Labour Housing Group AGM 2025

 This morning after my Council Advice surgery in my West Ham ward. I went to the Labour Housing Group AGM in central London (a Socialist Society affiliated to the Labour Party).  

There was a well received speech & Q&A by housing minister, Matthew Pennycook MP. Then various pitches for what motions the LHG should submit this year to the Labour Party conference. Mine was on the absolute need for more subsidy to deliver the 1.5 million homes we promised to deliver. This is the #elephantintheroom. 

While we can do a lot of good things by other changes in policy such as changes in planning etc. but without a massive increase in subsidy we cannot deliver anywhere near enough social or truly affordable homes. 

If you are a Labour Party supporter join the LHG here Membership – Labour Housing Group

On Monday 17 March there is a LHG Online conversation here on:-

The Grenfell Atrocity – Warnings ignored and vital lessons to learn: 17 March, 6.30pm – Labour Housing Group

TUC London, Eastern & South East Regional Council AGM 24

 

(Text largely from my twitter account @grayee) "At @The_TUC LESE AGM in Congress House, London (home of the British Trade union movement) which I am attending as a @unisonglr delegate.

After a minutes silence to remember comrades who have died in past year, the AGM starts with a Video message from @The_TUC General Secretary @nowak_paul & now verbal report from @TUC_LESE regional Secretary @GurneySam.

Bit of a shock that TUC Executive Council are considering whether they should remortgage Congress House & refurbish it to modern standards or sell it & move elsewhere.

Next @The_TUC President & GS @fbunational @MattWrack keynote speaker on ""meeting the challenges & organising to win". Matt speaks passionately about 7th anniversary of #Grenfell, the vote winning importance of @UKLabour #NewDealforWorkingPeople & 40th anniversary of #Minersstrike

@The_TUC Women's officer @louloupound gives update on workplan to build union capacity to tackle sexual harassment in workplace. Nikki does not dodge the fact that we need in our own #LabourMovement to get our House in order & address sexual harassment & discrimination.

Next update was by @TUC_LESE officer Adrian Ryan on the London union learning project Unionlearn

Now election results for @TUC_LESE executive council and elections for President, Vice Presidents, treasurer, SOC & auditors. New President @RMTunion Kathy Mazur thanks Jim Kelly & then moves RMT motion 1 "A better railway for London, SE and the East of England"

Motion passed unanimously. Now 2nd RMT motion "No more P&Os: A fair pay agreement for the ferry sector". Also passed unanimously.

Update by @TUC_LESE Laurie Heselden on "New Deal for Working People". Making it clear that this is a trade union policy as much as @UKLabour

Following some rather odd & negative comments from a couple of delegates Our @unisontheunion delegation leader @organiserjo makes the point in Q&A that the relationship of @TUC_LESE &
@UKLabour @labourunionsuk & the positive work that is done. While President @unitetheunion Jim Kelly gave a ringing endorsement of @SadiqKhan for his support 4 workers

Update by project lead Maria McCaul on London Unemployed Strategies

Final update by Daniel Shannon-Hughes on @TUC_LESE Bulletin. Only 3k out of 1.8 million trade unionists are current subscribers'. Scan to sign up! (top left of collage) or click here  https://tuc.org.uk/lese-news\

Final item Finance report. Meeting closed.

Lyn Brown MP on Cladding Scandal in West Ham (and elsewhere)

West Ham MP Lyn Brown "tells it as it is" on the completely inadequate government response to this scandal. 

My view is that it is not just dangerous cladding but the post Grenfell cladding investigations have also found widespread shoddy and unsafe building defects in so many new homes. 

The Government sets the regulations and building safety laws, if they fail then they should either make sure that the shoddy builders and/or their insurers pay or they government should compensate for their regulatory failure. 

Labour Party Manifesto 2019: Housing

"Everyone has the right to a decent, secure home. In 1945, Labour promised to ‘proceed with a housing programme with the maximum practical speed until every family in this island has a good standard of accommodation’. 

In 2019, we renew that pledge.But too many people are being denied their right to a good home by our housing system that treats homes as financial assets rather than places to live. 

There is no starker symbol of the failing housing system than the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire. A Labour government will bring system-wide change, so that a tragedy like Grenfell never happens again. 

We will introduce a £1 billion Fire Safety Fund to fit sprinklers and other fire safety measures in all high rise council and housing association tower blocks, enforce the replacement of dangerous Grenfell style cladding on all high-rise homes and buildings, while introducing mandatory building standards and guidance, inspected and enforced by fully trained Fire and Rescue Service fire safety officers. 

Grenfell Tower was the confirmation of a more far reaching crisis. Everyone knows of someone affected by the housing crisis: younger people unable to buy a first home, renters trapped in damp flats, families stuck on council waiting lists, leasehold home-owners hit by unfair fees, people who are homeless living and dying on our streets. The gap between the housing haves and have-nots is at the heart of the injustice in our country today. 

Since 2010, the Conservatives have slashed funding for new homes, refused to regulate for higher standards and given a free hand to commercial property developers. There are fewer new homes for social rent, a million more households stuck renting from a private landlord, 900,000 fewer young people owning a home and more than twice as many people sleeping on our streets. Only Labour has a plan to fix the housing crisis. 

We will act on every front to bring the cost of housing down and standards up, so that everyone has a decent, affordable place to call home. Labour will create a new Department for Housing, make Homes England a more accountable national housing agency and put councils in the driving seat. We will set out a strategy for a flourishing construction sector with a skilled workforce and full rights at work. 

