Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sleeping with the enemy: Ken's offer to Vince about bringing down the Coalition

Today there was a London Labour Party Manifesto meeting at Congress House.  I missed the morning session due to my Council surgery and a Fair Pensions Training on shareholder Activism (which I had to leave early). 

Ken gave a keynote speech to the meeting after lunch and was on form.   He compared the 77% of funding that Boris received during the last Mayor campaign from City Bankers and Hedge fund managers with the 80% he received from trade unions and trade union members. Unlike Boris he was proud of his funding.

Boris is planning to increase fares by 2% above inflation for the next 20 years. If he is elected Ken has pledged to cut tube fares by 7% and bus fares by 11%.

On Housing issues Ken spoke passionately about a London Living rent and a GLA rental agency. He also reaffirmed his commitment to work with London Council (and the LPFA which the Mayor runs) pension funds  to get them to fund investment in Housing. I will of course declare an interest in this subject. I also have never understood why British pension funds do not invest in residential rental properties?

Ken being Ken had to say something to bring a smile to our faces. His despair at this present Coalition government and his wish for it to fall led to him making a typically "Ken" offer to even sleep with Vince Cable if this meant the government would "fold".  An offer that Vince will no doubt....

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

" I also have never understood why British pension funds do not invest in residential rental properties? "

Fantastic idea. Pour your entire pension fund in Newham property. Drive up Newham house prices. This will help me, as I am desperate to get out of this Borough!!! I want to sell up, but all the nice areas are so expensive.

Why have n't the Olympics, pushed up house priceS?. We are still lingering at the bottom.

John Gray said...

Hi Tory Anon

Not as desperate as the rest of us are to get rid of you.

If you do sell and need a hand to move please don't hesitate to let me know.

:)

Anonymous said...

If having aspirations and wanting to live in a nice area makes a Tory, then I take that badge.

I have had an Epiphany about Labour. I believe there are some in Labour who want poverty, dead-end jobs and unemployment. This is the only you win votes!

If there was no poverty, would anyone vote for you?

Your party promise bread crumbs, but all the time your aim is to expand Labour's dominion. This means creating more poverty.

Billions have been spent on the Olympics and the impact on Newham has been minimal. We have the highest unemployment. The worst shopping streets, low education standards and high crime rates. This is no accident.

I have examined Newham's regeneration plans. I have come to two conclusions :
(i) either Newham has no idea about regenerating the area or
(ii) the second is more sinister; you sabotage regeneration to keep control over the Borough.

You see anyone with a job or owning their own home as a threat to Labour votes. You drive them out of the Borough.

You build council houses and housing association next to private homes to ensure there is crime and anti-social behaviour on every street corner.

You see gangs of youth on the streets, where are those CCTV cars?


You hear of gun shots, people being burgled 2-3 times in row, you hear of gangs jumping into gardens, windows being smashed....


Just North of Wanstead flats, there are some delightful houses,
Newham has nothing to match. Why is that????? 60 years of Labour ensured, no such houses were built, as that would be a treat to Labour's control over the area.

John Gray said...

Hi anon

What a load of old nonsense - Tory or otherwise. So Labour supporters don't have aspirations and don’t want to live in a nice area? Labour "wants" Newham to remain poor? etc etc - what weirdo paranoid rubbish! By all means attack the politics and say Labour got this or that wrong. But to based your politics on some evil Labour "conspiracy" theory just makes you seem like a nutter to be honest.

Newham is slowly and surely getting better. Finally it is starting to get the public and private investment it deserves.

Newham is a fantastic place to live. The best place I have ever lived in. How can you mention the housing North of Wanstead flats and forget about the Woodgrange Estate?

It’s not perfect but as someone who has lived here for 24 years I do not recognise your sectarian ranting at all.

Please grow up and get some sort of an argument.

Anonymous said...

Pot, kettle and black there councillor.

John Gray said...

yeah, yeah (yawn, yawn)anon

You have no idea how raving you appear do you?

Why are the Tories in Newham so absolutely useless?