    Not talking about working together, not passing resultions about working togther, actually working together.

    · Supporting each other’s organising efforts

    · Joint bargaining agendas that raise the bar for our members

    · Sectoral co-ordination to stop employers playing one union off against another

    · A shared political vision that inspires working people

    · And in each and every dispute, standing by workers who take that difficult decision to strike, because their fight is our fight, and no worker should ever, will ever, stand alone.

    That’s what will allow us to deliver on the things that matter to our members.

    That’s what will enable us to win.

    Not glorious defeats.

    Not fighting the good fight but falling short.

    Winning for working people.

    That’s our job Congress.

    Let’s work together,

    Let’s fight together

    Let’s win together.

  • Frances O’Grady – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    Frances O’Grady – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    The speech made by Frances O’Grady, the General Secretary of the TUC, on 18 October 2022.

    Welcome to the TUC, our parliament for working people.

    Represented, here in the Hall today, are millions of workers who keep the wheels of this country turning.

    All they ask in return is respect, and fair pay.
    And if it takes strike action so be it: we stand with you

    So let’s hear it for:

    Our incredible care assistants and NHS staff, rail and bus workers, dedicated posties, prison officers, call centre staff, dock workers, teachers, firefighters, university lecturers, civil servants and more…

    Decent people who are honest and hardworking.

    But, according to Liz Truss, British workers are layabouts, lacking graft, skill and application.

    The Prime Minister believes that Britain’s poor productivity is down to the poor performance of workers.

    That’s a bit rich from a PM whose own performance crashed the country
    She didn’t even turn up for work yesterday!
    And since her disastrous debut, we’ve had more U-turns than a malfunctioning Sat Nav.

    And all this, after 12 long years of Conservative governments that have slashed, burned, and ripped off this country, something rotten.
    While the sun was shining, the Tories didn’t mend the roof. They nicked the lead off it.

    Let’s have a reminder of what’s happened under the Tories:

    Which country has the worst investment in the G7?
    The UK.

    Which country has the worst wages growth in the G7?
    Don’t need to tell workers this – the UK.

    And which country has the worst economic growth in the G7?
    Of course, the UK.

    That’s your record, Prime Minister
    That’s the country your party has been running for the past 12 years.

    To be fair, under the Conservatives, some things are growing:

    CEO pay – up.
    Corporate profits – up.
    Bankers’ bonuses – up.

    And look what else:

    The cost of mortgages.
    NHS waiting lists.
    Ambulance waiting times.
    Child poverty.
    Food banks.
    Up. Up. Up.

    That means more kids going to bed hungry.
    More families afraid to put the heating on.

    But there is a real plan for growth.
    Trade unions want a growing economy that works for working people.
    High investment, high skills, high wages.
    Decent work, so workers don’t need to go on strike to defend their pay.

    And we want a strong society that comes with growth, fairly-shared.
    A well-funded NHS – schools – public services.
    A safety net to help us all in a crisis.
    No-one growing up, or growing old, in poverty.
    A safe, secure, welcoming society.
    And more than that – a country of music, culture, football, books and brilliant TV.

    For over a decade, the TUC has made the case for investment, for R&D, for innovation, for skills.
    To make things here in Britain.
    To meet the challenge of net zero, with good green jobs.
    And to harness the big gains of new tech, for all of us

    We need an economy that rewards work – not wealth.
    But under the Conservatives, working people have got poorer, while shareholders have got richer.
    We’re in the longest squeeze on real wages since Napoleonic times.
    And if ministers and employers keep hammering pay packets at the same rate, UK workers are on course to suffer two decades – TWENTY YEARS – of lost living standards.
    Over the next three years alone:
    Real earnings are set to fall by ANOTHER £4,000
    We have got to stop the rot.
    Families can’t afford to tighten their belts anymore.
    They’re at breaking point.

    Just look at that disastrous mini-budget.
    Only a month ago.

    I say this to Liz Truss: Your budget wasn’t pro-growth. It was pro-greed.
    Tax cuts for the rich, with no plan for growth at all.
    That’s why the markets got spooked.
    That’s why the economy tanked.

    The PM may have dumped Kwasi Kwarteng.
    And is now hiding behind Jeremy Hunt
    Or maybe under a desk?

