Warning: I've been Mike Law-ed

Just to let people know who don't at first recognise me or are giving me odd looks -that I haven't joined either the USMC or the Vinnie Jones fan club but due to an unfortunate misunderstanding at a Merton Hairdresser on Monday (its a long story but fundamentally my fault) I have been left looking like Newham Big Bad Mikey (right of picture) or even Brother Pearce (even more right).

Some of my so-called Labour comrades at Council meetings last night (gleefully) suggested that this new look may help me go faster in my marathon training!!!! At a trade union meeting this morning it was even put forward that I should have N30 and the UNISON logo shaven into what is left! 

Friday Frippery: Militant John and the Labour Attack Puppies

You couldn't make this up but the Newham toryminitrue site run by thin-skinned Tory, Neil "Skinhead" Pearce, is accusing moi of being a Labour "attack dog".  As if.

Apparently "Militant John" has "orchestrated" a letter writing "crusade" against this 'orrible ConDem government in the letter pages of the Newham Recorder.  To think I would do such a thing while being West Ham Labour Party agent! How completely outrageous a suggestion!

What stuff and nonsense.  As agent maybe I should have organised a campaign but the truth of the matter is that I have sent one letter to the Newham Recorder complaining about an abusive one that Pearce had sent them about our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown and his hypocritical attempts to score political points at the expense of Remembrance Day services. I have not had any knowledge or involvement in any other letters to the Newham Recorder.  These letters I think actually reflect genuine anger by local residents about this silly Tory attempt to make political capital out of the sacrifice of our armed forces and how they detest this government. Nothing to do with me - Guv.

Apparently, according to Minitrue, some Labour Party bods also don't like me being so 'orrible about Pearce and his Newham Tories! tut, tut..come off it - how stupid does Pearce and Toryminitrue think people are?  What planet do these Tory numpties actually live on?  People expect Labour to attack the Tories.  Especially when they leave such open goals.

BTW I think Newham Tories will do very well in Planet United Left - their natural home :)

(picture is of young Militant John launching one of his Labour attack puppies at somebody's ankle)

Magic Moments

I had a letter published recently in the Newham Recorder as West Ham Labour Party agent criticising Tory East Ham Chair, Neal Pearce,  for being abusive about West Ham  MP Lyn Brown and using Remembrance Day to make cheap political points.  A number of Newham residents also wrote in to complain about his behaviour.  On 29 December Mr Peace responded defending his comments by claiming that I had been “rude” about his appearance on this blog during the 2009 by-election and had apparently “booed” him during the May 2010 election count?  How childish and ridiculous. 

In the 2009 campaign I had criticised a Tory election leaflet he published about himself which I said he appeared to have a (my Welsh Compatriot) “Vinnie Jones” skinhead haircut.  Nothing more and nothing less.  I supposed he is complaining that I was actually comparing him to a yob.  But please look at the picture on his leaflet (see video) and make your own mind up.  The fact that so-called “thick skinned” Pearce made a thinly veiled threat of violence against me does I suppose support this yobbish assumption. 

On Election day this year there was as you can imagine a lot of cheering and booing going on from both sides during the formal declarations.  As far as I remember I was trying to fix my camera to record the result when his came up.  I am pretty sure that I never behaved in the daft and boorish manner that Mr Pearce displayed at his election declaration in 2009.

The big issue of course is that he has never responded to my criticism about him politicising Remembrance Day – instead he tries to shirk responsibility for his comments by claiming I have been “orrible” to him.  How silly and immature.  Mr Pearce should realise the first rule of politics is that if you are in a hole.  Stop digging.

Meanwhile someone has sent me this YouTube link.  Headphones and speakers on.  Pearce’s nonsense helps proves my point. Why are the opposition in Newham, extreme left and extreme right, so completely rubbish?  Obsessed solely with personalities?  None of them have any real politics.  Oh well.

Letter to Newham Recorder

Dear Editor

East Ham Tory Chair, Neil Pearce,  is entitled to criticise our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown, for what he apparently believes to be her “politicising” of Remembrance Sunday (letters 1 Dec).  But does he really have to use such personal language?  He describes her comments as  being “disgusting”  and “really sickening” and then makes a series of partisan political points himself? 

