John Mac retires as Branch Secretary of UNISON Tower Hamlets LG branch

I was sent this link to the latest "Tower Power" newsletter by retired Tower Hamlets Housing UNISON comrade (Montrose Matty). John Mac was the branch chair for most of the time I was a member of the branch and my first job in Tower Hamlets was in 1993 at the Columbia Road One Stop Shop in Bethnal Green, where I was a estate officer and John did housing benefits. 

Later I moved to Bow as a Housing officer and became active in the union and was an Assistant Branch Secretary (as well as various other roles such as Labour Link officer, health & safety and treasurer)

Now, those who know us recognise that John Mac and I did not always see "eye to eye" on a number of things, including the need to have an imminent revolution and that revolution is likely to start any time soon in Tower Hamlets Local Government. But I have always accepted that I might be wrong.

However, John was an excellent union case worker and despite our differences we almost always had a polite and good humoured relationship. We worked together during the 1999 month long (successful) Tower Hamlets housing strike, we went on a three peaks walking challenge together and  had a beer in a House of Commons bar, bought by the then, local MP Jim Fitzpatrick. 

I wish John and his partner Phoebe, all the best in their retirement and will miss our sparing in  London regional council and National Delegate conference. 

Birthday drinks and curry 2011 & 2021

Top picture was from last night and bottom was 2011. Monty, Trev, Dave and I used to work for Tower Hamlets Council Housing. We were also UNISON activists. Thanks to Aromas Restaurant in Forest Gate for great food now and then. 

Lots of reminiscing and putting the world to rights.  

Meeting up with Stroppy Bird & Dave

It was great to meet up this evening with Yvonne and Dave at the Evin Restaurant in Dalston. It has been at least 2 years since we last met up (due to you know what). I had forgotten where the Overground platform was at Stratford station. 

Yvonne is a Councillor and Mayoral advisor in Hackney and Dave is a journalist. 

We first met in the Royal Court of Justice in 2009 (with Alex Hilton) when we had a little libel issue to sort out. This took about 2 years. 

Yvonne and I both bored Dave silly with our conversion about the exciting life that  London Councillors lead (knocking on doors, wearing hard hats and visiting dog pounds). 

We hope to meet up with our legal guru Robert Douglas soon (Alex is currently in Thailand I believe but will also try and invite)

Post lockdown beer & curry

Last night I met up with 3 friends who I have not seen since pre lockdown March 2020. We were celebrating David Boyles birthday with Trevor Dean and Montrose Matty. We were all UNISON reps in Tower Hamlets Housing department back in the day. 

It was great to meet up with comrades in person and have a few beers in a local pub, then to go to Aromas Restaurant in Forest Gate for a slap up meal. During the course of the evening we obviously put the world to rights. 

We could have legally met up earlier but we had decided to be cautious and wait until all of us had been fully vaccinated and that things seem somewhat settled. 

Ironically both Trevor and I received the 1st AZ vaccine in March that was made in India, that the EU has not yet declared to be an accepted vaccine in order to travel to Europe and avoid self isolation. 

Hopefully this will be sorted out soon.

This was to me a very welcome sign that things are getting back to "normal" but no one really knows exactly what will happen next with Covid and we do need to be prepared for the unexpected. 

(Photo of Aromas mixed grill which is a main course but also an excellent starter when shared between 2 very greedy people. Our table had 2 mixed grills as starters between the 4 of us)

Montrose Turns 60

Happy birthday to my Tower Hamlets UNISON Housing and Labour Party comrade (and old friend) Montrose Matty on his 60th birthday. 

We have just finished a virtual beer and curry with various mates and his family and look forward to meeting up in the real world when safe. 

Hat tip marvellous YouTube to his daughter L. Great to see his lovely Grandchildren. 

Tower Hamlets get together

Picture from birthday drinks last night with my former Tower Hamlets Housing UNISON work colleagues Monty, Dave and Trevor.

There is another "get together" being planned for this month in Stepney Spoons for all former LBTH Housing staff.

It is also the 20th anniversary of the Tower Hamlets housing strike next month.

Watch this space!

Forest Gate North September Canvass & Street Surgery

Summer is now over and the never ending cycle of political campaigning and street surgeries continues. I missed a canvass session on Wednesday evening in my home ward but went out with local Councillors Rachel Tripp and Anamul Islam this morning (Sasha is on holiday).

Very positive response, in particular, local residents appreciated the support that their Councillors had given in opposing a recent attempt to close a nearby right of way.

