Angela’s diary from the 2021 Labour Party Conference in Brighton is below! Enjoy.
I kicked off proceedings on the main stage with my speech which outlined Labour’s vision for workers and the commitments we will deliver on within our first 100 days in power.

It will be the driving mission of the next Labour government to end the poverty wages and insecure work that blights millions of lives and is holding back our economy. Labour will make Britain work for working people.

Work should provide not just a proper wage that people can raise a family on, but dignity, flexibility and security. Better pay and more secure work is good for workers, good for businesses and good for the economy.

The Conservatives have ushered in an employment model that means a race to the bottom on the backs of working people. Outsourcing, zero-hours contracts and agency work drive down pay, standards and conditions across our whole economy.

It is high time that the key workers who got us through this crisis – and all working people – are given the dignity and security at work that they deserve.

We will bring together representatives of workers and employers to agree Fair Pay Agreements that will apply to every worker in each sector, starting in social care.

Fair Pay Agreements will drive up pay, improve conditions in the workplace and stop bad bosses from exploiting their workers and driving down pay and standards for everyone.

It was great to stand on the conference stage and talk about delivering these changes that will make a real and positive difference to people’s lives.

 

Next I spoke at the Labour Women’s Reception on a wonderful panel that included my good friend (and Oldham Council Leader) Councillor Arooj Shah. She inspires me with her incredible bravery in the face of the horrendous abuse she receives on a daily basis. I am proud to call her my friend and I will continue to support her in every way I can.
I was privileged to join London Mayor Sadiq Khan and my fellow MP Anneliese Dodds along with representatives from a host of trade unions at the Power in the Workplace rally.
I was delighted to be invited to join forces with Hope Not Hate, Best for Britain and the Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation (TULO) to debate issues surrounding the government’s Elections Bill and how it will impact voters, politics, trade unions and civil society.

Cat Smith MP, our Shadow Secretary of State for Young People and Democracy, is doing a fantastic job of holding the Tories to account on this and the fight to stop these dangerous changes being forced upon us continues.

I love talking about how a Labour Government would make life better for so many of us. I know how much a Labour Government supported me in my time of need and it saddens me that the young Angela Rayner’s of today are not able to access that help.

I joined yet another wonderful panel, including our Scotland Leader Anas Sarwar, Anneliese Dodds MP and Dan Jarvis MP to set out Labour’s vision for the years ahead and to recognise the difference Labour can make when we are in power as demonstrated by our wonderful Metro Mayors and Mark Drakeford, our Leader in Wales.

I spoke at the Association of Local Councillors and Local Government Assocation’s panel to celebrate the incredible work our local councillors do up and down the country.

I am so proud of our Labour Councillors across Ashton, Droylsden and Failsworth.

You work tirelessly to help those that need it and are the party’s representatives on the ground.

Thank you for everything that you do.

Stonewall invited me to speak at a Labour LGBTQ+ event and I promised to fight for women’s rights and equality as long as there is air in my lungs.

Labour is the party of equality and the party of the oppressed. We are committed to driving out bigotry and discrimination.

We will update the Gender Recognition Act to create a process of gender self ID and ensure LGBTQ+ inclusive education is rolled out in our schools.

We are the party that abolished Section 28 and we will continue to support the implementation of the Equality Act.

Being an ally gets to the heart of what it means to be a socialist – fighting prejudice in our society and having each other’s backs.

While being at conference involves a lot of hard work, it’s also great fun and gives me the chance to meet up with friends and colleagues that I don’t often get to see.

I loved speaking to my UNISON friends at their reception at Brighton Beach Bar. I will never forget my days as a UNISON rep and I still have so many friends there. Once a trade unionist, always a trade unionist.

Talking to our wonderful Labour members is one of the best bits of my job.

We might not always agree on everything but we are a family. I always make a special effort to get around to all the regional receptions at conference so I can speak to people from every corner of the country.

Meeting people in person feels exciting after so many months spent on Zoom!

Conference 2021 ended the way that I like to end every conference – at the Mirror Party on karaoke. It gave me a chance to finally let my hair down after days of intense work and, to be honest, Andy Burnham needed me on that microphone.
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