Greater London Authority UNISON AGM with Sadiq Khan Mayor of London

 

On Wednesday lunchtime I was invited to attend the UNISON GLA hybrid branch AGM in City Hall as a guest speaker. Before me the Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke to members about the importance of partnership working between employers and unions. He kindly name checked me for my support with some of his early housing policies. UNISON Director of Political Strategy, Maggi Ferncombe, spoke about the impact of the Employment Rights Bill while new GLA member James Small-Edwards gave a very personal speech about how important the Labour movement family is to his politics. 

I spoke to the meeting about the importance of voting in the forthcoming UNISON NEC elections which starts later this month on April 21st. I made it clear that while I am re-standing as a candidate for the NEC, it is as the representative of Housing Association and Charities UNISON members and no-one in the GLA can vote for me in this election. Instead I am just making a plea for members to vote, regardless of who they vote for, in these really important elections. 

The UNISON NEC is made up of  67 elected lay representatives and is our "Parliament" which runs the union in-between our annual conference.  It is hugely important and for many years the turnout in elections has been really poor (8% or so of our 1.3 million members). Everyone should agree that we need to improve these participation rates. 

I had to leave straight afterwards in order to go back to the TUC Conference on Pensions (which I will post about another time) but I was very impressed with the the GLA branch for the efficient and effective running of their AGM. 

"Sadiq Has Frozen Your Fares"

 

After work this evening together with activists across London, we leafleted local railway stations with these flyers pointing out that Sadaq had frozen fares for the 5th time! 

While the Tories have allowed fares to rise by 4.9% elsewhere. Together with free school meals and the largest number of council homes built in London since the 1970s, Sadiq policies are making a massive difference to ordinary Londoners struggling with the cost of living crisis. 

West Ham Ward Christmas Campaign: Sadiq Khan for London Labour Mayor in 2024

 

This morning I went to my Councillor advice surgery for local residents, then this afternoon I joined colleagues in the ward to deliver leaflets (Labour doorstep was down) for Sadiq Khan, to be re-elected as London Mayor in May 2024. 

We were joined by the Newham Labour Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz and we also delivered leaflets for West Ham ward residents, on how to contact us if they have a problem (and also our Local MP, Lyn Brown and GLA, Assembly member, Unmesh  Desai). We were joined by Cllr Shaban Mohammed, who missed the group photo. 

People appreciated having information on contacting their elected representatives and were as you can imagine for the time of year, quite relaxed and many were happy to chat with us. 

I had one women say that "we are sort of Labour but we don't like Starmer". I responded that I didn't agree with everything he has said or done (I have never agreed with everything any Labour Leader has done) but he is the only leader who can defeat the tories, and that trumps everything. She did not disagree.

We finished off at the beginning (or end) of Corporation Road and had photo outside a relatively new and unusual family business run by two twin brothers - its a mens barbers and a cycle repair shop. One brother is a barber and the other a mechanic. Why not? Will bring my bikes there for a service. Take your bike in and he will give you a price (and if you are male, you can have a hair cut by his brother at the same time). 

Across Newham we had 4 different campaign sessions today.  

East London & the Olympics 10 years on - where next? Unmesh Desai AM

 Yesterday evening there was a reception at London City Hall (Newham!) hosted by East London & City Assembly Member, Unmesh Desai. The theme was about the Olympics 2012 legacy. There was a number of interesting speakers and it was good to meet up face to face again with colleagues from across London. 

There was of course the obligatory photo of us all from Newham Labour :-) 

West Ham Ward Surgery Doorstep

This evening I went on a ward doorstep Councillor surgery with my colleague, Cllr John Whitworth. We were joined by our GLA  Assembly member Unmesh Desai. 

Pretty positive response for Labour. We had 49 contacts (using Labour doorstep app). 

Afterwards we went to the Black Lion pub for a "debrief" and by coincidence met up with Newham Council Cabinet members. Afterwards, some of us went for a mixed grill shared between 2 and some Gurkha beers at @aromasfoods. Yum. 