Labour will set up a new English Sovereign Land Trust, with powers to buy land more cheaply for low-cost housing. We will use public land to build this housing, not sell it off to the highest bidder. 

Developers will face new ‘use it or lose it’ taxes on stalled housing developments. We will keep the Land Registry in public hands, and make ownership of land more transparent. We will make brownfield sites the priority for development and protect the green belt.

Labour will tackle the climate crisis and cut energy bills by introducing a tough, new zero-carbon homes standard for all new homes, and upgrading millions of existing homes to make them more energy efficient. 

We will review the planning guidance for developments in flood risk areas. Council and Social Homes The only way to deliver on everyone’s right to a good home is to build publicly funded social housing. 

Labour will deliver a new social house building programme of more than a million homes over a decade, with council housing at its heart. By the end of the Parliament we will be building at an annual rate of at least 150,000 council and social homes, with 100,000 of these built by councils for social rent in the biggest council house building programme in more than a generation. 

We will establish a new duty on councils to plan and build these homes in their area, and fund them to do so, with backing from national government. 

We will scrap the Conservatives’ bogus definition of ‘affordable’, set as high as 80% of market rents, and replace it with a definition linked to local incomes. These council and housing association homes will be more affordable than market housing and built to higher standards. 

We will end the conversion of office blocks to homes that sidestep planning permission through ‘permitted development’.

We will stop the haemorrhage of low cost homes by ending the right to buy, along with the forced conversion of social rented homes to so-called ‘affordable rent’. 

We will review the case for reducing the amount of housing debt councils currently hold. And we will give councils the powers and funding to buy back homes from private landlords. 

We will give tenants a stronger say in the management of their homes and stop social cleansing by making sure regeneration only goes ahead when it has the consent of residents, and that all residents are offered a new property on the same site and terms. 

We will fund a new Decent Homes programme to bring all council and housing association homes up to a good standard. Home Ownership Under the Tories, home ownership is getting further out of reach for more and more people. 

Numbers of new affordable homes to buy have fallen, and fewer younger people can afford their own home. 

We will build more low-cost homes reserved for first-time buyers in every area, including Labour’s new discount homes with prices linked to local incomes. 

We will reform Help to Buy to focus it on first-time buyers on ordinary incomes. 

We will introduce a levy on overseas companies buying housing, while giving local people ‘first dibs’ on new homes built in their area. 

We will bring empty homes back into use by giving councils new powers to tax properties empty for over a year. Labour will end the scandal of leasehold for the millions who have bought their home but don’t feel like they own it. 

We will end the sale of new leasehold properties, abolish unfair fees and conditions, and give leaseholders the right to buy their freehold at a price they can afford. We will introduce equivalent rights for freeholders on privately owned estates. 

Private Renters More than 11 million people rent from a private landlord and many of them are at the sharp end of the housing crisis. We will take urgent action to protect private renters through rent controls, open-ended tenancies, and new, binding minimum standards. Labour will stop runaway rents by capping them with inflation, and give cities powers to cap rents further. 

We will give renters the security they need to make their rented housing a home, with new open-ended tenancies to stop unfair, ‘no fault’ evictions. 

We will make sure every property is up to scratch with new minimum standards, enforced through nationwide licensing and tougher sanctions for landlords who flout the rules. 

We will fund new renters’ unions in every part of the country – to allow renters to organise and defend their rights.

We will get rid of the discriminatory rules that require landlords to check people’s immigration status or that allow them to exclude people on housing benefit. 

We will give councils new powers to regulate short-term lets through companies such as Airbnb. 

Homelessness No one should sleep without a roof over their head in one of the richest countries in the world. But under the Tories, the number of people sleeping rough has more than doubled. Over 125,000 children are now living in temporary accommodation, without a home to call their own – or the space they need to thrive. 

Labour will tackle the root causes of rising homelessness with more affordable homes and stronger rights for renters. Labour will end rough sleeping within five years, with a national plan driven by a prime minister-led task force. We will expand and upgrade hostels, turning them into places where people can turn their lives around. We will make available 8,000 additional homes for people with a history of rough sleeping. 

We will tackle the wider causes of homelessness, raising the Local Housing Allowance in line with the 30th percentile of local rents, and earmarking an additional £1 billion a year for councils’ homelessness services.

We will bring in a new national levy on second homes used as holiday homes to help deal with the homelessness crisis, so that those who have done well from the housing market pay a bit more to help those with no home. 

We will save lives this winter by ensuring extra shelters and support are in place in all areas. And we’ll repeal the Vagrancy Act and amend antisocial behaviour legislation to stop the law being used against people because they are homeless.

(Long post but what a brilliant housing manifesto. Restoring the political duty to decent homes for all is key. If this is implemented we will solve the housing crisis in Newham and elsewhere. I have put bold emphasis and underlined what I think are the most key commitments)

Newham goes green for Grenfell

Newham Council has gone green for Grenfell to commemorate those who lost their lives in the tragic fire two years ago.

Both the Old Town Stratford and Newham Town Hall in East Ham were lit up last night (Thursday 13 June) in recognition of the anniversary and to show support for those directly affected by the devastating event that occurred on 14 June 2017. The Mayor and councillors also wore green to demonstrate their solidarity with the community.

Today (14 June) marks two years since the Grenfell tragedy where 72 people lost their lives after a fire broke out in the 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington. In the days after the fire, the Grenfell community came together in a great show of unity and support and an enormous amount of support poured in from across the whole of the UK. As part of the Green for Grenfell campaign, the campaigning group Grenfell United is asking communities and schools to come together to promote unity, spirit and resilience by wearing green.

