"This monstrous glowing orb makes a mockery of east London’s Olympic legacy" Lyn Brown MP

 

When London bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, we were driven not just by sporting desire, but by a vision for a regenerated east London after decades of deindustrialisation and deprivation. We were promised not just new infrastructure and economic growth, but the opportunity to genuinely improve the lives of local residents, including those who suffered dislocation and disruption to create the new Olympic venues. Most local people passionately supported the bid and the Games on this premise. Yet, while the Games did bring significant investment into Newham, there have been clear failures to benefit local people in the years since the closing ceremonies.

Delivering a lasting, positive legacy for the Olympic site was a job entrusted to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC), established by Boris Johnson, then mayor of London, with the promise that local people really would benefit from the impact of the Games. For the most part, the opportunities created have remained out of reach for most local people. Rents and living costs have risen rapidly in the area but these have not been matched by sufficient wage increases or enough accessible new jobs, let alone enough affordable and social housing.

As the local MP, I have always made the case that new developments must meet local needs. Almost a decade on from 2012, I don’t think the LLDC has lived up to that promise. And, while the corporation has failed to deliver the positive changes that local residents need, I believe it is also removing the ability of local residents and their elected councils to have an effective say about what gets built in their communities.

A case in point is the MSG Sphere in Stratford. The LLDC’s planning committee meets soon to decide the fate of the planning application for this giant orb-shaped music venue from the Madison Square Garden company. The site was originally public land that was sold to developers with the idea of creating new workspaces and homes, a fitting vision for the positive legacy of the Games. Instead, what we now face is a massive live entertainment venue, almost as tall as Big Ben, covered with nearly a million garish LEDs, programmed to display videos and adverts. The company behind the concept owns Madison Square Garden in New York, and clearly has little connection to Newham’s communities.

I have had serious concerns for some time about the value of this proposed development, the degree of community consent it has involved and the harm it may do to people in Stratford and neighbouring areas. Newham doesn’t want this venue, yet it’s the LLDC, not Newham council, that gets to recommend to Sadiq Khan whether it is built. I don’t believe that’s fair or right.

Many local residents have clear and serious objections to the light and noise pollution this development would cause, as well as the potential for increased antisocial behaviour and traffic. The giant venue will beam bright lights into the surrounding area until 11pm on some days; beginning again at 6am or 7am, depending on the time of year. One constituent has predicted that it will be like living next to the surface of the sun. Many residents feel that living next to the site will be a nightmare.

The planning application has proposed that the MSG Sphere would host 300 events a year, a number far higher than the venues that already exist nearby, such as the London Stadium. It will undoubtedly be noisy and disruptive. Yet there is no qualified professional assessment of the effects that noise, light, moving images and distracting advertising will have on the environment and local people, including vulnerable groups and children.

Does London really need a gigantic glowing orb the height of Big Ben?

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Crowd management issues could be equally serious. The planning application includes a vague operational manual for how the venue might function, rather than a transparent, detailed and binding plan for impacts on the local area and transport system. And there’s currently no commitment to cooperate with other big venues, such as the London Stadium and the O2, to avoid overwhelming the Jubilee tube line and other local transport.

MSG’s planning application was submitted more than two years ago, in March 2019. The public consultation that has taken place since then has certainly been lengthy, but for many people, that doesn’t make it adequate. There has been a drip-feed of extremely complex, technical submissions with more than 2,000 separate documents and representations available online. The enormous scale of the submission has created huge barriers for residents, many of whom have had difficulty accessing the relevant information, properly understanding the implications or making an informed, democratic decision.

Newham’s residents have little power over the final outcome; Newham council only gets two representatives on the LLDC’s planning committee out of a total of 12 members, including seven unelected committee members. I’m calling on the LLDC to refuse the application and protect Newham’s residents from yet another inappropriate development. I would hope they would listen to and act on what elected representatives say. Securing some of the promised benefits of the Olympic legacy depends upon it.

• Lyn Brown is the Labour member of parliament for West Ham  (hat tip Guardian & Cllr Terry Paul).

A week of campaigning for Sadiq Khan as Labour Mayor of London in West Ham

Some pictures from the door knocking that has been going on by various ward branches in West Ham Labour Party during the last week.

On Sunday I helped out in Custom House. Interestingly, we are also asking residents how they will vote in the European Union referendum and this ward had a high "Remain" in the EU vote.

Thursday evening we were in West Ham ward and were joined by Labour Greater London Assembly candidate for City and East London, Unmesh Desai.

Saturday morning back in West Ham this time with our MP Lyn Brown.  I had a difficult conversation with a constituent who is a council tenant in a 2 bed flat with 2 teenagers (boy and girl) and has been on the waiting list for a move to a larger property for 12 years.

