"Thank you for your support UNISON" KAM RAI for Chingford & Woodford Green

"Proud to be backed by my union @unisontheunion to be Labour's candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green. 

With the Tory cost of living crisis hitting workers hard, I'll always stand with the trade union movement to fight for fair pay and conditions. 

http://kamrai.co.uk"

Kam is a hugely impressive candidate who stood out in an exceptionally strong field seeking Greater London UNISON Labour Link nomination. He will make a great MP. 

John Gray

Chair UNISON Greater London Labour Link

JC thanks West Ham CLP & it's MP Lyn Brown

Video of Jeremy Corbyn thanking West Ham Labour & Lyn Brown MP yesterday for mobilising activists to campaign for Faiza Shaheen at Chingford & Woodford Green Labour. Jeremy also slated the government for doing nothing to help respected holiday company, Thomas Cook form collapsing and putting 9000 workers out of work and ruining holiday dreams for hundreds of thousands. 

Hat tip @DanLP86

West Ham Plays Away at Sunny Solidarity Saturday in Chingford & Woodford Green

West Ham CLP came over today to their nearby sister constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green to support Labour candidate, Faiza Shaheen, who is standing against sitting Tory MP, Ian Duncan Smith.

While driving on route I passed the famous Walthamstow Greyhound racing stadium which is now being redeveloped by L&Q Housing (after a huge row) and remembered going to its famous night club, Charlie Chan in the 1990s.

Today was a national campaigning day for Labour activists. We met with local activists led by Faiza and local Labour ward Councillor, Elizabeth Baptiste. Faiza is a UNISON member and was successfully nominated by UNISON London Labour Link to be the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, while Elizabeth is a former UNISON NEC colleague of mine.

We were split into 3 canvass teams by Faiza. My team was mostly West Hammers led by our MP, Lyn Brown.

We canvassed a former Council estate of 1960s Tower Blocks, which had been knocked down in the 1990s and replaced by low rise housing now owned by Peabody Housing Association.  Residents were generally satisfied with their landlord but concerned with parking, dog mess and fly tips. I could have been campaigning in Newham.

I embarrassed myself and a local resident,when a young women answered the door I knocked upon and who I thought was a child and when I asked to speak to her parents, she said she was the adult in the household. She accepted my apologies and despite me putting my foot into it, she still said she was a Labour voter.

The picture in the top left of college is of all the UNISON members in our team (including a member of my branch who I had not met before) excluding Faiza who was leading another team.

West Ham Labour will be supporting Chingford & Woodford Green Labour in their campaign to elect Faiza as their MP at the next General election. Our residents in West Ham (a safe Labour seat) desperately need a Labour Government to solve the housing crisis, save our NHS and end austerity. Unless we win in marginal seats like Chingford and Woodford Green, we will not be able to do this.

Hat tip pictures Karl Lewis West Ham CLP Vice Chair Campaigns. 

We're Rebuilding Britain

Great new Labour Party youtube video.

In Newham and want to challenge? I will be outside the Atherton Leisure centre tomorrow (Saturday 30/9/18)  at 10.20am to take a car to Chingford & Woodford Green seat to get rid of Tory IDS. 

West Ham Labour October update: Solidarity Saturday (get rid of IDS)

Solidarity Saturday:
This Saturday (29th September) we will helping North London CLP Chingford and Woodford Green. Any questions contact Karl on 07857 622 647

Pick up points are 10:15am for a 10:20 departure:
Near Plaistow Station: Corner of Plaistow Road and Bull Road (Google Map here)
Near Stratford High Street DLR station: Corner of Bridge Street and Dawn Crescent (Google Map here) 
Near Atherton Leisure Centre (Forest Gate): Corner of Atherton Road and Clova Road (Google Map here)

If you can go but would require a lift from another pick up point, please get in touch.
Take a look at our 'Keep It Comradely' statement that applies to all our meetings and our social media. This can be seen here.

Also take a look at Labour's Social Media policy on the main national website here.

---

All future campaign and event dates
Elections are won on the foundations built and the campaigning done in the years without elections

A number of canvassing and street stall sessions have been organised over the next few weeks. All Labour members are welcome to any session and training will be offered for anyone who requests it.

Saturday 29th September 11:30am - Forest Gate North, meeting at Forest Gate station. Google Map link. Contact: Anam

Sunday 30th September 2pm - Plaistow South, meeting at 683 Barking Road, (E13 9EZ) (E13 9LH). Google map link.  Contact: Neil:

Saturday 6th October 12pm to 2pm - Canning Town North/South, meeting place TBC. Contact: Kevin:

Tuesday 9th October 6pm - Forest Gate North, meeting at Forest Gate station. Google Map link. Contact:

Saturday 27th October 11am - Stratford and New Town, meeting at Maryland Station. Google map link here. Contact: Karl

Saturday 3rd November 11:30am - Forest Gate North, meeting at Forest Gate station. Google Map link. Contact: Rachel

Saturday 3rd November 12pm to 2pm - Canning Town North/South, meeting place TBC. Contact: Kevin:

If you are aware of any other events or have any questions, please feel free to get in touch with Karl: 

Future meeting dates to note:
27th September: affirmative nomination for London Mayor (Sadiq Khan) (GC delegates only, unfortunately guests will not be allowed at this meeting)

25th October: October GC meeting (speaker TBC), all welcome

We look forward to seeing you at future events and campaigns!