Councillor John Gray, Deputy Mayor for Newham and Cabinet Member for Housing Services said: “We must never forget the Grenfell fire tragedy and this is why we are going green for Grenfell. We want to show solidarity with the community changed forever in the early hours of the morning on June 14, 2016. These lives must not be lost in vain. This must never happen again and as a council, we must ensure we learn from the mistakes made. The safety of our residents must never be taken for granted and is our priority. We have learnt valuable lessons and we must carry on doing all we can to protect our residents.”

Since the Grenfell disaster in June 2017, Newham Council has carried out significant work on all its tower blocks to improve fire safety. Three council owned tower blocks – Ferrier Point in Canning Town and Nicholls Point and Tanner Point in Plaistow North – all used Aluminium Composite Material cladding, the same material on Grenfell Tower. This material has been removed and a non-combustible material (EWI) is currently being installed on the three blocks. This work is due to end at the end of July and is funded in part by a successful grant from the Ministry of Housing and Local Communities.

Additionally, a resident engagement team was set up in 2017 to work with council tenants and leaseholders to ensure all the necessary safety measures were in place, both in communal areas an all individual flats and implementing anything further which might be required. The team has led on a robust programme of work in partnership with London Fire Brigade, visiting all blocks across the borough to carry out fire safety checks. This includes:

85 high rise blocks
1,169 low rise blocks
Thousands of enhanced fire safety visits to individual residents
An extensive programme of tenancy audits
New fire safety signage fitted across the council’s housing stock.

All Fire Risk Assessments to tall blocks are up to date and will continue to publish them on www.newham.gov.uk

The council also received a grant of £20,000 from London Fire Brigade to fund a range of fire safety equipment.

For further information visit www.grenfellunited.org.uk or follow the hashtag #Green4GrenfellDay​

(hat tip Newham Council website)

"Social housing report calls for massive overhaul of tenants’ rights Renters need better deal to prevent another Grenfell disaster, says the Social Housing Commission"

Completely agree.  Tenants have no collective voice, little power and very mixed protection. While the public sector is not at all perfect the private sector needs complete fundamental reform. 

"Sweeping new powers must be given to social tenants as part of an overhaul needed to ensure a Grenfell-style disaster never happens again, a powerful cross-party commission will warn this week.

It found that social tenants are being failed by a system that leaves them waiting an average of eight months before their complaints are investigated, even when their safety could be at risk.

The calls for a once-in-a-generation rethink of tenants’ rights come from the Social Housing Commission, a year-long investigation brought together by the charity Shelter following the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died. Its commissioners include the former Labour leader Ed Miliband, the Conservative former cabinet minister Sayeeda Warsi and the campaigner Doreen Lawrence, whose son Stephen was murdered in a racist attack in 1993. Lawrence said few people in positions of power “understand what this experience [being a social tenant] is like”.

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“I doubt they’ve ever had to live in poor housing or know what it is like to feel invisible, like no one cares,” she said. “The case for investing in social housing is overwhelming. We cannot solve the housing crisis without it, but the system must be made more responsive to tenants at the same time.”

The commission is demanding a regulator with similar muscle to the body set up in the aftermath of the financial crisis to fix a system that has left social tenants feeling ignored or branded as troublemakers for raising serious concerns. The panel is also calling for a “significant expansion” of new social housing as well as comprehensive changes to the way the sector is run. The commission has spent a year researching the housing emergency, with 31,000 people responding to its consultation exercise.

One of the main findings is how the current regulatory system is failing social renters. In 2017-18 the average time taken for a decision by the housing ombudsman was eight months. Deep frustrations were expressed to the commission by both private renters and those in social-rented accommodation. The commission’s full report is published on Tuesday".

Hat tip Guardian

NEC Celebrating 25 years in UNISON: NDC 2018

Picture of the UNISON National Executive Council at this year's National Delegate Conference.  All of us (including the General Secretary) are elected via secret ballot by rank and file UNISON members from all parts of the union.

We are wearing green to honour Grenfell victims. 

#UNDC18 “Housing Affordability is a growing concern for public services”

My speech to UNISON National Delegate Conference on behalf of National Executive

“Conference, President, it is unacceptable that public service workers continue to be priced of the housing market.

They keep local authority, education, community, our utilities, police and health services running efficiently.

They are the heart of our public services and we depend on them to manage our lives.

Yet, their housing needs are frequently overlooked by central government policy.

Real term cuts to public service pay and the government’s failure to tackle the housing crisis has led to an under-supply of truly affordable housing and spiralling housing costs, making housing unaffordable to public service workers on low to middle incomes.

Conference, the Grenfell tragedy rightly changed the debate on housing.

It highlighted that the government needs to listen and act on the concerns of tenants and residents about the safety of their homes.

It brought into sharp focus the state of the nation’s housing crisis and the need for the government to invest more in maintaining our national housing stock as well as building quality social rented homes to meet rising housing demand.

But while the housing narrative has shifted, government policy has not.

It remains wedded to stimulating private sector house development, which only benefits the privileged few. That is those on higher incomes and the wealthy.

While the low paid, vulnerable, young, single adult men and women, elderly and homeless are left to chase fewer low quality homes at the bottom end of the market.

Conference, it is a scandal that government policies continue to attack, dismantle and stigmatise social housing.

Funding for social rented homes has been drastically cut since 2012 in England.

While in each of the devolved nations – housing investment has increased.

