Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party

Constituency Officers 2010 -2011

Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party

Introduction

Thank you for deciding to join Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party. Whether you’ve just joined Labour for the first time or are a long-standing member who has recently moved into the constituency we hope this booklet will be useful to you. It contains information about the Party locally and what happens at various Party meetings and gives the names and details of some local Party contacts.Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party has over 700 members; men and women of all ages and backgrounds. Everyone believing in and wishing to promote the ideals of Labour is welcome.

There are many areas of activity in which you can become involved: political discussion, social events, fundraising events and, of course, political campaigning on local and national issues.

Labour members and the Constituency Banner on the Whipps Cross Hospital Demonstration

We hope you will enjoy being a part of Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party and that you will make new friends.

Welcome to Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party!

Best wishes

Jane Duran

Membership Officer

How can I get involved?

You are helping the Labour Party simply by being a member, but there are many more ways of helping and getting involved. We are an active Party and would like you to join in some of our activities.

While there are many parts to the Labour Party the best way to find out what is going on and how to get involved is to go to your branch meetings. At branch meetings members all have a vote and can help influence Labour Party policy.

As well as attending meetings you can also attend or help organise social or fundraising events or help with our campaigning work.

The Constituency and its Elected Representatives

Leyton and Wanstead constituency came into being in 1995 following boundary changes. Our first MP was Harry Cohen, previously the MP for Leyton. Leyton & Wanstead is unusual in that it falls within 2 Boroughs – Waltham Forest and Redbridge. Our MP is John Cryer. John was born in Yorkshire but moved to London when he was 18 and has spent most of his time since then in east London. In 1997 he became Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and quickly established a reputation as a hard-working local MP with very independent views.

John Cryer MP at Leyton Fire Station

John was elected as MP for Leyton & Wanstead in May 2010, his Constituency Office is 877 High Road, Leytonstone, London E11 1HR.

Jennette Arnold AM MBE campaigning at Leyton Mills

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected on a London-wide basis under proportional representation, since being elected in June 1999 Claude Moraes has taken a special interest in our area and has attended many local Party meetings, campaigns and functions.

Local Government

The Councils make decisions that affect all of us locally; our local councillors are elected every four years and each ward has three councillors. To be a councillor you need to live in the Borough concerned. As well as attending Council meetings and meetings with the general public some Councillors also attend Labour Party meetings to discuss issues of importance to their council. In the period leading up to a local election everyone who has been a member in the constituency for six months has a vote in selecting the Labour candidates for the ward in which they live. They may also stand for selection as a council candidate themselves.

Bob Littlewood, Leader of the Labour Group on Redbridge Council and John Cryer MP

The Local Government Committee (LGC) is the link between Party members and Labour councillors. Issues that concern council policy are discussed there and the decisions are passed on to the Party’s councillors for consideration.

Waltham Forest’s LGC meets on the 3^rd Wednesday of each month, usually at Walthamstow’s Party offices 23 Orford Rd E17. Redbridge’s LGC does not have a fixed meeting date. Nothing predictable about Redbridge!

Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party Branches

Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party is made up of eight branches/electoral wards. Six are in Waltham Forest and two in Redbridge. The branches meet regularly once a month, although there are usually no meetings in August or December. Each branch elects its own officers once a year (usually in January or February) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Branch Meetings

The first place you are likely to become involved is at your branch, and that is where you will find the people who live closest to you.

John Cryer speaking at The Friends Meeting House

All kinds of things get discussed at branch meetings. If your area has Labour councillors you’re likely to hear a short report from them about council issues affecting your local area. Or you might spend time discussing an important national issue. If you can get some agreement then the branch might put forward a resolution to be discussed at the General Committee.

There will almost certainly be some time spent on discussing campaigning. This may involve leaflet writing and delivery, visiting local residents or organising public meetings and petitions.

Sometimes there will be a speaker and members are encouraged to ask questions.

General Committee

The General Committee (GC) is the Constituency Labour Party’s governing body. It brings together delegates from all over the constituency – from branches and affiliated organisations. Our MP John Cryer and other party representatives also attend. 

