Thursday, January 30, 2020

Re-elected as UNISON Greater London Regional Council Officer

This morning I received notification that I had been re-elected unopposed as the UNISON Regional Finance Convenor for Greater London Region.

UNISON is the biggest trade union in London (and the country) with some 130,000 members.

Also re-elected existing Regional Convenor Yvonne Green and Deputy Regional Convenor Conroy Lawrence (our Regional lay Executive).

Many thanks to all the branches that nominated me.
I have now been elected 13 times in  a row since 2007. This is only the 2nd time (I think) I have been re-elected unopposed.

Lots and lots to do in the coming year as we face up to a Tory majority government. No point just moaning (too much) about this, we just have to get on with it, defending our members and public services.

Our regional AGM is next month

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

West Ham All members CLP meeting for Leadership nominations - 1pm to 5pm on Saturday 8 February 2020

Dear West Ham CLP member

You may be aware we will be undergoing the leadership and deputy leadership election alongside there 3 other NEC Positions.

As per the party rules, candidates will need either 33 CLPs or 3 affiliated organisations to be on the ballot paper.

With London region's guidelines we are planning to hold the all members nomination meeting for West Ham CLP:

When: 1.00pm - 5.00pm Saturday 08 February 2020

Where: Impression Events Venue Milner Rd, London E15 3AD

https://goo.gl/maps/ET1YY7kVQhfTDnKK9 This Venue is fully accessible for all

Please see the attached leaflets for each candidate (Leader & Deputy). For your information I have also attach the guidelines for "all members nomination meeting .

Please arrive early to sign and check in. There will be parking on site however we encourage our members to use public transport if possible.

The venues is located two minutes walk away from West Ham station.

Refreshment will be available.

ELIGIBLE MEMBERS

As per Chapter 2; Clause II; 4 of the Labour Party Rule Book only those members who have passed their 8 week provisional period of membership at the relevant date shall have the right to attend and vote at CLP meetings.

For these purposes, the relevant date agreed by the NEC is date on which the meeting is due to take place. Members who joined between 6 September and 12 December 2019 – and who are therefore subject to the NEC decision to extend the provisional membership period during the General Election – will be entitled to attend and vote, providing they have eight weeks continuous membership at the time of the meeting. The Labour Party 2 Those members who are showing as being in arrears from after the relevant date, will be able to participate in the meeting provided they pay the arrears at the commencement of the meeting, or provide proof that they have since paid the arrears to the national party. Any dispute with regard the eligibility of any member shall where practicable be referred by the CLP Secretary to the Regional Director, who will rule on the member’s eligibility. Where the issue is not clear cut, the Regional Director will consult with the Governance & Legal Unit before giving a ruling.

(East Ham CLP was supposed to be this Saturday 1 February but now may be changed I understand. UPDATE. East Ham CLP leadership meeting now taken place on Saturday 1 February despite clashing with major Pan London campaign day for GLA elections. I wonder what the National Party and London region thinks of this)

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Keir Starmer for Leader: Another Future is Possible - East London Members meeting

Yesterday I helped organise a meeting for Labour Party members and affiliates to meet Keir Starmer, at the Old Town Hall in Stratford.

In a packed meeting he was introduced by Newham Councillor, Susan Masters, who explained that she was proud to have been a Jeremy Corbyn supporter and now feels the time is right for Keir to be our next leader.

Keir spoke about his policies, his beliefs, his background and most important, his vision, if he is elected as Labour Leader. He reminded us that in this same town hall in 1892, his namesake Keir Hardie was declared as the first ever Labour MP.

Keir called for unity & end of factionalism in the Party. Voters will not elect a divided party.

Afterwards there was an extensive and wide ranging Q&A then East Ham MP, Stephen Timms, closed the event by posing the question that the next leader of the Labour Party must be the one who is best placed to defeat the Tories.

(great picture in collage of Hackney Councillor Yvonne Maxwell, me and her partner, the reluctant Starmzy and my Royal Court of Justice libel comrade, Dave Osland, with bust of original Keir) 

Monday, January 27, 2020

Newham Council Holocaust Memorial Day 2020

This morning I attended our annual Council event to honour Holocaust Memorial Day (held on 27 January which is the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz and today is the 75th anniversary) in the Old Town Hall in Stratford.

