Sunday, May 31, 2020

Essex Way (and a Badger)

Off message. A glorious circular walk today, firstly along the Essex Way then self guided way back to starting point at Millers Green, Ongar. The weather was warm and sunny but with a lovely breeze.

On way back we saw a young badger running up a ditch to their sett. It then thought we could not see it and kept still but in our excitement we frightened s/he and it disappeared down the sett.

I have been walking in the countryside for decades and have never seen a live badger. It was really exciting and of course, I didn't have time to get a decent photo.

As usual the stunning countryside just outside London is empty. We saw probably 10 other walkers during the entire walk. 

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Midnight Cowboy

Off message but "lock down" for me has meant more time for watching classic films on Netflix.

Last week I watched film noir thriller "Vertigo" directed by Hitchcock, which I think I have seen before but no idea when.

Tonight I watched "Midnight Cowboy" which I sort remember but I don't think I have watched in the last 20 years or so.

Both films are dated and show their age but they are just far much better than the majority of new films.  So I suggest type in the name of film classics in your subscription search engine and see what comes up.


Friday, May 29, 2020

50th Anniversary of Equal Pay with Angela Rayner MP & Deputy Leader of the Labour Party


Hat tip Labour Unions "The Equal Pay Act was fought for and won by women organising through their unions & a Labour Government taking action, but 50 years on we still don't have equal pay. We shouldn't have to wait another 50 years.

That’s why women need strong trade unions AND a Labour Government – to organise in workplaces and to take the national action we need to win equal pay once and for all. Agree? Watch and share this powerful video" ðŸ‘‡"

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Joint Covid-19 visit to Newham Council Repairs & Maintenance depot (& future plans)

This morning at 8am I went on a joint walkabout with Cllr Shaban Mohammed, management and local Unite trade union reps of our Council Housing repairs (RMS) depot in Bridge Road E15. We were there to inspect the new social distancing arrangements in the depot, to listen to staff about any concerns and also for Shabs and I, on behalf of the Mayor and all Councillors, to thank staff for their truly fantastic response to the pandemic in Newham.

There has been many scary times during the last 9/10 weeks and the fact that so many of our front line housing staff left their families and turned up to provide essential emergency services is humbling and also proves the worth of having directly employed in-house public workers providing public services.

We have operated from Bridge Road a 24/7 emergency/health & safety repairs service, while also still turning empty void council properties into lettable homes for homeless families & carrying out vital technical visits and inspections.

While I have seen at our Council Dockside headquarters (which has been a distribution centre), RMS workers collecting and delivering tons of food, every day to our #HelpNewham hubs for shielding and vulnerable households.

Cllr Mohammad and I both want to visit and thank personally all our other housing service staff for their superb work (when safe to do so).

It was also good to see the new UPCV windows manufactured at the depot stacked up and waiting to be installed as soon as we can safely do so. We are all actively working out what we can do to counter a possible/probable next wave of Covid-19. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Vote for Worker Board Members at Walmart AGM for better Governance and to tackle Covid-19 pandemic

Today I took part as a pension trustee in a online seminar with USA Walmart workers and their trade union, about governance and the abysmal response of the retail giant Walmart to the Covid-19 emergency.

Their workers spoke about the dangerously confused and fragmented response by management, which meant that workers and customers were put at unnecessary risk with little or no PPE provided, inadequate or non existent measures to social distance nor proper deep cleaning of stores.

It sounded like a complete and utter "f**k up", made worse by a woeful provision of sick pay for staff if they become ill and inadequate (at best) company medical insurance.

Next week there is the Walmart shareholders Annual General Meeting and there is a resolution calling for some of the company board members to be elected by its own staff.

If you look at what has happened with the very low levels of Covid-19 in Germany, which has had worker board members as a norm for decades, maybe this shows how companies have better governance and are more safely run if they have worker reps on their actual board.

I made the point at the seminar that as a long term investor I don't want for us to invest in a company that treats its staff badly and puts them and its customers at risk in a pandemic. It is not only morally (and legally) wrong but a bad decision to invest in a company that is so poorly run in an emergency that it allows its staff and customers to be put at deadly risk!

