This week has seen yet another endorsement for my leadership campaign. The T&G Broad Left passed a motion unanimously supporting the campaign at their conference in Birmingham on Sunday. In a statement passed to us this week, members of the Broad Left explained their reasons for this important decision: "There is a wide appreciation throughout the TGWU that John McDonnell is supporting the issues that matter to the trade union movement and the working class in general."
This is a tremendous boost for our grassroots campaign. The Broad Left is the most important grassroots organisation of trade union activists within the T&G and played a decisive role in the election of Tony Woodley, the current General Secretary of the union. It is recognition of the fact that I am the only candidate standing for Labour leader who backs T&G policies - including a real living wage, the restoration of trade union rights, an end to the privatisation of our public services, a Corporate Manslaughter Bill, and the immediate restoration of the link between pensions and earnings. The Broad Left will play a key role in building support for the campaign within the T&G - which is, after all, the third biggest affiliated union.
The T&G Broad Left are the latest in a series of organisations to back the campaign. As many of you will know, the broad lefts in Amicus, UNISON and CWU have already unanimously backed the campaign. ASLEF unanimously backed the campaign last week, as did the RMT late last year. Union regions, such as CWU London and FBU London, have already endorsed the campaign. Grassroots organisations of Labour activists that have already supported the campaign include the Labour Representation Committee, the LRC's Socialist Youth Network, the Network of Socialist Campaign Groups, Welsh Labour Grassroots, and the Scottish Labour Campaign for Socialism.
Every week, we're told of yet more union branches, CLPs and Labour party branches that have voted to back the campaign. There's a real groundswell of support growing right across the labour movement. Labour party members and trade unionists want to be able to vote for a leadership candidate who actually supports Labour party and trade union policies.
Finally, I want to thank all of the activists who are putting in such hard work to ensure that this campaign is a success. I'm genuinely inspired by the commitment and enthusiasm out there. We've all got every reason to be excited about the months ahead.
