West Hammers on tour 2024 General Election: Southend East & Rochford

 

Yesterday I went to Southend with West Ham Labour Activists including our former MP Lyn Brown and our candidate for West Ham & Beckton, James Asser. We joined a team of Labour supporters from Southend and all over London supporting the local Labour Candidate, Bayo Alaba. 

There was overwhelming support for Labour in an area which previously I suspect was pretty solid Conservative. I called at one house where a young mum was organising her young children to get into the car to go on a journey. I had a chat with her and she explained that she was a previous life long Conservative voter but this time, her and her husband had decided that there had to be change they will be voting Labour. Full stop. I have no doubt what so ever that they will do this. 

Of course, not everyone shared this view but I did not come across a single person admitting that they were voting Conservative. 

Afterwards we met up with the Labour candidate Bayo, who I have met before and in my view will make a brilliant MP.  As a former reservist myself, I am so proud that the Labour Party has so many ex-military candidates standing for Parliament this time. 

Getting out the Labour Postal vote in West Ham, Plaistow & Canning Town

 

Yesterday I spent the morning in West Ham ward with our local MP, Lyn Brown, my colleague Cllr Charlene Mclean (and our super young pioneer) and our top activist Varghese . 

We were calling at all Labour supporters who are postal voters to remind them to fill out their 3 votes for:-

1. Sadiq Khan as London Mayor, 
2. Unmesh Desai as local City & East London Assembly member and 
3. Labour - for the List candidates.  

It was a lovely warm, spring day day so many residents were out and the contact rate was not great but Labour support was pretty solid. 

In the afternoon, Lyn and I joined Plaistow West & Canning East ward Councillors John Morris & Simon Rush with local activist Veronica. We were later joined by my UNISON colleague and Hackney Wick Councillor, Joseph Ogundemuren.  

Again, many residents were out but very firm support for Sadiq and Labour from those who were in.

Register to vote online if you you are not registered by 11.59pm 16 April 2024 https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . It usually takes only 5 minutes. 

Applications to have a postal vote have to be by this Wednesday 17/4/24 by 5pm https://www.newham.gov.uk/council/vote-post

Vote Sadiq, Vote Labour: Out & about with Lyn Brown MP in West Ham & Custom House

 

This morning I went to my Councillor advice surgery and met with residents concerned with overcrowding and a 2nd stage appeal over travel provision. Afterwards,  I met up with my ward colleagues, activists and our MP, Lyn Brown, to knock on doors of nearby West Ham ward residents. 

We were trying to three things. Firstly, ask them whether or not they would be supporting Sadiq to be our London Mayor on May 2nd (and the other Labour candidates). Second, whether or not they would be voting Labour in the next General election and thirdly did they have case work issues they wanted to bring up with Lyn or local Councillors. 

The canvass went really well, as far as I could tell. Positive responses from residents and the few "undecided" still seemed positive and engaged. 

Unusually, I did not pick up any new case work but was stopped in the street by two constituents who had organised a petition to relocate a local bus stop due to ASB issues. We discussed the case and also that I had presented the petition to the Full Council meeting on Monday. 

Lyn and I left early to join activists in Custom House for another canvass. 

Newham Labour activists have been out today in various parts of the borough and will also be out tomorrow. A car load of Newham activists have also been out to support marginal seats outside London. 

As well as supporting Sadiq, we are also supporting our local City & East Assembly candidate, Unmesh Desai and the "list" candidates, including Newham's own, James Beckles who is 4th in line to be elected (it is a complicated system - check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_London_Assembly_election) 

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.  

Are owners of shared ownership properties being forgotten?

This post is from my Newham Councillor colleague's blog, James Beckles. While I am broadly in favour of shared ownership, it is simply disgraceful how badly many are treated with high service charges and fees, poor management and I think less than 3% "staircase" up to becoming 100% (still nearly all leasehold) "owners".

Why we still have a medieval "leasehold" system in this country deserves another post.

