Saturday, November 30, 2019

Bambos and UNISON #labourdoorstep Enfield Southgate #GE2019


This afternoon I joined Labour Party and UNISON comrades at Palmer Green station to support Bambos Charalambous, to be re-elected for the Labour held marginal seat at Enfield Southgate.

There was a really good turnout of activists outside the station and I went on the campaign trail with retired UNISON national officer and Enfield Councillor Mary Maguire.

I have known Bambos for a number of years (long before he became an MP) and he is one of the most decent and dedicated politicians I have ever met.

(Check main picture front for a little dog in a red coat. Cara has competition!)

Friday, November 29, 2019

Haters are not welcome!

So proud of Londoners and our Police putting themselves in danger and defending us from the haters

Newham Council Rough Sleeping National Count - 29 November 2019

Picture of local volunteers, Charities, Council & Ministry staff, Councillors and outreach workers in Newham Dockside before the start of the annual national count of Rough Sleepers in Newham 12-3AM.

There were around 40 people split into 10 teams. I was a driver for my team. The leader was Belinda who works for a Newham Charity and the other team member was Tony who has "lived experience" of sleeping rough in Newham. Tony and I both jointly chair the Newham Homeless Action Group.

The National count takes place at the same time all over the UK but Newham has been carrying out local counts every 2 months in order to satisfy external funding of homelessness projects.

After being fully briefed on the purpose and methodology of the count (as well as showing at all times respect for rough sleepers and our health and safety) we set off. Our team was given 9 sites in East Ham which in the past had been used by rough sleepers.

We managed to visit all 9 sites by about 2.30am and came across and spoke to two separate rough sleepers. They were offered emergency accommodation (both politely refused) and arrangements made for outreach workers to offer further support in the morning.

It is on the one hand, quite incredible, to be speaking to people sleeping on outdoor concrete slabs on a cold wet November night who then decline the offer of a warm, dry bed for the night. However, the push back was that that emergency accommodation for rough sleepers was often in places that were dangerous with violent drug abusers. Hopefully, our outreach workers will be able to persuade rough sleepers that our emergency assessment centres are safe. 

Thursday, November 28, 2019

LABOUR’S HOUSING POLICIES – A DOORSTEP GUIDE

LHG has produced a Guide to Labour’s housing policies, summarising the key policies in the 2019 Manifesto to talk about on the doorstep.
Housing is at the top of the manifesto conversation in the media. Make sure you know what we are saying we will do!
The Guide also runs through how the Tories have made the “broken housing market” much worse, both in coalition with the Lib Dems and on their own account since 2015.
We’re aiming to help improve the lives of everyone with a housing need:
  • young people stuck in private rented homes, paying exorbitant rents, having to move every 6 months or year, and facing landlords who don’t maintain their properties
  • families moving from one private rented home to another, with no stability for their children and no hope of a secure, affordable, council or Housing Association home
  • leaseholders having to pay through the nose for ground rents
  • anyone facing homelessness
  • people in high rise tower blocks worried about fire safety in their homes
  • families who are anxious about where their children will be able to afford to live when they grow up
  • first-time buyers wanting low cost homes so they can stay near their work and families
  • those wanting to live in environmentally sustainable homes
Please take the Guide out with you on the doorstep – and share it around your Labour friends. Labour’s housing policies are vote winners for everyone!

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Labour vows to “put bad landlords out of business”