There was some really wonderful positive songs, musical recitals and poems by Newham children from various local schools.

But the first hand accounts of murder, racism and cruelty by survivors of very different genocide John Hajdu MBE and Arnesa Buljušmić-Kusturawere was so moving.

John Hajdu was a Hungarian Jew who as a small child had both of his parents sent to German concentration camps while he hid with an aunt in a ghetto. After surviving Nazi persecution he suffered further discrimination as a Jew from the post war communist dictatorship in Hungry and had to flee following the failed revolution in 1956.

While Arnesa was a Bosnian Muslim who Serb snipers tried to kill her when she was 6 and who lost many relatives in the genocidal mass shootings and concentration camps of that war.

I had to leave early but I came away very moved by the accounts of John and Arnesa and the beautiful songs and poetry by our young people but angry that our international political institutions did not ,after the horror of Auschwitz, prevent similar genocide in Bosnia nor also in Rwanda.

(Hat tip photos Newham Council social media)


Sunday, January 26, 2020

On the knocker (again) for Labour in West Ham

Yesterday, with Councillor colleagues and local party members, we were back canvassing for Labour in West Ham ward.  In May, Sadiq Khan is re-standing for London Mayor and we have to re-elect the London Assembly. Unmesh Desai is also re-standing for the directly elected City and East London seat.

Newham is a rock solid Labour borough and we have to get our vote out in May. Since the election is by proportional representation every vote will count.

The reaction from residents was pretty positive. Apart from one couple who said they had given up voting since "politicians don't keep their promises". I didn't manage to change their minds but they may be coming to see me at my surgery for advice on problems with their landlord (Peabody Housing Association).

On resident explained that he had not voted Labour for the last few years since he was a firm Brexit supporter but will now probably vote for us again. Result. I also came across a Party member who was voting for Keir Starmer as Labour leader.

I picked up some Council case work, a home with a blocked kitchen sink (which I was shown and was clearly blocked) but the tenants had a letter saying that they will have to wait until 6 February to be unblocked.

A new resident who was Italian and had recently moved into West Ham invited me into his flat and insisted (I thought) that he showed me around all the rooms in his flat. I thought at the time this is unusual but he must be very proud of his new home. It was only afterwards that it dawned on me that his English was not very good and he probably mistook what I said when he opened his door and may have thought I was from the Council coming to inspect his rented home.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Keir Starmer Labour leadership launch video


As a trade unionist, watching this video was one of the reasons why I decided to support Keir to be the leader of our Party. I also think he can unite the Party so that we can win a future general election.

On Monday Keir is due to speak at a meeting in the Old Town Hall in Stratford on Monday 27 January 2020.

In 1892 Keir Hardie was declared the first ever Labour MP in this same town hall.

If you want to come to the meeting then register here

Friday, January 24, 2020

Newham Councillors on Tour

This morning I went on a visit to a regeneration site in Norwich with the Deputy Lead for Housing Services, Cllr Shaban Mohammed and the Chair of Regeneration and Housing Scrutiny, Cllr John Whitworth.

It was a really fascinating (and potentially important) visit which I will post upon later. 

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Come and Meet Keir Starmer in Stratford Monday 27 January 6.30pm

Keir will be at the historic Old Town Hall in Stratford on Monday 27 January 2020. Arrive at 6.30pm for 6.45pm start.

Please sign up to attend by clicking here and spread the word

(Update -Keir had to pull out of Friday/Saturday events upon the very sad news that his Mother-in-law is seriously ill but so far I assume that Monday is still on. Solidarity to Keir and his famous in this difficult time)

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Busy Labour Movement Day

This morning (Wednesday) started off with a 9am tour and presentation at Anchor House in Canning Town with Councillor colleagues. Anchor House is a former Seaman's mission which is now a charity that specialises in supporting single homeless adults.

