West Ham in Person Surgery, East Ham Neighbourhood watch stall & East Ham South Street Surgery

 

On Saturday I had my Councillor surgery in West Ham ward. I had 2 residents attend. One was about a very complicated "Succession of Tenancy" issue and the second about an appeal against a delay in granting a Blue Badge renewal. Due to the new case work system in Newham, I was able to raise both member enquiries via my phone. 

I then arrived late at a East Ham South canvass event which then became a Neighbourhood watch street stall. What a marvellous initiative with local Newham Council enforcement officers also attending. 

Next I was to join a well attended street surgery session in East Ham South with local Councillors. I was asked to run the session on the Labour doorstep app. I would advise colleagues on who to call upon and then input any information received. The Councillors took up the individual case work. It went very well. A pretty positive result for Labour. 

Note a very good notice board in the foyer of one L&Q Housing Association blocks. 

As chair of Newham Labour Group I look forward to visiting and campaigning in all our Newham wards. 

Statement from Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE on Newham's May 2026 mayoral election

 

(The Labour Party has announced that former Newham Councillor (and Cabinet member) Forhad Hussain has been selected as the Labour Candidate for the May 2026 mayoral election). 

Labour Housing Group Events - Summer 2025

 

Check out our full events schedule for the coming months - we hope to see you at one of the below! Find out more on our website. https://labourhousing.org/category/events/upcoming-events/

Matchgirls Strikers Exhibition at House of Commons

 

Last week on Tuesday evening I was privileged to be invited to the opening of an exhibition in the House of Commons on the 1888 Matchgirls Strike in Bow, East London. This successful strike against low pay, bullying and unsafe working practices was organised and led by working class women. 

The exhibition was organised by the Great Granddaughter (Sam Johnson) of one of the strike leaders, Sarah Chapman who is buried in Newham. 

Many thanks to my MP, Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) for sponsoring the display. It was great to see Angela Rayner MP and James Asser MP also at the opening. 

I worked for many years in Bow, in a housing office directly opposite the site of the strike (the Bryant & May match making factory). 

UNISON New NEC 2025 - 2027 - 1st meeting

 

On Tuesday there was the first proper meeting of the newly elected UNISON National Executive Council (NEC). The NEC is the UNISON "Parliament" of elected members, which helps run and lead the union in-between our national conferences. 

I was so pleased when I arrived early at the UNISON National headquarters in Euston Road, London to see the new Presidential team in their office on the 8th floor preparing for their first meeting with the NEC. 

The meeting itself was pretty lively (and some breath-taking hypocrisy by some sore losers) I will post a report here for Community members soon(ish). 

It was confirmed at the meeting that I was on the UNISON national Policy Development and Campaign Committee (PDCC), the Industrial Action Committee and the Staff Pension Committee (after 4 year gap). 

In an earlier vote I had also been confirmed as being on the UNISON National Labour Link committee as a NEC nominee. 

See picture of myself and my UNISON Committee colleague Denise, the top table and also the 4 Greater London Regional reps Clara, Sonya, Eddie and Abiola (aka S Club 7). 

Newham Council Task & Finish report on 10 Year plan to solve the Temporary Accommodation Crisis

Yesterday, I presented a report to Full Council on the recommendations of a task and finish Group that I chaired, on the Temporary Accommodation crisis in Newham. This report was accepted unanimously. 

The key recommendation was that we have to have a credible long term plan not just to manage the crisis better (as important as that it) but to eventually solve it. 

This means not only do we have to raise our own game as a Council but also that the Government needs to be convinced that they have to provide the financial support and subsidy for us to provide sufficient secure, safe, green and affordable homes to house our 7000 homeless. 

Not an easy ask considering the dreadful state of public finances after 14 years of Tory rule but one we have to make. It used to be the case that British politicians from all political parties accepted that it was their duty to make sure that everyone had access to decent housing. We need to work to restore that belief. 

Check out the report here (Public Pack)Supplementary Agenda Two Agenda Supplement for Council, 14/07/2025 19:00

UPDATE: check out online ES articule on the report Plea for more cash to support thousands of families in temporary accommodation in east London borough | The Standard

West Ham and Manor Park Street Surgery

 

Last Saturday I joined my West Hammer comrades John & Varghese for our ward street surgery. We went to the historic heart of the ward - Church Street. 

