West Ham CLP General Committee

I chaired this lively meeting tonight, during which our MP Lyn Brown gave her Parliamentary report and answered questions.

Please note that contrary to some certain suggestions by an attendee, that I was not carrying out catalogue poses during the course of the meeting, but thank you, as ever Comrade Marriott, for your very helpful comments. 

What did you do in the 2017 Election?

Dear John If you've got any time on Election Day to help Labour you're really needed in nearby marginals. Below are details for Ilford North (where we won in 2015 by 589 votes) and Westminster North. There's also info about leafleting in Stratford on Weds eve and an invitation to a social to watch the results come in... Ilford North - Click here for info and to sign up to help in Ilford North (or go to 6 Aintree Crescent, Ilford, IG6 2HD, nr Fairlop stn) Westminster North - Click here for info and to sign up to help in Westminster North (or go to 4G Shirland Mews, London W9 3DY) And if you're really keen - Ilford North is asking for volunteers to deliver leaflets at 5.30am! (click here) Sunday Night Live, West Ham CLP and Newham Fabians invite members to a get together to watch the results come in on a big screen with snacks and political punditry. Email SundayNightLive1@gmail.com to apply (you must register to attend as places limited). And last activity in West Ham before polling day - leafleting and chatting to voters in Stratford - Weds eve 5-7pm  Meet Karl there. Thank you. Have a good election and hope to see you somewhere. And don't forget to vote! Julianne Marriott Vice Chair, West Ham Labour Party

West Ham Ward and the Cost of Living Crisis

Last Saturday I was out canvassing in my ward with local West Ham members (and Labour Candidates 2014)  John Whitworth and  Julianne Marriot.

The weather was dry with blue skies but it was noticeably cold.

It is strange how there tends to be particular topics that dominate a canvassing session. That day it was the Cost of Living.

At the one of the first houses I called at a young mum with two toddlers running around her legs gave me an ear bashing about Council tax bills. How some months her salary just runs out and there is no money to pay for food for the kids and the Council tax. She works for the civil service and has had just a 1% pay rise in the past 4 years. While bills and the cost of living has gone up and up.

After getting a summons last month from the Council for non payment she had to run up and down the high street to get £100 payday loan to prevent being taken to Court. I tried to explain that in Newham Council tax was low and there had not been an increase for a number of years.  Due to Government cuts it was vital that we get in as much Council tax as possible in order to pay for the local services. After a difficult start we left on fairly decent terms.

Getting an ear bashing from time to time for something you have little control over is good for anyone in an elected position.

Next difficult conversation was with a resident who had voted Labour in the past but was unsure next time. He wouldn't say what had changed his mind but did say he needed to support a Party that would increase his income the most. I gave him the Labour leaflet on the promise to freeze energy bills if elected. He said that is fine but he wants help now - not in 2015. We eventually came to a sort of agreement that despite mistakes, Labour was still the Party for ordinary working people while the Tories favoured the better off.

I'm not sure he was that convinced but at least we had a conversation on who can deliver for the majority and not the minority.

A little while later I met a pensioner who was worried about paying his electricity and gas bills. He was waiting nervously for his winter fuel payment. He was more impressed with the Labour promise to freeze energy prices but since he was wearing several layers of warm clothing and a woolen hat indoors it meant he needed help now as well. The fact that it was cold that day made you realise the important of heat. According to this report there are 5 million households in the UK in fuel poverty.

Roll on 2015.

George Lansbury - the Cause Alone!

Just back from lively and animated conversation in pub after West Ham Labour Party EC and thought this quote below was apt. Hat tip Captain Swing.

 "Out of the setbacks of today, from the darkness of this reaction, a new and brighter day shall dawn. But, my comrades, it is up to you. We cry out against this one and the other, call for this policy and that, ask for new formulas and more and more words: what we need most of all is the selfless spirit which animated our early pioneers.

I am probably as guilty on occasions as anyone of bad temper and heated language : it is certain, though, that this leads nowhere at all.

The Cause Alone Is Worthy

The Great Movement of which all of us are part, no matter what label we put on ourselves, is bigger and more important than any individual or any organisation. No sect, no individual, has all the truth, because truth is many sided, and in its expression any of us may, with perfect good faith, find ourselves wrong.

As my days lengthen and I follow first one and then another to their graves, I find myself reviewing the past and trying to understand the events of to-day. The one solid ground for comfort, is an abiding faith in the goodness of the average man and woman; those countless myriads who know nothing of our internal strife; the men and women who long for a better day, and respond to our call for action in the hope that we, with them, will make the way straight and the path plain which leads to the better land.

I remain confident that in some way these millions will brush on one side our petty personalities and jealousies, and themselves carve out a "future worthy of themselves and their children; and I believe this because in life I have met more good people than bad, and because I am sure that the masses are growing in knowledge and understanding."

George Lansbury
ILP - New Leader - February 1928

Newham Labour PragRad "Pick of the Policies"

I arrived too late last night at Stratford Picture House for the "Pick of the Policies" competition due to
Tower Hamlets Pension committee.

But it had obviously been a great success. Lots of people still around who spoke about a lively and informative evening of political debate.

The Pragmatic Radical model was "Have you got a policy idea that you think Labour should adopt? If so come and pitch it, in just 90 seconds, at the Newham Top of the Policies event".

Newham MPs Lyn Brown and Steve Timms chaired and were time keepers. There were 16 pitches and the winner was West Ham, John Saunders, who spoke in favour of fixed terms for Council Executive Mayors!

Second was Aleen Alarice on "info Sharing" and joint third place was Alan Griffiths on "Housing"; Gavin Pearson on "profit from planning" and Newham UNISON NEC and West Ham CLP Kim Silver for the ending of Zero hour contracts.

Afterwards a group of us finished off the evening at the Pizza Express downstairs (see picture).

Who says politics can't be fun?

Many thanks for Julianne and Farah for organising this event. Hat tip Ayesha, Gordon and Seyi for pictures.

West Ham Labour Party AGM 2013 results

Picture is from the end of tonight's West Ham CLP AGM and of some of the new "dream team" Executive also celebrating the 65th birthday of the NHS.

58 delegates crowded into the Party rooms at 306 High Street, Stratford, E15. Best attendance since 1980s according to one delegate.

Can't think why? :)

For contested positions we had one minute hustings then ballot. It all went pretty smoothly.

From left - Julianne Marriot, new vice Chair Campaigns & Communications; Terry Paul, re-elected Assistant Secretary; Gordon Miller, re-elected Agent and new Vice Chair membership, Charlene McLean, re-elected Chair; Alan Griffiths, re-elected Secretary and Anne Easter, new Women's officer.

Not in photo was John Saunders, re-elected Treasurer; John Whitworth, re-elected political officer;   Winston Vaughan, re-elected as Equalities Officer; Kim Silver, re-elected as Trade Union Liaison officer; Ahmed Noor, re-elected as Social officer. Apologies if I have missed anyone out?

Kim and I were also re-elected to the Executive Committee as 2 of the 4 trade union delegates.

Willis Road: Street Party, West Ham, E15 Saturday 1 June 2013

Today after my Council surgery in Vicarage Lane Community Centre I went on a "door to door" street surgery with local ward activist Julianne, who is also one of the organisers of the Street Party in Willis Road on Saturday June 1st.  There was an elderly resident we came across who promised to bring copies of photographs from a street party 50 years ago!