The AGM is next week and the motion for elected worker reps is proposal 7. Please contact your Pension or fund managers and if they own stock on your behalf in Walmart let them know your views. 

Monday, May 25, 2020

Newham Council response to support Homeless during Covid-19

I was invited by my UNISON branch executive colleague, Lola Oyewusi (who is also a Parish Councillor) to participate in a FaceBook Live discussion on Sunday on supporting the Homeless during Covid-19. 

Lola also invited Cllr Sharon Thompson, who is the Cabinet lead for Housing in Birmingham Council and Cllr  Naushabah Khan, who is the Labour Lead for Housing in Medway Council. 

Unfortunately, I had a clash and was unable to join but I did send this short video about what we are doing in Newham to support the homeless during this pandemic and some thoughts about the future. 

You can view this excellent FaceBook Live interview here https://www.facebook.com/omolola.oyewusi/videos/3201392696558015/

I totally agree with Cllr Thompson view that homelessness is a political choice. The government overnight decided to stop rough sleeping and over a weekend it was reduced by 90%. Also, Cllr Khan, that we must not let the Tories say the Covid-19 crisis is now over and the homeless must now return to the streets, since it is "business as usual". 

Well done to Lola for organising and chairing this important discussion (and remaining so calm despite the technical problems). 

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Fight to Save Historic East End Matchgirl’s Grave


"We have written to the Secretary of State for Justice and await his reply. Please rally your MP to help us at least pause this brutal mounding process...

The Matchgirls Memorial
Patrons: Anita Dobson, Diana Holland, Barbara Plant

The Matchgirls Memorial: Registered Company Number 11858820
87 Brookvale Road, Highfield, Southampton, Hampshire, SO17 1QY

NEWS RELEASE

Fight to Save Historic East End Matchgirl’s Grave

Support from Parliament to Theatre

MPs, Peers, Unions, and Academics are fighting to save a Matchgirl’s grave from JCBs. Manor Park Cemetery is the resting place of working women’s rights campaigner, Sarah Dearman (née Chapman) but the private Cemetery want hers, and other graves, brutally levelled and ‘mounded’ with additional soil to make way for new money-making plots.

Sarah Chapman was a leader of the famous 1888 Matchgirls Strike in London’s East End. The women worked at the Bryant and May factory in Bow and are seen as the founders of modern unionism and inspiration for the Dockers Strike. The Matchgirl’s story has been told in plays and musicals around the world and was commemorated at the 2012 London Olympics.

Historians, women’s groups and unions have joined Sarah’s family to stop the destruction of this important heritage site. However, the Cemetery Directors will not speak to the family or campaigners and intend to cover her paupers grave within weeks. The family have now written to the Secretary of State for Justice and are supported by MPs, Peers, Academics and Unions. Newham Council has asked the Cemetery for discussion. A petition has 7,000 supporters, including star of stage and screen Anita Dobson, herself a Stepney East End girl.

Anita Dobson said “Sarah and these women fought for our workings rights and to destroy her resting place is abhorrent. People want to come here to pay their respects and remember what she and the Matchgirls achieved for us all”.

Mounding is not recommended by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management. They normally offer advice on alternative methods to increase burial space. In the past, skulls and bones have been visible at the Manor Park site after similar destruction work. The grounds also contain WWII civilian graves including some from the 1943 Bethnal Green tube disaster.

If you have concerns, have family buried at Manor Park, or just want to help, please
CONTACT: Sam Johnson 02380 552 009 matchgirls1888statue@gmail.com

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Impact of Covid-19 on homeless

Lola works in housing and is a member of my UNISON branch. I have a clash tomorrow but I have sent Lola a 3 minute video with our experience in Newham London and some ideas about the future. I will be watching later to find out what is happening in Birmingham and Medway.

Friday, May 22, 2020

"build affordable Homes for Heroes"


Very interesting (and topical) housing initiative led by G15. Key workers don't just deserve a "clap" on a Thursday (as much as many appreciate it) they need access to decent pay, conditions and access to safe, secure and truly affordable housing.