UNISON Special Labour Link National Forum 2021 Motion 8: Charity Contracts - Race to the Bottom

 

This is the motion and my speech from last Saturday's (3.7.21) UNISON Special Labour Link National Forum meeting.  I moved this Greater London motion 8 about the Volunteer sector and the race to the bottom with regard to staff terms and conditions - and what we can do about it as a Labour movement.

Many thanks to Jordon Creed from London Voluntary Organisations branch who sent this motion to London Labour Link, who supported it and sent it to our National Forum on behalf of all London Labour Link Members. 

I am fairly confident (touch wood) that this is a campaign we can win. Not only is this National Labour Link policy but at a meeting last week of London Regional Council officers and Regional Management team, everyone was very supportive and it feeds into our existing campaigning on UNISON Ethnical Care contract and the response to Covid. 

I also last week spoke virtually at Kilburn and Finchley branch Labour Party and my UNISON branch executive about the campaign and I am more than willing to speak to any other Labour movement meetings. 

Motion 8. Charity Contracts: Race to the Bottom

Forum believes that we need to ensure across London there is no race to the bottom in terms of pay, holiday, sickness when charities bid for contracts.

Forum calls upon the National Committee to call upon Labour councils and representatives, including the Mayor of London, to commit to not giving contracts to any providers that do not pay the living wage and use zero hour contracts and give their employees only statutory sick pay.

Forum believes local authorities and the Greater London Authority should have terms and conditions of employment which are clearly specified and protected in agreements when competitive tending takes place.

Forum believes this will also improve the quality of the service as contracts will be awarded on the basis of quality not just the lower cost and support collective bargaining in the community sector workplaces across London.

Greater London Region

Moving motion 8

Chair, Forum, John Gray, Greater London Regional delegate moving motion 8 “Charity Contracts: Race to the bottom”

Forum, this motion is London centric but I am sure the issue of a “race to the bottom” in the Charity and voluntary sector applies to all regions and nations.

I don’t need to tell anyone here about the simple, day in, day out, misery of all workers, who have to exist on a minimum wage, insecure employment and no employer sick pay.

And of course it’s not just about the workers and their families, who are our members, as vital as that is, it’s also about the residents and clients who receive these services. Who don’t want overworked and stressed carers, who have to work 60 hours a week to pay the bills.

The question is what as a Union and a Labour link do we do about it? What do we do about it? Passing motions for motions sake never achieved anything. So let’s think things through. 

Firstly, let’s not be forgetting that while charities get funding from various sources including the NHS, the commissioning of services by local government is key.

While we want services to be provided in-house whenever possible and I note that by doing so, it would in fact at a stroke mean that in most, not all Councils, the objectives of this motion would be obtained. So defending public services from future outsourcing and campaigning to bring back services in house is a given.

But in the meanwhile, we need to press all our levers, industrial and political, to campaign for all councils and Mayors to insist that all their commissioned services, pay at least the real living wage, ban imposed zero hour contracts and pay proper sick pay.

Now we cannot ignore that there are legal and funding difficulties, after 10 years of austerity local authority funding has been cut by up to 50%.

But let us work with councils to take on the rouge employers who threaten them with legal action if they impose such conditions. Many employers want to stop this race to the bottom, they want a level playing field, in order to provide better services. We need to work with these employers and target those who will not.

Forum, passing this motion should also be just a beginning, we want more for our members. As well as a real living wage we want a living pension provision, we want to sustain decent terms and conditions by also demanding trade union recognition and sectorial pay bargaining.

Forum, while we will not win every battle, this issue, is one that I think the Labour movement family can win. Let us act as a united Labour movement family, by campaigning as a union, work with progressive labour councils and employers and then by doing so - win real benefits for our members, not least, putting money in their pockets and purses of our members, which to me is why the labour movement was formed.

Forum, please support this motion, I move"

I was very happy that 99% of delegates supported this motion. 

May 6 aftermath: Sadiq, Unmesh & Farah win well; Newham Democracy Referendum narrowly loses; Wales keeps Red as does some regions (but crushing by election defeat)

Now I have had some time to recover from electioneering and reflect upon last Thursday 6 May - some thoughts:-

Congratulations on Sadiq being re-elected as London Mayor; Unmesh re-elected as our local City & East Assembly member and Farah winning the by election in East Ham Central with over 52% of vote. Newham turnout was 35% which is by any standards unacceptably poor. We did not get out the Labour vote in Newham that we should have had. 

