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Ann Black – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Ann Black.

Candidate Statement

I’m seeking re-election after serving from 2000 to 2018 and returning in 2020, still committed to accountability, socialist policies and genuine party democracy. I am loyal to Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner, as to previous leaders. I’m a lifelong UNISON member.

The party has to look outwards. As chair of the National Policy Forum I am focused not just on what a Labour government should do, but how to achieve that Labour government, with an inspiring vision and clear messages on equality, public services, workers’ rights and electoral reform.

In 2020 I argued that local parties should receive a bigger share of subscriptions, and have already got £1,500 returned to every CLP. As a CLP secretary myself I understand the stresses on volunteers. I helped to revive the national women’s conference, and continue trying to reduce unacceptable delays within complaints and disciplinary processes.

I judge issues on their merits regardless of faction. For instance I opposed expulsion for supporting organisations before they were proscribed, supported simpler selection procedures, but was the only representative to object to the NEC controlling parliamentary longlists and allowing candidates to spend £3,500.

10/08/2022
William Stenhouse Bettles – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from William Stenhouse Bettles.

Candidate Statement

I am a 22 year old from Buckingham working in the retail industry. I have struggled throughout life giving me a grit and determination to fight for what is right. I have a strong sense of justice and am infuriated by injustice. I seek to bring these characteristics as your NEC CLP Representative. I am a Christian and a member of the *Christians on the Left* socialist society. I believe Jesus Christ gave us the model for a fair, free and compassionate society. I am your choice if you want a candidate who is inspired by Christian Socialist and Social Democrat values.

10/08/2022
Johanna Baxter – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Johanna Baxter.

Candidate Statement

Labour needs to win power for the many whilst keeping true to our radical values. We need to offer solutions as well as solidarity – a credible radical alternative that creates jobs, tackles climate change, and invests in the health and education of our nation.

As Head of Local Government for UNISON Scotland, representing 80,000 workers, I know the reality of fighting for those values on the frontline and my track record is one of delivery.

I’m a Labour member of 26 years, a previous CLP Chair and CLP Secretary, a CLP rep on the Scottish Executive and active campaigner.

It’s an honour to serve as your NEC Vice Chair and I have worked hard with colleagues to sort our complaints system, improve transparency and the training and support for CLPs to make sure we are match fit for the next election.

I am committed to engaging with members and retain the record for visiting the most CLPs to provide reports of our work.

I’ve never shied away from speaking truth to power and will work with everyone across our broad church to put Labour back in power.
Please also consider Akehurst, Duale, Josan & Thomas.

10/08/2022
Jessica Barnard – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Jessica Barnard.

Candidate Statement

As a youth worker I have spent years supporting young people and families experiencing insecure work, devastating cuts to their community and denied a secure home.

More than ever we need to take the fight to the Tories and deliver a socialist Labour government that tackles wealth inequality, putting people first.

We must fight racism, stand for peace, global justice and real action to tackle the climate emergency.

I am standing to ensure our party is led by working class voices who will stand up for the policies we need.

I will be a strong voice for party democracy, accountability, the rights of our brilliant membership and for equality and liberation campaigns.

As Young Labour Chair I have worked relentlessly to champion the voice of young members at one of the toughest moments facing us.

I have lead campaigning actions across my region for years, served as a County Councillor in Norfolk, stood as a Parliamentary Candidate and am a dedicated community activist and organiser.

I am firmly committed to trade unionist and socialist principles, and am proud to be supported by the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance and Momentum. Please also support Mish Rahman, Gemma Bolton and Yasmine Dar.

10/08/2022
Jose Alexander – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Jose Alexander.

Candidate Statement

I feel privileged to have served as a London Borough of Newham Councillor from 2010 to 2018. I am a Labour Party activist and have been a member for 21 years, including the Co-operative Party. I am a dedicated Labour Dialogue Team member who has was part of the National Phone Banking Task Force and received Best Practice Award. I am a Unite union member and was a former secretary with Remploy and promoted diversity and equality in the work place. I was supporting disabled employees and co-ordinated many meetings with Remploy management over an eleven-year period. I have shown dedication through Keir Starmer’s leadership campaign.

