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

"A Space to Learn, Live & Play" (but can West Ham residents afford to live here?)

 

Today I joined a zoom presentation by the developers of the old Ford car dealer showrooms at 259 Plaistow Road, West Ham ward, Newham.

I was there as a local ward Councillor with my colleague Cllr McLean (Cllr Whitworth had a medical clash and will be briefed later). 

This site is now owned by the Government's Department of Education and they want to build a new 6th form school with the Big Education Trust as well as community facilities, work places and shops. 

So far so good since it appears that Newham is in  need of more school places. While I would have preferred a local authority school to provide spaces the government refuses to allow Councils to build schools anymore. 

However, my challenge to the development team today was how many of the additional 400 homes  proposed to be built on the site will be genuinely affordable to local residents?  The Government spokesperson made it clear that they will expect the cost of buying the land and building the school will be offset by selling many of these homes. 

In Newham we have a massive housing crisis. If the new school reflects Newham,  66% of its pupils will be living in poverty after their parent's housing costs are taking into account. 

We also have the worse homelessness in the UK with more than 50% children living in temporary accommodation than in the entire north of England.  

It seems as only 30% of these homes will be deemed (even under the current nonsensical government definition) "affordable" even if that means charging 80% of market rent.  In Newham this could be £1400 per month. 

It would appear that only a small percentage of these homes will be at social rents (40-50% of market rents) that local families in need will be able to afford. 

The developers said that they will get back to us on this important issue. 

In the meanwhile they are informally consulting with local residents and I would encourage everyone to look at their website https://plaistowplace.co.uk/  and also attend if possible one of their webinars this Saturday and next Tuesday (links not currently working?). Full consultation is due to take place next year. 

I made it clear that the proposed levels of social housing are completely insufficient and must be reviewed. The developers bought this land in late 2018 after the May election when all Councillors and the Mayor were elected on a very clear manifesto commitment that 50% of all such developments must be at social rents. 

Damp or Condensation? is it caused by "lifestyle" or is it actually overcrowding?

Yesterday evening I went on an inspection of 8 flats with Newham London Housing management and technical officers to this block in Plaistow following some horrendous reports of disrepair & damp in the block. 

A list of repair actions was agreed with residents but while there are things that residents and Landlords can do to mitigate condensation damp, it is no coincidence that overcrowded households tend to suffer the most. We need to build more and better homes to solve this.

Many thanks to the London Renters Union for supporting residents on this and helping to bring this to our notice 

Getting to Work Shouldn't be a luxury. But Tory Tickets Cost a Fortune.

This morning I was outside Plaistow Underground station with West Ham Labour Party comrades handing out leaflets on fare rises to commuters going into work.  Outside railway and bus stations across the country, Labour and trade union activists were handing out similar leaflets protesting against rises and calling for these services to be brought back into public ownership.

On Saturday fares were increased nationally and in London, the latest rise has meant that in the last 7 years fares have increased by a staggering 40% outstripping pay increases.

Train and Bus fares are hugely regressive. The very poorest and the very wealthy pay the same in theory for fares. In fact the better off are more likely to pay less since they will often have access to cheaper season tickets provided with interest free loans by their employer.

Labour Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, (son of a London Bus driver) has pledged if elected in May to freeze all fares for 4 years and introduce a new "hopper" ticket allowing unlimited bus travel within an hour for a set fare. 

Great stuff!

London Loop Walk: Section 4 "West Wickham Common to Hamsey Green" (& a tragic West Ham connection)

Last Saturday I resumed my plan to walk around London along the loop walks after a gap since May. Saturday was better than Sunday since railway and bus links, there and back, are much better. I used the Transport for London (tfl) guide since I couldn't find my "The London Loop" book. Not recommended but better than nothing.

The TFL guide said it was 10 miles long. The weather was warm and mostly sunny.

First thing I noticed on the walk was a memorial in the grave yard of St John the Baptist Parish Church, in West Wickham, to 5 Beckenham firefighters killed by enemy action on 19 March 1941 (see top right). To my later astonishment there was a West Ham connection, where I am a Ward Councillor, with this memorial. The 5 local firefighters were helping London during the Blitz and were killed by a German landmine on route to a fire in Silvertown outside 163 Plastoiw Road, E15 alongside a local London firefighter. I will try and find out more about this.