Regards

Karl Lewis
Vice Chair (Campaigns and Comms) West Ham CLP
e westhamlabour@gmail.com
t @westhamlabour
f westhamlabour
w westhamlabour.org

UNISON Labour Link nominate Faiza Shaheen for Chingford & Woodford Green

Greater London UNISON Labour Link have  given a supportive nomination to Faiza Shebeen to be the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the seat. There were a number of excellent UNISON members seeking nomination. I have seen Faiza speak at a number of Class events (the Labour movement think tank where she works as its director) and I think she will make a great local PPC to take the seat away from Ian Duncan Smith.

"UNISON does phenomenal work fighting for public sector workers in the face of Tory attacks. Years of cuts and pay freezes must end - and we need a Labour government to turn it around.

As the candidate for CWG, I will be working closely with UNISON members to campaign for fair pay and public sector investment, and I am really grateful for their support in this selection".

Early Parliamentary Selection: Chingford & Woodford Green

Dear member, Applications are now open for Chingford & Woodford Green Parliamentary seat. This is Ian Duncan Smith's seat and Labour has a real opportunity to take it from the Tories. In 2017, Labour cut the Tories majority in this seat to under 2,500 and it is crucial that Labour wins this in the next General Election. This is an all women shortlist. Click here for information how to apply Deadline to apply is Thursday 7 June, good luck! Best wishes, London Labour Reproduced from an email sent by London Labour. Promoted by and on behalf of London Labour both at Southside, 105 Victoria Street, SW1E 6QT

West Hammers "Solidarity Saturday" in Chingford & Woodford Green

I have always agreed with the great Lake district walking author, Alfred Wainwright, that "there is no such thing as bad weather only unsuitable clothing". Despite this I forgot to take a hat and gloves for this mornings Labour campaigning in the now marginal seat of Chingford & Woodford Green (currently held with a majority of 2,438 by Tory MP, Iain Duncan Smith). 

I therefore suffered somewhat in the cold and rain while in a West Ham Labour Party canvass team lead by our MP, Lyn Brown.

We were in Valley ward where there are currently 2 Tory Councillors and one Labour. My fellow UNISON Greater London Regional Council Officer, Elizabeth Baptiste, is standing here as a Labour Candidate.

Despite this being a traditional Tory ward, I thought we had good response and I had a number of decent political conversations with working class Tory voters who were now undecided on who to vote for in the next election. The state of the NHS, no pay rises and high housing costs are making some lifelong Tory supporters think again. As one disillusioned Tory supporter said to me "this government is treating people like me like S**t. So why should I support them anymore?". 

Agree. Nuff said.

After the canvass we recovered with welcome hot coffee and soup at the Aromas cafe in Chingford Mount.

As part of my campaign to persuade Labour Party members of the health benefits from political campaigning, I was also pleased to note that my google fit app recorded 8,169 steps. Other members of our team had a lower figure but I had to go back and forth to drag Lyn back to the team  after chatting too long to residents. 

Hope for our Country - Campaigning in Chingford & Woodford Green

Yesterday, I was out canvassing next door to Newham, in Chingford & Woodford Green with a strong team from West Ham Labour, led by our MP, Lyn Brown. Following the General Election many people now think that this traditional Conservative seat is a marginal and winnable for Labour.

The fact that the sitting MP is the former Tory leader, Iain Duncan Smith, adds to the attraction for many to support local activists, who will be trying to unseat him at the next election.

Saturday was also a Labour Party national campaigning day and the theme was "Hope for our Country".

There was a bit of confusion at the beginning about where was the meeting point but after the traditional photo we split up into several canvass teams.

My team went up one side of a very, very long road then back again. It was made up of mostly houses which were relatively easy to canvass but with some flats above shops which are more difficult to get into and contact anyone.  It was great to have an experienced and competent team leader "running the board" (telling us where to go and to collate our information).

While waiting for someone to answer (or not) the door, after you have knocked, can be very boring, I decided to continue to photo with my phone interesting front door "furniture".

It was a very positive canvass for Labour. It did not feel like a safe Conservative seat either. There was clearly people who were against Labour but they were (bar one) polite and reasonable.

I met one mother with toddlers running around her home, who was so, so angry with inadequate resources for education. She demanded that I feed back her concerns. She told me that her employer has loads of job applications from qualified teachers who want to leave education.

The most interesting conversation was with someone who described herself as a life long Tory who now thinks that this government is just cruel and uncaring to the needy. She is thinking hard about voting Labour next time but said it was very difficult to change your lifelong beliefs.

I asked one man if he was voting Labour and he said "Of course, my Mum would kill me otherwise".

I was not in the canvass team with Lyn Brown MP, which met up with a street stall being run by Iain Duncan Smith (bottom left of photo) but that must have been fun!