It has a very innovative proposal to convert unused space into a further 18 bedrooms. I was also impressed with the improvements to communal livings spaces and installation of a new kitchen and laundry.

Later I went to the UNISON HQ in Euston for a long meeting of its NEC Policy Development and Campaign Committee (PDCC). Which included some excellent reports from our devolved nations Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Congratulations to Northern Ireland  for its recent successful NHS strike action over pay.

I was devastated to see that my beloved North Wales is now almost totally controlled by the Tories. Unbelievable. Incredible. Only Alan & Deeside (I was born and bred in Buckley) survived by a few hundred votes (we would have been wiped out if the Brexit Party had stood down). Need to learn lessons quickly before Welsh Assembly elections in May. Onward and forwards.

We spent ages  debating and voting on draft motions to our National Conference. Finished just after 4pm.

Next as a NEC member for Community (Voluntary sector and Housing Associations) I had a briefing on the Community Service Group in Greater London region.

At 6.30 pm I was in the Old Town Hall,  Stratford to take part in the public consultation on the Newham Council Budget proposals which went really well.  I sat on a round table with Councillors,  officers and residents discussing our proposal to tackle Rough Sleeping by increasing spending by 400% to £1.8 million per year. Residents were challenging but on the whole broadly supportive of all our budget proposals especially those on improving our environment. They recognise that due to continual government cuts, difficult choices will have to be made.

Final event of the day was the launch of a new community group called "Voice of Newham". The Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, myself and local Councillors were invited to speak about our future plans for Newham and how by working with all our communities we will bring about change. Finished about 11pm.

A long day but a good day.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Labour Unions - Have a vote in Leader & Deputy Leader elections - deadline 5pm Monday 3 Feb

If you are a member of a trade union that is affiliated to the Labour Party and you have chosen to be part of its political fund that supports the Labour Party you can vote (at no extra cost) in the leadership elections. You need your trade union membership number and it only takes a few minutes.

Click here to register (also if you are a member of a Socialist society that is affiliated). You only get one vote no matter how many affiliated societies you are a member of.

Hat tip Labour Unions website

Monday, January 20, 2020

Newham Council Meeting - Living Wage Foundation, Cabinet Reports and Pension Divestment


This evening at the Full Council meeting in Stratford Town Hall we started with a "State of the Borough" debate with speeches from the Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, and updates from all 8 cabinet members.

My very short update was as below :-

"As Cabinet lead for Housing Services dealing with the immense challenges our residents face in housing was an absolute central pledge of our manifesto. I can report on some important progress we have made on meeting those promises.

In 2019 Newham Council Housing Services are used our land and money to support the Mayor to deliver on her 1000 Council homes at social rents manifesto commitment.

Also as promised we are committed to tackle homelessness with care and compassionate and we are looking to invest up to £100 million on buying or building good quality temporary accommodation for homeless families.

We have almost doubled the number of enforcement officers in our property licensing team.

We have reintroduced Tenant and Residents forums; we are spending some £200 million on planned improvements to our stock, including new kitchens, windows, bathrooms, roofs, lifts - tacking fuel poverty and also the climate change emergency;

We are due to open 4 local housing hubs across the borough and have established a new team of named officers with responsibility for all council homes in the borough.

More broadly, addressing this crucial issue of housing is central to our Community Wealth Building Strategy, and developing an inclusive economic strategy. So we will be stepping this up in 2020".

After this debate our Newham Partnership update (and Q&A) was by Lucy Bannister from the Living Wage Foundation. Newham is finalising becoming an accredited Living Wage employer. Last year we got 700 Newham social care workers a Living Wage pay rise. As contracts come up for renewal we implement a Living wage clause.

Last week we took back into public service 50 Park Gardeners, many of whom also got a pay rise. Lucy explained the history of the Living Wage Campaign (it was born in East London) and the advantages to employers as well as staff. They are also thinking of setting up a new campaign for "Living Hours" (zero hour contracts etc).

Next were questions from the public and a number of questions had been submitted on why our Newham Staff pension fund should divest from carbon. There was a substantial written response and an offer from the Chair of the Pension Committee to meet and discuss divestment further.