The Newham democracy referendum on replacing the Executive Mayor with a Councillor run committee model was lost by 44% to 56%, which is a shame but the narrow majority shows the concern felt by many residents about such governance arrangements. I supported the "Newham for Change" campaign and hope it will continue to argue for greater democracy and transparency in government, both locally and nationally. Certainly we should support the opposition to the Tory led referendum in October to change Croydon Council into a Mayoral system.  

My UNISON colleague Lola came second in the Kent Police and Crime commissioner election, doubling the Labour vote from the previous election & having the highest single candidate vote Labour has ever had in Kent. 

I was so pleased that Wales kept "Red" and Labour had one of its best ever assembly votes despite the very high Welsh brexit vote. Unlike the dreadful by election outcome in Hartlepool. 

Welsh Labour shows that we can win back our traditional working class base with a left of centre pragmatic socialist programme (and working in partnership with trade unions). 

Labour did well in many areas but overall it was not good and we need to get much better, we need to unite around Keir and get our policies across better. 

I did suggest at a recent meeting of UNISON Greater London Regional Council officers, where we compared the strong support for Labour in our region and the principality, that perhaps London ought to consider leaving the UK and forming a political union with Wales? It was just a thought....

West Ham Leaflet & East Ham Canvass for Team Labour: Sadiq, Unmesh, Elly, Bob & Farah

Yesterday was a big day for me. I went (Covid safe)  leafleting and door knocking for the first time in over a year. I have really missed such contact with residents. 

After the Workers Memorial Day event during the day, in the evening I went with our MP, Lyn Brown to join Labour Party activists in West Ham ward to leaflet with  our City and East GLA Assembly Candidate Unmesh Desai. 

Then Lyn and I joined a canvass team to support the Labour Candidate, Farah Nazeer, who is standing in the East Ham Central by-election also taking place on May 6 . Farah is a fantastic candidate and if elected will make a brilliant councillor. 

Farah was joined by Labour Greater London Assembly candidates, Elly Baker and Bob Littlewood and we all went out as a canvassing team wearing masks, keeping social distancing and standing away from doors. 

Slightly to my surprise (and relief)  I did not witness any concern or complaints about us knocking on doors. 

Greater London UNISON Labour Link AGM 2020 - Re-elected!

 

I was really pleased this morning that both myself and Yvonne Green were re-elected unopposed as the respective Chair & Vice Chair of Greater London Labour Link committee for the next 2 years. The last two years have been very difficult for all of us in the Labour movement and it was good to have the trust and confidence of a newly elected committee for the next term. 

The meeting started on a sad note as we held a minutes silence for former long serving committee member, Ann Jefferson, who has recently passed away. A letter of condolence and offer to pay into a charitable cause has been sent to her son. 

UNISON Labour Link works directly within Labour to take UNISON's policies into the heart of the party. In London we affiliate to the Labour Party Region and all 32 Constituency Labour Parties. We have representation on the London Labour regional board and have a network of branch Labour Link officers and CLP delegates. We work closely with other affiliated trade unions.

The committee has a budget which supports a wide range of training and mobilisation events, campaigning and importantly, UNISON members who seek elected office.

It is comprised of directly elected London UNISON members (such as myself and Yvonne) and representatives of our regional self organised groups. All of us are UNISON and Labour Party activists.

At the AGM we had a fantastic and detailed Parliamentary report followed by a Q&A with former London Labour Link activist, now MP for Erith and Thamesmead, Abena Oppong-Asare, who has been recently promoted as Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury

London Assembly member and leader of the Labour Group, Len Duvall, also gave his report and submitted a 14 page update on the great work that has been done to protect our capital city during the pandemic. 

I gave a commitment on behalf of the committee that we are united to do everything possible to re-elect Sadiq Khan as our London Labour Mayor and Labour Assembly members in the election in May 2021.

Once the other business of the meeting had finished in my closing remarks as Chair, I also spoke about how in our workplan we ought to consider in light of Covid-19, how we can prioritise the promotion of the UNISON Ethical Care charter in London in recognition of the personal sacrifice by so many of our most important but vulnerable members.

