Dinner with John McDonnell - Thursday 7th March 2019

An evening with John McDonnell MP West Ham CLP fundraiser/social - Thursday 7th March Dear Member We'd like to invite you to a really special CLP event - a fundraising dinner with John McDonnell MP, at the invitation of our MP Lyn Brown. John has served on Labour's front bench as the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer since 2015 and will speak about Labour's vision for transforming the economy. This is a ticketed event and you must buy a ticket in advance to attend. Tickets costs £25 each or £200 for a table of ten (early bird price until 17th February) and include a three course curry dinner. Soft drinks will be provided and a pay bar will be available. The meal will take place at Impressions, Milner Rd, London E15 3AD, from 7-10pm on Thursday 7th March 2019. The venue is close to West Ham Station and fully accessible. All Labour party members and supporters are welcome - please think about asking your trade union or local branch to book a table. You can reserve tickets by emailing westhamlabour@gmail.com and making a payment by cash, cheque or bank transfer to the CLP. All funds raised will go towards West Ham Labour Party's campaign funds. We look forward to seeing you there! In solidarity, West Ham CLP (picture of John McDonnell MP speaking in West Ham in 2016 at the launch of "Newham United Against Austerity" with Lyn Brown MP & (now) Newham Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz, NUT Kevin Courtney, Peter Smith & UNISON Yvonne Green).

Parents Defending Education: Meeting 23 April 2016

It is shocking that for bigoted political dogma the Tories are going to attack top performing Local Authority schools. Check out Anti Academies Alliance. Hat tip NUT Bob Archer.

Pension Strike and Rally: London 30 June

This lunchtime I met up with branch officer Joel Bodmer (picture bottom left) to go and support the Pension rally for striking London teachers and civil servants.

The rally took place at Westminster Central Hall. Unfortunately we were turned away since it was full. So we went to a overflow rally around the corner. The march was still ongoing
all the time we were there. This was a magnificent and well organised event.

At the rally I did note that one speaker mentioned that in the teachers pension fund there was already an agreement to cap employer contributions.  If teacher pension costs do go up then the state will not pay anymore.  So there is no need at all for this theft of pension contributions.  This is purely about those who work with the public being made to pay for the Bankers crisis rather than the financiers who caused it in the first place. 

Newham Trades Council relaunch: What was Good, Bad and at times Ugly

Last night I went to the relaunch of Newham Trades Council which took place inside the Town Hall Council Chamber. I was late due to another meeting and missed the opening speeches by NUT General secretary Christine Blower;  PCS assistant General secretary Chris Baugh and
Steve Hedley from the RMT. Steve had left by the time I arrived.

I must admit to being impressed with the turn out, which pretty much filled the Council Chamber. People were  making contributions as I took my seat.  Most of which were very good and constructive.  Pointing out that we must build unity to defeat this Tory led coalition. I was surprised though that quite a few of the speakers admited that they did not live or work in the borough.

However, there were some extremely silly and sectarian grandstanding going on.  Repeating almost word for word in some instances, the Tory lies that Labour Council cuts are all unnecessary and are only being carried out to embarrass the government.  I could imagine the Evil one himself in the corner chuckling to himself at some of the comments made.  How anyone thinks they can build opposition by splitting and wreaking is beyond me?  I'm more than happy to have a row with such people but I would rather be fighting Tories.  Honest!

Overall there were many good points made and of course it is entirely legitimate to constructively criticise the Party and hold elected representatives to account.  However one contributor ended his thoughts by calling for people to stop voting Labour.  There was some clapping to this. My response is yes, if you do not agree with Labour, then don't vote Labour.  It is a free vote. No one is forcing you to vote Labour in the borough with the biggest Labour vote in the entire country.

Chris and Christine made excellent closing speeches.  Chris reminded everyone that the anti poll tax campaign was successful because everyone was under attack and everyone was united in opposition.  While Christine pointed out the ludicrous situation that there is no legal requirement for a school to have a library but there is for a prison to have one. Both of them urge support for the likely Pension's strike on June 30th and look forward to possible further strikes over Pensions involving all the public sector unions later on in the year.

I thought this was on the whole a successful meeting and well done to Newham Trades Council Secretary, Peter Smith (left of picture) for a well organised and well chaired event.  This could be the basis of a successful relaunch of the trades council.  But not if some just want to use it to bash Labour.  We must agree on what we can agree and leave the rest to be fought over elsewhere and another day. I didn't stand up and say my piece last night out of respect for the speakers present.  Because a good meeting would have just descended into a shouting match (both ways).  But I doubt I would hold my tongue again.  It also desperately needs the centre left to participate and not stay away because they cannot be bothered to go to a meeting and be lectured by those they consider (rightly or wrongly) to be weirdo la la fantasists. 

We should also recognise that the majority of workers in Newham are not in the public sector and many desperately need our help to organise.  Our fight over the Tory cuts affects everyone, but we must also support and campaign on bread and butter trade union issues in Newham such as Living wage plus, trade union recognition and health & safety in small businesses.  As the UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis said, Trade unions were not created for the good times, we were created for the bad times.  That bad time has come under this Government.  We need to organise centrally and locally in the Labour movement. Newham Trades Council has a proud history and I hope a bright future.   

Tower Hamlets School Strike

Picture is from the Strike yesterday against the Tory-led government cuts by NUT and UNISON members in Tower Hamlets schools. 

I went to the picket line at Albert Jacob House in Bethnal Green and met up with these strikers on route to their rally in Whitechapel.

I understand that UNISON deputy General Secretary Keith Sonnat spoke at the rally (I had a clash so couldn't make) which was well attended.

Anthony Walker Memorial Lecture - Friday 23rd October (5-8pm)

Anthony Walker, who was a Black British A-level student from Huyton, Merseyside, a Christian and a keen basketball player, was brutally murdered in a racially motivated attack on 30 July 2005 near McGoldrick Park in Huyton. The crime shocked Anthony’s community, as well as the people of Liverpool, and gained widespread national publicity. The perpetrators were brought to justice and received lengthy prison sentences.

The NUT, in partnership with the Anthony Walker Foundation, instituted an annual memorial lecture in the name of Anthony Walker in 2007. This year’s lecture is due to take place on:

Friday 23rd October at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool from 5:00–8:00pm.

Contact here