Havering & Dagenham Young Labour have recently got back up and running again after a busy local election period. At June’s AGM we had much to celebrate due to three Young Labour members being elected in the local elections with other young members narrowly missing out. We have a fantastic foundation to build from, with direct access for young members to local councils and councillors.

Moving forward we have three targets as a Young Labour group to achieve over the next year. The first is creating a more welcoming environment for young members in the local party. That means considering changing the way we conduct meetings but also as a Young Labour group and looking for new ways to engage members. One way we’ll be doing this is by putting on movie nights, politics & pizza events and hosting picnics in parks. With these ideas we hope to create a more relaxed atmosphere which will make it easier for new members to engage with politics for the first time.

Another thing we want to do is increase youth representation in local parties. Therefore we are pushing for a Young Labour delegate on Local Campaign Forums, guaranteeing young members a voice at all levels of our party. This representative would be directly elected by local young members and would help develop local policies that are for local people.

Finally, we want to help young workers in our boroughs get a better deal at work and fairer pay. Young people are subject to a lower minimum wage and are often victim to zero hour contracts amongst other exploitative conditions. As chair, I’ve already started research into local employers and the conditions their workers are subject to. If these conditions discriminate against age or the pay below the London Living Wage, we will be campaigning for local employers to change. This campaign is inspired by my Unite Young Workers branch who successfully won a battle to get under 21s at 21% pay increase after they pressured a local authority to demand their contractors pay young people equally to their elder counterparts.

I believe this program is completely achievable for our Young Labour group and I’m very excited to see what we can achieve. I’m really passionate about all young members across Dagenham, Rainham and the rest of Havering having a say in what Havering & Dagenham Young Labour will do and what it will be. Young members are the future of our movement and Young Labour can act as the environment to nurture young activists’ skills which will be essential when campaigning for the next Labour government. If you are 30 or under, you’re more than welcome to come along to our next meeting at Saffron House, 273 South St, Romford, RM1 2BE at 7:30pm on Wednesday 25^th July. We would love to meet and hear from you!

Nicholas West

Chair of Havering & Dagenham Young Labour

@Nicholaswest27