My First Boris Bike Ride

Off message but today I finally did it - and after months of faffing around I bought a helmet and cycle clips then hired a Barclay (Boris) bike and rode from Holborn to London Liverpool Street station.

This is the London cycle sharing scheme. 

Of course they should be called "Ken's Bikes" since it was actually the idea of London Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone in 2007. Like a lot of Ken's ideas - Boris nicked them.

It took me about 20 minutes to work out how to log in and release a bike. The instructions on docking stations for first time users are pretty rubbish. Luckily for me some helpful staff were about relocating bikes. You have to set up a charge with your credit card and get a receipt then you have to reinsert your credit card to get a slip with an unlocking code. Once you know what you are doing then it is quite simple.You can order a key online to make things quicker.

The bike itself is pretty easy to ride and feels surprisingly light considering it is quite a big bike. The gears need a little getting use to but it is stable and being high off the ground gives you confidence. The front carrier basket is rather small but its better to store stuff here rather than a rucssack on your back. If you are not use to cycling in London it would be best for you to try out in quiet streets and at quiet times to get use to the bike before hitting the high road in peak traffic. 

I was on the whole, well impressed and will definitely give this mode of transport a try in coming months. Tomorrow I will be going to Mordon and may be able to cycle some of the way back to Islington.

UNISON Labour Link Officer Branch Report 2012

My report to UNISON Housing Association Branch Annual Report 2012.

"In the GLA and Mayor elections in May, Branch Labour Link members played their part across London by being in UNISON door knocking and tele-canvassing teams which helped get rid of nasty Tory GLA members such as Brian Coleman, while London Mayor Candidate, Ken Livingston only narrowly missed out being elected.

We held our annual meeting in the House of Commons in October and our key note speaker was Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey (see picture), who in a well attended and lively session, made a convincing case for an alternative housing policy.  At the same time he listened to our concerns about poverty wages, insecure employment and the impact that austerity has on those trying against the odds to provide quality services.

He overstayed the Q&A by 40 minutes and let one of our major employers, who also had an appointment that evening waiting for him.

In 2013 we need to exercise our local and national political muscle to support our campaigns to not only save our jobs, pensions and pay but argue for different ways of doing things. For example sector wide collective pay agreements;  for a living wage plus (decent pay, pensions and sickness benefit) for all housing and care workers and no public sector contracts for employers who do not  recognise trade unions.

Those of us who support the Labour Party need to play our part in making sure that a Labour Government is elected in 2015 and that it is a truly progressive Government with an alternative economic policy that will transform our society.

John Gray"