Since 2003, I have been a dedicated campaigner for every election and hold experience of delivering projects to wider sections of the community. I would like to work with NPF to help elect the Labour government in 2024. If I am elected NPF for London Region, I would like to support and prioritise: Investment in education, the NHS and support climate change initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030. Invest in communities to help tackle cost of living crisis. Focus on a long-term strategy for energy supply sector to help vulnerable communities.

10/08/2022
Luke Akehurst – 2022 NEC Candidate Statement

The candidate statement from Luke Akehurst.

Candidate Statement

I was elected to the NEC in 2020 having previously served 2010-2012. I voted for Keir Starmer in the leadership election and I have been working on the NEC to make his leadership a success; to reunite and rebuild a divided and demoralised Labour Party after four consecutive General Election defeats; and to get Labour into fighting shape for the next General Election.

A Labour activist for 34 years, I am passionate about tackling poverty and inequality. As a parent and cancer survivor I will fight to defend our NHS and schools from Tory cuts.

Support the closest possible links with Europe. Want zero tolerance of antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism. Strong record of fairness and defending democracy in taking decisions, openness and accountability in reporting back to members.

Extensive campaigning experience: Borough Campaign Manager in four Hackney elections increasing Labour seats from 29 to 50; parliamentary candidate Aldershot and Castle Point; full-time Organiser in Camden.

Councillor 2002-2014, trade unionist (Unite) 29 years. Member of Co-op Party and Fabians.

With over three decades experience of campaigning, on the NEC my absolute focus is on turning Labour back into an election-winning party.

I recommend also nominating Baxter, Duale, Singh Josan, Thomas.

10/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : A painting by Il Morazzone worth £2 million at risk of leaving UK

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 9 August 2022.

A temporary export bar has been placed on the painting ‘Self-Portrait as a Knight, with a horse, an easel with painter’s palette and a page’ by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli also known as ‘il Morazzone’.

– Export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting

– Painting is the only known surviving self-portrait by the Lombard baroque painter and shows the artist both as a painter and a knight

Self-Portrait as a Knight, with a horse, an easel with painter’s palette and a page’ by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli, also known as ‘il Morazzone’, is at risk of leaving the country unless a buyer can be found.

The painting is an example of Lombard art, which has its origins in Lombardy in northern Italy during the early 17th century and remains a relatively unexplored field in art history. The style combines natural realism with intense spirituality and piety.

A work by il Morazzone is rare outside of northern Italy and this painting was presumed lost until its appearance on the London art market in 2020. A departure from the UK of this newly discovered self-portrait would amount to a significant loss.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

There are no significant self-portraits by il Morazzone in any public collections in the UK, so this painting is a rare treasure. I hope that a buyer comes forward so that it can be studied and admired in this country.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee agreed that this is an extraordinary and rare work from an important school of Italian painting notably absent from UK collections and the significance of this being il Morazzone’s only known self-portrait. As such, they agreed that the painting held importance for research into the social status of painters in 17th century Lombardy.

Committee Member Professor Mark Hallett said:

This is an unusually complex and fascinating picture that cries out for further research and analysis, both as a self-portrait of an important painter from the period, and as a work that illuminates the wider social and cultural dynamics of the 17th century Lombardy art world.

The painting, which for many years was housed in an English family collection, also has the potential to provide new and important perspectives on the collecting of Italian Baroque art in Britain.

The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the departure of the painting from the UK would be a misfortune owing to its outstanding significance for the study of Lombard painting during the baroque period.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for a period ending on 8th November 2022 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £2,000,000. The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for four months.

09/08/2022
Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on Right to Buy-Back in London

The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 9 August 2022.

For more than 40 years, London’s precious council homes have been disappearing into the private sector, often never to be replaced. As Mayor I have maintained a relentless focus on stemming the tide and replenishing London’s social housing stock.

I am proud that, thanks to my interventions, we have brought council homebuilding back up to levels not seen since the 1970s and I’m hugely encouraged by the enthusiasm I see from boroughs across London for building new council homes and using my Right to Buy-back scheme to return homes to public ownership.