Let us remember that Lyn was suggesting very gently in her column that those who choose to wear the poppy in a very political way - in China of all places (The Prime Minster David Cameron during his recent visit) should at very least pay the war widows what they deserve - because war widows and the rest of us are going to suffer for the cuts they are imposing on benefits and public services. She was adding her voice to a campaign to protect the vulnerable, those who have already lost so much, and get the Government to pull back from their policy of below inflation increases for war widows and others in receipt of pensions. Mr Pearce would be better engaged in assisting in that campaign.

Can I suggest that if in the future he or anyone thinks that Lyn has got something wrong that they write to her first pointing out their concerns.  If they are not satisfied with her response then by all means they could bring it to the attention of a wider audience without hopefully making Remembrance Sunday itself a focus for petty political abuse and a failed exercise of point scoring

Your faithfully

John Gray

West Ham Labour Party Agent

(published 15 December 2010)

Is the plan to punish the poor?

Letter published by Newham Recorder this week. There is a delay before they put the "Postbag" letters on their Internet site.

I think it is a pretty safe bet that the Tories will hammer the hard pressed working families who depend upon tax credits to keep the wolf away from the door. In favour of inheritance tax breaks for the millionaire mates of Dave and George (D&G).

I note that my fellow trade union activist and Chair of East Ham Tories - GMB Clause 4 "Brother Neil" also had a letter printed this week in the Recorder.

Like Brother Neil I am a "Housing professional" I suppose? but what on earth was he going on about? The Recorder titled his letter as "Time to co-ordinate more (sic) Intiatives". Which I think sums up the letter pretty well.

Which no doubt will cause Big Bad Mikey Law to rush in and claim this is all part of some weird and wonderful conspiracy by the poor old Recorder against his true blue but apparently currently estranged bro!

Off to “The Count” – Royal Docks By-Election

The polling stations have now just closed and I have stopped off to leave the car and make a quick post on this Council by-election in Royal Docks ward in Newham.

I did a couple of hours as a Labour polling agent this morning before having to go off to an excellent UNISON Pension training seminar (post on which to follow) and this evening was “knocking up” in Britannia village and in North Woolwich.

I spent a hour or so in the freezing wind and light rain with Alan Craig of the CPA outside the polling station in Camel Road! I also met the Conservative Candidate, Neil Pearce, for the first time. He said “Hello John” and I responded “Hello Brother Pearce”. Which he took very well.

I’ve got to do it - and I will put my neck on the line and predict the result. Labour won all 3 seats in the 2006 Council election by a fair majority but only by 30 votes in the GLA elections last year (not including postal votes?).

My prediction which will remain in the blogosphere from now on is that Steve Brayshaw will win for Labour by a comfortable margin. At least 100 votes. The Tories will be second, CPA third and Respect last.

Of course - one of the exciting things about politics is when things are close - you never ever really know until the count has finished.

Fingers and toes?

Brother Pearce and the collective ownership of the means of production.

Is the Tory candidate for the Royal Docks By-election, Neil Pearce, a militant far left entryist into the Conservative Party?

This question arose following the shock disclosure in local newspaper "Wharf" (no link) that he is also a Shop Steward for the GMB trade union (General Municipal and Boilermakers Union).

This major trade union is affiliated to the Labour Party and has in its GMB rule book (Rule 2.8) "aims" to help elect MPs and Councillors who

“are pledged to collective ownership, under democratic
control, of the means of production, distribution and exchange”.

Nice but dim Royal Docks Tory spokesman Anon claimed that they would report anyone who claimed that Comrade Pearce was not a true blue Tory to the Central Committee. While former Newham Labour Councillor turned Tory firebrand, Mike Law, is believed to have rejected any suggestions that Neil was part of a desperate plot by disheartened militant tendency supporters to infiltrate the Conservative Party.

Working class Tory MP and ex-shadow Home Secretary, David Davies (and grandson of revolutionary communists) is secretly pictured above with his Conservative Red Action supporters during his recent coup attempt to become leader of Conservative Party.

Nuff said?

Royal Docks Tory "lies, deceit and hypocrisy" over City Airport

While I don’t necessary expect political parties to conform to Marquess of Queensbury Rules while fighting local elections, I don’t think official Party leaflets should be telling lies or making personally abusive accusations either.

The latest official Tory leaflet being delivered in the Royal Docks by-election in Newham, East London is pretty dire and depressing for anyone who cares about local democracy regardless of Party.