    But she can’t duck this:
    We don’t trust her government with our economy.
    Livelihoods are on the line.

    Some say Liz Truss must go.
    I think they’re wrong.
    This whole rotten Tory government must go.
    The Tories are toxic.
    It’s time for change.
    We need a general election now

    We know who creates real wealth in this country.
    It’s not hedge fund managers who made a mint by betting on the pound crashing.
    The real wealth creators are the people of this country.

    Jeremy Hunt may be the new face at No 11
    But it’s still the same old story
    Lift the cap on bankers’ bonuses
    Drive down public servants’ pay
    Handouts for the wealthy and big business
    Cuts to UC and benefits

    Give to the rich.
    Take from everyone else.
    Robin Hood in reverse.
    (Shurwood Forest fracked)

    Working people are not fooled by trickledown economics.
    It’s the old Tory money trick.
    Austerity means NHS waiting lists grow and businesses go bust.
    When workers get more money, they spend it.
    When the rich get more money, they offshore it.

    So, I have a message for Liz Truss:
    Working people are proud of the jobs we do;
    We work hard
    We work the longest hours in Europe.

    Yet, thanks to your party’s 12 years in government, millions are struggling to make ends meet.
    We don’t need lectures on working harder.
    This country needs a proper plan for fairer, greener growth.

    The prime minister must answer another question:
    if you really care about hard graft and performance, how come you gave Jacob Rees Mogg a job?

    A man best known for lying horizontal on the Commons’ benches.
    Who aims to make life even harder on the shop floor.

    He wants workers’ rights, that came from the EU, stripped from the statute book.

    Important rights like holiday pay.
    Time off for mums and dads.
    And safe limits on working time.

    But the minister for the nineteenth century needs to wake up.

    The TUC has just asked people who voted Conservative in the last election what THEY think the government should do.
    81 per cent of Tory voters say:
    Protect our rights at work.

    And more, we demand action to tackle corporate gangsters.

    Never forget P&O.
    A prime example of everything wrong with UK labour laws.

    Loyal crew sacked without a second thought.
    Shameless bosses admitting they’d broken the law.
    And ministers letting them get away with it

    Worse rights at work won’t rebuild Britain.
    Britain only does well, when working people do well.
    We demand a new deal for workers.

    From Tolpuddle onwards, the establishment has always seen workers organising as a threat.
    And, yes, we are.
    We’re a threat to casino capitalism.
    A threat to the notion that you can divide workers
    A threat to exploitation and low pay.

    So just when the citizens of this country are in despair;
    when key workers’ kids are going to school with holes in their shoes;
    And young families are worried sick about the mortgage;
    This government’s top priority is attacking the right to strike to make it harder to win fair pay.

    A cynical effort to distract from the chaos they have caused.

    But I say this: if ministers want to pick a fight with us, we are more than ready

    Today I give them notice:
    We’ve already taken legal counsel.
    We know you’re in breach of international law.
    And trade deals that enshrine labour standards.
    So, read my lips, we will see you in court.

    This winter looks set to be a tough one.
    We face an emergency made in Downing Street.
    The lights could go out all over Britain.

    Even with energy prices capped – average bills are set to double.
    Other costs have gone through the roof too: Childcare. Food. Filling up the car.
    No-one has cash to spare.

    With inflation at 10%, we don’t need wage restraint.
    It’s time for profit restraint.

    Taxpayers helped business with their bills.
    Now it’s time to make business play their part.
    No layoffs this winter.
    No boardroom bonanzas.
    And no shareholder sprees.

    Put the cap back on the bankers’ bonuses.
    Let’s have a bigger windfall tax on greedy energy giants.
    And don’t just bail out them out – bring them into public ownership.

    And more:
    Protect benefits against inflation.
    Invest in public services.
    And give us stronger workers’ rights

    Our nation of grafters have earned a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.
    That means a £15 minimum wage, as soon as possible.
    Fair pay agreements to get wages rising for everyone

    And it’s time to do right by the people who’ve done us all proud
    They got us through the pandemic – and we owe them
    Give public servants a real pay rise now

    And on November 2nd, from every corner of the UK, we will rally to Westminster
    And if this shower of a government is still clinging to power
    We will demand a general election

    We are trade unionists.
    Just as when the TUC proposed furlough at the start of the pandemic, we’ve got answers to the problems Britain faces.

