Glad that my recent post about my experience at Oxford Labour Party obviously got a bit of a read. Clearly it's doing the rounds in Oxford Labour Party and elsewhere.
I don't have a problem with any of the hard working volunteers in the Oxford Party. Oxford has clearly been a very successful electoral machine in re-electing Andrew Smith who I know is a very good MP. None of that was the point I was making!
My point was to try and say what it felt like as someone who was effectively turning up as a new member. Not sure how it can be harsh to share what happened (or didn't happen) to me at the meeting? Surely that's good as we try to make our party better and more accessible? I don't know how many people turn up once and never return? I do know that's a huge problem in the trade union movement and one that my colleagues and I are desperate to tackle. I'm guessing it's also a concern to many in our Party?
I feel certain that there will be more thought given to what some might call "the new member experience" in Oxford. That means the blog post did it's job in a very small way.
Will I go back to another meeting and help with member contact. I dare say I will do both in between continuing to try to help organise UNISON members in the fight for their jobs, pay, pensions and of course the very existence of public services. A fight, incidentally, that some senior bods in the Labour Party could do more to support rather than hinder.
0 comments:
Post a Comment