Timetable anounced!

Dear John 

 

A very happy New Year - and I hope you had an excellent break!

 

I’m delighted that  we FINALLY have a timetable for selecting our candidate for the West Midlands Mayor! I’m also really proud that we’re also announcing a further fifty supporters - including our former Deputy Leader Tom Watson, and general election candidates from across the region including Melanie Dudley (Labour’s candidate in Dudley North in 2019), and Lucy Caldicott (candidate in Dudley South, 2019).

 

Ballots will now open on Wednesday 15 January - and close at noon on Wednesday 5th February.

 

Now we have a timetable we’re resuming our phone banking across the region. You can get updates by joining the Liam4Mayor phone-banking WhatsApp group by clicking here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/H7mVQUX7Weg7NrI2YgLD0a

 

We’d love it if you could join us. It's absolutely vital that we speak to as many members as possible to raise awareness of our campaign and this election.

To begin with, we’re opening two phonebanks in Birmingham, but you can use our online system from home too. If you want any help with that, please drop in to one of the sessions below and we can sign you up and give brief training. Then you can continue from home if that suits you better.

Any questions - or you’d like to host a phonebank, drop us a line to [email protected], or call 07495764214.

 

Below are the details of the amazing new support we’re publishing today from across the Labour family - including ten trade unions and affiliates. I’ve always said we’ll win by building a team - and this is an amazing team.

 

In the General Election, I was honoured to win the biggest majority in the West Midlands in my own seat in Hodge Hill. But it was tough. I saw it first hand, campaigning in 23 of our 28 constituencies. But our region NEEDS Labour to be strong! So, it’s time to dust ourselves down. Get back on our feet. And rebuild our party from the grassroots up.

 

That starts by turning the West Midlands Labour Red and winning the Mayor for Labour with a plan for Radical Compassion that’s radical, credible and popular.

 

So Let’s Start Now!

 

Solidarity and thanks

Best wishes

Liam Byrne MP

*NEWS FROM LIAM BYRNE *
Another 50 Labour Party figures, members, and trade unions from all 7 authorities in the West Midlands have announced their support for Liam Byrne’s candidacy for the West Midlands Mayor - as the Labour Party resets its selection timetable.

 

It adds to the 100 key activists who have already backed Byrne for the largest Mayoral role outside London. In the general election, Liam secured the largest majority of any MP in the whole of the West Midlands.

 

New endorsers include:

- Labour’s former Deputy Leader Tom Watson, along with Labour general election candidates in the region such as Melanie Dudley (Labour’s candidate in Dudley North in 2019), Lucy Caldicott (candidate in Dudley South, 2019) and Rob Pocock (Labour's candidate in Sutton Coldfield from 2001 to 2017).

 

- Major trade unions like the TSSA, the GMB, USDAW and Community representing over 1 million members.

 

- Affiliated societies including The Co-operative Party, Socialist Health Association, Chinese for Labour, The West Midlands Fabian Society, Labour Campaign for International Development, and the Labour Party Irish Society.

 

Byrne has now been endorsed by more unions and affiliated societies than any other candidate.

 

Existing endorsers include Director of the anti-racism charity Hope Not Hate, Gurinder Josan Singh, founder of homeless shelters in Coventry and Wolverhampton, Nobby Clarke and Matt Lambert, West Midlands Police and Crime commissioner, David Jamieson, local MPs like Jack Dromey and Preet Gill, national Labour figures like Clive Lewis and John McDonnell MP, retired MPs, Rob Marris and Adrian Bailey, Leader of Brmingham City Council, Ian Ward, and many local councillors.

 

*Tom Watson*, Former Deputy Leader of Labour and MP of West Bromwich East, said:

 

“London has Sadiq Khan and Manchester has Andy Burnham. The West Midlands Mayor is our chance to elect a Labour champion for us. Liam is not only someone who can turn the best of our ideals into action - he's the best chance we've got to beat the Tories..”

 

*Paddy Lillis*, General Secretary of shopworkers union, USDAW said;

 

“Liam will be a Mayor that uses his experience to tackle the issues facing our members and working people across the West Midlands. From supporting our high streets to reducing homelessness, he’ll put our communities first and that’s why Usdaw is backing him.”

 

*Roy Rickhuss CBE*, General Secretary of Community said:

 

‘We are delighted to be supporting Liam Byrne for Metro Mayor for the West Midlands. From engaging in his local community and demonstrating a clear understanding of the issues impacting the region, we know Liam will make a transformative Metro Mayor."

 

The *GMB Union *said:

 

“We need to tackle the moral emergency of homelessness and hunger. We need to rebuild prosperity for the many with a Green Industrial Revolution. That’s why we are backing Liam Byrne to be Labour candidate for West Midlands Mayor”

 

*Melanie Dudley*, Labour Candidate for Dudley North 2019, said:

 

"London and Manchester have prominent Labour mayors making a difference. We need a Labour champion in the West Midlands too and Liam Byrne is the best chance we've got to beat Andy Street."

 

*Lucy Caldicott*, Labour Candidate for Dudley South 2019, said:

 

"Liam is a man who listens, who cares and who gets things done. It is disgraceful that people in the West Midlands are going hungry and facing homelessness in the 21st century in one of the richest countries on the planet and I am pleased that tackling these issues are given priority in his manifesto. Liam’s energy is exactly what the West Midlands needs in its next Metro Mayor and I’m pleased to support his campaign."

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