© 2020 Andrew Baker. 24.25th Feb Feb 2020. Photograph © Andrew Baker PR HANDOUT

"In July 2023, I wrote to Lyn Brown MP about the problems faced by residents with their shared ownership properties. While shared ownership is marketed as an affordable housing option for first-time buyers and those with modest incomes, it can become expensive in the long run due to rising service charges, rents, and mortgage costs.

Shared ownership property owners are in a precarious situation as they have short-term leases (less than 99 years) or are “mortgaged tenants” who do not fully own their share of the property. As highlighted in the report Shared Ownership: The Consumer Perspective buying more shares in the property through stair-casing can also be costly, making it difficult for many to afford.

I was and am also concerned about the seeming lack of legal attention and protection shared owners are receiving in the Government’s recent Leaseholder Act 2022, which promised to do away with the medieval leaseholder system but is still very much intact.

I highlighted my concerns to Lyn stating:

“Shared owners (or mortgaged tenants) are not within the scope of the Act or even covered by other legislation that is making its way through parliament. Shared owners who own a share of their property while paying a subsidised rent on the outstanding share of the property they do not own are:

•Subject excessive service charges which can raise to 13% – a cap should be introduced.

•Unable or discouraged from selling their share of the property by housing associations who are either not equipped to buy back or reluctant to purchase the mortgages tenants share if they chose to sell their share – housing associations should purchase the shared owners property share or advise house they can sell it on the open market without excessive fees

•Subject to the whims of management agencies often chosen or operated by a housing association – a common good should be introduced to allow shared owners more say and rights in the management of their buildings and homes,

•Penalised for stair-casing (buying additional shares in their home) by excessive legal fees and cost placed up them by the housing association – an affordable flat rate should be introduced, and fees should be transparent and accessible.

•Classed as leaseholders when they have ‘purchased’ a share in a property – their share should be converted to a freehold or commonhold

•Given short term leases – leases should be longer than 99 years granting more security and providing an asset to pass on to relatives rather than the present system where shared owners have to buy extensions to their lease again at exorbitant rates placed on them by their landlords the housing associations.”

Lyn’s response was considerate and thoughtful. I have referenced it below.

Dear James,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the shared ownership scheme for purchasing property. I understand your concerns on this issue, and I fear for the conditions shared owners face, particularly given the current economic climate.

As you are aware, shared ownership is a method whereby new buyers can purchase part of a property and pay rent to a housing association for the rest, only paying the mortgage for their part of the property. The individual who owns part of the property can then purchase more shares in the property from the housing association, sometimes leading to the eventual outcome of the buyer owning 100% of their property and becoming the outright owner.

I share your alarm over the lack of protections and reforms for shared owners within the Leaseholder Act 2022. I do not feel the Act went far enough to overhaul the antiquated and feudal leasehold system, which leaves leaseholders open to excessive service charges and poor-quality maintenance companies.

For some, shared ownership schemes are a useful way of getting onto the property ladder without having to pay prohibitively large deposits. However, I know that for many in Newham and across the country, the lack of proper protections for those within shared ownership agreements has resulted in great difficulties for primarily new homeowners.

For example, I have heard from many constituents about the pain that excessive service charges have brought. Currently, service charges can rise up to 13%, often from housing management agencies providing sub-standard service. These charges are simply unaffordable for many young couples and working families, especially as the prices of food and energy continue to soar.

Moreover, one of the advertised perks of shared ownership is the promise of ‘stair-casing’, whereby shared owners can buy more of their home as they can afford it until they own the property outright. However, I know that many shared owners have been hit by excessive and cumbersome legal fees and other costs placed upon them by housing associations, thereby preventing them from buying more of the property.

On top of this, many owners are either unable or dissuaded from selling their portion of a property should they decide to leave the home, often by housing associations who are either unequipped or unwilling to buy back the shares. This leaves some shared owners in properties they simply cannot sell or afford to leave.

Finally, I am aware many shared owners have issues with the leasehold process itself. Despite owning a portion of the property, they are legally classed as leaseholders and often given short-term leases. This creates insecurity for those living in the homes and introduces all of the problems we know come with the leasehold system.