We do have I think the lowest exposure to carbon investment in all 33 London Council pension funds (1.2%). The main reason for this is our fund managers think carbon intensive industries are not good investments. 

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Little Hallingbury Walk


Off message but Gill and I went on a perfect little walk today around Little Hallingbury, which is near Harlow, courtesy of Essexwalks.com. The bright winter sunshine and blue skies helped make it special.

The start of the walk is in the hamlet of Gaston Green. Walk down a lane to the restored Little Hallingbury Water Mill.  Then turn right along the towpath of the Stort Navigation river. Apart from being very muddy the walk along the Stort was a pleasure. There was little wind so the reflections of the trees in the water was stunning.

After we left the Stort the walk back was through rolling Essex fields and hills. We hardly saw anyone during the walk apart from the occasional fisherman and families out with their children for a Sunday stroll.

When walking in North Wales and the Peak district over the recent holiday, some routes were jam packed with people. Just outside London there is stacks of beautiful, empty countryside.  The only thing that spoilt the tranquillity were jets flying over on route to Stanstead airport.

Due to a mix up with the SavNav we actually started the walk in Little Hallingbury and on route to Gaston Green, we passed a brick built arch memorial (top of college) to "Alice Eugenia Barclay. Who was kind to man and beast" dated 1923. I can't find anymore information on this apart from her probable connection with the Barclay (Bank?) family who at one time owned nearby Gaston House. Intriguing. 

After the walk we went to 17th century George public house. Essexwalks.com tells a sad tale about how 2 local youths were caught breaking into the pub during the 1840s and sentenced to 10 years transportation to Australia.

The Sunday roast dinner looked good but we had eaten sandwiches for lunch and were anyway too late (last serving 3pm). Next time. I was more than happy with my pint of best. 

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Being on Mike Ashley's Naughty List

Now the season of good will is well and truly over, I can confirm that I did not receive a Christmas card from Sports Direct Mike Ashley.

I am of course - gutted.

Hat tip Daily Telegraph

"The rant before Christmas: five people on Mike Ashley’s naughty list"

Sports Direct’s first-half results beat expectations on Monday, sending its shares soaring almost 30pc. Beyond the numbers, however, the update was arguably more interesting for the potshots chief executive Mike Ashley took at his rivals. So who will not be receiving a Christmas card from the Ashley household this year?......

In September, John Gray, the Labour councillor and representative of the Pirc-supported Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF), suggested at Sports Direct’s AGM that the company’s board did not have the appropriate skills to run the group. 

Ashley said the comments were “misinformed and hysterical”....... 

(The others on the Mike Ashley naughty step included Jeremy Corbyn, David Adams, Rachel Reeves MP, PIRC and Goals Soccer Centres)

Check out previous posts :-

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2019/09/pension-fund-anger-at-sports-directs.html

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2019/11/mike-ashley-blocks-labour-councillor.html

https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2019/12/lapff-engagement-with-ryanair-sports.html  

Friday, January 17, 2020

Stand Together - Holocaust Memorial Day - Monday 27 January 2020. Stratford Town Hall 9.30-12pm

"Stand Together is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day 2020. It explores how genocidal regimes throughout history have deliberately fractured societies by marginalising certain groups, and how these tactics can be challenged by individuals standing together with their neighbours, and speaking out against oppression.​​

In the years leading up to the Holocaust, Nazi policies and propaganda deliberately encouraged divisions within German society – urging ‘Aryan’ Germans to keep themselves separate from their Jewish neighbours. 

The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution of other groups and each subsequent genocide, was enabled by ordinary citizens not standing with their targeted neighbours.

Holocaust Memorial Day 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz – this is a significant milestone and is made particularly poignant by the dwindling number of survivors who are able to share their testimony. It also marks the 25th anniversary of the Genocide in Bosnia

It provides an important opportunity for all residents to remember those who suffered and died in the Holocaust, Nazi persecutions and subsequent genocides including Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

Join us as we reflect upon these atrocities and join together in demonstrating our solidarity in combating anti-semitism, racism and hatred.