    We’ve seen the difference our movement makes right around the world.
    From Amazon to Starbucks: growing membership, winning deals
    Proof that solidarity works.

    Backed up by new laws from progressive governments from Spain to New Zealand
    We hope soon, Brazil too.
    Governments who know that good jobs and rising wages are the route to a decent life.

    Change can come – we can build it.

    Remember the kids who save half their school dinner to take home for tea.

    Remember pensioners too poor to keep warm, and workers who can’t afford to get sick, while NHS waiting times soar.

    None of this is inevitable.
    These are political choices.
    Made by politicians.
    And we can vote them out.

    As unions, our job is to win now and every day.

    The bigger our movement, the stronger we are.
    So, in formally moving the General Council statement, let’s reach out and tell workers why they should join

    Trade unionism is the reasonable notion that your boss doesn’t have all the answers.
    That working people together have a voice and power. And how that changes everything.

    We are the people who brought you the weekend, the eight-hour day, equal pay.
    We’re proud of our diversity.
    Our wonderful President Sue Ferns.
    And leading our fight against racism, Dr Patrick Roach.

    We stand up for our class – a multiethnic, multiracial, working class of men and women.
    In cities, towns and the countryside too.

    We’re for all working people.
    Yes, we have members on railways, in shops and factories.
    But also in Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon

    Whatever our background, race or religion everyone deserves a decent job, a pension and respect.

    It wasn’t wages or workers that caused this crisis.
    And we refuse to let workers pay for it.

    People ask me: will the TUC coordinate strike action this winter?
    And I say: We already are.

    When workers are left with no choice but to vote for strike action for decent pay, I say:
    Bring it on.

    For the last ten years, I’ve been proud to lead the TUC.
    And I’m passing the torch to my comrade, the brilliant Paul Nowak.

    At heart, I believe that trade unionism is about friendship
    Friendship between workers transforms what is possible.

    Congress: we have hope.
    Hope in young workers joining unions.
    Workers backing workers.
    Black workers and White workers, standing together.

    Let’s take that message to workplaces and communities, in every corner of the country.
    We can build a better world.
    We will fight for our class.
    And, together, we all win.

    Solidarity.

  • Keir Starmer – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    Keir Starmer – 2022 Speech to TUC Conference

    The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 20 October 2022.

    Thank you Sue and thank you, Congress.

    It’s a privilege to address you at such an important moment for our country.

    But before I go any further, I want to give my thanks to the General Secretary – my friend, a giant of our labour movement.

    On the side of workers…

    On the side of women…

    On the side of Arsenal – Frances is always on the right side!

    But especially during the pandemic, where her determination to fight for working people was an inspiration to all of us.

    Congress, never forget: it was Frances who led the employers and the Government to the furlough scheme…

    A tripartite deal for those troubled times…

    A true collective agreement for the nation.

    Without her deal, ten million workers would have been jobless during a monumental social crisis.

    And my Labour Party supported it every step of the way.

    Including on the many occasions the Government prematurely tried to scrap it.

    We will never forget that leadership – so thank you, Frances.

    And thank you Paul too.

    The organising you did to keep workers safe during that crisis will have saved countless lives.

    I know how much our movement is in your blood.

    I also know that you’re an Everton fan…

    So as the TUC moves from red to blue…

    I look forward to working with you as Britain moves in the opposite direction!

    Congress, today I want to set out what’s at stake for Britain.

    Because while politics is always about choices…

    The choice now is as stark as it gets.

    We face a battle for the soul of our country…

    Who we are.

    Who we’re for.

    The Labour choice is a Britain that is fairer, greener and more dynamic.

    A Britain where we rebuild our public services to provide opportunity and security…

    Tackle the climate emergency head on…

    Use it to create the jobs and industries of the future…

    Restore faith in politics as a force for good…

    Get Britain’s hope, its confidence and its future back.

    But the first step…

    The foundation this all rests on…

    Is respect for the working people who create the wealth that drives our country forward.

