Labour Rally at Cable Street – Michael Keith “on the stump”

Yesterday there was an outdoor rally for Labour Candidate Michael Keith in the Shadwell by-election, Tower Hamlets. The rally took place in the garden area adjacent to the Battle of Cable Street Mural (see main photo) painted on the side of St Georges Town Hall.

There were about 80 supporters, mainly from the local Bangladeshi community. Speakers included most of the “great and the good” of Tower Hamlets Labour politics. First was Baroness Uddin, then Tower Hamlets Labour leader Denise Jones , Parliamentary Under secretary of State for Transport and local MP Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour Prospective parliamentary candidate for neighbouring Bethnal Green & Bow Rushanara Ali. Councillor Anwara Ali (and local GP) chaired the meeting.

They all praised Michael for the work he had done in the past for Shadwell and Tower Hamlets as a Councillor. Jim Fitzpatrick astonished the gathering (well, me anyway) with a confident and fluent 4 minute speech entirely in Sylheti. According to those next to me in the audience he spoke it very well! I have uploaded a 30 second clip of (poor quality video) of Jim in action onto You Tube.

Michael was last. He was literally a politician “on the stump” since he climbed upon the remains of a cut down tree stump (see photo). He then proceeded to give a well delivered and passionate speech about how important it is for the local area to return a Labour councillor and to turn away from the divisive policies of Respect. It went down very well.

Afterwards the canvassing continued. See Councillor (and Newham UNISON member) Bill Turner “on the knocker” in the Tarling estate. On Thursday there was a good show from Newham Labour Party. I heard that there were 25 “Newhamites” out and about in Shadwell.

Again very little sign of Respect campaigners. I saw Galloway briefly; it appears from speaking to other campaigners that he was up to his usual trick of using a megaphone to scream abuse and threats at Labour party activists. Charming bloke.

I’ve had a chance to read an interview with the Respect candidate and to do some digging - will try and post something interesting later tonight.

Fighting the Good Fight in Shadwell – Home of diss-Respect

Went off today with Newham Labour Party comrades to help out in the Shadwell By-Election, Tower Hamlets. One of the Respect Councillors for the ward resigned suddenly a few weeks ago claiming that Respect was “bickering, immature, self serving and militant”. No surprise there then. See action photo of Labour Party activists outside Limehouse DLR station planning campaign activities (middle Denise Jones the current leader of the Council, right is the Candiate, former Labour leader of Council, Michael Keith ).

It was an interesting afternoon. At first we tried to canvass the wealthy blocks near the Limehouse basin. It was really difficult to get in and even once in, many residents were either out or not registered. One particularly nasty Tory supporter threw a right wobbler about us daring to “canvass” his private block and was running around trying to get the site security to get us arrested! I tried to point out that we had been invited in by a resident, but he clearly was off his head. He wasn’t impressed when I then asked him if I could put him down as a Labour "possible". Nearly everyone else we called upon were perfectly okay and polite even if they did not support Labour.

Later we went to more traditional Tower Hamlets estates. See left with Newham Councillor James Butler.
We even met up with the opposition in the form of former Labour councillor and advisor to Ken Livingston turned Bethnal Green and Bow, Respect Parliamentary candidate hopeful Kumar Murshid (big mate of Gorgeous George). Busy like us trying to infiltrate the Shadwell yuppie blocks.

It was quite uneventful, compared to previous recent campaigns; it seems that the gangs of Respect thugs intimidating opposition canvassers were not about. I hear that the price of a wrap is pretty low at the moment, so they must have their work cut out elsewhere.

There was no sign of any Tory or Lib Dem leaflets or canvassers?

Lovely dramatic Shadwell picture.