Date: Monday 27 January 2020
Time: 9.30am - 12.00pm
Old Town Hall, Stratford, 29 The Broadway, London E15 4BQ

This year, we are honoured to be welcoming guest speaker and Holocaust survivor John Hajdu​.

This is a FREE public event. All are welcome to attend".




Thursday, January 16, 2020

Community Wealth Building Launch in Newham Council

This morning we finally had the launch of the Newham Council Community Wealth Building (CWB) programme at The Crystal, Royal Docks.  We had to postpone it twice due to Brexit debate clashes and the General election.

Newham directly elected Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, opened the launch by promising that by implementing Community Wealth Building, there will be a new inclusive economic approach for a fairer Newham. We need to make sure that our money stays in Newham and is not extracted out.

After her introduction there was a marvellous, simple but clear video on what Community Wealth Building actually means (which I will post when it is made available).

Next was a panel debate with Happy Coman, an apprentice from local construction firm Morrisroe, Frances Jones from CLES ( a Community Wealth Building think tank) and Sam Gurney (London & South East TUC Regional Secretary). There was a wide range of views on CWB in practice.

Our keynote speaker was John McDonnell MP, Shadow Chancellor, who gave an insightful speech about CWB and also linked this to how progressive councils in the East End of London had a proud tradition of paying their workers decent wages and working in partnership with trade unions. He also made it clear that such councils and small, medium and large companies had been working together also in partnership for many decades.

It was nice to get a name check from Rokhsana and John about my personal involvement in the Labour Party Community Wealth Building unit (which I desperately hope will continue no matter who is elected as Labour leader).

After the event I was asked by a participant if I could I give an example of Newham Community Wealth Building in practice and I gave the live example of us bringing back into Newham Council (after 15 years) the privatised borough park keepers and gardeners on Tuesday this week.

Many of these workers enjoyed immediate pay rises, decent sick pay and pension provision as well as proper, secure employment contracts.  No longer will these workers be exploited and profits exported out of the borough to large multi-national outsourcing companies.

Need I say more?

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Lewis in the morning on ReviveFM 94.0

Hat tip Tony Lewis Facebook who is also the joint chair of the Newham Homeless Action Group.

"This Morning on "Lewis in the morning" Breakfast Show on Revive FM 94.0,  Cllr and Deputy Mayor for Housing, John Gray attended the Revive FM Studios to answer questions asked by residents of Newham about the housing situation, the Labour party and his humble beginnings as a trade unionist son in Wales to his current role as Deputy Mayor for Newham.

He spoke about the past, the present and the future of Newham and how Newham can be a beacon to the country on how a Labour government in power would look like, and how co-production and community wealth building is taking firm roots within Newham with some positive outcomes already.

Check out ReviveFM website thus weekend for more information and audio of this ground-breaking interview. www.revivefm.co.uk.

(Many thanks to Tony for the interview and his kind words)

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Newham Council brings back in-house Privatised Park Keepers and Gardeners

A great picture from yesterday when the Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz and cabinet lead for Environment, Cllr James Asser met staff who work in Newham Council Parks and Green spaces which have been brought back into public control from private contractors.

Many of the staff received a pay increase since they were now on Council rates (London living wage as a minimum) and get decent sickness protection and pensions. Private firms will no longer be making money from Newham by exploiting these workers.

We not only expect this to improve our parks and green spaces but it is also an example of Newham Council supporting Community Wealth Building (more to follow on this).

Proud to be a Labour Councillor. 

Monday, January 13, 2020

Team Angela

Dear John,

I want to start by saying a huge thanks for joining Team Angela - I’m really excited about this campaign and humbled by how many people have signed up already.

Today, MP nominations closed in the contest. I’m proud to have so much support from across the Parliamentary Labour Party, and from our MEPs, but now it’s over to our members and affiliates.

Over the weeks ahead, I’ll be speaking to members the length and breadth of the UK about how we can get Labour back into government, so we can do what we all joined the party to do - change people’s lives and communities for the better. But I can’t do that without your support.