I had to warn her that we have thousands of residents in a similar position or worse and that the Tory plans to make councils sell off off their homes to pay for their right to buy election bribes to Housing Association tenants will be a disaster for people like her. Sadiq Khan as Labour Mayor of London will fix the Tory Housing crisis.

Saturday afternoon I was in the former 2012 Olympic athletic accommodation blocks in what is now East Village in Stratford. The blocks we managed to get into appeared to be half empty since so few had anyone registered to vote. We can only assume that these homes are occupied by non EU nationals. This is not the Olympic legacy that we were promised.

There was a number of other canvass sessions in West Ham last week that I was not able to attend but I will try and help out at all wards during this campaign.

"London 2012 – The People’s Olympics"

Hat tip David Christie on Labourlist

"So the curtain has closed on what must surely be celebrated as one of the greatest ever Olympic Games. Lord Coe told the world “we did it right” and even hardened Games-Scrooges and doubters are looking just a little sheepish. But, this has been a Games where people have been centre stage…and not just on the track.

The list of individual and collective achievements is awe-inspiring. The 29 Golds and 65 medals, the partnership between public and private sectors to deliver the amazing setting and the thousands upon thousands of volunteers have created a feeling of euphoria which no one dared anticipate.

The media narrative has completely changed too, celebrating people it was castigating days before. From Mo Farah the Somali asylum seeker turned double Olympic Champion to the thousands of Games Makers and volunteers. Many of those who volunteered are unemployed and using the opportunity to get valued experience and receiving plaudits from across the world.

For the past 2 years the Government have pushed a narrative about social responsibility and the ‘something for something’ culture which at first glance appears to resonate with the idea of a wider vision for community volunteering and activism. But it is not our ability and work ethic that has fundamentally changed in these magical two weeks. It is our attitudes to one another.

In this light it is easy to see why Cameron’s Big Society vision has so far failed. Aside from the cuts to local authority budgets which has decimated funding for local third sector provision it is simply that by castigating and vilifying people and feeding stories in the right wing press on scroungers, layabouts and lazy public servants the Government has hitherto contributed to a national mood of selfishness and individualism. In such a climate it is impossible to garner the good will and commitment to deliver positive change.

The Olympic Games has somehow managed to wipe away that gloom and antipathy. The spotlight has been firmly on the UK and the British people have reflected a warm glow right back.
I hope that we can hold onto that collectivism and sense of community that has been created in the last few weeks.

There is nothing wrong-headed about the Tory Big Society idea. Their mistake has been to over-politicise it and confuse the message and to fail to recognise that the way to achieve a better society is through opportunity and skills and investing in people. Britain is soaring on an Olympic wave right now, bring on the Paralympics.

Bow Missile Site Home of Match Makers Strike

There has been a huge amount of publicity recently about the plan to possibly mount a "surface to air" missile system to protect the Olympic stadium  from suicide bombers on the top of a residential complex.  I drove past the proposed  site this morning and TV cameras were still outside.

I even saw the story featured on "Russia Today" television.

What hasn't been mentioned widely is that the site is actually the old Bryant and May factory in Bow where the famous "matchworkers strike" of 1888 took place.

Hat tip to Mick Hartly for this photo of a helicopter next to the Lexington Tower where the missiles are thought likely to mounted (if the plan goes ahead).

Let's get the Party Started! Olympics 2012

Yesterday afternoon I went to a public meeting and workshops at the old Town Hall in Stratford designed to encourage Newham residents to self organise community events and celebrations to mark the 2012 Olympics.

There was about 100 people at this meeting and 150 at the one held in the morning.  Newham Elected Mayor, Sir Robin Wales spoke first and reminded us the 2012 Olympics is a once in a life time event.  We will never hold the Olympics in Newham again in our lifetime so we need to get the most out of it. 

Next was a fantastic song sung by Newham Talent winner Tanyel Hassan.  Followed by Newham residents speaking about their experiences organising very successful Street Parties to celebrate the Royal Wedding of  William and Katie earlier this year.   It was inspiring to hear their stories of what they and their communities achieved  with a little help from the Council.  They lived  in streets beforehand in which they did not know their neighbours but the Royal Wedding Party had transformed their street into a community. 

After this there was a superb "Bollywood" display by 4 dancers who happened to be Asian, Black, Chinese and White.  Followed by a panel Q&A on the nuts and bolts of organising an event.  Then there were specialist stalls manned by Council officers and Community volunteers. The Council will give advice and support for Street Parties and you could also apply for a grant of £250 as seed money.  However, the important thing is that the Council will not organise the event for you but will help the community to organise themselves.