"Join us to build affordable Homes for Heroes

An alliance of housing associations, offsite manufacturing firms and many others across the property sector has launched a call to the private, public and charitable sectors to join together to build low cost Homes for Heroes, to thank our heroic essential workers who’ve kept Britain going during the coronavirus outbreak.

Inspired by the ‘Homes fit For Heroes’ programme after the First World War, the group has set out a broad outline of how 100,000 new affordable homes for these workers, could be built throughout the country. The alliance, which includes the G15, stand ready to deliver but would be able to do much more in partnership with the Government, the private sector, local councils, health trusts and charities.

From NHS staff, to care workers, teachers, refuse collectors, delivery workers and many more, Homes for Heroes would see the construction of good quality affordable homes which are well designed, energy efficient and digitally connected. The homes should be equipped with private outside areas and access to high quality green spaces. They should be affordable to heroes on the lowest incomes and include options for essential workers to buy an affordable home of their own – something that is out of reach in many of our cities.

To work at scale the efforts of housing associations would need to be supplemented by a large programme of public and corporate giving, innovative use of public land, planning flexibilities and an expansion in manufacturing capacity to build high-tech homes in factories.

Precision manufactured homes would be faster, greener, cheaper and better quality and give an economic boost to the parts of the country that needs it most. As well as providing good quality places for our essential workers to live, a sustained Homes for Heroes building programme would support economic and social recovery.

The G15 is already housing many thousands of essential workers. Social housing is home to one third of London’s police officers and ambulance staff, and one third of workers in care-related jobs.

The G15 has created a report on how Homes for Heroes can be delivered, resting on four building blocks:

  1. Create a national programme of low-cost homes prioritised for the heroes who have put themselves at risk to keep us alive and healthy throughout this crisis.
  2. Deliver an initial burst of thousands of homes within months, by matching government funding with housing association resources to make completed homes and those under construction available on a low cost basis for essential workers
  3. Support a high-tech manufacturing base to create jobs across the country - powering a long-term ambitious programme to deliver the low-cost homes our heroes need,
  4. Spread the costs across society by part-funding the homes through public giving, public land, government funding and housing associations’ resources".

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Do you have a question for the Newham Health and Wellbeing Board about Covid-19?

Do you have a question for the Newham Health and Wellbeing Board about Covid-19?

On Wednesday 27 May, at 6pm, Newham Health and Wellbeing board will be answering some of your questions about Covid-19. Do you have a question about the nature of the pandemic, Newham’s response to the health emergency Covid-19 created, or how Newham council, NHS and health partners will need to adapt or react in the future? If you’d like to ask a question on one of these topics, or any other relating to Covid-19’s impact on Health and Wellbeing, please submit your question to PublicQuestions@newham.gov.uk by Monday 25 May.  You will be able to watch the Health and Wellbeing Board and hear answers to some of the submitted questions at Newham’s Facebook live site.

About Newham Health and Wellbeing Board

The organisations that work on this Board include the London Borough of Newham council officers who manage Adults and Health, Children Services, Public Health, NHS Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG), Newham University Hospital (part of Barts Health NHS Trust), East London Foundation Trust and HealthWatch Newham, who provides a voice for residents.

The board is co-chaired by Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham and Dr Muhammed Naqvi chair of Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (NCCG) and local GP.

Putting Newham Residents at the Heart of Everything We Do.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Wanstead flats babies (and a striking red)

Off message but main photo from Saturday run with Gill (or "very slow jog") and cute picture of Canadian Geese family alongside Alexandria Lake, in Wanstead flats.

Below is a lovely moth or butterfly, we came across when stretching outside the Golden Fleece pub.

Anyone know what it is? I have searched Google images but cannot find an exact match?


Tuesday, May 19, 2020

UNISON PAYS TRIBUTE TO DENIS KEATINGS


Regional Tribute

"It is with great sadness that we report the death of our much loved friend and comrade Denis Keatings, Joint Regional Convenor of UNISON NI. He will be greatly missed by generations of UNISON members whose causes he championed throughout his entire working life.