(Picture of Yvonne and I in collage was obviously after the last AGM in 2018)

Newham bids to deliver pledge for 1000 homes at social rent

At tonight's Newham Council Cabinet meeting, it was agreed to support an ambitious bid to the GLA for grants to deliver up to 1000 homes to be built for our residents at social (council) rents.

This was a key part of the newly elected Newham Labour Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz's, manifesto commitment. 

We are also looking at building other homes at social rent outside GLA grant.

The Council will be consulting on changing our planning policy to have a minimum 50% of all future developments at social rent as well.

I must admit to being a bit of a sour puss at the meeting by reminding everyone that it was fantastic that we are aiming to build 1,000 homes at social rent but we do have 27,000 households in Newham on our waiting list (probably a vast underestimate of those in real housing need).

It will be great for those we are able to house but we have to manage expectations.

We will only be able to house all of our people in need when we have a Government in power that will commit to housing all people in safe, secure, social rent & low cost owner occupier homes.

This government will also (most importantly) have to give us the subsidy needed to deliver this.

Without some sort of subsidy you will not get any sort of affordable homes in high cost areas.

Someone has to make up the gap between the cost of building a home and a social rent. 

Custom House for Sadiq Khan as London Labour Mayor

Picture from a cold, wet, windy canvass session this morning in Custom House, West Ham. Lyn Brown MP (and her little Labour attack dog, Cara), Local Councillors and Party activists were out knocking on doors, talking to residents and asking them to support Sadiq as our next London Mayor in May.

Custom House is a Labour heartland but it was still humbling to see the instinctive support we get from so many life long committed supporters.The message we have to get out is that due to PR,  every single vote will count in the May elections.

Newham voters could end up deciding whether or not we have another rich multi-millionaire, old Etonian as London Mayor or a proper Londoner. 

West Ham Labour Party Nomination for Leader, Deputy & City & East Thursday 23rd July 2015

"You are invited to West Ham CLP’s all member meeting to nominate our candidates for Leader and Deputy Leader and our candidate to stand for City and East London constituency for the London Assembly in 2016.

When and where:
When: 7.30pm on Thursday 23 July
Where: Vicarage Lane Community Centre, Govier Close, E15 4HW

What will happen at the meeting?
Information about all the candidates for all three positions will be available at the meeting. You can find out more about the candidates for Leader and Deputy Leader by clicking here. If you want to ensure the meeting considers a particular candidate please come ready to propose that candidate.

Members will then have a chance to discuss the merits of each of the proposed candidate for that position. After the discussion all members at the meeting will be able to vote on who they would like our CLP to nominate/select. We will be using the single transferable vote (preference) system. There will be three votes (for Leader, Deputy Leader and London Assembly) at the meeting.

We'd really like to welcome new members - as well as debating and voting, there will be a chance to meet other members and supporters. We will have food available for a small donation. And we will, of course, be holding a raffle...

After the meeting
Every member (and supporter) of the Labour party (whether at the meeting or not) will then receive a postal vote for each of these three elections in mid-August with the results being announced mid-September

The small print...
To take part in the branch meeting and the all-members ballot in this selection you must have joined the Labour Party on or before 1 July 2015. Please bring your membership card with you to help us check your membership quickly. In addition, you must not be in arrears with your membership subscription. If you have any concerns about your membership email us now.

Any disputes on eligibility that cannot be resolved by the Constituency Party will be referred to the London Labour Party for decision.

Look forward to seeing you on 23 July. If you have any questions about the event please get in touch.

Best wishes

Julianne Marriot

Vice Chair
West Ham Labour party

twitter @westhamlabour
email westhamlabour@gmail.com
web westhamlabour.wordpress.com

(I picked this poster because I overheard a young couple discussing it on the underground recently)

Candidate for Newham Mayor Kamran Malik jailed for six months

"Mr Kamran MALIK, age 47, managing director of K.M. Legal Advisory, Romford Road, London, was sentenced today (5 June 2014) to six months' imprisonment by the Westminster Magistrates' Court on for illegally providing immigration advice and services.