The London Loop guide book (which I have now found) dates the footpath from the Church to the road below from Saxon times.  Imagine all the people who have walked along it down the ages.

In a wood on the hills opposite there was a marvellous memorial to a dog called "Woody" by his owners, who had fixed a box full of dog biscuits to a tree for other walkers to "treat" their dogs.

We stopped off for lunch at "The Sandrock" pub. Recommended - a great two course lunch deal for only £9.95.

There was some great views overlooking Croydon and central London from the viewing platform on Addington Hills.  Heathfield House, which is a staff training centre owned by Croydon Council had beautiful gardens and also a magnificant vista.

This was the first London Loop walk so far that was mostly rural countryside, some of which was as quiet and beautiful as you can get in any part of South East England. This was indeed a lovely walk.

Route back home to East London was a bit of a mess. I would suggest that you take bus 403 direct to East Croydon rather than via train station in Sanderstead and avoid slow trains into London Bridge or Victoria.

Check out more photos of this walk on my "London Loop" Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/LondonLoop2015?fref=ts

Update: picture of plaque in West Ham ward, Newham, London to the heroes killed defending London during the Blitz. 

West Ham Municipal Elections 1897: Now and then.

On General election day May 7, a London UNISON colleauge was representing Labour outside a polling station in Ilford North, when an elderly man bought photocopies of an election leaflet, featuring his Grandfather and gave her a copy. She knew that I was a West Ham Labour Councillor and would be interested in this, so she sent me a scan.

It is a remarkable document. Plasitow ward in 1897 also incorporated my ward, West Ham.  At the time West Ham Country borough was the first Council to be controlled by Labour. In 1892 Keir Hardie had been elected in West Ham South as the first Labour Member of Parliament. Even though the Labour Party itself was not formed until 1906.

I could only find out more information on the internet about J. J Terrett and nothing on G. Bissell or G. Coe.

Joseph Terrett was elected as a Councillor at some point and wrote a pamphlet called "Municipal Socialism” in West Ham: A Reply to ‘The Times,’ and Others (London: Twentieth Century Press, 1902). Which was in response to an attack on Labour Councils for spending too much by the London Times newspaper. Terrett argued that any extra expenditure was necessary due to poverty and disease. This argument is still live today.

He also wrote a book "The Right Hon. H.H. Asquith, M.P., and the Featherstone massacre" 1906. Which was about the shooting dead by troops of 2 striking coal miners in Burnley in 1893.

In early 1893, Terrett, was a 20 year gas worker and Social Democratic Federation League activist in Burnley. He also called himself "A. G. Wolfe" for some reason. He was however attacked by Keir Hardie for being too aggressive and sectarian.

The last reference I could find on Terrett was standing in a Parliamentary by election in South London 1916 as "Independent Labour". "London Trades Union Protest Committee selected Joe Terrett to stand on a platform of opposition to the recently introduced drink orders introduced on liquor traffic by the Central Control Board.[5] Terrett promptly began his campaign with literature carrying slogans such as "Smash the control board. No more government by secretly-appointed non-representative bodies".

It is surprising how many of the issues mentioned in the pamphlet are still relevant now. Much of which (not all) I would agree with. Click on pictures to bring up details.

If you look at their "Programme" (Page 3) you will see calls for a minimum wage, paid holidays, pensions and sick pay for Council workers. They also call for the council to build homes at low rents.

They want strict enforcement of what we would call nowadays "environmental health" and municipalisation of utilities and other monopolies. As well as making sure Landlords pay their taxes.

The municipalisation of pubs and off licences is not a particularly live issue anymore.

Page 4 of the manifesto calls for free further education and the provision of sufficient toilets for both sexes. I would still agree with the call for evening meetings of all Council committees.

There is "green agenda" (planting of trees) and a cultural call for a municipal theatre.