This official A4 double sided leaflet has the main title “- SEE INSIDE FOR THE TRUTH AND LIES!” Inside indeed there is a headline that “Labour should say “sorry” over City Airport lies...” Strong stuff you would think. There is more. “Angry residents complained to Neil Pearce about Labour’s campaign of lies and deceit” (their emphasis). “Labour Councillors....are falsely claiming the conservatives want to expand the airport with and runaways.” (Not all that sure what that means in English?)”The National Party it has denied any plans”. “Neil (says)..., this desperate lies is a disgrace” etc.

So Labour is telling lies, is being deceitful and is a disgrace says Tory boy Neil?

On the same page as the accusation of lies and deceit they clearly imply that Labour Candidate Steve Brayshaw is complicit in these “lies” and that he is “untrustworthy” - see the “ITS A QUESTION OF TRUST?” headline about a planning meeting that Steve could not attend since he was teaching at the time in his college!

Many local Tories have got very excited about such matters – one of them has apparently even made a complaint to the Electoral commission regarding “false claims”.

So Labour claims that the National Conservative Party supports the expansion of City Airport are just lies and deceit then?

So why did the “The Times” (that well known socialist rag) report here “Tories clear the way for more flights from small airports”. This article was by the surely inconsequential figure - “The Times” Chief Political Correspondent, Sam Coates.

Let us now be crystal clear “The Conservatives said yesterday that they were willing to expand airport capacity in the South East despite the party’s environmental opposition to a third runway at Heathrow".

"Luton, City Airport or Southend could be allowed increased numbers of flights or an extra runway under the Tories” (my emphasis)

Tory Mayor, Boris Johnson is now a well known enthusiastic supporter of expansion at City Airport. While Tory GLA member Roger Evans has referred to the City Airport protesters as “Climate change Taliban”.

So the Labour leaflets that accurately reported that the Tories are in favour of increasing City airport capacity or even building an extra runway (despite this being difficult to see how) are not “false” it’s not “lies” and it’s not “deceitful” either.

So should those responsible for “City Airport lies” attacks say they are sorry to Steve and the Labour Party? I’m not holding my breath.

Actually I think the (deliberate) decision to personally attack and try to smear Steve and the local Party is a sign of desperation. They were not getting anywhere by any legitimate campaigns so they have decided to resort to plain old abuse.

Now, me getting on my blogging high horse and slating the 'orribble Tories is one thing, putting official Party leaflets out falsely calling your opponents liars and untrustworthy is just plain wrong and is not I think going to impress the electors of Royal Docks.

The only good thing it does possibly do is to make people wonder what sort of candidate Neil Pearce is if he feels he has to imply that his opponent is an untrustworthy and deceitful lair.

To me it just reminds us all that things haven’t changed all that much under cuddly Cameron and the Tories (not all of them) are still the “Nasty Party”.

West Ham tackles desperate Blues in Royal Docks Thriller

This morning I helped out in a canvass team from West Ham Labour Party which was led by our MP Lyn Brown in the Royal Docks By-election.

Photo – From left -Forhad Hussain; Cllr Jon Knott (UNISON member); Ray Smith; Lyn Brown MP (UNISON member); Alan Griffiths (UNISON member); John Cullen and Cllr Winston Vaughan

The Tories have taken their gloves off and have decided in a new leaflet to accuse Labour of “lies and deceit” and make personal attacks on the Labour Candidate, Steve Brayshaw. Which is a shame for the political process but it is not entirely unexpected.

They are also copying the discredited and dishonest Alan Craig practice of publishing a misleading bar chart that claims that “Only 20 votes separates Labour and local man Neil Pearce”. Leaving to one side for now that Steve and tory candidate, Neil Pearce, live within 5 minutes walk of each other so it is a bit strange to suggest that Steve is not himself local? The bar chart refers to the 2008 GLA election but doesn't say so. Pearce may have a high opinion of himself but he is no “Boris”.

The proper comparison should be with the 2006 Council election when Pearce came bottom of all the Tory candidates and their average vote was only 515 votes while the average Labour vote was 761. The last Council election was not “close”.

Later I was sent off to lead a canvass team of Newham Councillors – Cllr Winston Vaughan; Cllr Mary Skyers; Cllr Alec Kelloway and Cllr Andrew Baikie.

Today, the weather was warm and very sunny, the reaction from voters was positive and I saw the first tree blossom of the year.

Spring is well on its way and the tories are obviously feeling desperate since they are resorting to personal abuse.

So all in all, it was a good day.