I believe that our housing system, from rental to leasehold and outright home ownership, needs fundamental and wide-reaching reform.

In 2019, during a debate on leasehold reform, I told the Government of the conditions that many leaseholders are forced to endure, from instances of completely dead water pressure to non-existent waste disposal services. I called on the Government then to free leaseholders from the injustice of the leasehold system, but I fear that they did not listen. I will link this speech below.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-07-11/debates/329FC410-5C69-40AC-80B1-32D470DB8B0C/LeaseholdReformhighlight=leasehold#contribution-7EBDA717-D61F-4597-8492-D3F8A1B98C50

Moreover, on 23 May this year, I voted for an Opposition motion calling on the Government to end the sale of new private leasehold houses, introduce a workable system to replace private leasehold flats with commonhold and to implement the Law Commission’s recommendations on enfranchisement, commonhold and the right to manage in full. This motion passed unanimously.

I have written to the Minister for Housing and Planning, Rachel Maclean MP, to further raise these concerns. I have asked what steps the Government are taking to ensure that shared owners are given the protections they need to live securely in their homes. I have also asked how the Government plans to reform the shared ownership and wider leasehold sector to end current abuses.

Please do not hesitate to contact me again on this, or any other, matter.

Kind regards,
Lyn Brown

Clearly Lyn has been advocating for the rights of leaseholders and owners of shared ownership properties. Shared ownership can be the right housing option for some, however more needs to be done to ensure there is equity in the housing system and share ownership is not the forgotten section of our housing system.

Workers Memorial Day: Friday 28 April 2023

 

This year UNISON Housing Association Branch will be remembering those who have died at work due to accidents at work or from work related ill health & diseases. It is also a campaigning day to fight for the living at work and their health and safety.

We will holding a wreath laying event at the "Clasping Hands" statute in Three Mills Green, Stratford, London E3 3DU at 1pm on Friday 28 April 2023. We have held this event now for many years but hope to get a good turn out post Covid. 

This beautiful statue is near the site of a ventilation shaft where 4 workers died in 1900. 3 of them perished while heroically trying to rescue a fellow worker.

The local MP, Lyn Brown has been invited and all trade unionists will be welcome as well as Safety advisors and anyone else, genuinely interested in health and safety at work. 

Please bring your trade union and Labour movement banners.

UNISON members from the nearby L&Q Housing headquarters will be walking to the site beforehand. The wreath laying and talk about what happened here and why it is important should last no more than 30 minutes or so.

If you are unable to attend this event then check out the TUC website for events local to you or arrange with your employer to carry out a general walkabout safety inspection of your workplace looking for obvious hazards. It is also Stress Awareness month so check on stress risk assessment arrangements and occupational health support for workers.

Picture from 2022 with UNISON National officer Andrew Dobbie giving a wonderful historical tlak on what happened in 1901. 

Lyn Brown MP Chairs Olympic Village public meeting with Residents and Police

I attended a pretty good meeting this evening in the Stratford Olympic Village with my MP, Lyn Brown, local residents and Police. I am not a local Councillor for this ward (Cllr Nate Higgins was there together with a number of Labour activists who do live in the ward) but I am Lyn's Parliamentary Agent and both as a Councillor and professionally (I work as a tenancy specialist dealing with complex ASB) I am very interested in learning more about effective Neighbourhood Policing. 

I was impressed at the range and scale of Police operations in the area. I think that I have got this right, that due in part to these operations, there has been a reduction in crime in Newham at the same time that crime in London is rising. 

The relatively new Borough Commander,Simon Crick, spoke about how the Police are not that good about communications and telling residents what they are doing and their successes. 

I totally agree and after the meeting I spoke to the local West Ham ward SNT Sargeant about arranging a similar meeting for my residents.  

Canning Town South Canvass with Lyn Brown MP

 

On Saturday I went canvassing in Canning Town South ward with our local MP, Lyn Brown and Unmesh Desai, our local London Assembly member and Councillors Rohit Das Gupta and Alan Griffiths.  

