Newham European Election results 23 May 2019

Hat tip post to Martin at ForestGateDotCom

Newham had the highest number of Labour votes of any borough in London and at 51% the largest share of the vote.

The average vote for Labour in London was only 23.8%

Hat tip photo to Newham Young Pioneers at West Ham station on election day.

"The returning officer has released the full results for Newham from last week’s European election:

Party	Votes	Percent
Labour	33,379	51%
Liberal Democrats	9,192	14%
The Brexit Party	7,730	12%
Green Party	5,353	8.2%
Conservative	3,756	5.7%
Change UK	2,234	3.4%
UKIP	1,336	2.0%
UK European Union Party	917	1.4%
Animal Welfare Party	640	1.0%
Women’s Equality Party	572	0.9%
Others (independents)	312	0.5%
Total votes	65,421	100%

Compared to the previous European election in 2014, Labour lost 7 points of vote share and the Conservatives lost 11 points. UKIP also lost share, down over 6%.

The big gainers were the Liberal Democrats, up 12% and the Green Party up 3.6%.

Turnout was down 3%, from 39% to 36%".

Vote Labour to bring our country together - (Also not who but how to vote)

(As a Parliamentary Agent for the last 3 General elections here is what I think is some useful advice if you have never voted or not for a long while.)

• Polling stations open today from 7am (Thursday 23 May) until 10pm
• If you do not know your polling station google https://wheredoivote.co.uk/ and put in your post code
• Don't worry if you cannot find your polling card, you can turn up and give your name address (if helps staff if you bring polling card but NOT essential)
• If you are a postal voter and haven't posted your votes yet you can drop them off on polling day at any home borough polling station. 
• While entering a polling station there may be some people representing political parties handing out leaflets. You do not have to speak to them but you may choose to tell them who you are voting for but you don't have to if you don't want to. 
• You cannot vote on line or via your phone. This the current law. 
• Don't worry if you have never voted. You just walk into your polling station, give your name and address; you are given ballot papers, you go to a private area (they have free pens/pencils), you put one X in a blank box on the ballot paper (Labour obviously) and then you put the ballot paper in slot in an obvious big black box. 
• Polling staff are usually very understanding of first time voters. They are taught that there is no such thing as a stupid question. 
• The ballot is secret. 
• Today is too late for a proxy vote (where you can get someone to substitute for you). 
• Vote for the Party you want or even don't vote for anyone. If so I would score out and write "none of above". It is important that you turn out to vote but you don't actually have to vote for anyone if you don't want to. 
• Remember - many people died fighting to give ordinary working people the right to vote and that if you don't use it "they" will want to take it away from us. 
• So Use it or lose it. 

The last weekend! West Ham Labour Grid as 18.5.19-23.5.19

Last weekend before the Euro elections on Thursday. I am sure that our ace GC Vice Chair Campaigns, Karl Lewis will be sending out an update soon but in the meanwhile.

"On the Knocker" for Labour in EU elections 2019 - sunshine and showers

Picture collage is from a canvass last Saturday in West Ham ward (with local MP Lyn Brown) and from yesterday in Forest Gate North.

Local Newham Councillor (and my Cabinet colleague) James Beckles, is a Labour Candidate for London, while another Newham Councillor, Rohit Das Gupta, is a Labour Candidate in South East England standing against Nigel Farage!

We got pretty wet last week and retreated to our tower blocks to continue to canvass while yesterday it poured down with rain before and after our canvass.

Elsewhere in the borough there has been a number of other Labour canvass sessions and street stalls. Both days we had big turn outs of activists. Personally, I am not aware of any opposition parties campaigning inside Newham.

So far, the results have been pretty solid for Labour but there has been some negative reactions from residents who are pro Brexit and also those who are pro Remain. I suspect that like the local Council elections last week, that the Tories will do very badly on May 23rd and that Labour will not "cover itself with glory" either.

I had a couple of interesting separate conversations with middle aged people, who have never voted in their lives. They were not hostile, they didn't have any particular objections to voting, just that they had never got around to doing it. I don't think lecturing people on ....how important voting is, on how people died for the right to vote etc really works, no matter how true this is. Explaining what happens when you walk into a polling station, that you don't need to find your polling card, how it is really secret, and you can ask polling staff questions if you don't understand anything -is more effective.

I did finish by saying that "they" never wanted to give people like us the vote and if we don't use it, they will take it away from us. 

European elections are on in West Ham! John We have had a great start to our campaign in West Ham, but the Brexit party have been busy (most people have already received a leaflet from them, they will get one from us later on), the Lib Dems and Greens have both been out in the north of the CLP. Take a look below at the campaigns going on in our area, all experiences welcome and training offered to anyone who would like it. Help us build our local campaign place a donation here Time Ward Type of event Meeting place Postcode Contact detail Friday 10 6:30pm Canning Town North Leafleting Barking road - near the Iceland E13 Saturday 11 11.30am Forest Gate North Doorknocking Forest Gate Station E7 0NF Rachel  11AM Plaistow South Doorknocking African Caribbean Centre E13 9EZ Neil Wilson  10.30am Green Street West Doorknocking East Shopping Centre, Green Street E7 8LE Qasim  Sunday 12 11am West Ham Door knocking ATL cafe E15 3ET 10.30am Green Street West Doorknocking East Shopping Centre, Green Street E7 8LE Qasim ( Monday 13 6pm - 8pm Canning Town North Leafleting Breammar Road E16 4HQ Tuesday 14 5pm-7pm Stratford and New Town Station leafletting and doorknocking Stratford International Station E20 1YY Karl Lewis  6PM Plaistow South Doorknocking African Caribbean Centre E13 9EZ Neil Wilson  The full and latest schedule can be FOUND HERE. Updates will also be made on our website. Please get in contact with Karl Lewis if you have any questions or would like to set up an event in your area. Campaign sessions in East Ham. We have been informed of the following sessions in East Ham: Wednesday- 15th and 22nd May Time- 6pm Meeting Point- Near Upton Park Station Saturday- 11th and 19th May Time-12pm Meeting Point- East Ham Sainsbury