If you signed up just to let me know you’ll back me, that’s great (and thank you!) but if you’d like to get more involved, here are three ways you can help:

1. Support me in your Constituency Labour Party. Let me know you’ll attend your CLP meeting to support me: https://angelaraynerfordeputy.com/clpnominations/

2. Donate to Team Angela - I’m a working class trade union activist and don’t have pots of cash or loads of rich donors. Anything you can spare to help the campaign will enable us to spread our message even further. Click here to donate: https://angelaraynerfordeputy.com/donate/

3.  Share your thoughts – a good leader listens, so today I’ve launched a survey for members to give your views on the General Election and, more broadly, how we organise as a Party. Click here to take part: https://angelaraynerfordeputy.com/survey

I’m excited about this campaign and the opportunity to travel around the country to speak to members again - it’s one of my favourite things to do and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

In solidarity,
Angela

PS - you can also stay up to date on my Facebook page here: 
https://www.facebook.com/AngelaRaynerMP/

Sunday, January 12, 2020

The misery of being in opposition



Yesterday, I helped the Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, with her surgery at Canning Town Library (next to the "Keir Hardie" room).

Trying to help the long queue of residents with their housing misery was far, far worse than before the election since there is now no hope of a Labour Government anytime soon. I saw 7 families and individuals, all suffering from dreadful housing problems.

I had dreamed last year that we would win the general election and would be able to build good quality, affordable homes for all in need. That is obviously not going to happen.

So we have no choice but to do our very best, fight, campaign and get on with it but....

We have 27,000 families in Newham on our waiting list
We have 5300 families in Newham who are homeless
We have 50% of all families in Newham living in poverty after housing costs


The Tories will not solve this emergency. Only a Labour Government in power can do this. We need to win the next general election.

 No ifs and no buts.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Gyrn Las by Kyffin Williams: Ionawr January 2020

Off message. My Christmas present this year was a print from Welsh Artist, Kyffin Williams, which I am getting framed. I also got a Welsh National Library, Kyffin Williams 2020 calendar.

See Ionawr January picture of Gyrn Las.

I will post each months picture.

#GreatNationWales

Friday, January 10, 2020

UNISON welcomes Keir to our Labour Movement Headquarters

Pictures from yesterday's UNISON welcome to our Labour Leader candidate, Keir Starmer MP, at our headquarters in Euston London. I tweeted at the time that I thought Keir was genuinely moved by the warmth of his reception by UNISON members and staff as he walked in. Keir actually responded on twitter and said "I was".

On Tuesday we endorsed Keir as leader and Angela Rayner as deputy. In my view a dream team to unite the Labour Party, hold the Tories to account and most importantly, win a future general election.


Thursday, January 09, 2020

100 Years of Council Housing (plus!) Bourne Estate, Holborn

Yesterday I went to a Housing & Regeneration Round-table on the Sadiq Khan Labour Mayoral manifesto for the May election with other London Council leads on Housing and regen.

I got lost looking for the venue but in doing so I had my own tour of the Bourne Estate in Holburn which I never knew existed despite cycling past it for many years. I understand that it is the 3rd oldest social housing estate in the country.

The round-table was really interesting and while we came up with lots of "great" ideas for Sadiq, I actually learnt a lot from what other London Labour Boroughs are already doing to tackle our housing crisis. 

Wednesday, January 08, 2020

UNISON backs Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner as Labour Leadership dream team

This morning I chaired a regular quarterly meeting of Greater London UNISON Regional Labour Link committee. Labour Link is the voluntary political fund for UNISON members who support the Labour Party.

At this meeting of elected lay members of UNISON Labour Link and after a discussion of the disastrous general election result, all of us present unanimously endorsed Keir Starmer as the Leader of the Labour Party and Angela Rayner as the Deputy Leader.

We all wanted a Labour leadership team that would unite the Party, campaign against and hold to account this Tory Government then win a future general election for Labour.

I left the meeting early so we I could go to the nearby UNISON headquarters to take part in an special meeting of our National Labour Link Committee on the general election result and the Labour leadership.

