Canning Town Street Surgery

 

This lunch time I joined my colleague Shaban and local activist Robbie to take part in a Street Surgery in Canning Town North ward. 

By coincidence the area chosen was one I had been to previously in 2022 and it was an estate owned by 2 housing associations, L&Q and Sovereign Network. Shaban's ward colleague, Rita had a work commitment and could not make it. 

The canvass was largely very positive and Shaban was well known in the estate as an active Councillor, and being born and bred in Canning Town and as a local shopkeeper. 

There was a refurbishment scheme going on which was causing problems and concerns to residents which generated a lot of case work. 

I am always interested in Housing communal notice boards and L&Q seemed better than Sovereign but I noticed that their estate inspections seemed over due, but at least they were publicised unlike Sovereign.  Sovereign was also criticised by residents for not responding to emails. Newham Housing has I admit very similar issues. 

As Labour Group Chair I am planning to visit all Newham wards in the next few months. 

Canning Town South, West Ham & Canning Town North Sunday Canvass

 

A busy day on Sunday. Starting off with canvass in Canning Town South in the morning. We meet outside Morrisons. Our MP Lyn Brown, was there and gave a quick, no nonsense speech to activists about how important it is to get a good result on May 5, to encourage the Tories to get rid of Boris as our Prime Minister. The canvass itself went well and again, we were picking up support from working class voters, who had previously been against Labour, because of Boris and his "lock down" parties. 

Next we went to my ward, West Ham, to canvass next to the station, led by Lyn and my colleague Cllr (and candidate) John Whitworth. Again, pretty positive and one resident even remembered me speaking to him in 2018. I did not go down well with another resident, who came to the door and I genuinely thought he was under 18 and asked to speak to his parents. He told me he was 28! but Lyn was at hand to rescue the situation and he did sort of agree to vote Labour. 

At 4pm I cycled over to Canning Town North for their canvass of a large L&Q Housing Association estate which I had never been to before. While waiting to start, I had a "row" with an obnoxious fellow cyclist, who decided to give those of us waiting, the benefit of his views on the many failings of the Labour Party (which is fair enough) while interrupting and over talking any attempt to respond to his strident views. When he decided to criticise Angela Rayner MP as being arrogant etc I felt I had to intervene and we had some interesting "exchanges". 

The canvass itself went well with lots of positive support and loyalty for Labour. Our Mayoral Candidate, Rokhsana Fiaz, and all three Councillor candidates were there. One resident worked for an organisation that had actually sacked Boris in a previous job. 

I had another "difficult" conversation with a resident who declared she has never voted Labour and never would because we were all a "disgrace".  To which I said fair enough, but we don't want any votes from people who are personally abusive, so please do not vote for us. 

The majority reaction in all 3 wards was supportive of Labour. I did not come across any evidence of opposition parties canvassing or even leafleting in any of these wards which I genuinely believe is a shame. 

Day 2 of Rerun Newham Labour Mayoral Trigger - Canning Town North & Custom House vote NO for an open selection

This is turning into a massacre. Last night West Ham ward result was 24 to 1 for an open selection. Tomorrow it is Plaistow South and Plaistow North wards.

Hat tip https://twitter.com/newhamselection

More info http://www.newhamforopenselection.org/

and https://www.facebook.com/NewhamTriggerBallot/

Re-electing Lyn Brown - Forest Gate, West Ham & Canning Town

Picture collage from canvass in Forest Gate North on Tuesday evening, West Ham ward on Wednesday evening and a Labour stall outside the busy West Ham Station tonight (which is confusingly not in West Ham ward but Canning Town North).

While we are campaigning everyday in West Ham to re-elect Lyn Brown as our MP, our activists are also pounding the streets and taking part in the telecanvassing of marginals across London.

I led the Forest Gate North canvass team and at first we had the usual problem of trying to get any contacts with electors, who live above shops in the main high street. It must be a nightmare being a local postie with so many addresses having no letter boxes or number identification.

Most of other homes we knocked at were low rise Council housing blocks. Going up and down communal stairs is great exercise. Who needs to join an expensive gym to get fit if you are a Labour Party activist?