"Labour has vowed to “put bad landlords out of business” with fresh plans for housing that will see private sector renters offered new rights and a national ‘property MOT’ introduced.
Announcing the set of policies on Monday, Jeremy Corbyn and John Healey will explain that a Labour government would require landlords to complete an independent annual inspection.
The move would ensure homes meet a decent standard, with “dodgy landlords” having to pay tough fines of up to £100,000 for a single offence and even repay rent to tenants if the let property is sub-standard or rules are broken.
Landlords would need to possess a valid ‘MOT’ before letting out a home. The inspections would be conducted independently, with local councils acting as enforcement authorities.
The Labour leader and Shadow Housing Secretary are also expected to outline how they want to empower tenants and local authorities with a new ‘charter of renters’ rights’.
The charter will be based on the following:
  • The right to an affordable rented home.
  • The right to a secure rented home.
  • The right to a decent rented home.
“Labour will be on the side of tenants and take on dodgy landlords who have been given free rein for too long,” Corbyn commented. “Real change means taking on those who exploit the housing crisis to charge eye-watering rents for substandard accommodation. 
“Labour will put power in the hands of tenants with our new charter of renters’ rights, a cap on private rents and funding for renters unions to support tenants to organise and defend their right to safe and secure housing.”
To make private rented sector homes more affordable, Labour intends to cap rents with inflation and – as called for by London mayor Sadiq Khan – give additional powers to cities that could implement further rent controls.
Local housing allowance rates, used to determine the amount of housing benefit or Universal Credit housing element received by tenants renting from private landlords, would also increase under Labour’s plans.
To boost security for both tenants and landlords who want to let their properties long-term, Labour favours open-ended tenancies. These limit the reasons for which a tenant can be evicted to non-payment of rent or criminal behaviour in the property, for example.
Labour would scrap ‘Section 21’ notices, known as ‘no fault’ evictions, which the Conservative Party has also included in its manifesto after Theresa May announced the proposed abolition in April.
To be considered “decent”, homes should meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing, be in a reasonable state of repair, have reasonably modern facilities and services, and provide a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.
Healey, Labour’s housing spokesperson, said: “The power imbalance in the private rental market is at the heart of our housing crisis, with rents eating up too much of people’s pay, tenants afraid of eviction if they report problems, and families with children forced to uproot their lives at short notice.
“Many landlords provide decent homes that tenants are happy with, but the Conservatives have gifted rogue landlords the freedom to flourish. Labour will put bad landlords out of business.
“Labour will legislate in year one for a new charter of renters’ rights, with open-ended tenancies, new minimum standards and rent controls to make renting more affordable. We will make private renting a better option for all.”
According to new research by Labour, tenants collectively pay over £10bn a year in rent to landlords letting out sub-standard homes. A quarter of private rented homes are classed as ‘non-decent’, which means they are damp, cold, in disrepair or unsafe to live in.
One in four families with children now rent privately, Labour has found, and 1.7 million private renters pay more than a third of their income in rents. The private rented sector has grown by over one million households since the Tories took power in 2010".

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Emeli Sandé - You Are Not Alone



The highlight performer at this evening's launch of Labour's "Art for All" charter at the Stratford Theatre Royal must be Emeli Sande "You are not alone". A beautiful song sung wonderfully.

Jeremy Corbyn recited some of its lyrics in his speech at the end of the launch.

Vote Lyn Brown Your Labour Candidate for West Ham

Its up in the window! Who else wants one? 

Labour Arts for All launch in Theatre Royal

Hat tip Mayor Roksana Fiaz. "Thrilled that @jeremycorbyn  is in Stratford, Newham for the launch of @UKLabour  ‘Arts for All’ - a charter for the Arts and cultural sector with @lynbrownmp  & @grayee  at @stratfordeast . A jam packed evening of creativity as we set out our Arts for All’ #VoteLabourDecember12
🙌🏽

Guru Nanak 550 - Green Street Sikh Community Centre

Before the Peace march our Mayor, @RokhsanaFiaz visited the Green Street #Sikh community centre to an event to mark #GuruNanak550. Afterwards @WestHamLabour Candidate @lynbrownmp also made visit. Both were accompanied by @NewhamLondon  Cllr Harvinder Virdee Singh

Green Street Peace Procession Celebrating the Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed

 

A well organised & lively Peace march in Green Street to celebrate the Birthday of the Prophet Mohammed headed by @NewhamLondon Mayor @rokhsanafiaz & @WestHamLabour candidate @lynbrownmp

Saturday, November 23, 2019

West Ham on tour in 2 Cities

Photos from campaigning in Cities and Westminster yesterday. A large number of West Hammers came to the 2pm session (see middle right) together with Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz.

A somewhat frustrating canvass since so many gated blocks of flats with only access via door entry.  But we had some interesting conversations with residents and gained valuable data (for and against). 

Friday, November 22, 2019

Two Walkabouts & Groundbreaking at TwelveTrees Park

Amidst the madness of the General Election campaign I have to get on with the day job. On Friday I went to meet Residents in Ibex House in Forest Gate with local Councillors Rachel Tripp, Anamul Islam and officers from L&Q Housing Association. There has been issues regarding the lift and fire safety. The tower block has 105 homes and at its highest has 12 floors but only one lift. This lift has been out of action on a number of occasions (sometimes over a week). L&Q are proposing to install a new lift.

L&Q also need to clarify that the cladding on the block is safe and there are a number of repairs that need to be carried out such as fire doors that do not close properly. L&Q have undertaken to send us (and residents) an action plan.

I must admit that I thought L&Q were a living wage employer but outsourced staff working at the block are only just paid over the legal minimum.