    It’s not just the privileged few that grow Britain’s economy – the Tories are so wrong.

    It’s cleaners, carers, nurses, teachers, engineers, physios, scientists, shop workers, drivers, builders, bar tenders, teaching assistants, technicians, cooks, warehouse workers, posties, farmers small business owners…

    Who grows our economy?

    Who is growth for?

    The right choice, the only choice, the Labour choice– is working people…

    And my Government will be dedicated to building an economy that works for working people.

    Everything else follows from this.

    And Britain knows exactly where the Tories stand.

    They can dance around and u-turn…

    They can sack this Chancellor or that Prime Minister…

    But the damage is done and they did it.

    They crashed the British economy – and for what?

    To show they were on the side of the richest one percent.

    A crisis made in Downing Street…

    Without a democratic mandate…

    Paid for by working people in higher bills, higher rents and higher mortgages.

    This is who they are…

    These are their true colours.

    Never again can Britain take seriously their claim to be a party of aspiration or sound money.

    But congress, last night in Parliament…

    Even by their standards.

    A new chaotic low.

    All the failures of the past twelve years have now come to the boil.

    The victims of crime who can’t get justice.

    People dying because ambulances can’t get there in time.

    Millions going without food or heating.

    And none of it…

    Can drum into the Tories the idea that our country must come first.

    They lack the basic patriotic duty to keep the British people out of their own pathetic squabbles.

    And it’s wrecked the finances of the country and millions of people.

    This cannot continue.

    Britain deserves better.

    Britain cannot afford the chaos of the Conservatives anymore…

    We need a general election now.

    Just look at their latest plan.

    To get our country out of the hole that they dug…

    They turn to austerity…

    And they turn to you.

    To your members.

    And their rights.

    Congress, I am sure you’ve heard that tape…

    How the Prime Minister thinks working people lack “skill” and “application”.

    Heard her say your members don’t “graft” hard enough.

    It’s delusional.

    It’s insulting.

    But it comes with a warning.

    Because look around our country…

    a national emergency on the cost-of-living…

    public services on their knees…

    working people ‘grafting’ every minute of the day – still unable to make ends meet…

    And ask yourself this…

    With that warped logic in charge…

    What happens when the Tories finally see the full reality of what they’ve done?

    I’ll tell you.

    They’ll lash out.

    Double down.

    Attack my party, our movement, your members.

    So congress, let me spell this out.

    If they bring forward further restrictions on workers’ rights or the right to strike, we will oppose and we will REPEAL.

    Just as we will tear-up anti-trade union legislation such as the Trade Union Act 2016.

    But we also need to be prepared, disciplined, relentlessly focused on the future.

    Meet their attacks with hope.

    Provide the leadership this country so desperately needs.

    And build a Britain where working people can succeed again.

    Where working people are backed as the people who really create economic growth.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    And that’s not just words.

    I don’t come from a privileged background…

    I grew up in a pebble-dashed semi in the 1970s…

    I remember what the anxiety of rising prices feels like.

    Remember when our phone was cut off because we couldn’t pay the bill.

    And I know what that anxiety looks like now.

    Let me tell you about a care worker I know…

    She works fourteen hour shifts often overnight…

    Never flinching at the relentless pressures put upon her…

    And every week – yes I mean every week – she struggles to make ends meet.

    Congress, the care worker I’m talking about is my sister.

    And when I think about the work she and millions like her did for our country during the pandemic…

    …risking their health to save lives on low pay, low security contracts…

    …and the Prime Minister says the problem is people like my sister lack “graft”?

    Let me spell it out…

    The fight for fair pay…

    The fight for good work…

    The fight to make our economy work for everyone, not just a privileged few…

    Is personal for me…

    And I will not rest until we see a Britain based on those values.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    If you don’t back people like my sister, don’t be surprised if you get twelve years of stagnant growth.

    That’s why we backed working people on rising energy prices.

    When the Prime Minister argued against “handouts”, Labour provided the clarity our nation needed.

    We said:

    This winter…

    Not a penny more…

    On anyone’s bills…

    And we’d make sure the oil and gas companies pay their fair share.

    We’d abolish non-dom status to get our NHS back on its feet.