This Committee is comprised of elected lay UNISON members from all over the country. After reports on the result by our union officers and then a long, at times very depressive (but strangely constructive) discussion on the General election result and lessons learnt, we began a debate on the leadership elections.

Members of the committee gave their thoughts on all the candidates and what feedback they had received on who should be the future leader and deputy.

I am really pleased that after a vote by secret ballot Keir was overwhelming backed as Leader by the committee as was Angela for Deputy.

While the debate was at times passionate with strong views expressed, we were on the whole, polite, reasoned and respectful at all times. There was even humour, self depredation and graciousness. This was UNISON at its best.

I was also so proud of Angela, who I have known as an UNISON activist for many years also her husband Mark and their lovely children. While there is no doubt she has risen to her current position on her own merits, she freely acknowledges that it was UNISON that helped her grow and supported her from social care worker to union rep to MP to shadow secretary of state to...lets see.

Tuesday, January 07, 2020

Shadow Commander: Iran’s Military Mastermind

Check out this BBC documentary from February last year (on BBC iPlayer for 26 days). I suggest you watch if interested in the current crisis (and history of region) following the killing of General Qassem Suleimani by the Americans last week.

If the programme is accurate (and I think it is broadly so) he was responsible for the deaths of many British soldiers in Iraq but he also assisted in the Bush/Blair invasion of Afghanistan, Iraq and the recent destruction of ISIS in Syria and Iraq which probably saved British lives.

I won't shed any tears over him but have no doubt that Trump has done this to improve his election chances and not for a better world.

Monday, January 06, 2020

Angela Rayner says Labour ‘must win or die’ as she enters deputy leadership race

Hat tip BBC News about my UNISON comrade. "Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has announced she is joining the contest to replace Tom Watson as Labour's deputy leader.
She is the fourth Labour MP to declare her intention to run, alongside Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler and Khalid Mahmood.
Ms Rayner said Labour now faced a stark choice following December's heavy election defeat - "win or die".
Both the new leader and deputy leader will be announced on 4 April, the party's ruling body has decided.
Clive Lewis, Lisa Nandy, Jess Phillips, Sir Keir Starmer and Emily Thornberry have formally entered the race to replace outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long Bailey, who is a friend and flatmate of Ms Rayner, is also expected to join the main contest soon.
Launching her deputy leadership bid in Stockport, Ms Rayner said Labour's defeat last month had left the party facing its "biggest challenge in our history".
She said Labour needed to find a "new kind of coalition" to regain power, and needed to "win back" former supporters who had deserted the party.
She said Mr Corbyn's leadership had been a factor in the party's poor performance, but also blamed the election strategy, saying its list of target seats had proved to be "wide of the mark".
"Seats where we suffered catastrophic defeats were seen as secure, while we tried to fight 'target' seats we had effectively already lost. It cannot happen again."
And she continued: "The quick fix of a new leader will not be enough. We must rethink and renew our purpose and how we convince the people to share it.
"Either we face up to these new times or we become irrelevant. The next five years will be the fight of our lives."

Endorsements

Ms Rayner said she would back Ms Long Bailey if she stood for the top job, adding that she wanted the leadership of the party to be a "team effort".
After the launch, Ms Long Bailey tweeted that she would be lending her "full support" to her "good friend" Ms Rayner in her pitch for the deputy's post.
Ms Rayner also unveiled a list of other Labour MPs backing her candidacy, including shadow trade secretary Barry Gardiner - seen as a potential contender himself - and senior colleagues Louise Haigh and Jonathan Reynolds.
Ms Rayner became shadow education secretary in June 2016, just over a year after she became MP for Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester.
After leaving school aged 16, she became a care worker and representative for the Unison union before entering Parliament. She has previously described herself as being on the "soft left" of the party.
At her launch she also called for the party to draw a "line in the sand" over the issue of anti-Semitism within its ranks, so it could "regain the moral authority" to unite the country against racism.
The party, she added, needed to "educate where there is ignorance" and "remove bigotry wherever it is found".