Later I joined the Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, to the ground breaking ceremony at what is now called TwelveTrees Park which is right next to West Ham Station. This used to be site of a former Parcel Force depot and it is planned that just under 4000 homes will be built here. It is a partnership with Berkeley Homes, Peabody Housing Association and the Mayor of London. I hope that the new tower blocks will have more than one lift!

Finally, I met residents, Deputy Cabinet lead Cllr Shaban Mohammed,  local Councillor Pushpa Mkwana for an unannounced walkabout around Newham Council owned Gainsborough Estate in Little Ilford.  There had been a number of issues regarding minor repairs and caretaking. It is a marvellous red brick low rise estate. It was agreed that we would come back with repairs and cleaning managers in the next few weeks for a full inspection and draw up our own action plan.

I would like to thank Kate (and the other 2 residents) in Ibex House and Sonia in Gainsborough for their work as resident advocates. We need a Kate and Sonia in every block or estate in Newham to hold all landlords and freeholders to account. 

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Labour Party Manifesto 2019: Housing



There is no starker symbol of the failing housing system than the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire. A Labour government will bring system-wide change, so that a tragedy like Grenfell never happens again. 

We will introduce a £1 billion Fire Safety Fund to fit sprinklers and other fire safety measures in all high rise council and housing association tower blocks, enforce the replacement of dangerous Grenfell style cladding on all high-rise homes and buildings, while introducing mandatory building standards and guidance, inspected and enforced by fully trained Fire and Rescue Service fire safety officers. 

Grenfell Tower was the confirmation of a more far reaching crisis. Everyone knows of someone affected by the housing crisis: younger people unable to buy a first home, renters trapped in damp flats, families stuck on council waiting lists, leasehold home-owners hit by unfair fees, people who are homeless living and dying on our streets. The gap between the housing haves and have-nots is at the heart of the injustice in our country today. 

Since 2010, the Conservatives have slashed funding for new homes, refused to regulate for higher standards and given a free hand to commercial property developers. There are fewer new homes for social rent, a million more households stuck renting from a private landlord, 900,000 fewer young people owning a home and more than twice as many people sleeping on our streets. Only Labour has a plan to fix the housing crisis. 

We will act on every front to bring the cost of housing down and standards up, so that everyone has a decent, affordable place to call home. Labour will create a new Department for Housing, make Homes England a more accountable national housing agency and put councils in the driving seat. We will set out a strategy for a flourishing construction sector with a skilled workforce and full rights at work. 

Labour will set up a new English Sovereign Land Trust, with powers to buy land more cheaply for low-cost housing. We will use public land to build this housing, not sell it off to the highest bidder. 

Developers will face new ‘use it or lose it’ taxes on stalled housing developments. We will keep the Land Registry in public hands, and make ownership of land more transparent. We will make brownfield sites the priority for development and protect the green belt.

Labour will tackle the climate crisis and cut energy bills by introducing a tough, new zero-carbon homes standard for all new homes, and upgrading millions of existing homes to make them more energy efficient. 

We will review the planning guidance for developments in flood risk areas. Council and Social Homes The only way to deliver on everyone’s right to a good home is to build publicly funded social housing. 

Labour will deliver a new social house building programme of more than a million homes over a decade, with council housing at its heart. By the end of the Parliament we will be building at an annual rate of at least 150,000 council and social homes, with 100,000 of these built by councils for social rent in the biggest council house building programme in more than a generation. 

We will establish a new duty on councils to plan and build these homes in their area, and fund them to do so, with backing from national government. 

We will scrap the Conservatives’ bogus definition of ‘affordable’, set as high as 80% of market rents, and replace it with a definition linked to local incomes. These council and housing association homes will be more affordable than market housing and built to higher standards. 

We will end the conversion of office blocks to homes that sidestep planning permission through ‘permitted development’.

We will stop the haemorrhage of low cost homes by ending the right to buy, along with the forced conversion of social rented homes to so-called ‘affordable rent’. 

We will review the case for reducing the amount of housing debt councils currently hold. And we will give councils the powers and funding to buy back homes from private landlords

We will give tenants a stronger say in the management of their homes and stop social cleansing by making sure regeneration only goes ahead when it has the consent of residents, and that all residents are offered a new property on the same site and terms. 

We will fund a new Decent Homes programme to bring all council and housing association homes up to a good standard. Home Ownership Under the Tories, home ownership is getting further out of reach for more and more people. 

Numbers of new affordable homes to buy have fallen, and fewer younger people can afford their own home. 

We will build more low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers in every area, including Labour’s new discount homes with prices linked to local incomes

We will reform Help to Buy to focus it on first-time buyers on ordinary incomes. 