Malik is the leader of the Communities United Party and stood for election in 2012 for a seat on the GLA and recently for election as an MEP.

The Immigration Services Commissioner, Suzanne McCarthy, prosecuted Malik after receiving various complaints about his activities.

In sentencing, District Judge Ikram said, "Your activity certainly had the hallmarks of exploitation. You exploited the vulnerable and demanded more money. These offences are so serious that I cannot deal with this by any other way than an immediate custodial sentence."

Speaking about the decision, Suzanne McCarthy said, "The OISC is here to ensure that people seeking immigration advice are treated fairly by people they can trust. We have clear standards outlining what we expect in terms of the fitness and competence of regulated advisers. Mr Malik chose to operate outside the law.  I am delighted with the outcome of this case, and I hope it sends a clear message to other people considering providing immigration advice - either act within the law or you will find yourself in court."

UNISON London Labour Link (APF) Elections 2012

This is our election statement. I will post the full slate later (which will include others who put forward a separate statement).

"We are seeking election to represent the views of APF payers in the London Region on the Regional Labour Link Committee and at the National Labour Link Forum.

The Tory-led Coalition Government continues to drive through its plans to privatise our schools and NHS, and cut essential public services and jobs which hit the poor and the vulnerable hardest.  We need to get all our members involved in the Labour Party at all levels, through affiliating to their local CLP and building links with local Councillors and MP’s to ensure that their views are heard and understood and that trade union issues are kept on the political agenda.  We need to use our influence in the Labour Party to campaign for a real alternative to the coalition’s damaging cuts.

As active UNISON and Labour Party members we support the link we have with the Labour Party, and strongly believe in supporting the Party, but also in campaigning for or against change where it impacts on our members.

The recent statements made by the Labour Party leadership about public sector pay restraint and cuts have been very unwelcome and unhelpful.  We believe the best way to respond is to be part of campaigns within the Party to reverse the leadership’s decision to back these damaging policies.

In less than 3 months Labour faces its biggest electoral challenge since the General Election – the London elections.  We are proud of the role our union has played in the campaign to date, but we must do more in the last few essential weeks to get every UNISON member in London voting Labour.  It’s time to get rid of Boris Johnson and Brian Coleman and return Ken Livingstone to City Hall and a Labour majority on the GLA".

Sleeping with the enemy: Ken's offer to Vince about bringing down the Coalition

Today there was a London Labour Party Manifesto meeting at Congress House.  I missed the morning session due to my Council surgery and a Fair Pensions Training on shareholder Activism (which I had to leave early). 

Ken gave a keynote speech to the meeting after lunch and was on form.   He compared the 77% of funding that Boris received during the last Mayor campaign from City Bankers and Hedge fund managers with the 80% he received from trade unions and trade union members. Unlike Boris he was proud of his funding.

Boris is planning to increase fares by 2% above inflation for the next 20 years. If he is elected Ken has pledged to cut tube fares by 7% and bus fares by 11%.

On Housing issues Ken spoke passionately about a London Living rent and a GLA rental agency. He also reaffirmed his commitment to work with London Council (and the LPFA which the Mayor runs) pension funds  to get them to fund investment in Housing. I will of course declare an interest in this subject. I also have never understood why British pension funds do not invest in residential rental properties?

Ken being Ken had to say something to bring a smile to our faces. His despair at this present Coalition government and his wish for it to fall led to him making a typically "Ken" offer to even sleep with Vince Cable if this meant the government would "fold".  An offer that Vince will no doubt....

"The devil is in the detail...and I am the detail"

So said the new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Jack Pickles, at yesterday evenings GLA/London Council’s bash at the 9th floor of City Hall for all newly elected London Councillors.

I suppose many of us present would in fact agree with Mr Pickles self assessment of himself! He actually gave quite an emollient and even a suspiciously constructive speech about the importance of having elected Councillors (who can be “chucked out” by their electors if they are no good) and came close to promising that the Greater London Authority and Local authorities will receive much greater powers and responsibilities from central government and deleted quango’s. Watch this space I suppose.

London Mayor, Boris Johnson was unable to attend since he had to go to a School play. Fair enough although this did not stop cynical souls amongst us reflect that it was more likely because when he planned this event he did not expect so many Labour Councillors to be elected in London.

