West Ham in Person Surgery, East Ham Neighbourhood watch stall & East Ham South Street Surgery

 

On Saturday I had my Councillor surgery in West Ham ward. I had 2 residents attend. One was about a very complicated "Succession of Tenancy" issue and the second about an appeal against a delay in granting a Blue Badge renewal. Due to the new case work system in Newham, I was able to raise both member enquiries via my phone. 

I then arrived late at a East Ham South canvass event which then became a Neighbourhood watch street stall. What a marvellous initiative with local Newham Council enforcement officers also attending. 

Next I was to join a well attended street surgery session in East Ham South with local Councillors. I was asked to run the session on the Labour doorstep app. I would advise colleagues on who to call upon and then input any information received. The Councillors took up the individual case work. It went very well. A pretty positive result for Labour. 

Note a very good notice board in the foyer of one L&Q Housing Association blocks. 

As chair of Newham Labour Group I look forward to visiting and campaigning in all our Newham wards. 

Supporting Aktharul Alam in Little Ilford - By-elections Thursday 18 July

 

This evening I led a team in Little Ilford with our Labour candidate, Aktharul Alam (taking selfie), using printed sheets instead of the "doorstep" app on our phones. This is due to some national Labour technical glitch, which I believe has now been sorted. 

It was actually quite nice to have pen and paper again and to work as a team rather than individuals. Probably a more social and gossipy way of doing things while you wait to give your data or be given new addresses to call upon. 

The canvass itself went well and there was a number of teams out all day and evening in Little Ilford and Beckton Ward (where there is a second by election with the Labour Candidate being Blossom Young). 

Labour doorstep app canvass in Olympic E20, Brilliant William Morris quote & young people queuing up for Covid vaccine.

 

On Saturday I joined Labour Party colleagues to take part in a physical canvass of the Stratford E20 area (the site of the former 2012 London Olympic village). For the first time I was asked (or rather pushed) into leading a canvass team using the Labour Party "doorstep app" on my mobile phone. In the past we had paper sheets with details of names and addresses to call at to canvass on behalf of the Labour Party, now it can be done online via your mobile phone. It seemed to work very well and I hope the information we received on voting intentions was uploaded and saved to the national Party database.

I went with my colleague, Cllr Shaban Mohammed and former Councillor, Aleen Alarice.  We got a very good reception from residents who were overwhelmingly pleased that we were knocking on doors and asking them whether there are any local problems or issues they want us to raise.

I was really struck to see the green plaque in the foyer of the block we canvassed with the great William Morris quote “History has remembered the kings and warriors, because they destroyed; art has remembered the people, because they created.”. 

While cycling home I passed a massive queue of mostly young people, waiting for their Covid jab despite the intermittent downpours that day. I thanked them as I went past.