Denis joined NUPE in the 1970s and was part of the historic struggle known as the Winter of Discontent, when public service workers engaged in sustained strike action for pay justice. For his fearless leadership Denis was soon elected as Convenor of the Mater Hospital, then part of the NUPE's largest branch, North & West Belfast District Health Branch, covering the Mater, the Royal Victoria Hospitals and social services across the North and West of the city.

He campaigned for equal pay for the women cleaners, successfully spearheaded the fight against privatisation of catering and cleaning services at the Mater and supported our members through some of the darkest times of 'the Troubles'. In 1993 UNISON was born and the Mater Hospital became a union branch in its own right. Denis was immediately elected Branch Secretary, a position he would be continuously returned to for more than 20 years until, having won the confidence of the entire membership of UNISON in Northern Ireland, he was elected as our Joint Regional Convenor.

Denis was a trade unionist to his core. He wanted nothing more than justice and fair treatment for our members and they in turn loved him for it. We all did. He was a big, fearless, loyal fighter with a generous heart. There was no task he would not tackle, serving the members in the workplace, across Northern Ireland, at UNISON UK level and in the ICTU.

He tackled injustice wherever he found it, whether it was the denial of workers rights, death threats against health workers, attempts to downgrade his beloved Mater Hospital, the plight of the homeless in North Belfast or the plight of the Palestinian People.

We are proud to call Denis a UNISON activist. We pay tribute to the enormous contribution he has made to our union. We will miss him deeply. We send our love to his partner Elaine and his whole family.

Patricia McKeown, Regional Secretary


National Tribute

Dear Colleagues

Tuesday 19 May sees the funeral of Denis Keatings, UNISON Northern Ireland joint regional convenor. Denis’ colleagues at Mater Hospital will pay tribute at 10.25 as his funeral cortege passes the hospital. If you’d like to pay a virtual tribute to a lifelong champion for working people, please print out this heart and take a photograph of yourself holding it, or add it to your social media profile at 10.25 on Tuesday. You can add your own words or use these: We stand in tribute to Denis Keatings, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and our UNISON family today.

DAVE PRENTIS

GENERAL SECRETARY

My Tribute

At 10.25 today.


Monday, May 18, 2020

"earliest known photo of a mass gathering of people in London - the Chartist meeting on Kennington Common, 10 April 1848"

Hat tip Ali G

"This is a daguerreotype (an early form of photograph) of the Chartist meeting held at Kennington Common on 10th April 1848. It was the last time the Chartists attempted to present a petition to Parliament. Fearing an attempted revolution, the Government prepared immensely for the meeting and filled London with 85,000 special constables, as well as putting 8,000 soldiers on alert. 

Although there were probably upwards of 20,000 (perhaps as many as 50,000) people present, the meeting was a peaceful one. As the crowd dispersed Feargus O’Connor and the Chartist Executive delivered the petition to Parliament in a series of coaches. O’Connor claimed the petition had 5,700,000 signatures, but when the clerks in the House of Commons examined it, they found it to feature less than two million names. 

These included a number of falsely-signed names, such as those of Queen Victoria, Sir Robert Peel and The Duke of Wellington, which only served to discredit the petition further. Despite the huge amount of legitimate signatures, Parliament did not take the petition seriously and it was rejected".

Taken from: Daguerreotype of the Chartist meeting at Kennington Common
Date: 10th April 1848
Copyright: The Royal Collection © 2009, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Friday, May 15, 2020

Virtual Cabinet meeting

On Wednesday, Newham Council held its first, totally virtual Cabinet meeting. Usually Cabinet meetings are held in public but due to COVID-19 the government has allowed Councils to hold "virtual" meetings instead.  We have held virtual Cabinet meetings before Wednesday but had the minimum quorum of 3 cabinet members physically present (but maintaining social distance) in case technology failed and meeting had to be cancelled. The meeting was also published live on Facebook.


Amongst a number of items there was a comprehensive report on our response as a Council to the COVID-19 emergency and I was pleased that we agreed to invest in yet another social housing scheme, spending £35.3 million at the Brickyard scheme in East Ham. 