In 2016/17 just 1,102 , 1, 102 homes were delivered for social rent with government grant in England, leading to the lowest number of new social rented homes since records began.

While at the same time more than 150,000 homes for social rent have been lost since 2012.

These losses have happened because the government have tried to stop housing associations and councils from building homes at social rents.

It has happened because the government promotes the controversial policy of converting existing social homes to rents at 80% of market rates, which isn’t affordable at all.

It has happened due to increased sales of homes through the Right to Buy policy.

No wonder that social housing is now the smallest sector, making up just 17% of households after private renters (20%) and owner-occupiers (63%).

Conference, do not be complacent about this if you happen to live in a relatively low rent area. Due to the crazy zombie market economy we live in things can change very rapidly. I have lived in East London for the past 30 years in a borough that traditionally had the lowest property prices and rents. In the last 6 years rents have risen by a staggering 47%. While house prices have gone up by 344% since 2000. Ask yourself Conference. Where will your children and Grandchildren live in the future?

Our members work tirelessly to keep our public services running and efficient.

They deserve the right to access a decent, affordable home near their place of work.

Conference, the motion outlines key demands to end the dismantling of social housing, and for a fairer housing and welfare deal, which will ensure a safe, secure, decent and affordable housing for all – and not just the privileged few.

Please support the motion.

Newham Full Council Meeting 18 June 2018 - 3 minute update on Housing Services

Picture from the new style Newham Full Council meeting at East Ham Town Hall yesterday evening. The most people I have ever seen at a normal Council meeting I think?

As the Cabinet member of Housing Services I gave a 3 minute report on what I had been doing (see below) and answered 4 written questions from the public. 

"Chair, Like my cabinet colleagues, I have had a busy few weeks going walkabout around Newham estates, blocks, housing schemes and projects; talking to residents, service users, management, officers from the GLA, other councils, the local voluntary sector and front line housing staff about the good and the bad in Newham Housing.

Nearly everyone recognises we have a housing crisis and it is not only a crisis in London but a national crisis up and down the land. 

Yet, in Newham, We have our own challenges and opportunities, including having the longest Council waiting list in London with 26000 households chasing around 570 vacent properties every year. For every single social rent home that comes available, there are 44 households who want a move. 

We also have the highest number of homeless in London and we have thousands of residents in social housing, in the private rented sector and in owner owner occupation, who suffer from overcrowding and poor quality homes.

I have had children taking exams contact me because they have no where to go at home to study and revise. We have grown up children in their 30s and 40s, still living with their parents, not through choice, but because they cannot afford to move out and find their own homes. 

We will continue to campaign and press the Government to work with us to eliminate slum landlords, overcrowding and homelessness, while looking to transform how we deliver housing services in Newham. Residents will be at the heart of this.

In the Autumn, we will start a review from top to bottom of the borough allocations policy and then look at a rebirth of Tenant and Residents representation and participation in our borough 

Following on from the first anniversary of Grenfell disaster, today, I agreed in consultation with the Mayor, to spend £10 million on essential fire safety contracts and to spend a further £10 million on fire safety by end of the financial year. Details to be published. 

We expect the Government to live up to its promises to fully fund these essential fire safety works. Even though the money that they have promised councils so far appears to be inadequate. If we don’t get our money we may have another fight on our hands. 

Thank you Chair. 

Green For Grenfell

"Lighting up the Old Stratford Town Hall & East Ham Town Hall at @NewhamLondon to mark our respects to the victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy one year on. And our enduring condolences to their loved ones. #greenforgrenfell" Hat Tip Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz

"50th anniversary of Ronan Point" & "Are tenants being listened to on safety?" (NO)

"Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz yesterday (Wednesday 16 May ) laid flowers and attended a special memorial event to mark the day, 50 years ago, that four people died in the Ronan Point tower block disaster.

Ronan Point in Custom House was a 22 storey block near Butchers Road. The building partially collapsed following a gas explosion on the 18th floor in the early hours of May 16, 1968.

Four people died as a result of the blast, Thomas Murrell and his wife Pauline, Thomas McCluskey and Edith Bridgestock. Thirteen other people were injured and 80 families were made homeless.

Mayor Fiaz was invited to the event by campaigners Patricia Jolly and Paul Wade who want to see a permanent memorial those who lost their lives. She was joined by Cllr Pat Holland, who represents the Custom House ward, and Newham Council Chief Executive Kim Bromley-Derry.

Patricia, who lost a relative in the collapse, told a group of around 50 who gathered at St Mark’s Church Community Centre: “People need these memorials that come in the form of statues and plaques. The collapse of Ronan Point was an unexpected and awful tragedy, but it is a part of the history of Custom House and Newham, and should not be forgotten.”

The Mayor thanked the campaigners for their hard work and pledged the council would be working with relatives, friends, and all those who remembered Ronan Point, to create a respectful permanent memorial.

As guests remembered the Ronan Point victims, thoughts were never far from 71 victims of last year’s Grenfell fire tragedy.

Mayor Fiaz said: “None of us will ever forget the feeling of horror and helplessness as we watched the events unfold on that dreadful night, and for those of you that lived in Custom House 50 years ago, it will have brought back the painful recollection of the tragedy at Ronan Point.

“Once again the country has been shocked into action and there is rightly, once again, a renewed focus on the safety of tower blocks, and all social housing. We in Newham have not, and will not forget the tragic lessons of Ronan Point and Grenfell and will make sure building safety lessons are not forgotten.” Hat tip Newham Council Website

and Inside Housing Magazine 

On the 50th anniversary of the collapse of Ronan Point, tower block safety campaigner Frances Clarke questions whether Dame Judith Hackitt is really listening to tenants..