The ward has been transformed in recent times by the building of so many blocks of flats. However, there are still many traditional low rise homes such as Jude Street. I always enjoy knocking on doors and talking to people. 

We did get an ear bashing from one resident about the failure to deal with damage done by tree roots to pavements and driveways but there was clearly a problem. Apart from that, it was a very successful canvass (also no rain!) which was followed by coffee and chinwag. 

Great to see new faces on the campaign trail. 

West Ham Remembrance Sunday & When the Guns Fell Silent

This morning I attended the Remembrance Day service at All Saints Church in West Ham, the ward I have represented as a Councillor since 2010. It was a marvellous and moving service, attended by our local MP, Lyn Brown, our local British Army TA unit, G Company 7 Rifles, Metropolitan Police, Parishioners, Royal British Legion and my Newham Council Councillor colleagues. 

Many thanks to Revd. Simon Nicholls (and his "West Ham team") for the service. I was particularly struck by the playing during the service of the above audio soundtrack of an authentic recreation of the actual end of the First World War at 11am on 11th November 1918. The artillery shells stop - and the birds start singing. 

"Our children are at risk – it’s time to get tough on county lines grooming"

 

"The collective failure of society and government to protect children from criminal exploitation is contributing to a terrible toll of murdered youngsters, traumatised families and ruined lives...

....The government’s failure to tackle the cost of living crisis has heightened the dangers children face from grooming and exploitation by criminal gangs.

Abusers seeking to lure children into running drugs thrive on the deprivation that so badly scars our society. So much of this vile criminal activity is linked to the supply of drugs along county lines, to suburban areas, as well as to market and coastal towns.

Here in London, we have lost so many children to grooming and exploitation and gang violence in pursuit of profit. Throughout 2021, 30 teenagers are reported to have been killed in London alone, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Then there’s the abject devastation and misery for families of children caught up in the criminal justice system after being groomed and violated, with life chances lost and years wasted in prison.

Youth violence is on the rise, with the Metropolitan Police warning that England could see its highest number of deaths by knife crime in over a decade. The London borough of Newham, made up of our respective constituencies of West Ham and East Ham, has faced a terrible toll of murdered children and grieving families.

As Newham MPs, we have repeatedly raised cases of children whose lives have been ruined because of exploitation by gangs. It’s abundantly clear the current approach is failing vulnerable children across the country and devastating our communities. The under-funding of youth services over the last 12 years, along with the closure of hundreds of youth centres that provided safe spaces for children, has weakened communities’ ability to protect young people from harm.

Meanwhile, the cost of living crisis is increasing the risk to children from criminal exploitation. Experiences of child poverty increase the attraction of the “alternative economic model” that groomers offer.

An extraordinary rise in food bank use, a dire lack of adequate and affordable housing, poverty and racism, all increase children’s vulnerability to grooming. On a daily basis, many children today see their parents working several jobs and still struggling to pay rent and buy the basics. They can see that there is no money, and they are highly motivated to make this easier on their family in any way they can.

That’s why there must be no soft-touch approach when it comes to protecting children and young people from gang grooming. Existing policies are failing these children, who are not being identified or properly supported early enough.

As MPs for communities blighted by grooming, we are seeking support for a blueprint to overhaul the way public services protect child victims of criminal exploitation. At a recent conference, titled “Solving youth violence”, we sought to bring together those working in children’s services, as well as the police, charities and academics.

From our findings, we have produced a prospectus to improve protection for children from grooming, which we hope will open a debate. We will now present these findings in the Commons, with thanks to the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Diana Johnson MP.

We believe there must be an early warning system, covering all social media firms, from Twitter to Facebook, with the introduction of a legal duty on firms to report any suspicious activity linked to possible grooming to the police the moment they become aware of it.

It’s not too much to ask that children and young people receive the same level of legal protection as the financial sector, where banks have similar duties to report suspicions about money laundering.