We will introduce a levy on overseas companies buying housing, while giving local people ‘first dibs’ on new homes built in their area. 

We will bring empty homes back into use by giving councils new powers to tax properties empty for over a year. Labour will end the scandal of leasehold for the millions who have bought their home but don’t feel like they own it. 

We will end the sale of new leasehold properties, abolish unfair fees and conditions, and give leaseholders the right to buy their freehold at a price they can afford. We will introduce equivalent rights for freeholders on privately owned estates. 

Private Renters More than 11 million people rent from a private landlord and many of them are at the sharp end of the housing crisis. We will take urgent action to protect private renters through rent controls, open-ended tenancies, and new, binding minimum standards. Labour will stop runaway rents by capping them with inflation, and give cities powers to cap rents further

We will give renters the security they need to make their rented housing a home, with new open-ended tenancies to stop unfair, ‘no fault’ evictions. 

We will make sure every property is up to scratch with new minimum standards, enforced through nationwide licensing and tougher sanctions for landlords who flout the rules. 

We will fund new renters’ unions in every part of the country – to allow renters to organise and defend their rights.

We will get rid of the discriminatory rules that require landlords to check people’s immigration status or that allow them to exclude people on housing benefit. 

We will give councils new powers to regulate short-term lets through companies such as Airbnb. 

Homelessness No one should sleep without a roof over their head in one of the richest countries in the world. But under the Tories, the number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled. Over 125,000 children are now living in temporary accommodation, without a home to call their own – or the space they need to thrive. 

Labour will tackle the root causes of rising homelessness with more affordable homes and stronger rights for renters. Labour will end rough sleeping within five years, with a national plan driven by a prime minister-led task force. We will expand and upgrade hostels, turning them into places where people can turn their lives around. We will make available 8,000 additional homes for people with a history of rough sleeping. 

We will tackle the wider causes of homelessness, raising the Local Housing Allowance in line with the 30th percentile of local rents, and earmarking an additional £1 billion a year for councils’ homelessness services.

We will bring in a new national levy on second homes used as holiday homes to help deal with the homelessness crisis, so that those who have done well from the housing market pay a bit more to help those with no home. 

We will save lives this winter by ensuring extra shelters and support are in place in all areas. And we’ll repeal the Vagrancy Act and amend antisocial behaviour legislation to stop the law being used against people because they are homeless.

(Long post but what a brilliant housing manifesto. Restoring the political duty to decent homes for all is key. If this is implemented we will solve the housing crisis in Newham and elsewhere. I have put bold emphasis and underlined what I think are the most key commitments)

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

NHS staff work one million hours of overtime.



Under the Tories, NHS staff work one million hours of unpaid overtime every week.
The Tories can't be trusted with the NHS.
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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

#Our Day - Celebrate Local Government in Newham

Today we celebrate Local Government in Newham and elsewhere. The collage above recognises what Newham Council workers deliver for our residents. day in and day out. The list is pretty endless. Councils and Councillors were encourage to tweet on their day.

Newham Council provides lollipop crossing attendants, building control, electoral registration, adult & youth social services, security, sheltered accommodation, housing officers, highways, homelessness, enforcement, youth provision, private rental licences enforcement, parking, parks, planning, mortuary, highways, play grounds, libraries, leisure centres, council repairs, homelessness, refuse, recycling, city farms, support to schools, teaching assistants and many, many other services

Below are my tweets from today:-

Today is #localgov day. I will try and tweet what I do today as a #Councillor & @NewhamLondon
Cabinet member. Just finished a meeting with #GLA officers & Mayor @rokhsanafiaz
on #RoughSleeping #CouncilsCan

By coincidence my next meeting was a presentation to members of #Newham Homelessness Action Group on the new @NewhamLondon  Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy. The room was overflowing & there was a robust but constructive Q&A. @CllrShaban @NewhamSue Co-Chaired with Tony Lewis #OurDay #CouncilsCan

Finished a regular monthly briefing with @newhamlondon  officer on possible property acquisitions using Right to Buy receipts & Housing Revenue account borrowing. We have a desperate need for new homes in Newham & temporary accommodation with @CllrShaban  #MyDay #CouncilsCan #lga


Next was another briefing with @NewhamLondon  housing managers on temporary accommodation provision #MyDay #CouncilsCan #LGA On way home now to do some #GeneralElection2019
agent stuff. Just sent off last email to our @NewhamLondon  pension officers about an appalling email from one of our Pension Fund managers about an #ESG issue #OurDay #CouncilsCan #lgps #LGA