I did not hear any mention of national party issues or Brexit. Mostly when you ask residents whether or not they support Labour they look at you as if almost insulted. "Of course we vote Labour!" (do you think we would vote for the Tories? one resident asked me today)

The Newham Council housing blocks we visited seemed in good order (well done to managing agents Swan Housing) but the L&Q Housing Association blocks had some shoddy bodged disrepair and a definite trip hazard on communal stairs. Cllr Islam will be contacting them with photos.

The picture on the bottom of the college (2nd left) is of a property I canvassed a couple of years ago. A young woman came out to speak to me and her front door slammed shut behind her. No one else had keys and I had to climb the wall into the garden to see if there was a window open. There wasn't so eventually we had to get the lock drilled and smashed the window of the front door for her to get in. I got a new lock fitted and she "sorted things out" with her landlord. Never a dull moment when you are canvassing. Thanks to retired caretaker manager (and Party member) Montrose Matty.

New CLP vice chair for campaigns Karl Lewis ran the board (told us who to contact and recorded information) while the ace campaigner of the day was Rachel's daughter India (Child Labour).

Anam, Karl and I went for coffee at "Freds" afterwards to gossip and chew the fat. 

Election Day West Ham Ward 2014

This post is about my day as a Labour Councillor candidate last Thursday on Election day.

It started at 7am outside the polling station in West Ham Church School in the Portway, E15. This was one of 4 polling stations in West Ham Ward, Newham. My fellow Labour candidate Freda Vaughan was outside Vicarage Lane polling station while John Whitworth was covering Manor School.

In the morning it was blue skies & sunshine. It was quiet but there was a steady flow of voters. I went and introduced myself to the Presiding officer and staff at Church and then Ranelagh school.

We are allowed to speak to voters outside the school gates, ask them to vote for us and offer a leaflet. After a stream of "Don't need to ask, I'm voting Labour", "Labour all the way", broad grins, thumbs up and even pats on my back, I had one women shout at me that she wouldn't vote for Labour, she was a real socialist and we should shoot that **** of a leader. I wasn't sure if she meant Ed Miliband or Robin Wales but I responded by telling her that we did not want her support and that she is barred from voting Labour! When she came back she seemed to have changed her mind somewhat and said a cheery "Good luck anyway".

After 10am there was a lull and I had a full English breakfast with Freda at Solmos cafe. John had to go to work (he is a teacher at a FE college and could not take the day off).

When we came back to the polling stations we found out that the Tories had arrived! Conservative candidate Matej was born in Slovenia. He seemed a decent bloke but when I asked him what motivated him politically to be a Conservative candidate in the UK he didn't really give me an answer.

I didn't have a conversation with Farahana (see photo collage) who was the Asian British female Tory candidate but did speak to her friends and family who were supporting her (none of whom lived in Newham). It was clear that they were not actual Conservative Party supporters. They would support Labour during the general election but felt that in Newham the local Party leadership was arrogant and would not listen to their concerns.

The 3rd Tory candidate was Mary (see photo collage) who was far too nice to be a real Tory and admitted that she had been "volunteered" to be a candidate.

Unlike elsewhere in the borough, where there was disgusting Respect style intimidation and violence by so called "Conservative" supporters, the West Ham ward "Tories" and their supporters were friendly and pleasant. A little over enthusiastic at times and strong believers that they could convince voters to support their cause at the door of the polling station.

I accepted a soft drink from one of the Tories and posted on Facebook - is this "treating" and does this make me a class traitor?

Some of the voters were rather direct and rude to the Tories. In particular those who were suffering from the impact of the bedroom tax.

The weather changed and it poured down for a while but then cleared up.

We had a number of local Party volunteers to fly the flag outside polling stations including Veronica and her baby! Normally I would not have spent all the time on polling stations and instead would be "knocking up" Labour supporters and reminding them to vote. However, we decided to keep an eye on the Tories. I also "stole" top UNISON canvasser, Montrose Matty (white tee-shirt) from Plaistow North ward to help keep them in line.

Monty and I noticed that the family supporters of Tory candidate Farahana were encouraging people only to vote for her "number 5"on the ballot paper. We decided to helpfully pass on this information to the other two Tory candidates. This caused some upset in the "blue" team.

In the evening our local MP, Lyn Brown (and Cara, her Labour attack terrier) joined us on the polling stations. At 10pm the polling stations closed and we went off for pizza and red, red wine

Re-elected as Labour Councillor for West Ham

I was privileged to be re-elected as a Councillor for West Ham ward in Newham, London today, together with Labour colleagues Freda Bourne and John Whitworth. It has been an exhausting past few days, weeks and months. Once I recover I will post in more details about polling day and the count.