"A great deal is at stake.

The Grenfell Tower tenants said loudly that their block was a fire risk. No-one in power was willing to listen and 71 people died.

We had a completely different experience during the Ronan Point campaign. Ronan Point, which partially collapsed 50 years ago this week, was rebuilt and re-inhabited.

In 1982 the first tower blocks’ campaign national conference brought together a range of tenants, experts, community workers and activists.

During the conference, tenants of Ronan Point spoke to architect Sam Webb and told him of their concerns: they could smell food being cooked many floors below, they could clearly hear the conversations and TV programmes of neighbours far away.

Mr Webb responded by carrying out a survey of the flats during which he dropped a coin between the floor and wall and it disappeared, demonstrating that the flats were not sealed units, and fire and fumes could spread. Regulations were breached.

Pressure from tenants was enormous.

Newham Council voted to empty the block and they offered it to the Building Research Establishment (BRE) so that they could test it thoroughly.

The testing process was very transparent. A flat was set on fire to test one hour compartmentation – after 11 minutes engineers were seen to be scurrying out of the flat above as fumes and flames travelled upwards.

The fire had to be extinguished, the test had failed, the flat couldn’t contain a fire for one hour.

Structural investigations took place which revealed that the H2 joints could not be relied upon to hold the block up, they could not withstand a pressure of 2.5 psi. Instead of being packed with concrete, they contained newspaper and tin cans.

The Tower Blocks Campaign and Newham Council worked together to ensure that tenants were informed and involved throughout.

There were frequent meetings, with free transport and council-run creches. ‘Experts’ were required to talk in plain English and the council funded independent technical advice for tenants.

This experience showed us that effective partnerships can exist between engineers, architects, politicians, tenants, community workers and the media.

Are tenants being listened to now, in the aftermath of Grenfell? Sadly, the example of the remaining large panel system blocks, blocks like Ronan Point, is not positive.

Residents of the Ledbury Estate had raised concerns about gaps in their flats for years, their concerns heightened after the Grenfell fire. Resident Danielle Gregory’s questioning of the Council and of Arups, their consultants, about the existing ‘stay put’ policy was not welcomed.

Nonetheless she was proven right, resulting investigations showed that the flats could not contain a fire for one hour.

Tenants went on to force the examination of structural joints and again the joints could not withstand a pressure of 2.5psi – they should not have had gas or people in the flats.

Would this information have come to light without serious tenant pressure? It is the efforts of these tenants that brought large panel system construction to the attention of Dame Judith.

In these examples, a change in building regulation would not have solved the problem as these blocks were in breach of current regulations.

So the role tenants played was to alert authorities to a dangerous situation. Why do tenants, such as these, have to work so hard to be listened to?

Why can’t landlords work in partnerships with tenants, as with the Ronan Campaign? Will Dame Judith’s Review properly address tenants’ voice?

Will she ensure that a legally enforceable pathway is created for tenants to report their safety issues when their landlords do not respond appropriately to their concerns?

Are you listening Dame Judith, have you heard?"

Frances Clarke, tower block campaigner and co-founder of Tower Blocks UK (JG adds and former Newham Councillor and Cabinet member)

Hat tip Inside Housing

Ian Henderson on the Grenville Fire & Why Labour Needs to Win in Kensington & Chelsea in May

I was late for the West Ham Labour Party General Committee meeting but I really appreciated our guest speaker, Ian Henderson, who spoke on the Grenfell Fire and its aftermath.

Ian is a Labour Councillor Candidate in Kensington & Chelsea (K&C) local elections in May but is also a long serving TRA rep who is, let me say, not very complimentary about Housing Associations.

He is genuinely appalled about what happened at Grenfell and knows personally the blogger whose warnings about safety at that block were ignored and how that bloggers was so lucky to escape with this life that night thanks to dedicated public service firefighters who risked their lives to save him.

K&C Labour Group believe they can win control of the Council in May and are planning a radical housing policy to build homes at a social rent.

As the CLP Vice Chair Campaigns I promised Ian that West Ham Labour will be out to help him and his colleagues win in May as well.

Open Letter: Cancel KPMG Appointment as Advisors to Grenfell Tower Inquiry (Update: We Won!)

In a victory for common sense never mind simple decency, KPMG, the controversial auditing & management services provider have withdrawn as advisors to the Grenfell enquiry following an open letter to the FT and The Guardian on Sunday 7 January criticising their involvement.

How on earth could KPMG, a company that audits Kensington & Chelsea Council AND the producer of the Grenville flammable cladding AND the principle Grenfell refurbishment contractor be an advisor to the "independent" judicial enquiry?

This sort of thing makes the UK an international laughing stock and seem completely hypocritical. Our Government and tabloid press are the first to make claims of corrupt governance overseas but fails to see how rotten we can be nearer to home.

Well done to Research Action for organising this letter. I signed the letter alongside Newham Councillors Rokhsana Fiaz OBE and Cllr John Whitworth.

https://researchforaction.uk/open-letter-cancel-kpmg-appointment-as-advisors-to-grenfell-tower-inquiry

West Ham Ward Councillor Report 7 December 2017

Councillor Report to Ward 7 December 2017

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 0203 373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

This is my bi-monthly written report. In October both I and my fellow ward member, John Whitworth, attended and passed a Labour Party candidate selection interview for the 2018 local elections. There will be local ward selections sometime in the New Year.