Vice Chair Richard Price selling Labour Briefing at the GC

The GC meets monthly on the fourth Friday of every month (except August and December) at 7.30pm at the Welsh Church, Leytonstone High Rd. At its AGM the GC elects officers to take responsibility for the various Party functions.

The GC decides Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party’s policy by discussing and voting on the resolutions put forward by branches and affiliates. It oversees the selection of the Party’s candidate for the general election and coordinates local campaigning, political and fundraising work. The MP and delegates to other parts of the Labour Party report on what has been happening and listen to members’ views.

All Leyton & Wanstead Labour Party members may attend GC meetings and are encouraged to do so, but only elected delegates may vote. Discussion often spills over beyond the end of the meeting and Leyton & Wanstead members can often be spotted having a late night discussion over a drink and/or curry!

Other events

As well as the regular branch meetings we also hold other events like members’ meetings and public meetings with speakers. These are usually publicised in our Members’ Newsletter that goes out 3 or 4 times a year.

Campaigning

Some of the most important work we do is campaigning. This might be a big campaign, like the part the Constituency played in the ‘Save Whipps Cross Hospital’ campaign or it might be something very local. But whatever campaigning work we do is important because it keeps us close to our community.

Campaigning in Wanstead High Street

There should be regular year-round campaigning in all our wards and this includes meeting local residents on their doorstep, having street stalls and putting out newsletters to keep residents informed about what the local Labour Party is doing – newsletters need to be done regularly and we are always very glad to have extra people willing to deliver to a couple of streets.

The last thing we want to hear is any local resident saying ‘we only see you at election time’.

Which brings us on to …

Elections

Our main activity at election time is to maximise the Labour vote. We do this by identifying our supporters in advance of the election, checking who has voted on election day and reminding those who have not voted to get out and vote before the polls close.

Leyton and Wanstead members canvassing in a by-election in Chingford

We find out who our supporters are by canvassing – by knocking on people’s doors or telephoning and asking few simple questions about the forthcoming election including which Party or candidate they are likely to support.

 As well as finding out who’s likely to vote Labour our canvassers make sure those voters who haven’t made up their mind are given positive reasons to support us. Canvassers also give supporters window posters and help people obtain postal votes.

Members who haven’t canvassed before always go with experienced canvassers.

There’s always a huge number of leaflets to deliver at election time too and usually in a very short period of time, so extra help is always appreciated.

And on election day itself we need people to knock on the doors of everyone who’s promised to vote for us to make sure they do! This is what it’s all been building up to, it can add hundreds of votes to our candidate’s total and make the difference between winning or losing an election.

Fundraising

All this activity costs money and members are encouraged to get involved with the fundraising activity of the Constituency and branches. There is usually a Constituency Dinner with a speaker as well as other events organised by the branches.

One way you can get involved in fundraising straight away is to subscribe to the Constituency Lottery – The Red Banner Fund – which raises money for the branches and the Constituency Election Fund.

The 2009 Constituency Dinner

There is a guaranteed monthly prize of £35 which is drawn each month at the General Committee Meeting. If you’d like to join, please contact Jane Duran, on the details above.

Recruitment

New members are very important to us, if you know anyone who’d like to join please use the membership form that can be found at the back of the booklet. Further Labour Party membership forms are always available from the Membership Officer.

Signing up new members at the Trades Council

The normal cost of joining is  £3 a month but there are reduced rates for students, or for people who are retired or unwaged,  as well as a special introductory offer of  a year’s membership for just  £1 for those under 27.

Need more information?

If there’s anything more you need to know you might like to take a look at the Labour Party’s website www.labour.org.uk or the latest updates on thisite . Or try your branch contact overleaf. If they don’t know, they’re sure to be able to point you in the right direction.

Constituency Contacts

Parliament

If you need to contact John Cryer then write to him at

John Cryer MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA

or at 877 High Rd, Leytonstone, London E11 1HR.

or email john.cryer.mp {at} parliament(.)uk

or phone 0208 989 5249

John’s advice surgeries are on an appointment-only basis.

For an appointment constituents should phone his assistant on 0208 989 5249

Branch Contacts & Times/venues of Branch Meetings

 (Note: These can be subject to change)