Councillor
Josie Channer
A Prison Officer From Barking
Barking and Dagenham Councillor:
As a councillor in Barking and Dagenham over the last 12 years, I’ve loved standing up for people in my community and working to improve the area.
I have deep roots in Barking and Dagenham. My late mother arrived from Jamaica in the 1960s and found work and friendship in Barking when she worked in Dagenham Fords Factory. I am proud to be a daughter of the Windrush Generation
I held a wide range of roles within the Labour Group and on the Council. However, as a Care Leaver myself, I was particularly proud to be Chair of Looked After Children’s Committee and championed improvement to the Council’s support to our care leavers, an issue which continues to be very close to my heart.
London Assembly Candidate:
As a GLA Candidate in a challenge seat, I achieved a 10% swing to Labour.
Councillor Chirs Ball
Leader of Bexley Labour Group, Former Leader of Bexley Council
"Josie was a regular visitor to party events and great on the doorstep during the GLA campaign. She had a real empathy with the electorate, is warm and engaging and her social conscience shone though"
Luck Place
Bromley Campaign Assistant during Mayoral election
"It's testament to Josie's commitment and hard work that whilst the overall turnout across Bexley and Bromley in 2012 fell, the Labour vote rose. Activists weren't simply encouraged by seeing Josie out on the doorstep engaging voters, but also by the rapport she built with local volunteers who felt like valued members of the team."
Fabian National Executive Committee member:
I’m currently serving on the Fabian National Executive Committee and part of the race equality task force. For Fabian Women Network (FWN) I am Chair of the Councillor Network and part of Criminal Justice group.
As Chair of the FWN’s Councillor Network my aim of the network is breakdown the barriers to women standing in local government, particularly those women with caring responsibilities.
I have had articles published, chaired several online events and taken part Labour conference events in partnership with FWN Mums in Politics.
MY WORK
Criminal Justice expertise:
I have a wide-ranging and in depth understanding of the criminal justice system after working at both a strategic and operational level in Policing, Prisons and Probation. I believe that the criminal justice system is in desperate need of change. I have been able to draw on my own experience and expertise to work with shadow cabinet members over the years to develop Labour Party policy, in particular during the privatisation of Probation Service, ensuring that the Shadow Ministerial Team at the time were aware of the scale of the crisis unfolding.
Prison Officer:
As a Prison Officer I made a lasting difference across the Prison Service. One of my proudest achievements is that I introduced the Prison Service Disability Policy nationally. The policy secured improvements in how we rehabilitate disabled offenders to live law-abiding lives. As a Prison Officer I was responsible for offenders on the Mental Health and Drug Unit.
Is Prison Working? (josiechanner.co.uk)
Women in Prison: Why the prison system is failing women (josiechanner.co.uk)
London Probation Trust Broad member:
Before the disastrous privatisation of the Probation Service, I was appointed to the Board of the London Probation Trust (the largest in England) an organisation charged with leading crime reduction across London. I had a leadership role in the organisation and sitting on Serious Further Offence Reviews. Within the Labour Party. I worked with Shadow Cabinet members to highlight the impact of this terrible policy within the Labour Party.
MY CAMPAIGNS
Protecting Tenants Campaign:
I led a successful local campaign in Barking against rogue landlords. My campaign as resulted in mandatory registration for private landlords: a significant policy change to protect tenants.
Clear HERE to read my full report
EMA Campaign
After studying at Barking College as a teenager, I went on to the local university – it matters to me that all young people in Barking to have that opportunity. I led a campaign for the reintroduction of Education Maintenance Allowance to support young people in Barking.
Click HERE to read my full report
Free Schools and EMA, where can we go from here ? (josiechanner.co.uk)
Campaign against Zero House Contracts
I joined the Labour Party in 1997 to campaign for the minimum wage when I was working as a cleaner in Barking. I’m still campaigning for a fair wage for all. As a Trade Union Rep for Unison I led a local campaign against Zero Hours Contracts in a neighbouring borough that received local press coverage.
Working Class Representation and Anti – Racism Work
I am committed to fighting for equality. It is important to me that the Labour Party reflects the communities that we seek to serve and that a wide range of experiences and voices are heard.
Black and South Asian Covid-19 Deaths: Four Questions that Need to be Answered (josiechanner.co.uk)
Working Class representation: Worth Not Birth (josiechanner.co.uk)
Working Class representation: The response to Worth Not Birth (josiechanner.co.uk)