Our fellow ward Councillor, Freda Bourne, has decided not to re-stand but retire. Many thanks to Freda for her many years of service to the residents of West Ham.

Council IssuesResignation from Newham Fire Safety Scrutiny in Tower Blocks Commission
31 October I was forced to resign from being a member of this Commission because the evidence meetings are being held in secret. I did try to get this decision changed informally but was not successful. This secrecy is in my view completely unacceptable after the Grenfell Fire. We need complete openness and transparency to make sure such things never happen again.

Meeting with Director of Finance
22 November I met the Director and other senior managers with other Councillors to discuss our concerns about the Newham Council London Stadium loan impairment and pending huge investments into private sector renting (Red door ventures) and Commercial properties.

Newham Council Meeting
4 December. Following the announcement that £52 million in loans and working capital invested by Newham Council in the London Stadium has been lost, I raised emergency questions to the Mayor about the need for an independent judicial led enquiry into what went so wrong and that we should pause before committing proposed new massive investments in other property until we found out what had gone wrong. The Mayor disagreed.

Surgeries and case work
I have attended 2 surgeries per month in Vicarage Lane Community Centre and Brassett Point Residents Association room. There has been a number of cases regarding ASB; drug dealing; parking; housing disrepair, service charge disputes, Right to buy, domestic violence and neighbour disputes.

Ward issues
20th Anniversary of death of Police Constable Nina Mackay.
On 24 October both I and Cllr Whitworth attended this well organised and dignified remembrance service of PC Mackay who was killed on duty in Arthingworth Street E15.

AGM One Housing Group Tenants & Residents Association.
On 30 October I was pleased to attend its inaugural AGM and really hope that we are starting to see a rebirth of the TRA movement.

West Ham campaigning & petition on lack of social homes in Ford Showrooms development
28 October we went door knocking in the ward with Lyn Brown MP with petitions calling on the developers to commit to more social homes.

9 November we went and delivered letters to new party members in the ward inviting them to a special meeting.

Durul Jannah Community Centre, E15 – First Anniversary
5 November I was a guest with Cllr Whitworth & Lyn Brown MP at the 1st anniversary celebration. Lyn gave prizes to the children who used the centre and reminded all of them that they like her could one day become MPs when they grow up.

Estate Inspection Ladywell Street
8 November I did another inspection with a Family Mosaic senior manager and local residents. While there has been some improvements in this estate the performance by some contractors is very poor and they need to be monitored much better and made to improve.

Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School
23 November I attended its School Governor meeting. Things appear to going well at the school and I have been pleased to have met parents recently who are very complimentary about it.

Xmas Hampers for Elders
The free hampers for elders is running late this year but if you can help collect and delivery these hampers to local residents please contact Cllr Whitworth or I.

Misc.
Pension Conference
10 October I was on a panel speaking to a Local Government Pension investment conference about ESG issues (Environment, Social and Governance).

Community Land trusts
12 October I helped organise a Newham Co-operative Party meeting on Community Land trusts which I think is something that we consider supporting in Newham. 

Local Authority Pension Fund Forum

17 October I attended the business meeting and in the feedback session about the pooling of Local Authority pension funds I stressed the need to have beneficiary representation on these new funds.  

Political/Community (outside ward)
18 October I went door knocking with local Councillors and members in Forest Gate North. We visited an estate to talk with local residents where a young child had been murdered recently in what was believed to be a gang related crime.

23 October there was a successful fund raising dinner for the 2018 elections sponsored in part by London UNISON Labour Link.

4 November “Solidarity Saturday” I was campaigning in the Thurrock Tory marginal with Lyn Brown MP.

London Labour Conference25 & 26 November I was a UNISON delegate to this conference and moved a successful motion on the private rental sector in London.

Black History event
4 November. After canvassing in Thurrock I attended a very well organised and informative event on Black History in Canning town Library. I very much hope next year that the Council participates in similar events.

Ramgarhia Sikh Gurdwara Temple
4 November. Next I went to the temple to help mark the 548th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Workers Memorial Day 2018
Date for future is Saturday 28 April 2018 when West Ham Labour Party and local trade unions will be remembering all those killed at work or who have died of work related ill health at the Three Mills Green Memorial.

If any member wishes to contact me about this report to discuss any aspect please do not hesitate to do so.

Regards
John Gray
West Ham Ward Councillor
JohndotGray2012aticlouddotcom

We're urging Theresa May to make homes safe from fire.

A great video and I would encourage everyone to sign the letter to the prime minister to make social housing homes safe but dare I say pretty much all Housing blocks should have this protection as well as all of our schools?

Dear John Thousands of families are living in high-rise properties in the UK, yet only an estimated 2 per cent of blocks have sprinkler systems. The evidence is clear, fitting homes with fire safety systems, like sprinklers, saves people's lives in the event of a fire. So today I am calling on the government to use the Autumn Budget to make homes safe. Will you join me? Theresa May — we urge you to fit all high-rise social housing with life-saving sprinkler systems: Sign our letter Independent research has shown that sprinklers are hugely effective — extinguishing or containing fires in 99 per cent of cases. Sign our letter now to help us make sure that residents of high rise social housing can sleep safe in the knowledge that avoidable disasters will not happen to them. Together we can make homes safe. Jeremy Corbyn Leader of the Labour Party

"Newham councillor resigns from fire safety committee after public and press are barred from meetings"

Hat tip Newham Recorder. So banning tenants, residents and media from these post Grenfell fire safety meetings means they are not being held in "secret"? I have just googled "secret meeting" and found this definition

"If you do something in secret, you do it without anyone else knowing.
...Synonyms: secretly, surreptitiously, slyly, behind closed doors"

"A councillor has quit a scrutiny panel examining fire safety in tower blocks because its meetings were being held in secret.

