Democracy Rules..."Newham councillors welcome call to cancel trigger ballot result"

Latest in local newspaper about the "rigged" selection for Newham Mayor and call by local Councillors for an open and this time, democratic, selection process.

"Two councillors have welcomed mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales’ call for Labour to cancel the result of the controversial trigger ballot.

Cllrs John Whitworth and Kay Scoresby both put their names forward as potential mayoral candidates at the end of last year if the result of the trigger ballot was for an open selection process, rather than automatically putting the incumbent Sir Robin as the party’s candidate.

Sir Robin won the trigger ballot with 20 votes to 17 thanks to most affiliates backing him - but 11 out of 20 Labour electoral wards called for the involvement of other candidates.

In a statement issued on December 21, he explained that he would be “supporting a new process to be undertaken under the auspices of the national or regional Labour Party”, having called for the previous result to be scrapped after legal action was launched.

This was set to focus around the allegation that Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), failed to investigate any allegations of wrong-doing.

Those criticising the process claimed that some of the affiliated organisations voted more than once in the trigger ballot - known as the affirmative nomination process - while others did not as the rules were “inconsistently applied and explained”.

Cllr Whitworth, who represents West Ham, was the first to throw his hat into the ring last year and said: “There is not enough time for another trigger ballot process. The Labour Party must organise an open democratic selection for a range of Newham Labour Party candidates including Robin to be chosen democratically and fairly as our Labour candidate in 2018.”

Cllr Scoresby, who represents Canning Town North, added: “We need to bring and unite the local party together once again and for all let them decide in an open, honest and transparent process who should be our mayoral candidate.

“Trust East Ham and West Hammers to do the right thing for the party and the people of Newham. An open selection of candidates. A secret ballot. One member. One vote. Democracy rules.”

The election for the mayor of Newham, along with ward councillors, is set to take place on Thursday, May 3.

40% RENT UP - CAN'T PAY - WILL STAY! Message To One Housing Group

Photo from last night's planning and action meeting of the Newham key workers facing massive rent rises by the Charitable Landlord, One Housing Group. The tenants are living in housing blocks that were handed over to the Housing Association in 1997 by Newham Council, in order to provide accommodation for predominantly low paid junior teachers, care workers, health workers, social workers and teaching assistants at reduced rents in order for them to work locally in essential public services. They are now facing huge overnight rent rises of up to 40%. Many of them cannot afford to pay the increases and face moving out of London or even eviction. Some of them have been there for 20 years.

I was there with local Canning Town North ward Councillor, Kay Scoresby, and my fellow West Ham Councillor, John Whitworth, to support the tenants.  There was other supporters from trade unions and local trade councils as well as One Housing Group tenants from other parts of London. 

I told the meeting that I had received yet another grossly inadequate "fob off" response from One Housing to my second letter to them. Our local MP, Lyn Brown, had also received a nonsensical reply to her letter. It is beyond belief that a regulated housing provider refuses to fully respond to questions from elected local and national representatives. 

I made it clear to the meeting that unless I get proper replies to my questions I will have no alternative but to make a complaint to the Housing Regulator. 

At the meeting tenants collectively and democratically decided to continue with the campaign and take things to the next stage. The senior management and Board of One Housing Group have so far ignored their polite requests to meet and discuss the issues with them, so they feel that they have no choice but to escalate their campaign. Watch this space. 

"What is Robin Wales so scared of?"

Long standing Newham Councillor and former Cabinet member and Community lead Kay Scoresby writes a passionate letter in last weeks Newham Recorder which represents the feelings of nearly all the local Labour Party members and affiliates I have met.

"Mayor should listen to views

I feel cheated of my chance to stand as a Labour Candidate to be Mayor of Newham.

Despite 424 Labour Party members from 11 out of 20 wards at the recent trigger ballot meetings voting NO, Robin Wales refuses to listen to the views of members and hold an open selection process.

Instead he is relying on the unknown and undemocratic votes of affiliate organisations as he is desperate to have five terms as mayor. What is Robin Wales so scared of?"

Members believe that Party rules and natural justice have been fundamentally broken and abused.   They are demanding that the selection process must be rerun. There are I understand substantiated allegations of forgery, fraud and misfeasance which must be fully investigated by the Party and affiliate organisations.

Dear Robin (time to say goodbye or face an open election)

Dear Robin,

The results of the Mayoral Trigger Ballot have already shown that the Labour Party in Newham is deeply divided over the question of your automatic re-selection as mayoral candidate for the election of 2018. The majority of members taking part in the Trigger Ballot have voted ‘No’, including 10 wards, which is a resounding vote for democracy and shows that the party does not support your sole candidacy. The party wants an open and democratic selection process to commence immediately.

