ND Labour annual report 2020
1. Labour Party
2. Campaigns
3. Online activity
4. OrganisationAppendices
1. LABOUR PARTY
1.1 General Election 2019
ND Labour:• publicised the commitment given by John McDonnell that Labour in government would implement our Manifesto• published quotes from neurodivergent people about why they were voting Labour• circulated graphics highlighting Labour manifesto policies that particularly benefit ND people• published quotes from Labour candidates about how their election would benefit neurodivergent people• produced a leaflet encouraging ND people and allies to vote Labour• published video clips advocating voting Labour in the interests of neurodivergent people• asked Labour candidates to endorse our Manifesto – Appendix A is a list of those who did• issued a statement after the general election defeat, which is included in Appendix B
1.2 Labour Party policy review
We submitted a summary of our Manifesto to the Labour Party policy review. It received a lot of support and boosted our profile. While the policy process is long, and has been further delayed and complicated by the pandemic, we are working on ways to build on the support we have received so far.
1.3 Internal Labour Party elections
The Executive took the view that ND Labour is not yet developed enough to endorse specific candidates in internal Labour Party elections.We wrote to all candidates for Leader and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party asking them to commit to supporting our Manifesto and working with us.None of the candidates for Leader replied. Appendix C contains replies from three of the five candidates for Deputy Leader.
1.4 Labour Party affiliation
We aspire to affiliate to the Labour Party, but need to have existed for at least three years and have over five hundred members, so this remains an aspiration we are working towards!
1.5 Patrons
The Executive appointed two Labour MPs as our patrons – John McDonnell and Nadia Whittome.John has been supporting our work right from the start, and Nadia is a newly-elected Labour MP who is a committed socialist and active campaigner. We have spoken with them regularly and their efforts on our behalf have been invaluable. Both patrons have been very helpful in advancing the campaign to the stop the deportation of Osime Brown, which we have been active in supporting.Our constitution allows us to appoint one further Patron.
1.6 Speaking at Labour meetings
Our Executive members spoke at various Labour Party meetings, both in person before lockdown and online since, including at Rugby, Isle of Wight and Leeds West. We also have a model motion for Labour Party branches and CLPs.If you would like a speaker for your CLP or other Labour meeting, please get in touch.
2. CAMPAIGNS
2.1 Supporting workers
We have supported trade unions taking industrial action, in particular in RMT, PCS and UCU unions. We have offered advice on making union action accessible to neurodivergent people.Our plans for stalls and fringe meetings at trade union conferences were unfortunately scuppered by the Covid-19 pandemic.We have been developing our policy materials about work, and supporting campaigns against anti-union laws.
2.2 Policy submissions
In May, we submitted evidence to the Parliamentary enquiry on human rights implications of the government’s Covid-19 response. Our submission is on the ND Labour website.
2.3 Osime Brown
ND Labour has taken a leading role in the campaign against the unjust conviction and threatened deportation of Osime Brown.A report of this campaign is in Appendix D.
2.4 Opposing abuse of neurodivergent people
We ran an online campaign during April (Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month) against the abuse of autistic and neurodivergent people.We have also campaigned on this issue during the rest of the year.More details are in Appendix E.
2.5 Statutory Training for NHS staff
Following intensive campaigning by autism advocates, especially the Oliver McGowan campaign, the government has agreed to introduce mandatory training for NHS staff about autism and learning disability. We have been monitoring the development of this training, and will take available opportunities to press for this training to be led by autistic and learning-disabled people and to take a social-model approach.The roll-out of the training is timetabled on page 11 of this document here, and the next significant stage is March 2021, when the government will publish an evaluation of the training package. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/844356/autism-and-learning-disability-training-for-staff-consultationresponse.pdf
3. ONLINE ACTIVITY
3.1 Statements
We have issued statements:
• supporting RMT strike on South West Railway (December)
• deploring the comments of Sally Hart, Tory candidate (now MP) in Hastings and Rye that learning-disabled people be exempt from the minimum wage (December)
• supporting PCS strike at the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (December)
• supporting vaccinations in the wake of the rise in mumps cases (February)
• criticising Oliver Letwin (March)
• outlining our concerns about responses to Covid-19 (March)
• local council ‘easements’: cuts due to Covid (May)
• marking Learning Disability Week (June)
• opposing police brutality; supporting Black Lives Matter (June)
• supporting Osime Brown (June)
• responding to nadia Whittome’s removal from her shadow minister post (September)
• responding to the Yew Trees scandal (September)Each was published on our website as text, and as a designed graphic for circulation on social media.Some of the graphics of these statements are in Appendix F
3.2 Website
Our website is at www.ndlabour.comWe have continued to develop it, and are currently working on various ways of improving its content and accessibility.
3.3 Social media
We run a:• Facebook page, • YouTube channel• Twitter account (@NeuroLabour) We have posted throughout the year on relevant issues.We plan to set up a private Facebook group for ND Labour members.
4. ORGANISATION
4.1 Executive
The 2020 ND Labour Executive has been:
Chair – Janine Booth
Vice-Chair – Callum Heckstall-Smith
Secretary – Monique Craine (replaced by James Denny in November)
Vice-Secretary – Joseph Redford
Treasurer – Jan Gray (replaced by Margaret Corvid in November)
Vice-Treasurer – Mark Stokes (replaced by Nikki Hughes in November)
Publicity and Communications Officer – Emma Dalmayne
Training and Education Officer – Louise Wildon (replaced by Will Murray in November)
Trade Union Officer – Gilaine Young
Manifesto and Policy Officer – Andy Forse
Website Editor – Graham Hanks
Non-Executive posts
Website Administrator (Technical) – Billie Jo Gibson
Safeguarding Officer – Abi Moorcock
After one hybrid physical / online meeting in February, the Executive has met several times online.
We also have a Facebook group in which the Executive discusses issues and makes decisions.
4.2 Ethnic diversity
From the start of this year, we recognised that our founding AGM was very white, and resolved to make efforts to involve more black and ethnic minority people.To this end, we established a BAME working group, a report of which is in Appendix G.
4.3 Local groupsThe Executive is helping with the establishment of local ND Labour groups in Merseyside and in Wales.Our agreed rules for local groups (and the workplace/union groups that we are proposing to add to the constitution) are in Appendix H.If you would like to set up a group, we would love to hear from you!
4.4 MembershipWe currently have 183 members and one registered supporter.
4.5 FinanceWe have established a bank account and a robust system for managing our finance.The statement of income and expenditure for the year is in Appendix I.
4.6 MerchandiseWe are preparing an online sales outlet for a range of ND Labour merchandise.
4.7 Preparing for the AGMThe Executive is organising the AGM, including drafting proposals to amend the constitution and appointing Joseph Redford to run our elections.
4.8 SafeguardingOur Safeguarding Officer has dealt with a number of enquiries