Cllr John Gray says it is “completely unacceptable” that the Newham Council-run Fire Safety in Tower Blocks Scrutiny Commission intends to bar members of the public and press from sessions following the Grenfell fire disaster.

He resigned from his post at the second meeting on Tuesday after his objections were ignored, calling the decision by Overview and Scrutiny Committee chair Anthony McAlmont “a huge error of judgement” .

Cllr Gray said: “Residents are going to think we have something to hide. I don’t think we are but this is what people are going to think.

“We need transparency and openness when dealing with really huge matters.”

The scrutiny inquiry was set up to investigate fire safety in three Newham tower blocks following the deadly Grenfell Tower blaze in June, which has so far officially claimed the lives of 67 people.

In the same month, the local authority announced cladding was to be removed from Ferrier Point, Nicholls Point and Tanner Point buildings after it failed expert safety tests.

At the time, a spokesperson said: “There is no immediate risk to the safety of any of them [the blocks] that would lead to residents having to leave their homes.”

A decision to set up the commission, attended by fire and police officials, followed with the first meeting taking place on October 17.

Members will “consider the council’s programme for de-cladding and recladding” plus its “future needs for ensuring fire safety in residential tall blocks in Newham” among their objectives.

Cllr Gray, who was rebuked for sending tweets about the initial meeting, said the seven councillors on the panel (formerly including him) did not have the “inside knowledge” of residents.

He said: “They are the ones who should be asking the questions. It shouldn’t just be a handful of anonymous councillors.”

Cllr McAlmont said he was disappointed at Cllr Gray’s resignation but denied the meetings were secret

He said: “It is a Task and Finish group which meets informally to enable information to be gathered and to enable those presenting evidence to be more open in what they say to the commission.

“It also enables specific items of work to be completed quickly. A report will be produced once the commission is complete and this will be brought to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting in January which is held in public and will be attended by Councillor Terry Paul [lead member for housing].”

Resigning from Newham Council Fire Safety Scrutiny in Residential High Rise Tower Blocks

I have just resigned tonight from being a member of Newham Council "Fire Safety Scrutiny in Residential High Rise Tower Blocks" because the evidence meetings are being held in secret. I did try to get this decision changed informally but was not successful.

This secrecy is in my view completely unacceptable after #Grenfell Fire. We need complete openness and transparency to make sure such things never happen again.

As an IOSH practitioner and experienced manager of Tower Blocks I will investigate fire safety on behalf of my constituents and all Newham Residents by making site visits & member enquiries and will publish my inspections, questions and any answers - publicly.

(photo of London Borough of Newham skyline including 2 Tower Blocks in my ward West Ham)

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward 5 October 2017

Councillor Report to Ward 5 October 2017

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 0203 373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

This is my first written report since the General Election campaign. On the day it was announced I was on holiday walking in North Wales when I received a call on my mobile from the West Ham CLP Chair and she said to my astonishment “Hello…is that Agent Gray?”

So I was the Parliamentary Agent for our candidate, Lyn Brown (for the 3^rd time in a row). It was a short but exhausting campaign but I was really pleased that she was re-elected with a massive increase in her majority and Labour did so well (never forgetting that we did not win. But we will next time). Many, many thanks for all the hard work and commitment by West Ham ward members in this election all over London (and outside).

Council Issues

Fossil Free Newham Launch 25 April

I was invited to attend the launch by activists who want the Newham Council Pension Committee (I am a member) to divest from investments in carbon companies. I made a contribution in my personal capacity that I broadly support the aims of the campaign but reminded the meeting that the pension fund did not belong to the Council but to its staff and pensioners.

Newham Council AGM 18 May

This is the formal meeting that takes place at the historic Old Stratford Town Hall.

Newham Authority Governor & Free School Meals

I am a School Governor for Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School and Ranelagh Primary School. In my last report I expressed concerns and made representations about the 60% proposed recharge to schools of the cost of providing meals to primary school children. I am pleased that the Council will now be providing 100% of the cost.

Newham Full Council meeting 10 July 2017

There was a dispute about the minutes from the AGM. I was late at that meeting and missed the part under dispute. Despite a majority of members voting to accept the minutes it would appear that there was some sort of mistake since business that the AGM minutes stated had been passed at that meeting were voted on again at the 10 July meeting.

I got assurances that the Newham Housing Residents Scrutiny Commission will meet again and that there will be consideration on how all residents who live in Housing Association or privately owned blocks can scrutinise their own fire safety.

There was unacceptable personal attacks made by Executive Members at that meeting against a senior Councillor and a Newham resident which I understand are being investigated.

Newham Cabinet meeting 7 September 2017

The Mayor made a statement at the beginning of the meeting that there had been misreporting on social media about the £40 million “impairment” on our loans to the West Ham FC/Olympic stadium but he cannot comment any further on the matter since there is ongoing negotiations, which are commercially sensitive but once they are over there will be full disclosure. 

I asked for reassurance that the new cladding that will be put on our Newham tower blocks will be safe and that there will be no unintended consequences or risks. I also asked (again) for copies of pre Grenfell fire risk assessments for tower blocks in my ward. I received such assurances from the Executive Advisor on Housing, Cllr Terry Paul and the Mayor confirmed that I will be sent these risk assessments. I did not however receive these assessments until I chased.

