Apologies for the delay in the Napo Campaign Blog update. It is hoped to get this back on a regular footing so that Napo members can get a summary of the myriad of activities in which Napo centrally and our branch activists are involved. A full update of our campaign has just been issued to Branches by Harry Fletcher in BR 18/203 (link will appear on website in due course).

Over the last two weeks alone Napo has:

-Continued its work on our comprehensive response to the Government on their Transforming Rehabilitation plans

-Stepped up our highly successful press and media campaign which is continuing to attract interest from a number of sources including Private Eye, Sunday Mirror, Sun and Times as well as ITV.

-In Parliament we have now secured 119 signatures from MP's supportive of Napo's EDM (Early Day Motion) which calls on the Government not to privatise the Probation Service. This was helped by the 'Drop in Day' in January which saw a high number of MP's attend following the letters sent to them by Napo members. This will put heavy pressure on the Coalition to agree to a specific Probation debate in the House of Commons

-Provided a briefing to the Prime Ministers Private Secretary about the threats posed by Chris Graylings Transforming Rehabilitation agenda

-Successfully secured Opposition agreement to table amendments to the Crime and Courts Bill

-Tabled 50 Parliamentary questions and 18 Oral Questions specifically on Payment by Results (Pbr) with scores more in the pipeline

-Met with a group of Peers in the House of Lords to explore how they can add weight to the Napo campaign and also secure an early debate

-Put arrangements in train via the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group to meet with Opposition front benchers

-Identified key areas of the Transforming Rehabilitation plans which may be legally challengeable

-Explored links with the other justice unions such as PCS and the POA with a view to joined up local campaigning and ideas around an industrial strategy

-Held two meetings with the Probation Chiefs Association and Probation association to share ideas and identify common ground

-Agreed an initial joint campaign leaflet with the GMB and UNISON which has been distributed by our Officers and activists to visitors at the ongoing series of MoJ Consultative events scheduled for Birmingham, Cardiff, London and York, where Napo members' officers and officials have spoken out against the Grayling proposals.

-Provided a speaker in the form of Ian Lawrence to Capita's high profile Reforming Probation Conference. Ian joined with Sebert Cox PA Chair and Liz Calderbank HM Inspectorate for Probation in a wide ranging panel discussion about the future of Probation (further appearances will also be made by Ian as a keynote speaker at similar events over the next two months).

-Identified and targeted scores of MP's via 'Twitter' especially Lib Dems and those in marginal constituencies to take an interest in our campaign.

-Secured a place for Ian Lawrence on the guardian Public Leaders On-line debate on the future shape of Probation (between 12 and 2:00 Friday 8th February)

-Encouraged members and their families and friends to sign the e-petition accessible via the Napo campaign website

-Seen the National Executive Committee (NEC) endorse the campaign strategy and authorise planning for Industrial Action ideally in concert with other unions in the Criminal Justice system.

Hats off to Surrey and Sussex!

Local Napo activists across England and Wales have already excelled themselves in terms of involvement in the campaign. This has been achieved by way of excellent media coverage, written contributions, arranging to speak with Ministers during their visits to Trusts, leafleting the public and lobbying the MoJ events.

This week saw the transmission of BBC One's 'Out of Jail and On the Street' documentary, which featured a number of Napo members going about the seemingly thankless task of public protection /offender management in a way which did great credit to the Probation service as a whole. Anyone who doubts the value of what Probation is about (Ministers please take note) could do a lot worse than spend an hour watching the truth.

Taking the campaign forward

As you would expect, all of this has kept the Napo Officers and Officials and Staff at Chivalry Road fully stretched; but we realise there is still much to do. We also welcome the massive interest in the campaign that has appeared in the social media from organisations and individuals via mediums such as Facebook, Twitter and independent campaign websites and we are continually exploring how to respond and exploit the opportunities that these mediums can sometimes offer.

This is why the Napo Officers have set up a co-ordinating campaign sub group which will link in to the NEC Campaign Committee and Napo's Communications Group. It is vital that all elements of the campaign are monitored and reviewed so that we can maximise our resources and pick up on major political and media opportunities even more effectively than we have done up to now.

More news will appear on the Campaign Blog as soon as it is available. But remember - this struggle has a long way to go and we cannot always do things as quickly as we would all want. But the collective determination already being shown by Napo members' is a massive plus for our campaign now, and into the future.

Edited: 08/02/2013 at 11:09 AM by IanLawrence

I have just read Harry Fletcher's summary (It is extensive!) of the action so far - and Boateng had the nerve to call him a dinosaur in about 1997/8!

Thanks all - keep the faith.

I want to see some sharp questioning of Grayling and Wright and also Khan that exposes their ignorance of the vast implications of what is being done.

Khan should especially be playing for delay BUT he also needs to make a FIRM commitment that this time Labour will NOT advance Tory privatisation. One reason I don't trust Labour is because that was what Blair and then Straw said when the Conservatives started this whole sad saga that puts the safety of the public at risk - although they don't understand it because, criminal justice is such a minority interest unless an MP faces prison, or there is a riot or escape, or high high profile re-offence.