We want to discuss so-called “burner phones”, temporary phones that are discarded soon after use, which have been routinely used in reported cases of grooming and child criminal exploitation by gangs. These unregistered phones are a core tool used for county lines groomers and exploiters to obstruct detection and investigation of their crimes and to escape justice. People buying a mobile phone should be required to provide their name, address and contact details before they can start using it.

Meanwhile, immense pressure on public services, schools and local authorities to fulfil their duties while under-resourced, weakens protection for vulnerable children. This means that cases of exploitation are often missed and that even when the right referrals are made early, the specialist support required cannot be provided by partner agencies in a timely or consistent manner.

These are just a few of the changes needed. The collective failure of society and government to protect children from criminal exploitation is contributing to a terrible toll of murdered youngsters, traumatised families and communities, and ruined lives. However, the new prime minister and her government now have the opportunity for a fresh start. Liz Truss could introduce these new protections for our children in a matter of weeks.

There can be no excuse for failing to act to protect our children.

Lyn Brown is the Labour MP for West Ham and Stephen Timms is the Labour MP for East Ham

Hat tip https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/county-lines-grooming-drugs-facebook-children-b2198777.html#comments-area 

West Ham Labour informal social with Lyn Brown MP

Just back form a very pleasant evening with comrades from West Ham at the Black Lion pub in Plaistow (one of the oldest in Newham). Our local MP Lyn Brown was there and a wide mix of members enjoying drinks and pre Labour Party conference gossip. 

Since both local Labour Parties in Newham are currently suspended this gathering was entirely informal and apologies to any members who did not receive an invite. We hope to arrange the next social in late October at a local community centre and organise food and entertainment.  

Service of Thanksgiving at West Ham Church for Queen Elizabeth

 

This morning I went to a "Service of Thanksgiving" for the late Queen at  the historic, All Saints Church, in the ward I represent as an elected Councillor, West Ham, in Newham London. I was with the representative for the West Ham Parliamentary Constituency, Lyn Brown MP and the Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE.  

It was a wonderful service. A mixture of tradition possessions, hymns and prayers alongside more modern music performances.  During which Mayor Fiaz gave a Tribute and Lyn Brown MP, a Reading. It was in all a fitting way to honour the late Queen, who was very much a traditionalist but also kept up with the times. 

At the end of the service, for the first time, I sung "God Save the King", which did seem very strange at first but by the end it seemed more natural. The sight of young children from the church creche jumping up and down and dancing with excitement during the national anthem brought a smile to my face. I am sure that King Charles III would not mind. 

Afterwards I signed the book of condolences and thanked the Queen for her long public service. While I have explained previously my personal belief in constitutional reform, I  have nothing but respect for Queen Elizabeth. A dedicated, tireless public servant, who has served this nation in peace and war, for the past 96 years.

"Do I have confidence in this Tory Gov't? Hell, no. We need a general election".

 

West Ham MP Lyn Brown "tells it as it is" - at House of Commons during recent "No confidence" debate. 

West Ham then Plaistow West & Canning Town East with Lyn Brown MP ("We Stand with Ukraine" Street)

Canvasing pictures from West Ham Ward this week and the new Plaistow West & Canning Town East Ward today with our local MP, Lyn Brown. 

In West Ham ward we had a stall outside the station with Canning Town North and we did the two tower blocks in Leather Gardens (many thanks to Jordan from UNISON Voluntary orgs branch for joining us). 

A pretty positive response apart from one resident who was very angry that he had not been able to move from his overcrowded flat and blamed the Council for this failure. I tried to explain that we have a massive housing shortage in Newham and we need a change of Government to solve this crisis but I knew he was so angry that he would not listen. 

Today after picking up our new GTVO leaflets from printers the West Ham candidates myself, John Whitworth and Charlene Mclean had a last week of election planning meeting then I went to pick Lyn up for the PWCTE session. 

This was another great canvassing session (with Cara the Labour attack dog) and I was very impressed with one street where they had so many pro Ukraine leaflets in their windows. They had also raised money for War relief charities. Well done! 

In the afternoon I had the joy of Labour Group officers then a very good training on Election Day and "The Count". 