The canvass at West Ham ward started outside the wonderful "tiger" street art mural in Holbrook Road, E15 (see top left of collage). I am a local Councillor in the ward. The support that Lyn and the Labour Party gets in the ward is humbling. Lyn in particular got support on the canvass from voters who do not normally vote for the Labour Party but will for her, since they think she is a very good constituency Member of Parliament.

It is not all sweetness and light. I met up with a resident, who I have come across canvassing a number of times, but for a change, this time she was polite and so therefore was I, however, she is a definite A for "Against" on our canvass returns. Not that she ever votes according to the marked register. Which to me - is a shame that she moans bitterly but does not bother to vote against us.

Our street stall outside West Ham Station (which is in Canning Town North) this evening with our Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown, (and Cara, her famous Yorkshire Terrier Labour attack dog) was nice, relaxed and took place in warm, balmy, spring sunshine. A number of residents rushing home from the station, (not a really huge number but not insignificant either) were really pleased that Lyn was there to speak to them and talk about their local and national concerns.

By coincidence, we were right next to One Housing Group (OHG) Key workers scheme that I and other Councillors have been supporting against huge rent rises. A number of these tenants, came up to Lyn, to thank her for her letter to OHG and her support over their campaign against the proposed 40% rise in their rents, which has now thankfully been put on hold pending talks.

I had to leave a little early and go off to a School Governors meeting.

As an election agent it has been a good week in West Ham so far (touch wood). Excellent canvass returns across the  CLP. Nomination papers accepted. 2nd Labour Freepost leaflet looking good and ready to be submitted by deadline tomorrow (touching wood, fingers and toes crossed, will be buying white heather).

Canning Town North Labour Party meeting on proposed Silvertown Link Tunnel - 9 June

Canning Town North Labour Party
Email: Labourparty.canningtownnorth@hotmail.co.uk

Twitter:@LabourpartyCTN

Facebook: coming soon

Branch Meeting:

The Hub, 123 Star Lane, E16 4PZ

Thursday 09th June 2016 Start 7.00pm

Venue: Community Links
105 Barking Road, Canning Town
LONDON E16 4HQ

RE:The Silvertown Link Tunnel

Dear Member:

You are invited to a meeting to meeting regarding the Silvertown Link Tunnel, this a open meeting were members can bring friends and family.

Agenda:

*Robert Gordon & Jim Ludlum will open the meeting and talk about the effects on the Canning Town North area.

*Ann Robbins from (say no to Silvertown Link tunnel) will talk about the effects of tunnel from Greenwich.

*Then invited speakers(TBA) from Labour Party, Green Party, and other parties will talk about their views on Silvertown link Tunnel.

*The floor will be open for members of the public to ask questions.

* Closing arguments.

So Please all ward members and residents please attend this, thks.

Shaban Mohammed.
Branch Secretary.
Canning Town North.

A two term limit for elected Mayors

Last Thursday at a very well attended meeting of my local Forest Gate North Branch Labour Party,
members voted overwhelmingly to support the below rule change.

There was a really good debate with a wide range of different views and arguments expressed. I supported the rule change. At the same time the rule change was also being supported by (West Ham CLP) Forest Gate South Branch, Stratford Branch, Canning Town North and Manor Park Branch (East Ham CLP).

Supporters of the rule change made it clear that this was not about personalities but about principles and governance. This rule change is being supported nationally by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. It will now go to the West Ham Labour Party General Committee on Thursday 26 May and if it is passed it will be submitted to the National Labour Party to be possibly considered at our Party Conference in September.

On the same night Forest Gate North branch also voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion that paid Mayoral advisors should not hold Labour Party branch or Executive Committee officer positions. This was to improve good governance and avoid conflicts of interests. This motion will now go to the West Ham Labour Party AGM in June.

Proposed rule change for Party conference 2016

A two term limit for elected Mayors

"The Labour Party Rule Book 2016 Chapter 5 Selections, rights
and responsibilities of candidates for elected public office.
Clause I. General rules for selections for public
office. Sub-Clause 1. G. i. Alternative Procedures (page 20) ,
reads as follows:

‘For any mayoral selection the NEC may consider the use of
primary elections, subject to the absolute power of the NEC to
cancel or amend procedure, and subject to:
a. Procedural guidelines set by the NEC.’