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Royal Docks & NHS Nightingale Run

This evening I went for sunshine run (aka "very slow jog") from Newham Dockside Building to Thames Barrier across Royal Docks past the now "on standby"NHS Nightingale (Excel Centre) through Custom House back to Newham Dockside. About 4 miles-ish in around 55 minutes (including photo stops)

I was so pleased that the Excel Centre was turned into a London wide NHS Covid-19 hospital facility and so glad that it turned out that it was not really needed (so far and hopefully it never will)

I was thinking of NHS Nightingale and all our key workers during #ClapForKeyWorkers tonight. 

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Stay safe - Join a Union

If you don't know which trade union to join then check out the TUC website (Trades Union Congress - the collective body of more than 5.5 million working people in the UK and 48 member unions) and click https://www.tuc.org.uk/find-union-you.
If you work for any organisation that provides a public service then of course, consider UNISON, the largest union in the UK! https://join.unison.org.uk/

Hat tip Miriam Mirwitch

Sunday, May 10, 2020

UNISON "there for you" Covid-19 Response fund



"There for You is UNISON’s unique charity, set up to help members in difficulties – and this year, the COVID-19 crisis is making life harder for many of our already-stretched members.

Because more of you are struggling, There for You has set up a special fund to respond to calls for help needed especially because of the pandemic, with £250,000 set aside to help members.
Carol Sewell is a trustee for the charity – and a member of the union’s national executive council.
She explains that, for a number of weeks, a team including herself and head of welfare Julie Grant, have been looking “at how we can support our members in this time of need,” adding: “We need to ensure we’ve got money that can support people immediately.”
There for You receives donations, but at present, branches are finding that more difficult. For instance, Carol says, “branches can’t operate normally. A cheque might need two signatories and the lockdown makes that really difficult for one person to do.
“Logistics at the moment are really quite difficult.”
So a specific fund, administered centrally, can play an important role.
Carol herself appreciates the problems for members. She suspects she’s had COVID-19 herself – certainly, she can tick off a clutch of the symptoms.
“Headache, aching body, very lethargic and not eating – because I’ve had symptoms, I haven’t been able to work.”
She’s back in harness now though – working from home for her local authority.
“I live with my mum … she’ll come and have a little chat with me, bless her,” she says.
As a trustee, her background working for the local benefits office helps. “When someone asks you for help, they’re desperate,” says Carol, so she’s behind this new fund 100%.
“We need to give the praise to Julie and the members of the team for all the work they’re doing,” she observes. “They’re so dedicated.”
“It makes me so happy that we can support people.”
So what sort of reason might a member need help?
All of the following members were able to access grants of £250 from There for You, using the charity’s quick and easy COVID-19 grant application process.
Sheila is a care worker in a nursing home and had to take sick leave for three weeks as she had COVID-19 symptoms. She was paid statutory sick pay only for the time that she was ill, which left her struggling to pay her bills.
Her work is always challenging and the current health crisis has made additional demands on Sheila and her colleagues. The last thing she needed was financial worries on top of everything else.
 David works as a refuse collector for the local authority. His partner works in a local cafe and has been furloughed as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. She is only receiving 80% of her salary, as her employer cannot afford to make up the balance.
Both David and his partner are on low incomes and have nothing left at the end of the month once they have met their commitments – they were both really worried about how they will manage.
 Lesley is a nurse working at a hospital some distance away from her home. She has been doing extra shifts to help during the current crisis, but her usual transport links have been reduced. In order to travel to and from the hospital, she is having to regularly pay for cab fares, which she is finding expensive.

Friday, May 08, 2020

VE Day: Sgt Fred Matthews and Sgt John Gray


Both of my Grandfathers served in the Second World War. My maternal Grandfather ("Taid" in Welsh) Fred Matthews was a sergeant in the RAF See his discharge papers above. He had also managed to live through the carnage of Gallipoli and the Western Front in the First World War (during which he had been decorated with a Military Cross)

My paternal Grandfather (yet another John Gray) was also a sergeant but in the British Army for the whole of World War 2. He had been a Territorial soldier before the war and was one of the first to be called up. However, apart from knowing that he served in a Scottish anti-aircraft regiment,  I know nothing about his wartime service. Family folklore is that he may have been stationed in London during the Blitz and that he was part of a Unexploded Bomb (UXB) team.