    That’s the main barrier to capacity right now – staff.

    So we would invest in more doctors, more nurses, more health visitors…

    A tax break for some of the richest in our society, or a stronger NHS workforce – that’s not a hard choice for us.

    But to end this cost-of-living crisis once and for all, we also need a long-term plan…

    A plan that will deliver cheaper bills and higher living standards for working people….

    Growth and jobs in every part of our country…

    And real independence from tyrants like Putin, who weaponise fossil fuel exports and threaten our security.

    That’s what our Green Prosperity Plan will achieve…

    100 percent clean power by 2030…

    Investment in wind, solar, nuclear, hydrogen, green steel and carbon capture…

    Training for plumbers, electricians, engineers, software designers, technicians, builders…

    A national sovereign wealth fund that generates growth and private investment…

    Insulation for 19 million homes…

    And Great British Energy.

    A publicly owned company that takes advantage of the opportunities in clean British power…

    and turns them into good, secure, high-paid British jobs

    The argument for our plan is simple.

    Clean energy is already cheaper than fossil fuels – nine times cheaper.

    Working people need more of it…

    Britain needs to own it…

    And the jobs and growth we generate must be shared with every community.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    It’s why I’ve always said we will fight the Tories on economic growth.

    The Prime Minister is completely out of touch with the reality of the British economy.

    She thinks workers’ rights and collective bargaining are a barrier to growth.

    She doesn’t care about the distribution of wealth in Britain – she hasn’t u-turned on that.

    It’s a clear argument – I’ll give her that…

    One we’ve all heard before…

    But it does not work.

    Working people will not be better off because we make the rich, richer.

    It’s pure dogma – the world has moved on from these discredited ideas.

    And every day the Tories stick to them, is another nail in the coffin for Britain’s economic credibility.

    Our real problem is we create too many jobs that are low paid and insecure.

    Lock too many communities out of the wealth that we create.

    And our public services aren’t strong enough to help working people succeed.

    That’s why we struggle to grow – our economic foundations are too weak.

    And the Tory argument is – that’s fine.

    If the City of London races ahead and the rest of Britain stagnates – they think that’s ok.

    Congress, forget about lines on a graph.

    If you leave this many people behind, a nation will not grow fairly.

    You can’t do it with low wages.

    You can’t do it with insecure jobs and bad work.

    And you can’t do it without a modern industrial strategy.

    This isn’t a debate – the evidence is in.

    “A vicious cycle of stagnation” – that’s what the now former Chancellor called it.

    And on this one thing – he was right!

    Twelve years of Tory stagnation has left the average British family £8,800 poorer than in other advanced economies.

    Economies like France, Germany and the Netherlands…

    Economies that do have stronger collective bargaining…

    Do have stronger worker rights…

    Do have a fairer share of wealth across their country.

    These things are a not a barrier to growth or higher productivity…

    They go hand in hand with it.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    So we will strengthen the role of trade unions in our society .

    An economy that is strong for working people, cannot weaken the institutions that give working people strength.

    And it cannot be built on insecure foundations…

    Security at work is the bedrock for aspiration and opportunity…

    For giving people the confidence to get on.

    Nobody does their best work if they’re wracked with fear about the future.

    If their contract gives them no protection to stand up for their rights at work.

    Or if a proper safety net doesn’t support them in times of sickness and poor health…

    That’s what Labour’s New Deal for Working People is about…

    That’s why we’ll end fire and rehire…

    ban zero-hour contracts…

    extend parental leave…

    strengthen flexible working…

    better protections for pregnant women…

    mandatory reporting on ethnicity pay gaps…

    statutory sick pay for all…

    a single worker status…

    no more one-sided flexibility…

    As far as I’m concerned, that’s not just a list of rights…

    It’s a statement of intent on social justice…

    On fairness…

    Whose side we are on…

    More security for every worker in our country…

    And because of that – a stronger foundation for working people to aspire and get on.

    That’s the economic dynamism Britain needs…

    That’s how you get growth…

    That’s the Labour choice.

    A choice that provides the basis for true social partnership…

    A modern industrial strategy where we unite to tackle the country’s challenges on behalf of working people.