Labour won all 60 Council seats in Newham by large margins and Sir Robin Wales was re-elected as Executive Mayor with 61% of the vote.

I have said it before and will say it again, it is a humbling experience to be shown so much trust and support.  Many thanks to all those who voted for us and to those who helped out campaigning in the ward (big thanks to my UNISON comrade, Montrose Matty, for sorting out over enthusiastic Tories outside West Ham polling stations)

West Ham - results

Election Candidate	Party	Votes	%
Freda Ann Bourne	Labour	2046	24%	Elected
John Whitworth	Labour	1939	22%	Elected
John Gray	Labour	1913	22%	Elected
Farhana Firdous	Conservative	617	7%	Not elected
Mary Antwi	Conservative	525	6%	Not elected
Matej Gasparic	Conservative	456	5%	Not elected
Michael Edward Armstrong	UK Independence Party (UKIP)	381	4%	Not elected
Edgar Aguinaldo Garen	Liberal Democrat	259	3%	Not elected
Sheila Iris Brown	Christian Peoples Alliance	231	3%	Not elected
Myrtle Verona Laing	Christian Peoples Alliance	151	2%	Not elected
Joe Mettle	Christian Peoples Alliance	136	2%	Not elected

Colin Parsons RIP

I learnt yesterday from Montrose Matty of the death of Colin (see on left of picture with stripped tee-shirt during the Tower Hamlets Housing Strike of 1999) .

Monty and I worked with Colin in  Bow, East London for a number of years.

It is really sad to hear that he has gone. My condolences to his family and friends.

A former meat delivery driver, East End Publican, Self taught IT expert, Tower Hamlets Housing officer and the self-deprecating purveyor of some of the worse jokes and puns known to man. Colin will be missed.

"Defamation Bill agreed by Parliament" Hip, Hip Hooray!

Great news! I received this email this evening. Well done to everyone involved in getting rid (mostly) of this nasty, vindictive, unjust, unfair and horrible stain on the whole British judicial process. 

I hope they are celebrating:)

(for details of picture see here)

"Dear Friends

We have some great news to share. The Defamation Bill has been agreed by Parliament and is now just waiting for Royal Assent, which will probably happen today, before becoming an Act of Parliament. This is undoubtedly down to all of your hard work with us over the last few years and you all deserve a huge thank you!

Below are some of the reactions from some of the Libel Reform Campaign supporters. You can read more here: http://www.libelreform.org/news

Tracey Brown, Director, Sense About Science said: “A campaign of small organisations, thousands of individuals and good parliamentarians has achieved changes that were denied to citizens for a century. We can now decide to publish based on ‘is it true’, not ‘will they sue’.”

Kirsty Hughes, Chief Executive, Index on Censorship said: “We now have a Defamation Bill that will strengthen freedom of expression, end the global chill from libel tourism and restrict corporations from suing citizen critics.”

Jo Glanville, Director, English PEN said: “This has been a remarkable campaign that has united politicians and campaigners to reform a law that had become an international embarrassment. The chill has had an impact on anyone speaking out in the public interest - from scientists to bloggers - so this is good news for freedom of speech in the UK.”

Dr Evan Harris, Libel Reform Campaign parliamentary adviser said: “As someone involved the campaign from the start, and from inside and outside Parliament, I can see what an achievement it is to achieve this reform.”

Simon Singh, science writer and defendant in BCA v Singh said: “This is an extraordinary story of cross party collaboration, fired up by a grass roots campaign, backed by everyone from nerds to Mumsnet, which includes mums who are also nerds.”

Justine Roberts, CEO and co-founder of parenting forum Mumsnet said: “It's not perfect, and of course we don't yet have the full detail on how the regulations will deal with publication on the internet. But we applaud the hard work of everyone involved, and are very happy to have been a part of this much-needed reform.”

Charmian Gooch, Director, Global Witness said: “The passage of the Defamation Bill is a long overdue victory in the campaign to reform the UK’s outdated and repressive libel laws.”

You can also read our initial analysis of the Bill (PDF)

We're going to arrange a bit of a gathering to get supporters and champions of the campaign together to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment and let you know what needs to happen next. We all still need to keep the pressure on to make sure the new law is enacted as soon as possible, clear and robust regulations are published, new Civil Procedure Rules are issued and most importantly we need to tell those who try and silence free speech through that libel they can't get away with it any more.

We'll be in touch with more details soon!

Síle & Mike

Information: www.libelreform.org"

Out and about for Labour in West Ham

Today I took annual leave from work and campaigned for Ken and Labour in my ward, West Ham. In Newham there were a number of target wards in which we ran full GOTY (Get out the Vote) sessions with polling agents and "knock up" teams. In the rest of the borough we had smaller teams "working their ward" to maximise
turnout.