Sunday, January 05, 2020

Angel Pond: Then and Now

This morning I started yet another New Year's Resolution to get fit by going for a jog around nearby Wanstead Flats. Less than 50m from the start of my run is "Angel Pond" seen then (early 20th century) and now in collage above.

It was named after the first ever West Ham Council Engineer,  Lewis Angell, who was responsible for its construction in 1893/94. It used to have rowing boats for hire and a bandstand. The fascist leader, Oswald Mosley, used to speak from the bandstand during weekends in the 1930s, nearby was the local headquarters of the British Union of Fascists in Woodford Road. He would have had a lively reception from anti-fascist locals.

The bandstand caught fire and was replaced by a circle of trees which you can see in the bottom photo. Angel pond is looking very full at the moment due to recent rain but the plan by Epping Forest is for it to be an aquatic nature reserve that is a pond in the winter but marshland during the summer.

Hopefully my resolution to get fit this year will last longer than it usually does (which is not very long but fingers crossed). 

Saturday, January 04, 2020

Who will be Labour's next leader?

A good summary of declared and likely candidates for Labour Leadership on BBC here. There is still time for others to put their hat into the ring. I have not decided who to support but to be clear we have hundreds of thousands of families and children who are homeless, destitute and poverty stricken. We desperately need a Labour Government in power. It needs a leader who can unite the Party, hold Johnson to account until the next General Election and then win it. Nothing else really matters.

"Lisa Nandy
The 40-year-old MP for Wigan became the fourth Labour figure to declare she is standing for the leadership, in a letter to the Wigan Post. One of a clutch of shadow ministers who resigned from Jeremy Corbyn's frontbench after the Brexit referendum, she has been urging her party to concentrate on winning support in smaller towns.

Sir Keir Starmer
The 57-year old shadow Brexit secretary has said he is "seriously considering" running. He is likely to be seen as the centrist candidate in the race. A passionate Remainer, he was director of public prosecutions before entering Parliament.

Rebecca Long-Bailey
The 40-year old shadow business secretary is another MP to announce she is considering going for the top job. One of a new generation of MPs on the left of the party who is close to Mr Corbyn's inner circle, she represented Labour in a TV debate during the election.

Jess Philips
The 38-year-old Birmingham Yardley MP became the third Labour figure to declare she is standing for the leadership. She has been one of the most outspoken critics of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and the party's record on tackling anti-Semitism, bullying and harassment.

Emily Thornberry
The 59-year old shadow foreign secretary was the first to declare she is running to succeed Mr Corbyn. She deputised for him at Prime Minister's Questions, but was replaced after publicly calling for Labour to back another EU referendum.

Yvette Cooper
The 50-year old, a former cabinet minister under Gordon Brown's premiership, said last month that she would "decide over Christmas" whether to stand, and has made no statement since then. She was an unsuccessful challenger to Jeremy Corbyn during the 2015 leadership contest.

Clive Lewis
The 48-year-old shadow Treasury minister resigned from the party's frontbench last year in order to oppose the bill triggering the Brexit process. An early supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, he rejoined in January last year".

Friday, January 03, 2020

Dam Busters walk then Steak

Picture of lovely New Year walk with Gill starting from Derwent Reservoir in Peak District (where the RAF Dam Busters practiced their raids in 1943) to Lost Lad summit, Black Tor, Cakes of Bread, Dovestone Tor, Salt Cellar, White Tor and The Coach and Horses stones. These stone formations are amazing.

11 mile walk. Weather was fantastic apart from wind and spot of rain. Back home to enjoy home cooked steak and chips reward. 

Thursday, January 02, 2020

Sadiq For London 2020

Another year, another election campaign. Just over 4 months until the Greater London Mayor and Assembly election. There will also be local Council elections in May (not London).

Today, Labour Party activists were handing these leaflets to commuters outside railway stations across Newham. Unlike national trains, London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has frozen Transport for London fares. 

Wednesday, January 01, 2020

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! (From Tigger)

Happy New Year Everyone! Could not resist posting this picture of Tigger who was our “host” at the cottage in Wales that we rented for Christmas. My first ever social media “Cat” picture I think.