Green on Green: A great day to wash your dirty laundry in public?

 

Please see the fascinating exchange of emails between the two Newham Green Councillors Nate and Danny (The Green Group Leader) copied into 64 Labour Councillors, Mayor and various officers. 

From: Nate Higgins (Councillor) <Nate.Higgins@newham.gov.uk>
Sent: 17 July 2022 22:59
To: Danny Keeling (Councillor) <Danny.Keeling@newham.gov.uk>; Conrad Hall <Conrad.Hall@newham.gov.uk>; Council - All Newham Council Members <CEX-Councillors@newham.gov.uk>
Cc: Corporate Management Team <CorporateManagementTeam@newham.gov.uk>
Subject: Re: Message on behalf of Cllr Vaughan, Chair of Council

 Hi all.

 I would like to apologise for my colleague's remarks and disassociate myself from them. I would also like to make clear this is not 'normal summer weather' to be enjoyed, this is seriously dangerous to public health and life, and the result of climate change.

Please do whatever is necessary to ensure the health of all council staff and councillors, and I will fully support the council in doing that. Any questions about the rescheduling of business can wait until safety has been assured. 

Please stay safe all. 

Nate. 

 From: Danny Keeling (Councillor) <Danny.Keeling@newham.gov.uk>

Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2022 9:57:22 PM
To: Nate Higgins (Councillor) <Nate.Higgins@newham.gov.uk>; Conrad Hall <Conrad.Hall@newham.gov.uk>; Council - All Newham Council Members <CEX-Councillors@newham.gov.uk>
Cc: Corporate Management Team <CorporateManagementTeam@newham.gov.uk>
Subject: RE: Message on behalf of Cllr Vaughan, Chair of Council

Evening all,

I hope we all have had a great weekend?

I must stress that the last council meeting lowered the amount of full council meetings in the calendar – has this full council been cancelled or postponed?

I am fully understanding this unusual weather but we do have this beautiful expensive building on dockside that could assist us against the heat, alternatively do one of our property/facility managers have appliances to assist.

I do believe all of us have taken measures getting from A to B and working in these hot conditions already.

Are we not still able to hold full council, especially with the assistance of the brilliant space at Dockside. I feel like this is a very last minute decision. We have known about the heat for a good amount of time and making the meeting more comfortable, could have happened last week. There are plenty of brilliant and amazing spaces the council have throughout the borough that could have air conditioned spaces.

 Questions:

1.       Is this cancelling or delaying?

2.       Why was this decision made so late knowing the temperature already predicted?

3.       Do we expect residents to go to work on the day we do not go and hold full council ‘because it is too hot’

 I do obviously hope everyone is well and enjoying this Summer weather.

 Danny Keeling

Councillor, Stratford Olympic Park

Leader of the Green Group