I have finally downloaded the forms to apply to the Army records office for a copy of his service records.

I wonder how both of them celebrated VE day 75 years ago? Now sadly too late to ask them.

Thinking of both of them today and their comrades. 

VE Day 75

Today is the 75th anniversary of #VEDay 

Events have been adapted to mark the occasion at home. 

11am - national two-minute silence 

3pm - Toast to heroes of World War Two 

9pm - Address by the Queen followed by 'We'll Meet Again' sing-along 


Newham Reflections - VE Day 75th anniversary

Thursday, May 07, 2020

"I can't eat applause...Maybe vote for someone sensible next time, eh?"

Love it. Tonight at 8pm there was yet again a fantastic response from local residents who were clapping, cheering and banging on saucepans for our Carers and key workers. But I think this picture makes you stop and think...

Hat tip photo Ali G

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

10 Years as a Councillor - New(ham) Kids on the Block 2010


Today is the 10th anniversary of my election as a Councillor for West Ham ward in the London Borough of Newham. The picture above was taken before an induction event held a few days later for newly elected Councillors.

It has been a privilege and a honour to serve as a Councillor even though it has been pretty "demanding" at times.

Sadly a few of my colleagues who were also elected have passed away since and out of the 60 Councillors elected in 2010 only 20 are still members.

While Labour was victorious in Newham on May 6 2010, the Tories won the general election which was also held on the same day. So it is a rather bitter sweet memory for me.

I was re-elected in 2018 for the 3rd time and then appointed by the new Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, as Cabinet lead for Housing Services and Deputy Mayor. It has had been a "full on" 2 years and for the last 2 months, due to the horrendous Covid-19 pandemic it has been particularly testing (although nothing when compared to the experience of our front line health and care workers).

However, I have no regrets whatsoever becoming a Councillor and still feel it is a great privilege and a honour to serve my community in this way. 

Tuesday, May 05, 2020

A gentler way to talk about pensions

Hat tip Henry Tapper and I totally agree with Henry (on this matter)

"Yesterday afternoon I had a chat with Glyn Jenkins. Most of my conversations with Glyn over the years have been in the bar of Unison’s Marylebone’s offices. Glyn is old school and that means he prioritises people.

This chat was different, we were talking with a small group of highly sophisticated pension professionals about how to talk about pensions. We were meeting on Zoom and it was part of a virtual conference that would otherwise have happened in a posh hotel in Surrey,
It didn’t make any difference to Glyn, we saw him smiling benignly out at us from what he told us was the least cluttered part of his living room. Rather than daunting us with the extent of his library, the background Glyn showed us looked like the back room of Charles Dickens’ Old Curiosity Shop!
I suspect that Glyn’s capacity to adopt new technology but to remain true to himself marks him out at a time when we are all marvelling at our new found tech-saviness. For Glyn, none of the technology mattered at all.

So what did Glyn talk about?

Glyn talked about how people come to an understanding of the pension they get and how they can make best use of it. He talked about the life insurance that NHS staff were getting and the good it can do them right now. He talked about things that he thought his members should know about.
He explained things in a simple way, as he used to explain to me about the public sector pension transfer club in the rooftop bar of the Old Unison building. To get an idea of how straightforward Glyn’s approach is , here is his Linked in profile
Screenshot 2020-05-02 at 07.32.17
Glyn did not talk about himself!

A gentler way to talk about pensions

I suppose I found myself gently reproved by Glyn- and I’m sure he didn’t mean to reprove me! It’s just that this man’s kind gentle manner and his huge emotional intelligence worked on those on the call in a way that I couldn’t.
Though many of those in the room are at the forefront of delivering “engaging” communications, we all had to step back and re-connect with the simple values of gentle decency that Glyn presents.
And I find myself learning from the experience, chastened by my hubris and remembering that the people who Glyn speaks to and for , are the public servants on whom all our lives currently depend.

