Evesham Labour Party chose one of the warmest evenings of the year for their first post-pandemic meeting, a social at St Ecgwin’s Club on Thursday June 16th. As a result, the event was held entirely in the attractive gardens, where members and supporters enjoyed refreshments and discussion.
Mike Harland, the new Chair of the Evesham Branch, who was meeting some members face to face for the first time, welcomed everyone and urged all present to get involved, as there was ‘a role for everyone in campaigning for more Labour representation at local level, and for a fairer society.’
This theme was later echoed by Romeo Bond, the new Youth Officer for the Branch, who made a powerful plea for all to unite behind the historic mission of the Labour Party as offering hope and being ‘an agent of change in pursuit of a society that works for everyone.’
The group welcomed guest speaker Steve Akers from Chipping Norton Labour Party, who is a councillor for the town. He explained how, over recent years, they had managed to increase Labour representation on the Town Council from 1 to 12 out of the 16 councillors, as well as helping wrest West Oxfordshire District and Oxfordshire County Councils from Conservative control. He set this in the context of the town’s history of radicalism and then set out in detail the strategies used to campaign successfully to ‘turn a blue town red’ which Evesham Labour Party could use,
Roger Woollen, who has recently moved to Evesham and has already joined the organising group for the Branch, said ‘It was great to meet like-minded people and encouraging to have such a positive message.’
Another newer member, local Jake Eldridge, agreed. He said, ‘It is heartening to meet a group of such warm natured and passionate people, organising to put the needs of people and communities at the forefront of local and national government.’