I will admit that I am a bit of an old cynic at times about such things but this event really did inspire me.  So find out more here and let's get the party started!

Visit to Olympic Park - September 2011

Two weeks ago I went on a visit with fellow Newham Councillors and officers to the 2012 Olympic Park and to the new Stadium (see photo).  This was my first visit to the site.  The Stadium is of course spectacular, as are the other sport facilities, the Olympic village and Westfield.  What I hadn't quite realised beforehand was how extensive the parkland will be - all the trees, the plants and the cleaned up rivers.

For many, many years I use to cycle or run into work in Bow through this same area.  There was a ugly and dirty industrial estate, eyesore electric pylons, car scrap yards protected by vicious barking dogs and huge mounds of dumped rubbish and fly tips.  The contrast with today's Queen Elizabeth Park is incredible. 

While it is not going solve all our problems, the Park is a fantastic legacy for our Borough and the whole East End of London.

I'll post the other pictures I took that day on Facebook - check this link.

Good News for Newham

Yesterday I went for the first time on the new Docklands Light Railway line from Canning Town to Stratford International Station.  It opened last week and is a great step forward for the whole area.  The 6km £211 million route has 4 brand new fully accessible stations which also connect five London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues.  In is particularly good news for West Ham ward since two of the stations are right next to the ward boundaries.  From Stratford International you can be in St Pancras in under 10 minutes. Eventually (fingers crossed) you will be able to pick up the Eurostar from Stratford.

Also, last week I went on another tour of  Westfield Stratford City.  Only a few weeks ago it was a building site and we had to wear safety helmets and boots.  Now the shops are being fitted out and you could walk around in normal clothing.  The new shopping centre (the biggest in Europe with 300 stores) opens this Tuesday.  Today, by coincidence, I had to go to Ilford to visit the nearest Marks and Sparks.  The Shopping centre in Ilford is a fairly pleasant enough location and I wish it well, but I really pleased that Newham will now have a world class shopping and leisure facility which will also provide thousands of jobs and careers for local people. Double click photos to bring up detail.

(Oh yes, isn't there is some sort of sporting event going on in Stratford next year as well? :)

Newham London Run 2011

Yesterday I was marching in central London, today I was running (very slowly) around the Olympic Park in Stratford, Newham.  So another day, another photo collage. This 10k run started outside the Railway Tavern Hotel (one of the best pubs in Newham by far) and was set off by Cllr Paul Brickell, the Newham Council Executive Member for Olympics and Public Affairs.

We ran through Westfield Stratford City and the 2012 Olympic site.  Then along the Greenway and finished in Stratford Park (which is in my ward, West Ham).  Nearly 4000 runners took part.

The run really brings to home the huge size of the Olympic park and the massive regeneration that is going on.  This is great news for Newham and East London.

Cllr Forhad Hussain was I think the only other Newham Councillor taking part (UNISON member of course) he was also on the March yesterday.  He ran with his twin brother Fokrul and was supported by his "Team Hussain" nephew supporters. 

It took me 1 hour 11 minutes which is pretty slow but 7 minutes better I think than last year.  Next year I will try and break the 1 hour (and maybe even run the marathon that I was supposed to have done this year).

All in all a great event and I would encourage everyone to take part next year.  I'll post all the pictures on Facebook when I get a chance.

(double click to bring up picture detail.)

Forest Gate North Labour Party Ward AGM

Last night was my local Labour Party ward AGM in Durning Hall, E7.  It was the best attended ward meeting I have been to and a sign that the Party is growing and that members feel the need to become more active.  The outgoing secretary Cllr Ellie Robinson reported that we now had 85 members.  23 joined in 2010 and we have 16 young members (this figure thanks in part to the excellent work done by Ellie and the rest of Newham Young Labour). 

During Councillor reports we discussed the massive and "savage" cuts being forced upon Newham by this Tory led government.  There was a mature and measured discussion about the harm being done and how to protect Newham residents and staff as best we can against the coming onslaught.

I spoke about how we must unite to oppose this government and support our local campaign "Newham Together" and the TUC March in March against the Cuts, which will take place in London on Saturday 26th March.  We must make sure this will be a well attended and supported event.  But also follow up with helping Party colleagues outside London in the local elections in May.  This year there are no elections in London so we can go out and help Labour Candidates elsewhere.  If we inflict "savage" defeats on local Tories and Lib Dem Councils this will make their local MPs take stock and think about changing their national policies.  We have been given a Tory council to target and have set provisional campaigning dates. 

