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This year, Young Labour are putting on a packed programme of events for young members on the Sunday of Annual Conference, full of fringes, workshops, and debates, as well as sessions running throughout the week.

Find out more here.

For more information about Labour Party Annual Conference 2017, visit http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/annual-conference-2017.

The Houses of Parliament are more diverse than ever before. Increases in the numbers of self-identifying women, BAME, LGBT and disabled MPs on the Labour benches are to be applauded. However, there’s still more we must do. Our government must be representative of the society it serves and in 2017, we’re still far from that reality.

Although we celebrate the election of two new self-identifying disabled Labour MPs we must recognise that this falls well short of representing the make-up of our society. The election of both Marsha de Cordova in Battersea and Jared O’Mara in Sheffield Hallam brings the total number of disabled MPs up to five. That means that one in one hundred and thirty MPs defines as disabled, whereas one in five people in the UK have a disability

As the Labour Party we understand that diversity is strength but we must do more to break down barriers and actively empower disabled people at all levels of government. Different perspectives and life experiences make for a stronger Parliament and stronger legislature. Disabled MPs help to break down barriers for disabled people across the UK because there is no one more qualified to advocate for the rights of or speak on the experiences of disabled people than a disabled MP.

There’s a few things that are imperative change to make the Labour Party more accessible on a local and national level. Our events must be fully accessible, from huge national rallies to CLP meetings the needs of our disabled activists must be listened to. Together we need to put an end to socials held up a flight of stairs and knocking on doors being seen as the only way young people can engage in activism and fight for a Labour government.

Not only must we always work to create an accessible environment so that people aren’t shut out of all the fantastic things we do as a party we must ensure that there is always a positive atmosphere that welcomes new and returning members equally. When I launched a consultation into the barriers that prevent our disabled members from engaging with Young Labour, experiences of online abuse came up. Whilst debate and discussion are an essential part of our party regardless of our differences we must treat one another with respect and kindness even when we disagree.

Disabled activists - as with all activists - should never be prevented from getting involved in the Labour Party for fear of insults or intimidation. And when it comes to actively encouraging our disabled members to participate in our activities, we must think of new ways to support our activists inside and outside of Labour Party spaces, from running mentoring schemes and public speaking training to increasing confidence to actively implement self-care strategies to prevent activist burn-out, which I’ve seen in so many of our members.

The Labour Party and Young Labour is ahead of the curve in many ways compared to the rest of society, but there’s still so much work left to do and as Young Labour’s Disabled Members’ Officer I want to work with you to continue breaking down these barriers.

If you want ideas of how to make your local Young Labour group more accessible please get in touch with the Young Labour National Committee!

Miriam Mirwitch

Young Labour Disabled Members' Officer

Is this your first polling day or are you a seasoned pro? Regardless of how many times you have campaigned before, these tips from NEC Youth Representative Jasmin Beckett will help you have a successful polling day.

How long does a polling day operation last?

Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm on polling day in the UK. However, a typical polling day can start at 6am with an ‘early morning leaflet drop’ – this is when we deliver leaflets to people’s doors so that when they wake up they are quickly reminded it is polling day.

After this the team will usually grab a quick breakfast and at around 10am we start knocking on our first doors. The purpose of polling day campaigning is to knock on the doors of people who have told us they are Labour voters, that’s why you may hear members calling it ‘get out the vote’ (GOTV).

Campaigning will then go on until around 9pm when we knock our final doors. If you are not comfortable knocking or are unable to due to an access issue just let the organiser know and they will be able to set up some phone banking (calling voters) or leafletting for you.

Also, just because we campaign from 6am – 10pm on polling day it doesn’t mean you have to stay for all of it, some members come for an hour after work and others stay for the whole thing. Do as much as you feel like.

Where shall I campaign?

Deciding where you campaign is crucial. Do you have a nearby target seat? It is so important to have Labour activists campaigning in key seats on polling day as they can be won or lost based on getting Labour voters out. Check with your CLP secretary or regional office where your local target seat is.

Can I organise campaigning on polling day?

If you run a local Young Labour group or you are a CLP youth officer, then get in touch with other young members by setting up a youth focussed Facebook campaign event or group. It’s often daunting for new members to have to turn up alone so letting them know a friendly face will be there may encourage more to come along.

However firstly search on your local party’s Facebook group or your MPs page before setting this up as you may find there is already a campaigning plan in place.

Never campaigned before?

If you are new to the #LabourDoorstep then do not fear, let the organiser know on the day and they will team you up with an experienced campaigner who will show you the ropes for your first few doors.

What should I bring?

Here are some things you may want to bring along:

-          Water

-          Sun cream (depending on the season)

-          Snacks (high energy snacks are best)

-          A backpack

What should I wear?

There are no specific requirements but wear sensible clothes to ensure you are comfortable when walking around all day.

Summer polling day:

-          Sensible shoes - like walking boots or trainers

-          A water-proof jacket (such is the British summer…)

-          An umbrella

Winter polling day:

-          Sensible shoes - like walking boots or trainers

-          Layer up, if it’s very cold wear as many layers as possible

-          A fleece

-          Hat, gloves and a scarf

-          Water-proof coat

-          An umbrella

-          Extra socks!

I hope you have found these tips useful for a successful polling day, you can share this with other young or newer members who may want to know what to expect prior to campaigning.

Now let’s get out there and win for Labour, the stakes have never been higher.