International Branch of the British Labour Party
Branch meetings
Maria Eagle to speak to Brussels Labour on Tuesday
Jun 19th
Maria Eagle MP will be in Brussels next week and has asked to meet the Brussels Labour branch. Therefore, we are pleased to announce an additional meeting:
Maria Eagle MP, Shadow Spokesperson for Transport
Tuesday 21 June 2011 | Frère de Martin, Rue Charles Martel 6, 1000 Brussels | Venue opens at 19:30, Meeting at 20:00
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Future dates:
Labour is listening!
Our next regular branch meeting is your chance to discuss the future of the Labour Party directly with a member of the Party’s National Executive Committee:
Policy Forum input – Ellie Reeves, CLP representative, National Executive Committee: the opportunity to discuss Brussels Labour’s contribution to the Labour Party consultations ‘Partnership into Power’ and ‘Refounding Labour’
Wednesday 29 June 2011 | Frère de Martin, Rue Charles Martel 6, 1000 Brussels | Venue opens at 19:30, Meeting at 20:00
Summer Social, hosted by Sue Davies
Wednesday 13 July 2011 | Please contact the Secretary for the address (sent in a mailing to members) | 19:30-22:30 | Please bring a bottle!
Joint meeting with Irish Labour Party this Wednesday
May 24th
Join us for this week’s Brussels Labour meeting:
Wednesday 25 May – PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE!
Joint meeting with the Irish Labour Party, with guest speaker Proinsias de Rossa MEP
CHANGE OF VENUE: Le Frère de Martin, Rue Charles Martel 6, 1000 Brussels
CHANGE OF TIME: Venue open from 19:30 – Meeting at 20:00
Also coming up:
Wednesday 29 June
Policy Forum input with Ellie Reeves, CLP representative, National Executive Committee
An opportunity to discuss Brussels Labour’s contribution to the Labour Party consultations ‘Partnership into Power’ and ‘Refounding Labour’
Carpe Diem, Avenue de Tervuren 13, 1040 Etterbeek (near Merode Metro station)
19:00: Venue open
19:30: Meeting begins
David Lammy – Labour’s road back to power
Apr 20th
Brussels Labour welcomed David Lammy MP to its meeting on 24 March on the theme of ‘Labour in Opposition and the days ahead’. David was the youngest member of the House of Commons when elected as MP for Tottenham in 2000. During his time in Parliament he has served as a minister in the Departments of Health, Justice and Culture, before taking the higher education portfolio, a post he now shadows in opposition. Brussels Labour was grateful to David for fitting in a visit while in Brussels to address a European Parliament Conference on Minority Leadership.
In a wide-ranging speech he gave his critique on the Conservative-led Government and his thoughts on the way forward for Labour in opposition and the challenges faced by the Party in securing a route back to power.
He began with the story of his own life and what inspired him to enter politics. Born in Tottenham itself – the constituency he now represents in Parliament – and raised by a single mother, David won a choral scholarship to the King’s School in Peterborough and went on to study at School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), the University of London and Harvard. He contrasted his experiences in Tottenham – the constituency with the highest unemployment in London – with Peterborough – in the heart of middle England – to highlight the challenges that Labour faces in recapturing the broad constituency of the British people necessary, in his view, to be a credible alternative for government. More >
Events this week: AGM + Commissioner Füle, David Lammy MP
Mar 20th
This week’s Brussels Labour events are:
Wednesday 23 March
Annual General Meeting + branch meeting with Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy
Carpe Diem, 13 Avenue de Tervuren, 1040 Etterbeek, Brussels (upstairs room)
19:00 – 19:45: Food available to be ordered – please order and pay on arrival
20:00: Start of AGM – food will not be served once the meeting has begun
Thursday 24 March
David Lammy MP – Labour in Opposition: the days ahead
Carpe Diem, Avenue de Tervuren 13, 1040 Etterbeek (near Merode Metro station)
19:00: Venue open
19:30: Meeting begins
Join us on Thursday for the sister parties reception!
Feb 6th
Here’s a look at some of our upcoming events:
New Year reception of Democrats and Socialist sister parties in Brussels
Thursday 10 Feburary 2011 | Residence Palace restaurant, Rue de la Loi, 1000 Brussels (just behind the Justus Lipsius building) | 18:30 – 21:00
Please click here for more details
Brussels Labour AGM + Commissioner Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy
Wednesday 23 March 2011 | Further details to follow
Linda McAvan MEP to address next branch meeting
Jan 21st
Here’s a look at some of our upcoming events:
Linda McAvan MEP – post-Cancun, and the mood of the Labour Party
Wednesday 26 January 2011 | Carpe Diem, Avenue de Tervuren 13, 1040 Etterbeek (near Merode Metro station), upstairs room | Venue open from 19:30, meeting at 20:00
Linda McAvan will speak at the first Brussels Labour branch meeting of 2011 on Wednesday 26 January. She will talk about the Cancun climate change negotiations and the mood in the Party now that we are in opposition in the UK.
Please note that we are meeting at a new venue next week!
Sister Parties reception
Thursday 10 February 2011 | Further details to follow
Brussels Labour AGM + Commissioner Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy
Wednesday 23 March 2011 | Further details to follow
‘It’s the people, stupid!’ – Martin Westlake at the John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture
Dec 7th
On Monday 29 November, Martin Westlake, Secretary-General of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), delivered the seventh annual John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture, with the title ‘It’s the people, stupid!’.
A full summary of the event will appear shortly in the Germinal section of the Brussels Labour website and in the next print edition of Germinal.
In the meantime, you can read the text of the speech in the John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture section of the website, where you can find out more about the lecture.
Brussels Labour would like to thank Martin for agreeing to deliver the lecture, and also for his very generous contribution of a banner for use at future lectures (see photos below).
A selection of photos from the event is below – for more photos, visit our Flickr page.
Don’t forget to register for the John Fitzmaurice memorial lecture
Nov 12th
Here’s a look at some of our upcoming events:
John Fitzmaurice Memorial Lecture
Monday 29 November | Passage Room, Residence Palace, International Press Centre, rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels | Drinks from 19:00, lecture at 20:00
This year’s John Fitzmaurice Memorial Lecture will be given by Martin Westlake, Secretary General of the European Economic and Social Committee.
The title of the lecture is ‘It’s the people, stupid!’
More information on the lecture here.
If you plan to attend, please send a message to the Secretary.
Forthcoming Brussels Labour events
Oct 28th
Here’s a look at some of our upcoming events:
John Fitzmaurice Memorial Lecture
Monday 29 November | Passage Room, Residence Palace, International Press Centre, rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels | Drinks from 19:00, lecture at 20:00
This year’s John Fitzmaurice Memorial Lecture will be given by Martin Westlake, Secretary General of the European Economic and Social Committee.
The title of the lecture is ‘It’s the people, stupid!’
More information on the lecture here.
If you plan to attend, please send a message to the Secretary.
Brussels Labour Quiz
Wednesday 10 November | The Staff, Rue de Trèves 42, 1050 Brussels | Open from 19:30. Quiz at 20:00
Michael Cashman MEP will compere the quiz. There are teams looking for team members – please let the Secretary know if you would like to join.
A raffle will be held to raise funds for the flood victims in Pakistan.
Teams of four can register by emailing the Secretary and making a transfer of €20 to the Brussels Labour account: 001-1128765-52
Please include your team name & indicate that it is for the quiz. Prizes will be awarded!
Brussels Labour Christmas social
Wednesday 8 December | Square Ambiorix 6, 1000 Brussels | From 19:30
Hosted by David Earnshaw and Jo Wood.