I doubt that the ConDems will call an election before 2015 since turkeys would not vote for Christmas but I do believe if we campaign properly we can inflict defeats on the government and we may even help bring about a general election early.

Reacting to the Cuts will be really difficult but the Labour Movement family cannot afford to argue and bicker amongst ourselves since this will only benefit the real enemy.

New blood put themselves forward for a number of ward and Party positions.  I was very pleased that Tahmina is now our new secretary. 

Cllr Paul Brickell spoke and led a Q&A about the Olympics development and legacy plans which was well received.  In comparison to the sometimes ill-informed and blatantly untruthful, malicious twaddle we have come across lately.  

Future ward events planned include a tour of the Olympic Park and a Joint Forest Gate Labour Supporters meeting in March with Sir Robin Wales.  Our local MP Lyn Brown and London Assembly member John Biggs have also been invited to attend and speak.

Onwards and forwards.

(this picture from 1905 will be familiar to anyone who has lived in Forest Gate - hat tip Newham Stories)

"Workers: Sweating for the Olympics" Playfair 2012 Event 6 June

via

Hat-tip SERTUC

Forest Gate North Welcomes East Anglia Labour Outlook

My local Labour Party ward meeting last week was held at a members’ home in order to have a more informal "brain storming" get-together for the year ahead.

Tonight we welcomed John Miles, who has recently moved into the ward from Ipswich to work for the National Party. Before he got the job John use to run the well respected blog “Labour Outlook” which he had to give up due to workload pressures.

It was a good ward meeting and I am lucky to live in a Consistency Labour Party (CLP) where there are well attended and active local meetings. Following reports from our 3 ward Councillors, they took questions covering subjects such as problems regarding the new earlier refuse collection times, shops taking over the pavements with outdoor displays, possible redundancies following the proposed centralisation of Council offices, update on Olympic Health centre petitions, the closure of Dunning Hall (important local community hall) and will Newham follow Tower Hamlets as a Living Wage borough?

We have a “plan” for the next 12 months (see picture). This month a Stall in Forest Gate collecting petition signatures about the Olympic health centre, then visits to Holden Point in Stratford which overlooks the Olympic site and to Jenkins Lane which is the main Council Recycling facility.

We are inviting London Labour MEP Claude Moreas, our West Ham MP, Lyn Brown and Newham Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, to speak to us (joint meeting with Forest Gate South ward).

The major campaign event of the year is the European Elections in June. We are aiming for a full ward canvass, numerous leaflet drops and high street stalls.

We are planning a Social fund raiser in August (rounder’s game on Wanstead flats?) and fund raising dinner/quiz in the autumn. We are also thinking about each month allowing time for a short political presentation and debate on topical subjects. Finishing the year off with a Christmas Party.

Ward members will also take a full part in the various West Ham CLP and Newham Labour Party (and socialist societies) activities.

If anyone reading is a Labour Party member and has not been to a ward meeting before I would recommend you give your local secretary a ring and give it a go.

What is it with “Sport”?

At work I am astonished that colleagues are getting up every day at 3am in order to watch live Olympic events. Others race off home at night in order to spend their entire evenings watching “wall to wall” sport.

People have come to work genuinely excited and pleased at the British sporting successes to date.

Personally, I am only vaguely interested in watching the actual races and competitions. I am more concerned with China and its human rights record, while fascinated with the interaction of the female Russian soldier who won gold in the shooting event (of all things) and the Georgian who gained silver.

I am somewhat pleased when Brits do well but the prospect of actually watching the stuff fills me with horror.

I live within walking distance of the London Olympic site and have volunteered to “help out” at the 2012 games. But this support is really because of the massive regeneration benefits that I hope East London will gain from hosting the Olympics.

Perhaps this is genetic? My lovely eldest sister is a professional gymnastics coach who I know to my cost will be glued to her telly for the next few weeks. Amongst my earliest memories are of fighting with her to turn off tennis on the TV in order to try and watch cartoons (she won). She happens to be my half-sister since her biological Mum died when she was a toddler.

Or is it “environment”? At school it was definitely an advantage to be “good at sports”. I have also come across many people who when you first meet them will ask as a matter of course which football team do I support. When I reply, “none” they are genuinely flustered about what to say next. Why do certain countries with small populations such as Austrialia do so relatively well?

Is the love of sports the new “opium of the people”? I have come across arguments from the “left” attacking sports because of this. However, many seriously religious folk and loads of “far left” are equally in awe of “Sport”.

I was put in my place this morning by a work colleague who had been up since 3am to watch the live Olympics. She responded to my stated incomprehension on “why” by stating “John it must be very similar to your love of trade unions – when you go on about such things I just don’t get it. But I just love watching the Olympics as much as you love your unions”.