We did not escape - since he had specially recorded a vintage bumbling Boris performance on a DVD for us to watch (and endure).

Hackney elected Labour Mayor and new leader of “London Councils” (which represents all 33 local authorities in London) Jules Pipe, gave an upbeat and positive speech about us all working together for the benefit of London and the great services that London Councils provide. He didn’t notice Eric licking his lips at the knowledge of more things that he can demand to be privatised.

I had to leave early in order to go and make a report to my ward meeting but as I left I did reflect upon Boris as London mayor and the first time I had been to the 9th floor City Hall - and I hope to return sometime after May 2012 to a reception run by a Labour Mayor of London.

(Eric is bottom left; Jules is next to him and top left is UNISON and GLA Labour Assembly member Joanne McCartney with Newham Councillors)

Boris fails to protect London and their Bobbies

Interesting bits and bobs about Boris as he surpasses himself by breaking two manifesto commitments in only one day - Well done Boris!

firstly by resigning today as chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, reportedly through lack of time - but no sign of him giving up his £250,000 second job on the Daily Telegraph....isn't it time he put Londoners first?

secondly by presenting a budget today, that specifically calls for 455 FEWER police for London - despite Boris Johnson promising that tackling crime and MORE police would be his top priority as Mayor. (page 6, 5.16: http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/budget/docs/1011bud-draftjan.pdf) .

Boris Johnson & the Metropolitian Police Authority

I will:
1. Provide strong leadership
• By taking responsibility and chairing the Metropolitan Police Authority

and using my influence to tear up red tape and needless form-filling, so
we can get more police out on the streets. and:

It is important for the Mayor to take a public lead, so I will chair the
< Metropolitan Police Authority. I will take personal responsibility. No offence
will be too trivial to demand my attention. No challenge will be so big that I
shrug my shoulders and pass the buck.

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/04/27/crime_manifesto_complete_final_final.pdf

In his manifesto Boris Johnson pledged to personally chair the Metropolitan Police Authority.

“The Mayor of London has the right to Chair the Metropolitan Police Authority – the body set up to scrutinise and support the work of the Metropolitan Police Service. Boris Johnson will exercise this right so that there is a direct link between the police and the Mayor, so the Mayor is more accountable for what happens in the police.

Chairing the MPA will enable the Mayor to get directly involved with the day-to-day scrutiny of the police and get more officers on the streets.”
Boris Johnson, Crime Manifesto, p 9

Following his first MPA meeting he described it as “vital” that the Mayor “takes responsibility” for work on crime and policing – his “most important priority”.

“I am proud to be chairing my first meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority today. Crime and safety is the biggest issue for Londoners and my most immediate priority as Mayor of London. It is vital that the Mayor takes responsibility for making our capital a safer place, so today is an important element of our work on policing and crime.”
Boris Johnson, Mayoral Press Release, 6 October 2010

“London Mayor Boris Johnson has said he is stepping down as the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA).  It is believed he made the decision because he was finding it difficult to devote enough time to the job. “
BBC News Website, 27 January 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8482549.stm

Despite the time pressures, Boris Johnson continues to write a weekly column for the Telegraph, for which he is paid £250,000.  Boris Johnson has described the £250,000 he earns each year for writing a newspaper column as “chicken feed”.

David Cameron, the Tory leader, has ordered his shadow cabinet to give up extra work in the run-up to the general election to show their “commitment”.

But Mr Johnson, who earns almost £140,000 as Mayor of London, insisted that it was “wholly reasonable” for him to write newspaper columns because he did them “very fast”. Asked about the newspaper earnings he replied: “It’s chicken feed.” Pressed on whether voters would agree with that description, the Mayor said that he was being “frivolous”.

He told the BBC’s HARDTalk programme: “I happen to write extremely fast. I don’t see why on a Sunday morning I shouldn’t knock off an article, if someone wants to pay me for that article then that’s their lookout and of course I make a substantial donation to charity.
The Times, 14 July 2009

Boris the "Bungling Builder" fails to provide homes for Londoners.

