Labour Leadership election and Jeremy Corbyn campaign.(Written before Saturday)

UPDATE:  Jeremy Corbyn has won with a huge mandate with 59.5% of the vote winning overwhelmingly in every section of the ballot. Jeremy is right when he said we need to persuade registered and affiliated supporters to join the Labour Party and I also support John McDonnell's proposal  to have a recruitment drive to get 1 million Labour Party members. We need to build a movement that stands together with Jeremy, the unions and the community as a whole.

The ballot is now closed. Thanks to all the members who registered to vote in the Labour leadership election and voted for Jeremy Corbyn. I realise that many members votes never arrived. I am sorry about this the party clearly needs to learn lessons about the conduct of the ballot which I undertake to raise.

One the best moments of my political activity was when UNISON nominated Jeremy on 29th July. I am a member of the committee that agreed to nominate him and it was an honour to be the first member of committee to propose Jeremy. We won that nomination though due to members in our branch and in branches across the country who ensured members voice was heard via consultations and petitions. UNISON's nomination was described to me by a senior member of #teamcorbyn as 'a game changer' so lets not forget the importance that vote.

Thanks also needs to go all those working on the campaign from the volunteers on the phone banks and running events, to those running the social media campaign and to those in the office who must all now be exhausted. I particularly like to thank MarshaJane Thompson who took time out of being Branch Secretary of Havering branch to work full time on the Campaign. However the hard work of all involved is appreciated by all those who want change in the Labour party.

Whatever happens now the fact is things have changed we have seen an unprecedented interest in politics of the left with tens of thousands attending rallies across the country. The campaign has seen an unprecedented interest by young people including the involvement of my own daughters  We have seen a huge surge of membership in the Labour party and we will have to be listened too (15,000 since jeremy's election on Saturday-ed)

I will be at the conference on Saturday as a UNISON delegate I will up date the branch as to the result which will hopefully be reported on in thus newsletter . If Jeremy wins the hard work begins again, we have seen a taster into how the right wing media will distort and lie about Jeremy and the new front bench. However we have also seen how effective social media can be in counteracting these attacks, news is no longer in the hands of a few billionaires but in the hands of the many as long as we use it correctly our message will get out there.

For UNISON we need to continue to register members and encourage members to become full members of the party and get involved. I will be making further contact with members soon on this.

Andrew Berry
Labour Link Officer