Canning Town South, West Ham & Canning Town North Sunday Canvass

 

A busy day on Sunday. Starting off with canvass in Canning Town South in the morning. We meet outside Morrisons. Our MP Lyn Brown, was there and gave a quick, no nonsense speech to activists about how important it is to get a good result on May 5, to encourage the Tories to get rid of Boris as our Prime Minister. The canvass itself went well and again, we were picking up support from working class voters, who had previously been against Labour, because of Boris and his "lock down" parties. 

Next we went to my ward, West Ham, to canvass next to the station, led by Lyn and my colleague Cllr (and candidate) John Whitworth. Again, pretty positive and one resident even remembered me speaking to him in 2018. I did not go down well with another resident, who came to the door and I genuinely thought he was under 18 and asked to speak to his parents. He told me he was 28! but Lyn was at hand to rescue the situation and he did sort of agree to vote Labour. 

At 4pm I cycled over to Canning Town North for their canvass of a large L&Q Housing Association estate which I had never been to before. While waiting to start, I had a "row" with an obnoxious fellow cyclist, who decided to give those of us waiting, the benefit of his views on the many failings of the Labour Party (which is fair enough) while interrupting and over talking any attempt to respond to his strident views. When he decided to criticise Angela Rayner MP as being arrogant etc I felt I had to intervene and we had some interesting "exchanges". 

The canvass itself went well with lots of positive support and loyalty for Labour. Our Mayoral Candidate, Rokhsana Fiaz, and all three Councillor candidates were there. One resident worked for an organisation that had actually sacked Boris in a previous job. 

I had another "difficult" conversation with a resident who declared she has never voted Labour and never would because we were all a "disgrace".  To which I said fair enough, but we don't want any votes from people who are personally abusive, so please do not vote for us. 

The majority reaction in all 3 wards was supportive of Labour. I did not come across any evidence of opposition parties canvassing or even leafleting in any of these wards which I genuinely believe is a shame. 

Workers Memorial Day – Thursday 28 April 2022

 

Every year on the 28 April in 19 countries across the world, workers remember all those who have died in an accident at work or from occupational illnesses and diseases such as exposure to asbestos. Sadly, more people are killed at work each year than die in wars. Many more suffer from work related disability or chronic ill health.

The theme for this year’s event following the many unnecessary deaths workers suffered from Covid is making sure that health and safety at work is a "fundamental employment right".

Greater London UNISON Housing Associations, has held an annual memorial in Stratford, East London for many years, organised by local members, other trade unions and some employer safety officers.

The annual memorial in Stratford takes place at Three Mills Green, E3 3DU behind the historic buildings nearby and next to the River Lea. It is about 10 minutes’ walk from Bromley-By-Bow underground station. 

There is a “clasping hands” statute at this site remembering the deaths of 4 workers who were suffocated in an underground vent. 3 Of them had sacrificed their lives while trying to rescue others by trying to pull them out of the vent but were overcome by fumes.  

Local MP Lyn Brown will be laying a wreath on behalf of UNISON at 11am on the day. All welcome. Please bring banners and assemble by 10.45. 

If you work outside London, check out this TUC website for an event near you https://www.tuc.org.uk/iwmd-events

Not only is this a day to remember the dead it is also a day to campaign and remind everyone of the risks they face at work and what can be done to reduce them.

In previous years in our branch line managers and UNISON members on 28 April were encouraged to go on joint “walkabouts” around their offices looking for simple slip and trip hazards while other workers had special “tool box” talks on relevant safety issues. With many employees still working from home for at least part of the week, 28 April could be the day to make sure you have an up-to-date home or office desktop risk assessment and you have any aids that are needed.

Workers Memorial Day 2022: Occupational health & safety is a fundamental right at work

Today I had a meeting with one of my employers health and safety team to discuss what we can do to mark Workers Memorial Day on 28 April 2022. 

The international theme for this year is that "Occupational health & safety is a fundamental right at work". 

My UNISON branch will be holding our remembrance event again with hopefully West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, at the "Clasping Hands" memorial in Three Mills Green in Newham and I will urge all union activists to try and mark this important day at their workplace in some meaningful way. 