As a local Councillor, I picked up case work on housing repairs - individual and communal, rubbish collection and bin sheds, planning issues (see middle top) and street homelessness. The reaction to us calling was all pretty positive and it was good to see again, local community activists and Labour Party members and chat about issues. The top left picture was us in the front of a very welcome Council new build development. 

This morning I joined Manor Park comrades, local Councillor Salim and Hassan. We knocked up the Wanstead flats side of the ward. The recent grass fire on the flats had obviously caused concern. While there was some polite push back from known opponents, it was overall very solid Labour. It is clear that some Labour supporters are very concerned with local and national Party issues but are still giving us the opportunity to earn their trust. 

As Chair of Newham Labour Group, I will be joining all Newham wards in their future street surgeries. 

UNISON National Labour Link Forum 2025: Day 1 & 2

UNISON Labour Link is the part of our union that is made up of members who decide to affiliate to the Labour Party and the Forum is our annual meeting, which this year took place in Glasgow. 

I attended as an elected London delegate but came early as member of the National Labour Link committee for a pre forum planning meeting. In the morning I went for a run along the Clyde which took longer than expected due to getting just a little lost.

Forum started in that evening with delegation meetings and then a reception addressed by my former UNISON NEC colleague and now MP, Katrina Murray. Afterwards the London delegates had a meal in an Italian restaurant in Argyle Street. 

Forum started and finished the next day with a mixture of reports, motions, keynote speakers and panel debates. 

Former UNISON national officer (and London lay activist) Deirdre Costigan gave a well received speech to forum on the 1st year of a Labour Government and gave an honest and considered response to sometimes robust questions in the Q&A. 

The highlight to me, was the panel debate on "Tackling the rise of Reform" with guest speaker Nick Lowles from "Hope not Hate", who gave a fascinating account of recent research on who supports Reform, why they support such a right wing, anti worker Party and what we should all be thinking of doing to win back disillusioned voters. I asked the panel about the importance of social economic class inequality in this debate, which pretty much all the panel agreed was a key issue. 

Forum finished on time, with all the annual reports agreed and all the tabled motions debated. Looking forward to next year's Forum. 

UNISON National Labour Link Forum 2025

 

I arrived Wednesday evening for the UNISON National Labour Link forum in Glasgow. Picture with comrades from the NEC on the National Committee on way back from a meal.

Forum kicked off on Thursday evening but the National Committee met in the morning. Will post further. 

West Ham Labour Street Surgery

 

After my static advice surgery on Saturday morning I joined local volunteers and Councillors to carry out a door by door street surgery in West Ham.

We knocked on the doors of residents and ask them if they have any problems or issues with Newham Council that they wish to discuss with their local Councillors. Usually, residents are pleased to see us (although a tiny number disguise it very well) and have nothing to report but are grateful for receiving our contact details and that we hold a local advice surgery every Saturday (apart from Bank holiday weekends and August). 

We started off with a modern housing association block managed by L&Q. I was concerned that there appeared to be some out of date notices regarding fire safety/disrepair actions posted on a communal board, which I will chase up with them. 

Next we knocked at a Council managed block which had recently had substantial environmental improvements but residents were very concerned with cleaning standards and access to recycling bins. There was also reports of ongoing damp and mould problems, which I will also follow up. Overcrowding is a huge issue with adult children forced to stay at home since they cannot afford alternative accommodation. 

I was pleased to see that the old Britannia Pub has also been refurbished and modernised. It will hopefully reopen soon. 

The final door knock was Victorian street properties and discussed reports of ASB, rodents and tree pruning. 

In total we had 87 contacts and finished off with a late brunch in a nearby cafe. 

On the way home I looked for a plaque on a wall in an adjacent street, which I believe is connected to a 1733 boundary post I came across the previous week while canvassing in Stratford see John's Labour blog: Labour Street Surgery in Stratford. I found the plaque which I had posted upon here in 2013 John's Labour blog: West Ham doorstep & Leaflet drop. 

It seems that land in Stratford and West Ham had been donated to support St Mary's Church in Rotherhithe. I wonder what the legal situation is nowadays? I am meeting former Councillor John Saunders on Tuesday evening and will ask him if he knows more.