It was a great day. The rain held off (only a little bit of drizzle now and then - nothing like what we have had in recent weeks). Collage Picture of key West Ham Labour activists John Whitworth, Montrose Matty, Councillor Ron Manley and Freda Bourne (double click to bring up detail). I only heard one negative political comment all day from the hundreds we came in contact with (an attack on Ed Miliband coupled with a tease about "Red Ken").  The majority of "West Ham-mers" were genuinely open and enthusiastic about voting for Ken and Labour (although one person said she would normally vote Labour but she use to be a waitress and she once served him but he didn't give her a tip! I said I am sure that there must have been some sort of a misunderstanding).  The ward is a traditional Labour heartland (as is most of Newham) and the support for the Party amongst all parts of the community is genuinely humbling. Afterwards we went for a beer and a curry in the excellent Manus Palm Grove Restaurant in West Ham Lane.

The London Count does not start until tomorrow morning and the results not expected until late Friday.  I am sure that Labour will do well but turnout is key. Will Tory supporters do what Labour supporters do when they are "unhappy" with a Labour Government and sit on their hands and not vote???    

Europe tells Kaschke to go forth....

In March this year I posted here that the British Court of Appeal had finally thrown out the libel accusations against Labour Bloggers Alex Hilton, Dave Osler and myself made by Tower Hamlets Labour/Respect/Communist/ Conservative Party member, Johanna Kaschke. 

I have made it clear at the time that I think this has been a ludicrous waste of time, trouble and vast amounts of public money that was allowed to continue for four years despite having "no merit whatsoever". 

Many thanks yet again to top lawyers Robert Dougans, David Allen Green (Jack of Kent) and former members of the CCCP Young Pioneers, for their outstanding help and support. Also last but not least thanks to Stroppy and Montrose.

Recently Ms Kaschke has announced that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) have  rejected her appeal against the British Court's decision.  I am not sure which of the many appeals to the ECHR she said she would lodge have been rejected.  However, I assume that this matter is now finally finished. Ms Kaschke is of course busy blaming everyone else except herself for this outcome.

I thought to celebrate this occasion I should play this video recording of defendant Dave Osler at the Royal Court of Justice and his magnificent opening argument before Lord Justice Eady.  Luckily Robert and David were later able to rescue his defence.  Or so I am told.

Dilip Sardar: The first Bengali Tower Hamlets Council employee?

 On Friday evening I went to a UNISON reunion with former colleagues who use to work in the Malmesbury Housing office in Bow, East London. We were all pleased to see Dilip (left) who retired from the Council 7 years ago.

Dilip joined the then Bethnal Green Council on 16 January 1962.  He started work in the Stores department of the depot in Digby Street, E2.  His manager at that time was not known by his job title but by his former military rank as "Major".   In 1965 Bethnal Green, Stepney and Poplar councils were merged to form "Tower Hamlets".

Dilip thinks in 1962 he may have been the first Tower Hamlets Council employee of Bengali origin.  Even though bearing in mind the strong trading links between Bengal and the Docks there was probably others who worked for the predecessor councils.  Dilip is a Hindu Bengali from outside Calcutta while most Bengali's in Tower Hamlets are Muslims who have roots in Bangladesh.

I first worked with Dilip as an Estate Officer in Malmesbury in the early 1990's together with our former manager, the shy and retiring, Derek Barclay (top right) and the hero of the hour Caretaking team leader, Montrose Matty (bottom right).  We reminisced about the good old days when there use to regular weekly team and community building meetings every Friday afternoon in various local public bars. 


Malmesbury was the last big estate (800 units) to be built by Tower Hamlets Council in the early 1980's.  We were based in a former fish and chip shop in Heylyn Square, E3.

The estate office also managed George Lansbury House (which was built near his former home) and the Minnie Lansbury Memorial Clock on Electric House.  The famous Match Womens strike of 1888 also took place within the Estate boundaries.

A good night was had by all.

Happy 50th Montrose Matty!

Happy Half Century to Montrose (Monty) Matty.  Former top UNISON Caretaking steward and Safety rep. 

A  staunch (but born again) Labour Party member. 

Seen here on the picket line outside 723 Commercial Road E14 during the month long Tower Hamlets Housing Strike 1999.

His wife Sue is throwing a Party for him which is taking place in a Community Centre in the Isle of Dogs.  They are promising fresh sea food from nearby Billingsgate Market.

Montrose will protest that this picture does not accurately reflect his very active support of the Strike at the time.

However, surely...the camera never lies :)