Amendment

Add new sub-clause:

b. If a selected candidate is elected for two consecutive terms
he/she cannot apply for selection as the Labour candidate for the
same mayoral post for the following third term”.

London Labour Europe team "on the knocker" in Canning town.

On Saturday afternoon the Labour Candidates for the May Euro elections came to help out in West Ham CLP. In the morning they had been in East Ham.

Picture is of London MEP Mary Honeyball with West Ham Cllr Charlene Mclean and Neil Wilson.

We were in Canning Town ward and went door knocking around Ordnance Road. This area has changed in recent years but is still pretty solid Labour.There use to be a BNP presence in the past but this has largely long gone.

The area seemed to be well maintained. Mainly Council built flats and houses with some modern developments. There was not to be absolutely honest a huge interest in the Euro elections but residents I met seemed really pleased to meet one of their London Member's European Parliament. 

I had been canvassing in the morning in West Ham ward on local issues but it was interesting to be out with Mary and seeing things from a more European campaign prospect. I was hoping to have a debate with residents on Europe but apart from one very grumpy resident who just said he hated the lot of us, the issues were the same bread and butter problems such as street cleaning, rubbish, dog mess and housing waiting lists.

As a trade unionist I think it is vital that Labour does well in the Euro-elections.  The EU is in a mess and there are huge governance problems but Social Europe helps protect ordinary workers in this country and if the ultra Tory UKIP had their way, British workers would have no rights, what so ever in this country.

Canning Town North Labour doorstep (and some local East End "Faces")

On Saturday afternoon Lyn Brown MP had organised a West Ham CLP Labour Super Saturday doorstep in Canning Town North ward.

We split into difference canvass teams and I went with Party stalwart John Saunders and Stratford Councillor, "Red" Terry Paul who was born in the ward and still lives here today.

We started in Addington Road, E16 which Terry told us was the childhood home of actor Reg Varney. Who I remember from the 1960's comedy classic "On the Buses" (see above).

While one of our local Labour Party volunteers actually lives in the flat that actor and singer David Essex use to live in as a boy (see his picture as "Che" in the musical "Evita"). Both Reg and David went to the local Star Lane Primary School (at different times).

Terry also pointed across the local park (see picture bottom left) where the house he was born use to be and also the home of Jonny Speight, who became the writer of iconic BBC hit "Until Death Do Us Part" and created the West Ham supporting East End monster bigot, Alf Garnett (see above played ironically by north London, left wing, Spurs supporting, Jewish actor, Warren Mitchel).

The actual canvass was pretty solid and supportive Labour heartland. We had some decent conversations with local residents on local issues and problems but on the whole it was very positive. One of the last addresses we called at the resident was openly anti-Labour and said that all Labour Councillors in Newham were former patients of closed mental health institutions! He said that if he had a gun he would shoot the lot of us.

I told him not to be so silly. While he is fully entitled to his views about our mental health, he should realise that for all our faults, Labour is the only Party who stands up for working people against the rich. If the Tories get in next time with a majority, then forget about a free NHS, employment protection and a fair wages.

You know in your heart of hearts, that they will be coming to get you!

(Personal views as always. Afterwards Terry and I went for swim at Balaam Street baths as part of our training programme for London Triathlon)

West Ham Labour Doorstep - Aileen Walk 2014

Busy political Saturday. In the morning I went out with West Ham Ward Labour team, door knocking in the Aileen Walk area next to the park.

Picked up quite a bit of case work about street cleaning, estate lighting, pot holes and uneven pavements.

When I go door knocking it is always a little strange to see swastika on peoples homes (see picture top right). I remember many years ago being stunned when I first saw this and when I knocked on the door, I expected some tattooed Far right Nazi to open it and was amazed that it was an Asian family! I now know that the Swastika was an ancient symbol of  "wealth, prosperity and auspiciousness" which was nicked by the German Nazi for their own vile use.

After a short break we then went off to Canning Town North ward for a Super Saturday with our MP Lyn Brown.

Hat tip pictures Seyi