    I will say this here – I’m not just pro-business, I want to partner with business to drive Britain forward…

    And I will say the same about trade unions to the CBI.

    You saw the deal FRANCES struck during the pandemic – the results speak for themselves.

    It’s a model Mark Drakeford has used successfully in Wales.

    And it can work because the vast majority of business leaders don’t buy into the Tory trickle down-fantasy…

    They’re not knocking on my door saying they want to rip up employee rights.

    They don’t tell me the problems they face will be solved by corporation tax cuts.

    They want fair taxes, high skills and the long-term stability to invest.

    We can work with that…

    We will work with that.

    We’ll set up a new Industrial Strategy Council…

    A permanent part of the landscape…

    That brings in the creative genius of science and our universities…

    Holds us to account for our decisions…

    Helps businesses to innovate and grow…

    And delivers a real partnership between Government, business and unions.

    This is how we can give Britain the stability it needs for higher investment.

    A long-term plan, not a short-term fix.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    But when we talk about economic stability, I want to be frank.

    The damage the Tories have done…

    To our finances and public services…

    Means things are going to be really tough…

    Now and during my Labour Government.

    We cannot take any risks with the public finances…

    We have to restore economic stability…

    Be the party of sound money.

    You have all seen the damage that can be done from fiscal irresponsibility…

    When you lose control of the economy, as the Tories have done…

    You lose the ability to do anything.

    And working people pay the price.

    That will not happen with Labour – I won’t let it.

    But it doesn’t mean we have to take a backseat on fair pay.

    Low pay is the biggest barrier to a fairer, more dynamic Britain – bar none.

    A huge drag on our prospects for growth and social justice.

    We need a minimum wage that reflects the cost of living.

    And with a Labour Government – that is exactly what Britain will get.

    But we will go further.

    Because ending low pay in Britain isn’t just a question of law…

    It’s not just about the rules the state sets…

    It’s about the power working people have to shape the rules that govern their lives…

    So my Labour Government will end the Tory race to the bottom on pay, with Fair Pay Agreements.

    Agreements that will make work pay for the people who create Britain’s economic growth.

    Just think how this would work in social care – a sector where half a million workers are paid less than £10 an hour…

    Where people have to work multiple jobs and still struggle to provide for their family.

    With our Fair Pay Agreements, social care employers and unions will have to get round the table and negotiate…

    And the deal they strike, will set the floor for every social care employer in the country.

    That’s how you make work pay fairly…

    That’s how you improve conditions and raise the status of care work…

    Respect the workers who saved countless lives in the pandemic and create this country’s wealth.

    Good work…

    Fair Pay…

    Respect.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    It’s what both of us fight for – party and movement.

    But we must fight in different ways…

    Must accept that when it comes to delivering for working people, we have different jobs.

    I support the right to strike – unequivocally.

    I understand it’s always a last resort.

    The Tory idea that working people give up their wages lightly…

    In the worst cost-of-living crisis for a century…

    Is completely unserious about the pain people feel right now.

    You’re representing the democratic choice of your members.

    You’re doing your job.

    I respect that.

    But my job is different.

    The single most important thing I can do for working people is to make sure we win the next election and get a Labour Government.

    That’s how we roll-out our Green Prosperity Plan…

    How we deliver the New Deal for Working People…

    How we create a modern industrial strategy together.

    None of this happens unless Labour is in power…

    So I will never be ashamed to say my Labour Party wants to increase worker power in our economy.

    But nor will I apologise for approaching questions on industrial action as a potential Labour government.

    The Labour Party is not doing its job when it’s in opposition.

    And I will not let this era of Tory chaos…

    Stagnation…

    Attacks on working people…

    Go on any longer.

    This cannot be a re-run of the 1980s…

    That’s what they want.

    Liz Truss has torn away the veil – they aren’t even pretending anymore.

    The battle is here…

    A battle where all the usual signs of Tory decay…

    The crumbling public services…

    The run on the pound…

    The questions about how we keep the lights on…

    And the brutal hit to the living standards of pensioners, families, the poorest in our society…

    …will be turned back on us…

    So congress, do not doubt what’s coming…

    Take nothing for granted.

    This winter will be brutal – we must doing everything we can to look after people.