So maybe it’s not genetic or environmental perhaps it’s just me?

London UNISON New Capitalists

I have just sent out an invite for a meeting to London UNISON members who are pension trustees or member nominated representative on LGPS panels. This is for the London UNISON Capital Stewardship Forum. The meeting will take place on Tuesday 1 July 2008, 2-4pm, at room 2B (second floor) of the University of London Union (ULU).

Agenda items so far are:

UNISON NDC conference – report back on motion, UNIZONE and Capital Stewardship fringe Meeting (Bournemouth Monday 16 June 5.30pm)
TUC Pension Trustee Conference London 27 June 2008
Other conference reports and future events
Campaigns update
Joint working
Governance of Pension Schemes
Update on UNISON National Capital Stewardship Programme/website (UNISON national officer Colin Meech)
Future Training seminar for London region on Capital stewardship
International Union Trustee Meeting London 8-10th July.

This meeting may seem just a little boring but what we will be most likely discussing at this meeting is issues such as protecting pension investments in an uncertain market, lobbying government ministers over governance and benefit disputes, investments in PFI schemes and trade union rights, health and safety for overseas workers who make Olympic sports wear, investments in Burma etc.

Never a really dull moment. ....Honest.

Catch the Flame

This evening I had a look at the TUC website and clicked on the Catch the Flame site which is “an initiative of Play Fair 2008, supported by a global alliance of trade unions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), labour groups and concerned individuals, working together to draw attention to the maltreatment and exploitation of workers in the merchandise industry of the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008), Vancouver (Winter 2010) and London (2012)”.

I must admit that I am not entirely clear how it intends to work, but you add your name and location to the site and by doing so lend your support to this very worth while campaign. It does not seem to have anything to do with the “Free Tibet” Olympic torch?

UK Workers capital activists need to get their heads around "Play Fair" issues and the 2012 London Olympics.

Making Newham the First Ever Living Wage Borough

Newham Co-op Party and TULO Meeting on tackling Poverty

Last Thursday's meeting with guest speaker, local MP for West Ham, Lyn Brown (see centre of photo) to tackle poverty in Newham, East London (home of the 2012 Olympics) was probably one of the most constructive and positive local Labour Movement meetings that I have attended. This issue is all about helping to progress social justice and can unite all sections of the Party and trade unions.

The debate began by describing the good work that had been carried by trade unions such as the T&G and community groups elsewhere in London. Making sure large institutions such as Banks and Universities, check that all their staff (including sub-contractors such as cleaners and security staff) are paid a "living wage" in London (£7.05 p/hour). The "minimum wage" is a massive achievement for the Labour Government and those (relatively few) trade unions who fought for it. However, everyone who lives in London knows that the cost of living in the capital is far more than elsewhere (please note I was brought up outside London).

Lyn gave a detailed and sober speech describing the scale of the problem in Newham, with research that shows 20% of Newham workers earn less than the living wage and the impact that such low pay has on deprivation and crime. She also pointed out that raising pay levels alone will not be enough due to the extraordinary high level of rents in Newham. The benefit and tax system will also need to be reformed. The continued failure to treat Newham as an inner city borough with regard to the Government financial settlement also needs to be successfully challenged.

There was a wide ranging discussion with contributions from everybody present. Following which we decided: -

1. To Campaign for a Living Wage in Newham.
2. To work in partnership with Newham Labour group, Newham MP's Lyn Brown and Stephen Timms, other relevant elected politicians and local community groups (TELCO/Community Links) to achieve this aim.
3. A working Party should be set up to plan ahead John Saunders (UCU), Cllr Jon Knotts (UNISON), Cllr David Griffin (Amicus), Gloria Hanson (UNISON), John Whitworth (UCU), Cllr Amarjit Singh (TSSA) and me (UNISON).
4. It was proposed to identify several large employers (The Council, universities/colleges, Banks, Supermarkets? ) located in the borough and approach them to find out what they pay staff. If they fail to pay a living wage then to engage with these employers in order to make them change their mind.
5. Including approaching Pension fund trustees to consider lobbying fund managers and company AGMs?

6. With Lyn's help organise a delegation of Newham affiliates to lobby ministers.
7. Encourage trade union membership in Newham as the best way in the long term of improving pay and conditions.

I'll keep people posted on our success (or otherwise) however this is the sort thing that I think all London Labour Parties and trade union affiliates (and other areas outside London with above average living costs) should be working upon.

Tomorrow is the UNISON regional Labour Link forum and I will be proposing a motion regarding a "Living wage", which if accepted I will post later and which readers are welcome to use to submit to their own branches/wards.