Newham Full Council Meeting 18 September 2017

At this meeting I was very disappointed that my written questions submitted via the Chief Executive on the “impairment” and “write off” of the £40 million loans to the West Ham/Olympic stadium were not heard. However, I was able to ask a similar question during the debate on the financial report and was told by the Executive Advisor that the loan was not written off but “impaired” and that it had no impact on the current Newham budget. Any costs regarding Grenfell will also be fully met.

Newham Audit Committee/Investment & Accounts Committee 27 September 2017

This was a very difficult joint meeting of (firstly) the Newham Audit Committee to consider whether or not to recommend to the Investment & Accounts Committee (I&A) to approve the Newham Council accounts 2016/2017.

Once they received this recommendation (or not) then I&A will consider whether or not to agree to approve the accounts.

Some of Audit committee members were concerned that they were being asked to recommend approval of the accounts despite receiving legal advice form the Council chief legal officer that they had no obligation to do so since the auditors had not finally agreed the accounts.  Bearing in mind we were facing an unexplained £44 million “impairment” (explained as not a “write off” at the moment but a “write down”) as well as an unknown figure that had been given as some form of “working capital” to the stadium. They asked for a delay to clarify things. It was confirmed by the auditors that there would be no extra costs if there was such a delay.

In a split vote the Chair of Audit (the Executive Advisor on Finance) used his casting vote to recommend the accounts and did not allow the independent member to vote. Which is of concern since she has acted as the Vice Chair and voted in previous decisions?

I decided to vote against approving the accounts as a member of I&A (not Audit) because no one could explain what had happened to the £44 million of public money that had been impaired (written down?) but mainly because I had asked the Section 151 officer how much working capital had been invested, have we lost it and when and who had authorised this public money to be used in this way – and she said she did not know but was trying to find out. I said that it would appear to be as much as another £8 million but she said that she did not know but didn’t think it was that much.

I thought that since we did not have to approve the accounts at this moment I could not approve them under these circumstances and voted against. The Accounts were approved by a majority vote.

Surgeries and case work

I have attended 2 surgeries per month in Vicarage Lane Community Centre and Brassett Point Residents Association room. There has been a number of cases regarding ASB; drug dealing; parking; housing disrepair, service charge disputes and neighbour disputes.

I have made a number of home visits and estate inspections.

Ward issues

Rent rises for Key workers One Housing Group

In my last report I mentioned support for these tenants with Cllr Whitworth and I am pleased that the (up to 40% rent rises) have been suspended. I did meet up with One Housing Group management. However, this is primarily down to the hard work and solidarity of the tenants. Well done to them. Further negotiations are pending.

West Quadrant Neighbourhood Meeting

I have attended 2 recent meetings and I am pleased that despite there being no consultation beforehand on its structure and being far too geographically large that the meetings have gone well so far. There is a useful exchange between officers and Councillors on a range of services and local issues.

Grenfell Fire

Like everyone else I was shocked and horrified at what happened. As a Housing worker who has managed inner city high rise blocks for many years and a safety practitioner member of IOSH, I was simply stunned then angry because I was always told that such a thing “could never happen”. I have been pressing the Council over fire safety in all buildings in Newham, whether owned by the Council, Housing Associations or privately owned blocks. I am now on a special Newham Council “Fire Safety in Tower Blocks” scrutiny.

Newham Boxing Club 14 July 2017

Cllr Whitworth and I had a fascinating tour of this centre (a former Council communal bath house) in Church Street and a presentation on an ambitious redevelopment plans by club volunteers to which we offered our provisional support as ward Councillors.

Street Party & Summer Fair 29 July 2017

With Cllr Whitworth we attended a lively street Party at Richardson Road then the impressive HAFS Academy Summer Fair in West Ham Park.

Ward walkabout with Enforcement officers 9 September 2017

Cllr Whitworth and I had what we both felt a really useful walk around much of our ward with the Enforcement officer who is allocated to us. I was very impressed with his local knowledge and proactive attitude to problems in our ward.

Labour Campaigning

During the General Election campaign as agent I went mostly with our candidate Lyn Brown, door knocking and/or supporting street stalls in West Ham ward, Forest Gate North & South, Stratford & Newtown, Green Street West, Plaistow South, Custom House as well as Ilford North, Durham & Harrow West CLP.  As well as attending Electoral Registration & local Labour Party planning meetings. Since the General Election I have been campaigning in West Ham & Chingford & Woodford Green CLP (the new marginal. IDS seat)

For information

Workers Memorial Day 28 April 2017

Helped organise another event at Three Mills Memorial to mark this day with Party activists and trade union branches to remember those killed at work or from work related ill health. It is also a campaigning day to improve the safety of the living.

Newham Anti Education Cuts Campaign 12 July 2017

I have now attended 2 meetings with Councillors, Party activists and Newham trade unions to organise a local campaign to oppose the Tory Government cuts to school budgets. As a School governor I am trying to find out alternatives to Academisation.

Anniversary of V1 attack Dames Road E7 27 July 2017

Helped organise this event to remember the murder of at least 34 East Londoners on a bus from Nazi rocket attack in 1944.

Labour Party Conference September 2017

What a fantastic conference. I attended it as a Newham Councillor (self-funding)

If any member wishes to contact me about this report to discuss any aspect please do not hesitate to do so.

Regards

John Gray

West Ham Ward Councillor

JohndotGray2012aticlouddotcom