These homes were built for the public good and it has been painful to watch them disappear into private portfolios. Returning these homes to public ownership is a key part of my plan to build a better London for everyone – a city that is greener, fairer and more prosperous for all.

09/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Prisoners turn over new leaf through innovative farming scheme

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 9 August 2022.

Prisoners are to be upskilled in cutting-edge farming techniques as the government continues to get offenders into work and cut crime.

The scheme, being run at HMP Hewell in Worcestershire, is part of a landmark trial between the prison and farming technology company, LettUsGrow, that will see prisoners grow leafy greens, salad and herbs in high-tech ‘vertical’ farms.

Vegetables are grown in compact towers using aeroponics using an air or mist environment rather than soil.

At the forefront of farming, this advanced technology produces more plants, more quickly and with 98 percent less water than conventional methods.

Most importantly, the scheme will train prisoners up in the jobs of the future, such as farm management software, plant science and food safety. This will help them find a job on release in new and emerging technologies and dramatically reduce their chances of reoffending.

This is just the latest move in the government’s strategy to make sure prisoners use their time behind bars to get the skills they need to find work once through the gate and back home.

Prisons Minister Stuart Andrew MP:

“This innovative scheme is just the tip of the iceberg in our drive to equip prisoners with the practical skills they need to get a job on release – ultimately cutting crime and keeping the public safe.

Up there with education, family ties and addiction treatment, stable work holds the key to a life free from crime and safer communities for us all.”

Ralph Lubowski, Governor of HMP Hewell:

“I am delighted to partner with Lettus Grow in this fantastic initiative, which will give our prisoners the opportunity, confidence and training to turn their lives around.

Vertical farming is an innovative, emerging industry and this partnership highlights our commitment to ensuring that prisoners are skilled up to find work on release.

The latest figures show the number of former offenders in work six weeks after release has increased by nearly half, whereas proven reoffending has fallen to just over 25 percent – making huge progress in tackling the £18 billion cost of repeat offending and keeping the public safe.”

Notes to editors

The latest statistics from the Ministry of Justice show that the proportion of persons released from custody who were employed at 6 weeks from their release rose by 6 percentage points to 16 per cent between April 2021 and March 2021. This is an increase of more than half (57 per cent).

New data shows that over the last 10 years, proven reoffending has decreased from 30.9 percent (2009/10) to 25.6 percent (2019/20).
The Prisons White Paper – the Deputy Prime Minister’s strategy to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe – puts a laser-sharp focus in getting prisoners into work both behind bars and on release.
Learn more about LettUsGrow here

09/08/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Urging all parties to ensure the ceasefire in Gaza is durable and prevents further violence: UK statement to UN Security Council

The press release issued by the Foreign Office by 8 August 2022.

Thank you President, and my thanks go to the representatives from the UAE and others who called this important Council session.

The United Kingdom joins fellow Council Members in welcoming the ceasefire in Gaza announced last night. We express our thanks to Egypt, Qatar and the office of UN Special Coordinator, Tor Wennesland, for their mediation efforts. We now urge all parties to do their utmost to ensure the ceasefire is durable and prevents further violence.

These last few days we have once again seen tragic scenes in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

We strongly condemn the firing of over 1,100 rockets at civilians by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the ongoing campaign of terror attacks by the group, which has resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, Israelis and Palestinians alike.

As my Foreign Secretary has been clear, the UK stands by Israel and its right to defend itself in the face of such terrorism and violence.

The United Kingdom expresses its deepest condolences to the families of innocent Palestinian civilians killed over the past three days, particularly the tragic deaths of children. The UK supports a timely and thorough investigation into all of these reports. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the cycle of violence, have taken too many lives.

We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including lack of movement and access, damage to civilian infrastructure, and critical supplies, such as fuel for power plants to supply electricity, including for hospitals. We welcome Israel’s announcement that it is allowing humanitarian aid through to Gaza. Immediate access for humanitarian relief is essential, and we expect that the ceasefire agreement will now allow for prompt restoration of movement and access for people and goods via the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings.

This escalation is yet another reminder of the urgent need for progress towards a Two State solution that ensures a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a Palestinian state based on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem the shared capital of both states.

09/08/2022