We request that, if you wish to continue to seek the nomination, you agree to take part in an open selection contest. This competition will be open to any member of the Labour Party in Newham, including ourselves which would produce a result that will be accepted by all members. 

We believe that a contested selection will unify the local party as all members will be involved, whether the winner will be yourself or someone else. We propose that the terms for the election be one member one vote (OMOV). Newham Labour Party members clearly want an open process, so we should replicate the process adopted for the selection of the Labour candidate for London Mayor.

We therefore call upon you to accept an open selection process, conducted under the terms of OMOV, so that the wishes of the party members can be clearly heard and the result accepted by all. In this way, the Labour Party in Newham will be able to pursue its mission of serving the community and improving the lives of all the residents of this borough.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Kay Scoresby & Cllr John Whitworth

"Second councillor puts name forward as potential 2018 Newham mayoral candidate"

Newham Recorder "A second councillor has said she will stand as Labour’s 2018 Newham mayoral candidate if there is an open selection process for election.

Cllr Kay Scoresby, of Canning Town North ward, said she believed “it is about time we have a woman” [as Newham Mayor] and said she had been encouraged to stand by both Labour and non-Labour members in the Newham community.

Her announcement comes ahead of four key votes tonight in the borough to decide whether or not Sir Robin Wales is automatically re-selected as Labour’s next mayoral candidate in an affirmative nomination process known as a trigger ballot.

Speaking exclusively to the Recorder, Cllr Scoresby said: “If people vote no – and I sincerely hope they do – then they will have an open process where Sir Robin can join in. At the moment it is a one-horse race.

“My style [of leadership] would be very collaborative. One of the first things I would do is to have a big conversation with all of our stakeholders.

She added: “We have some fantastic charities in the borough that have been overlooked in the work that they do.”

Cllr Scorebsy advocated “proactive” working with health officials, schools and community group and said she wanted to restore the early years provision that was based on council-run, registered children’s centres before it was cancelled last September.

She said that if elected, she would also speak to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, about tackling the borough’s housing crisis at the “planning and development stage”.

“50 per cent of the land is used by the council. We should be looking at how we utilise that with people,” she said.

The teacher and married mum-of-three, who has been a councillor for more than 10 years, made her announcement earlier today. It follows on from Cllr John Whitworth’s declaration to run less than three weeks ago.

He said: “I welcome Cllr Scoresby’s entry into the contest as I believe the trigger ballot process should result in Labour Party members being given a choice for their candidate for mayor.

“I hope her standing will encourage other Labour members to also put themselves and their vision for Newham forward.”

A spokesperson for Sir Robin Wales was approached for a reply but declined to comment.

The wards set to vote later are Boleyn, Canning Town North, East Ham Central and Plaistow South.

In Tuesday’s trigger ballot vote in West Ham ward, 20 members voted “no” and eight voted “yes”. Green Street East is expected to take place on Sunday although this is yet to be confirmed.

At present the “yes” votes still lead with nine wards in favour of keeping Sir Robin as the selected Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham, with six wards voting “no” and one affiliated organisation, the Newham Co-op Party, also voting “no”.

A further 11 affiliated organisations are also in the process of voting and have yet to declare.

Decent Homes – How Labour has made a difference in Royal Docks.

Tonight I went canvassing in the Royal Docks by-election with local ward Councillor Pat Murphy and Manor Park Councillor Kay Scoresby (bottom right of picture). We went to two high rise tower blocks in the ward and door knocked everyone that we didn’t have any voter ID.

The tower blocks were managed by the Council owned ALMO “Newham Homes”. While I am not a fan of ALMOs the blocks had just undergone a high quality major refurbishment under the “decent homes” programme. Some works were still ongoing but I did not hear a single complaint about the works done nor about the contractors. Well done I think to everyone involved.

The Tories while in power staved Councils of money to refurbish and modernise their housing stock. Labour is making a difference up and down the country with the “decent homes” project. There are still problems but tonight talking to people (our people) I felt really proud of what had been done. It is not only about new kitchens and bathrooms. The tower blocks themselves looked clean, in very good repair and well looked after by staff and residents.

Picture of Pat and Kay tonight and top right last week’s canvass team just down the road with local ward Councillor Anthony McAlmont. In one of the blocks we visited last week there was this wonderful titled poster in the ground floor foyer (left).