Monday, May 04, 2020

"A legendary social worker (and Labour movement activist) has retired" Dave Draycott

I have just congratulated on Facebook, Dave Draycott, a former Newham Council social worker and Leeds Labour movement activist (legend) on his retirement.

Dave has been a social worker for 44 years and a very active trade unionist, who also served as a Labour Councillor.

He is not at all "shy and retiring" and over the years he has got himself into bother because of this, from time to time, but in my experience, he has been a good comrade to me and others, as well as a pragmatic and authentic champion of the working class.

On Facebook tonight he posted "Well started in 76 and it’s time to go, retiring from Social Work and my team mates know me so well: single malt and political satire, hits the spot. The pressures of work will not be missed my workmates will, a great bunch."

I am pretty sure that we have not seen the the last of Dave Draycott in our movement. Hat tip to Unmesh for the Facebook link.



Sunday, May 03, 2020

A Newham Greenways & Waterways Circular Walk


Yesterday Gill and I went on a wonderful 3 mile circular walk in Newham, starting in West Ham Memorial Recreation Park E15 (once the home of West Ham FC). We walked through the Park to join the Greenway footpath (in the footsteps of Gandhi) then turned left along the Channelsea river toward 3 Mills Green Park. Passing the former Channel 4 TV "Big Brother" site (and long lost "bridge of shame")

We paid our respects at the "Clasping Hands" statute, which in more normal times we would have held a remembrance event last week on April 28 for Workers Memorial Day.

Next we walked past 3 Mills (LBTH) then along the River Lee towards Bow Creek. At the Twelve Trees Crescent junction we crossed over the river and walked along the other side. .

This stretch toward Cody Docks is very much an unknown and unused gem. I love the Shopping Trolly sculpture in shape of DNA double-helix structure. After Cody Docks you walk through a industrial estate (past West Ham bus depot) then through some estates to rejoin the Recreation Park.