    But the Tories will not give up on power– that’s not who they are…

    Our country is crying out for decisive leadership…

    And Labour will provide it.

    We will work every day to earn the trust of the British people.

    Meet their ambitions for real change…

    Walk towards a better future…

    And put this Tory trickle-down nonsense back its box, once and for all.

    That’s the choice for Britain.

    A Tory Party that has lost control of itself and the economy.

    Or a Labour Government that delivers fair pay, good work and prosperity for all.

    A country where aspiration is rewarded…

    A clean energy superpower…

    A fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain…

    Where working people get the rights, respect and security that their graft deserves.

    That’s the Labour choice.

    Thank you Congress.

  • Nicola Richards – 2022 Comments on Penny Mordaunt Becoming Prime Minister

    Nicola Richards – 2022 Comments on Penny Mordaunt Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Nicola Richards, the Conservative MP for West Bromwich East, on Twitter on 21 October 2022.

    I’m backing Penny Mordaunt to unite our party, deliver our 2019 manifesto and win the general election.

    I know Penny will be the stabilising, calm and collected figure we need to see us through the turbulent times ahead.

  • Angela Richardson – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    Angela Richardson – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Angela Richardson, the Conservative MP for Guildford, on Twitter on 21 October 2022.

    “The best hope is for a highly disciplined, rational individual…….a rare find in British politics”

    Sharing this important endorsement from William Hague again.

    Rishi Sunak is the right candidate if the national interest comes before every other consideration. As it should.

  • Jess Phillips – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    Jess Phillips – 2022 Comments on Boris Johnson Returning as Prime Minister

    The comments made by Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, on Twitter on 21 October 2022.

    I’m not lying, I’m rattled for sure at the state of the country. I don’t fear Johnson, he would make the conservatives a far greater laughing stock than they already are which is hard to imagine. He is the one I fear the least. He’s deeply unpopular.

  • Simon Hart – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    Simon Hart – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Simon Hart, the Conservative MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, on Twitter on 20 October 2022.

    After the last few weeks the very least we can do for the country is get the right Prime Minister this time. No time for experiments; no time for frivolity; no time to line up a job offer. This means choosing someone serious, tested, competent and kind.

    For me that’s Rishi Sunak.

  • Rehman Chishti – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    Rehman Chishti – 2022 Comments on Rishi Sunak Becoming Prime Minister

    The comments made by Rehman Chishti, the Conservative MP for Gillingham and Rainham, on Twitter on 21 October 2022.

    I backed Rishi Sunak before and I will back him again. He was right on the economy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : FCDO Head of Latin America Department James Dauris’ travel to Guatemala [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : FCDO Head of Latin America Department James Dauris’ travel to Guatemala [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 October 2022.

    Deputy Director of the Americas and Head of Latin America Department at the FCDO James Dauris will travel to Guatemala 24-25 October.

    Deputy Director Dauris will meet with Guatemalan Government Officials, private sector leaders, and broader civil society groups. The Deputy Director’s trip underscores the UK’s strong commitment to the UK-Guatemala solid relationship.

    At meetings with Guatemalan government officials, he will discuss shared priorities on a host of issues, including Ukraine, climate change, human rights, transparency and economic prosperity.

    On Ukraine, Deputy Director Dauris will discuss the devastating impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on food and energy prices, while commending Guatemala’s own leadership in deploring Russia’s actions, and commitment to engaging multilaterally to end this war.

    He will urge Guatemala to continue showing ambition in the fight against climate change. These plans will complement the UK’s investment of US$20 million in Mesoamerica, including Guatemala, through the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, to reduce poverty and create climate resilience from 2023.

    Deputy Director Dauris will also encourage Guatemala to seize the opportunities of the UK-Central America Association Agreement, while stressing the need for continued Guatemalan efforts to tackle corruption and improve the business environment.

    With the private sector, the Deputy Director will discuss the challenges and opportunities of the global economic environment and strategies to support the long-term development objectives of the Guatemalan economy, including those that have been negatively hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    At meetings with civil society groups, Deputy Director Dauris will stress the unequivocal UK commitment to protect human rights, ranging from the situation of media freedom in the country, to listening to human rights defenders and continue advocating for the rights of LGBTQI persons.