UNISON activists can download this poster and place on any union notice boards (physical or virtual) https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2022/03/International-Workers-Memorial-Day-Poster-1.pdf. There is one currently in our Bow office and I will send to all our activists. 

Labour Canvass - Maud Gardens then Olympic Park (a plaque to the Pentonville Five?)

 

This morning I went on a Labour canvass in my ward, West Ham with my fellow Councillor John Whitworth and local activist Asheem Singh. 

We went to Maud Gardens which is a small low rise housing estate. We picked up a lot of case work and issues. Residents were pleased to see us but the estate definitely needs a "refresh". 

I will see where it is on the list for future planned maintenance programme. I was invited in by one resident who lives in a one bed flat, which has damp problems but also he and his wife has to share the only bedroom with his 10 year old autistic child, who was a lovely boy but obviously his housing situation is completely inadequate. 

I will raise a Council members enquiry into what we can do, however, I really wish the Prime Minister or Chancellor of the Exchequer was with me when I make these visits, so they can see for themselves what real poverty and housing deprivation means to vulnerable families

By a complete contrast I went this afternoon with West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, to a brand new development next to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, called Chobham Manor. Where there is new private and social housing which appears to be high quality and residents are generally very satisfied (despite concerns over lack of domestic bins and that google does not know they exist). 

I believe this development is actually the site of an important Newham and Labour movement historical event. In 1972 five Dock workers were imprisoned for "unlawfully" picketing at a cold storage facility which I believe was located at or near this development. This resulted in an "unofficial" national strike across the UK which ended up with the "Pentonville Five" being released. This was a famous victory at the time against trade union oppression. Vic Turner (see centre picture of him being realised from prison) was one of the Pentonville Five and he later went on to be a Newham Councillor and Civic Mayor. 

Lyn had a long conversion during the canvass with a resident who was originally from Ukraine. Our hearts go out to him, his family and friends and the people of Ukraine who are being murdered and suffering in Putin's war of aggression against them. 

Council surgery then double bubble Labour canvass (amidst the horror felt about Putin's War)

 

This morning I had my first "physical" Councillor surgery in two years at Stratford Library archivist room (a fantastic local history resource) then I joined a Labour canvass in West Ham Ward. While talking to residents about local issues they were also raising their horror at Putin's invasion of Ukraine. 

We passed our local British Army, G Company, 7 Rifles, Reservist base, on the Portway (bottom left). As someone who spent several years in the then British Territorial Army, during the 1980's, learning how to try and stop Soviet Union tanks invading Europe, I am to say the least dismayed that we now face a similar threat from the fascistic dictator of Russia, Putin. I am confident that the men and women of 7 Rifles and their comrades will do their duty and protect us from Putin's aggression. 

For once I did not pick up any individual casework (apart from general concerns about parking charges, recycling & ASB which I will feed back to Executive members). However, when cycling home I noticed that vehicles were parking and blocking any emergency vehicle access to the south entrance of West Ham Park (see bottom middle picture). I will raise this with the Park (run by City of London) and Newham Highways. 

There is also a live local issue regarding plans by the Park to build homes at the site of the former planting nursery. Our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown has asked local Councillors for their views on this issue. I will suggest we have a meeting. 

In the afternoon I joined Lyn, at a canvass session in Maryland, Forest Gate North with local Councillor Rachel Trip and activists. 

It was another largely very positive canvass for Labour. Rachel picked up case work on housing disrepair and I found more residents angry and disgusted at the dreadful aggression against Ukraine. 

Afterward we joined up with a Stratford canvass team and thawed out with hot coffee and treats provided by Lyn at a local café. 

Lyn Brown MP speaks up for Newham over Covid Robbery

Lyn Brown MP "As I sadly predicted Newham council has not been, and under current plans will not be fully compensated for their Covid costs in direct contrast to what the Govt promised. There's currently a £10m gap. Today I pushed the Govt to look at this and provide the money they promised".