Saturday, May 02, 2020

Newham Mayor update on Covid-19 to Labour members


Covid-19 impacts Newham more, 214 confirmed deaths & why community testing and contact tracing is key
So now we have the evidence, which I reported three weeks ago and since: ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods are disproportionally impacted by Covid-19 in both infections and deaths. This comes at the end of the week I reported that 214 people have now died in Newham because of the virus so far.
Yesterday, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) released figures which highlight the uneven impact of Coronavirus across different communities and areas of the country so far. Examining the impact of deprivation on the Covid-19 mortality rates between the 1st March and 17th April 2020, the ONS looked at the 20,283 people whose deaths were registered by then, and where Covid-19 was listed on the death certificate. The ONS found that during this period the rate in the most deprived areas in England was 118% higher than in the least deprived.
Specifically, the data showed that London suffered over 50 percent more than any other region in the country, over the seven-week period analysed; and that the local authorities with the highest Covid-19 mortality rates were all in the capital. Newham has been particularly hard hit, with deaths involving Covid-19 recorded between March 1 and April 17, the mortality rate was 144.3 deaths per 100,000 population, followed by Brent (141.5) and then Hackney (127.4). By contrast, the rate was 25.3 deaths per 100,000 in the least deprived areas of England and Wales.
The analysis, which you can read here, also shows the Covid-19 mortality rate in the most deprived areas of England has been higher among men (76.7 deaths per 100,000 population) than women (39.6). Overall, the ONS makes clear that while general mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas, Covid-19 appears to be taking them higher still.
It’s also why we took action three weeks ago to boost our outreach to ethnic minority communities when reports first emerged about the disproportionate impact on Black, Minority and Ethnic communities, through our #HelpNewham local hub (which has a multi-lingual outreach team and phone service) because Newham is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country, as well as among the most deprived. You can read more about health and income inequalities in Newham in the section below.
Overall, these figures are extremely alarming, and that’s why I’ve called for more health funding to be prioritised for deprived areas, including increased funding to boost our public health work, which has been decimated over the years. If it wasn’t already clear, councils like Newham urgently need more funding from the government now and in the future as we progress with Covid-19 ‘recovery.
Importantly in Newham, we also know that the health inequalities are not uniform across ethnic groups, and the same applies to Covid-19, so grouping all minorities together misses important differences. That’s why our approach to addressing health inequalities in the borough, including the impact of Covid-19, is driven by understanding why these differences exist so that we can take the necessary action required locally, and demand action from the government where required by them. It’s also why we’re going to analyse the ONS data really carefully, to understand what has accelerated the mortality rate increase over the 7-week period studied by the ONS.
You can listen to an interview that I did earlier today about the ONS research on the BBC here (at 39.13 minutes in and note, you’ll sign in with your BBC Sounds account or register for one). You can also read an interview I gave to the Financial Times about the ONS data here (paywall) and published yesterday.
At the Downing Street briefing today, we heard that 1129,907 tests have now been carried out in the UK; and of those18,2260 people have tested positive - an increase of 4,806 cases since yesterday.  In London, Covid-19 infections have increased by 180 to 24,477 in the last 24 hours, and 948 of those infected are from Newham.
While there’s been a decrease of people currently in hospital with Covid-19 at 14,695 (down from 15,111 yesterday), of those who’ve tested positive across all settings, a total of 28,131 have now died. This is an increase of 621 fatalities since yesterday.
The government also announced £76 million in new funding today to ensure that victims of domestic violence get ‘priority need status’ to access local housing services more easily and avoid being made homeless. The money will go towards charities supporting vulnerable children, victims of domestic abuse and victims of modern slavery. I really welcome tsi good news, but we need to examine the detail carefully because we need to make sure that there are enough genuinely affordable homes for people to be moved into, and that this applies to those affected by no recourse to public funds as well.
Earlier this week the Prime Minister said we have ‘passed the peak’, but I am not convinced. That’s because he was referring specifically to hospital admissions and deaths. But the death toll in domestic, care home and other community settings is telling us another story and why I believe we still have a long way to go.
I’m urging great caution as the government considers the potential easing of restrictions following an announcement by the Prime Minister that he will publish plans next week. Why? Because, the government has to take into account the heightened vulnerability of communities like ours in Newham, otherwise it could lead to second wave and more deaths. Read more about this in the section below.
While the government has now passed its ‘100,000 a day tests’ pledge, I’ve been calling for community testing and contact tracing of Covid-19 cases - and in the coming weeks this will be our focus in Newham. At the moment tests are only available for care home workers, other key workers and the people they live with. Social care workers and care home residents with or without symptoms can now be tested be tested as well, and earlier today a mobile site for testing opened in Rick Roberts Way in Stratford. You can find out if you are eligible for a test and how to book by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test.
As we come to end of Lockdown Britain week 6, please continue to follow the restrictions in place this weekend. Please follow the government advice, which is to only go out once a day, stay and shop as local as possible, don’t gather in groups and keep two metres apart. Otherwise we’ll face a devastating impact in Newham – amongst many of our friends, families, co-workers and neighbours living here.
I know that many residents are upset and angry when they see others flouting the advice, that’s why the Council is encouraging residents to report any concerns to Newham police directly on 101 or via twitter at @MPSNewham. While the council doesn’t have the power to enforce the restrictions (because under the Coronavirus Act only the police can), we do monitor the situation in our parks and high streets and liaise daily with the local police. 
Yours in solidarity,
Rokhsana
Labour Mayor of Newham
Follow what I'm up to on Twitter: @rokhsanafiaz
 P.S. if you've sent me a message, I am so sorry for not being able to respond as yet, but I will soon and I really appreciate your patience during this time.

Friday, May 01, 2020

Wearing Red for Key Workers on May Day



This afternoon I took part in a Zoom meeting with the Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, our TUC regional secretary, Sam Gurney and Newham Council shop stewards from UNISON, Unite and GMB.

We were all wearing red to mark "May Day" and we wanted to show solidarity and support for all our key workers. It was a really positive and constructive meeting.

Check out my personal thanks to all the carers who look after my 79 year old Mum in her social housing sheltered flat in Ruthin, North Wales.