AGM endorses the JR strategy

I want to say a massive thank you to all those members who made the journey up to Scarborough last week. Despite the pressures of the work state and operational chaos you find yourselves in, and despite the best efforts of the employer to make life difficult, you once again defied the odds.

The Officers and Officials all agree that this was an extremely successful AGM, and make no mistake about it, the main highlight was the way in which members received news of and endorsed the Judicial Review strategy that we have been pursuing vigorously over the last 12 months.

At a closed session of AGM I explained the various strands (and frustrations that we have endured during it) of the JR campaign, and why Napo has not been able to seriously consider a possible route forwards until now. I was also transparent about us having spent a lot of money paying for some of the best specialists in the field to help us and Edward Cooper explained the complexities involved and answered questions from members.

Members support

On Saturday I reported that we would write to members about the feedback we had helpfully received following the closed session, so that everyone could be briefed on the position we had reached and that members would receive as many assurances as possible in terms of us exhausting all avenues. The e-mail to members which we issued yesterday sets out as safely as we are able to, what we have been doing and where we hope to go next; and it explains that our call for evidence on a number of fronts (now that we have seen what a disaster the staff split has been and what it has led to), is crucial in terms of us seeking redress against the Secretary of State through the legal system.

We had a huge queue of members waiting to give statements to our lawyers at AGM and we have had further testimonies coming in over the weekend and yesterday and again today. This is now being analysed and sent across for possible inclusion in the portfolio of evidence. This represents an absolutely brilliant response from Napo members and another massive thank you for the way that people have stepped up to the plate when needed.

Cool heads and unity

So we now at last have a potential route for legal challenge against TR, and just as the Officer Group always intended we are now trying to pursue it to its conclusion. If the opinion says ‘go for it’ we will. If so I cannot guarantee victory, but I can as always, promise you that we will fight as hard as we can to try and seize the opportunity; the rest will be in the hands of the judiciary and wherever a bit of luck comes from these days. As I made clear to conference, we are in the most testing times in the history of this union but I am confident that the new Officer group will be up to the challenge and pull together just as the last group have done. We won’t raise your hopes unfairly and, as you would expect, we will keep a cool head as we try and steer us through all this.

Last week we re-established the vital commodity of unity in Napo; it’s certainly one thing that our enemies don’t possess. Indeed, their strategy for the destruction of the service and profession that you love is predicated on fear and division. It won’t work.