Re-electing Lyn Brown in Green Street & Forest Gate

College is from Sundays morning canvass in Green Street West and the afternoon session in Forest Gate North. Our Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown, was there to support us with Cara, her famous Yorkshire terrier Labour attack dog.

We first met outside the new East Shopping centre. There was enough activists for 3 separate canvass teams. It was good to see a number of young people participating. Elsewhere, West Ham Labour Party members were campaigning at Ilford North, Croydon and Westminster North.  .

We went to Ferndale Road and along St Georges Avenue E7.  What was interesting (to me) is that most of these terrace houses had a gargoyle (or Grotesque) just below the roof. It appears to be a medieval King's head with a beard and crown. No-one knew why they were there or who it was supposed to be but thought it was probably intended to be an image of St George.

There was very strong Labour support and goodwill towards Lyn. The issues I came across on the doorstep were largely local. Litter, fly tipping, anti-social behaviour, suggestion of knocking down underused garages to build homes.  The session finished with an "off the cuff" general discussion on the street with Lyn, local residents and ward councillors on how to improve the area.

Afterwards I had to go home and print off canvass sheets for the afternoon canvass in Forest Gate. Again, other West Ham activists were at the marginal seats.

This was another successful doorknock in a solid Labour area but this time more challenging questions and comments about national issues.  We had to send people back to look for Lyn who was often tied up in friendly but intense debates on Labour policies and priorities.

It was good to see new members turn up who have never been canvassing before. What you do is you pair new canvassers with more experienced ones until they feel comfortable to knock on doors by themselves. At this point in the campaign the aim is to identify the Labour vote and encourage them to vote in the election. On the canvass sheet residents, who are also Labour Party members are identified and it is simply astonishing how many members there are now.

Top team canvasser again was Stuart who "persuaded" (compliance unit please be aware) 10 households to take a "re-elect Lyn Brown" poster to put on their window.

After the canvass we went for a relaxing outdoor drink (and food)  in "The Avenue".

Hat tip to photos stolen from twitter and Facebook. 

"On the knocker" for Labour and the NHS in Canning Town (and elsewhere)

When Councillor Terry Paul (aka "Red Tel") promised on Facebook "sunshine" for this morning's Canning Town campaign session perhaps we should have looked out of the window first!

A very cold and at times snowy Labour doorstep this morning in Canning Town and Green Street West. It was what we call a "street surgery", calling at homes with a local Councillor asking residents if they have any problems or issues with Newham Council that they wish to discuss with us.

We had very positive results which could mean everything is perfect in Newham or that residents wanted to close the door to keep the heat in as soon as possible.

Last weekend and during the week West Ham Labour activists were in Stoke-on-Trent to campaign in the Parliamentary by election supporting Labour candidate (and UNISON trade unionist) Gareth Snell. 

West Hammers out Khanpaigning in Green St, Plaistow & Custom House

It has been a busy weekend for West Ham Labour. Yesterday I was out with a Labour canvass team for Sadiq Khan as mayor in Green Street. See Vice Chair Campaigns, Julianne Marriott, briefing the team beforehand on what to do. Highlight of the morning was calling at a Roman Catholic nunnery.

Then we met our MP Lyn Brown, at the East Shopping centre which was celebrating its first birthday. Some members also attended the anti racism rally in Trafalgar Square.

In the afternoon we were in Plaistow South ward with City & East GLA candidate Unmesh Desai.  As you can see from the photo outside the fire station, we had a number of (very) young socialists with us. I was with the team led by Stratford Cllr, Charlene McLean, who used her daughters pram to hold spare leaflets and sheets. Picked up some repair and school issues which were dealt with by local Cllr Neil Wilson. Picture of excited staffie, stalking cat and CLP secretary, Alan Griffiths.

In the evening there was a meeting of City and East Momentum followed by a social in Forest Gate. This morning there was another canvass team out in Custom House led by local Councillors Rokhsana Fiaz and Pat Holland. This evening there is Sunday Night Live at the Stratford Picture House on "Does Feminism Need a Upgrade" (5pm-6.30)

Click on picture to bring up detail.

“On the knocker” for Labour in Green Street West 2010

Picture of the Labour team (and young helpers!) at the end of our voter ID canvass in target ward Green Street West. Our West Ham Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown, led the charge.

In 2006 this ward was the only one in Newham taken by Respect. Since then two of the three former Respect Councillors have joined the Labour Party and are now active campaigners in the ward for Labour despite not being candidates themselves (the Newham Recorder has got this wrong).

I think this shows political commitment and great strength of character by them. Not least since the fanatical rump that remains of Newham Galloway/Respect have been up to their old tricks of violence and intimidation.

No surprise there.

Faithful Friends: Walk of Solidarity with Haiti

Yesterday afternoon we were canvassing in Green Street West with our Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown. When we came across this “Walk of Solidarity” by local inter-faith group “Faithful Friends” collecting money for the victims of the Haiti disaster. Picture is of Lyn speaking to members of the procession. Check out “Faithful Friends” website here.

It is good to see different local faith groups working together and actively promoting community cohesion.  Unlike some.

Galloway is a Norwegian Blue in Green Street West.

We had some 20-ish Labour party members out yesterday morning from all over Newham. This was despite the glorious warm sunshine and blue skies.

Green Street West use to be the “heartland” of diss-Respect in Newham. All their 3 councillors were elected to this ward. They have now pretty much disintegrated.

I didn’t find a single person who admitted to being a Respect supporter. It was quite, quite different from canvassing here during the very stormy Council elections in 2006. When we faced a largely non-Newham imported motley collection of ultra left revolutionaries and the far right Islamic extremists screaming abuse and threats at us.

Lyn Brown MP joined us as well. No-one at all mentioned MP expenses (Lyn said if anyone brought it up then bring her over and she would speak to them personally) but I suspect that some Labour voters will punish the Party by staying at home on Thursday. Hopefully not that many and I think they will return to Labour next year.

Fellow UNISON Labour Link activist Alan Griffiths and I got shut inside a modern gated development off Romford Road which had no internal entry door opening - so we had to climb over a 6ft brick wall to get out. Why waste money getting fit by joining a gym when if you are trade unionists you can join the Party for only £1 per month and go canvassing!

Afterwards we had a debrief and forward planning session at the “Black Lion”.

It was a good day locally despite difficult national circumstances.