London Tory Mayor Boris “Bungle” Johnson was attacked yesterday for failing to build all the new homes he had promised while also trying to claim credit for new homes that had been started under Labour. He visited a new development in Labour run Council Greenwich and had the cheek to issue a press release claiming the credit for being responsible for this development and 20,000 new homes!

Labour's housing spokesperson on the London Assembly, Nicky Gavron first biff "You almost have to admire Boris’s chutzpah in taking credit for homes he has had nothing to do with. These were started long before he was in City Hall and if he had been in charge with the policies he has you can guarantee they wouldn’t have happened."

While Housing and Planning Minister John Healey goes bash “At a time when London’s need for new affordable homes has never been higher, the truth is the Mayor wants to cut back. He has powers that no other elected politician has, but he is not using his influence to the full. London needs an ambitious Mayor with ambitious plans for affordable housing if is to be a successful global city and a fair place to live.”

... and Leader of Greenwich Council Chris Roberts goes bosh “ We are delighted that Mayor Johnson should visit a housing development in Greenwich. Planning for the development began in 2006 when Greenwich Council agreed to sell the land to a housing association. Funding was then identified from central Government and Greenwich Council granted planning permission on 18 May 2008, within days of Mayor Johnson’s election.

“It is completely disingenuous for the Mayor to now claim this development is part of his own housing strategy for London which has in fact seen the axing of the 50% affordable housing target for new homes. He has also shown clear support for Conservative councils in west and central London to reduce or eliminate social housing from developments in their boroughs.”

Boris has been heavily criticised for breaking his key election pledge of building 50,000 new homes by 2011. Even the Evening Toryard here reported that 6,500 affordable homes have been started since Boris’s election and that at the current rate he would only deliver between 13,000 and 21,000 by May 2011 – between 30 and 37,000 short of what was promised.

Check out BBC report, Tory troll and the Rainbow fansite's remarkably accurate rundown about Boris... Often described as an annoying six-foot, cross dressing bear, Bungle was always so self righteous, it's amazing that Zippy didn't slap him. However, judging by the ever changing appearance of the bear, it could be assumed that successive ursine do-gooders were dragged in as replacements when things got a little too hot for their predecessors. The perpetual school sneak, Bungle was always first in the queue to blame someone else (normally the Zipmeister) when things went wrong. The Jar-Jar Binks of the Rainbow household, Bungle is probably most famous for wandering around naked by day, only to pull on a pair of blue and white striped jimjams when it was time to climb the wooden ladder to Bedfordshire.

Character Most Likely To: End up amongst the foundations of Heathrow-on-Sea (if Darius Guppy has anything to do with it)

City Hall Rally Against Beastly Boris

From UNISON press release "Protesters mock Boris Johnson from giant chicken run"

UNISON members at the Greater London Authority (GLA) will be inviting the public to chuck feed at a chicken man representing Boris Johnson during a protest over job cuts on Tuesday (21 July).

The GLA staff are clucking mad after the mayor described his £250,000 salary for his second job as a Daily Telegraph columnist as “chicken feed”. Currently 120 staff are being threatened with redundancy, despite warnings from workers that downsizing City Hall would mean downsizing life for Londoners.

More than 350 UNISON members at the GLA were balloted, as part of the fight against job cuts, and 75 per cent voted in favour of industrial action.

Tuesday’s protest will kick off a series of events leading up to a rally in October. Regional Officer, Shirley Mills, said:“Boris ‘two jobs’ Johnson described his £250,000 second job as “chicken feed”, while slashing jobs of low-paid workers. “Leo Boland, the GLA Chief Executive, is also earning over £205,000, £10,000 more than the Prime Minister.“It is disgusting that these two wallow in their huge wages while low paid staff face the axe.“We will be chucking feed at the penned up chicken man during the protest to show our disgust.”

GLA staff and others will take place in the UNISON protest at 12.20pm on Tuesday (21 July) at Potters Field, next to City Hall, The Queens Walk, SE1 2AA.

Boris – His first 365 days

Only 1095 days more to endure!

Check out this totally objective and of course unbiased first year assessment by Labour London Assembly member, Murad Qureshi (A good UNISON member).

Photo is of Baby Boris practicing being the Mayor - hat-tip thingy to bloggerheads