Finally, I am not that keen on the municipal control of Police but would fully support the final demand that the Council puts pressure to bear on the railway companies to prevent "the scandalous overcrowding that occurs daily".

Some things never change.

Many thanks for sending me the pamphlet. If anyone has any further information on it, please let me know.

UPDATE: Check this post about the grave of George Coe (G.Coe)  https://www.johnslabourblog.org/2020/10/socialist-labour-west-ham-cllr-george.html 

and comments by his family

Stop the Rail and Bus Fare Rip Off

This morning I was outside Plaistow Underground station handing leaflets out to commuters about the massive increases in London bus and rail fares by Tory Mayor, Boris Johnson.   This is the 4th year of inflation busting rises. If you are on minimum wage you could spend a quarter of your income on

fares. If Ken Livingston is elected in May he has promised to save the average commuter £1000 over 4 years.

In Newham we had activists handing out leaflets outside nearly all our stations. While in London today there were thousands of Labour Party volunteers handing out information across hundreds of bus and rail stations across the capital.

The weather was pretty miserable, not that cold, but rainy and windy. One woman complained bitterly to me about the £5 extra a month she now had to pay while a man wanted to take leaflet to show his boss and ask for pay rise.

I'm starting to get a grip of the psychology of handing out leaflets outside stations.  When a group of people come towards you from say a bus, if the first person takes a leaflet then most of the rest will also take one. But if the first few don't, then no-one in that group will tend to either. 

Picture of top West Ham CLP activist Tahmina in action (yet again - she was also out tonight with Newham Young Labour outside Stratford station).

Lyn Brown MP NHS Constituency meeting

This morning I went down to Southern Primary School in Plaistow to help Lyn and her Parliamentary staff with the latest Constituency meeting.

Lyn was there with local councillors, the Finance director of Newham PCT Satjit Singh and a medical “health MOT” team. A number of local party members also attended to help out.

I had my usual extremely important role as deputy chief tea and coffee maker (and principal biscuit eater).

Local residents had been invited by Lyn to attend and discuss the health service provision in the area. Residents were shown to tables and while they were waiting were offered the chance to have height, weight, blood pressure and blood sugar "MOT" tests as well as lifestyle and diet advice.

Lyn with a note taker and Satjit went from table to table. Listening into the conversations it would appear that residents are generally content with PCT services (Primary Care Trust – Newham General Hospital etc) but some local Newham GPs' ears should have been burning. The majority of GPs were clearly (I thought) highly respected.

By coincidence an old friend Sue had turned up to support a local resident who had formed a new support group in Newham for those who had suffered bereavement. It sounds like a really valuable and important initiative which I will post on further when I get details. Her husband George was a good friend and comrade who died tragically in 2007. It is inspiring (but in character) that she has used her experiences to want to help others.

"Out and About" in Plaistow North

I was going to call this post “The Magnificent Seven” but luckily sanity prevailed. Of course there were 8 of us including my good self and more members arrived during the course of this particular canvass.

However, I do like yesterday’s photo of Lyn Brown MP, local councillors and West Ham CLP Party members, just before we went off to carry out voter ID for the GLA elections in Plaistow.

I felt that it went pretty well. Ray and (Cllr) Jon even recruited a new Party member.

People were pleased I think on the whole, that we were calling at their homes to canvass their views and ask for their support. At one house when I pressed the door bell, instead of a ringtone it played an Islamic recorded greeting "As sala'amu alaikum" (peace be upon you) - which was nice (they were out).

One lady responded to my pitch by saying “We are teachers; of course we will be voting Labour”. Which was even better. I thought it best not to mention the forthcoming NUT /UCU strike this Thursday. However, one of our keenest canvassers that day is also one of the chief organisers of the strike at his FE college (they are also “out” the same day). Education is not a direct responsibility for Ken or the Assembly in any case (yet).

At one of my last visits the occupant was visibly horrified when I asked him who he will be voting for on May 1st. He said "that was between me and the ballot box”. However, when I said “fine, sorry to bother you, here is a leaflet for Ken and John Biggs – hope you will consider voting for Labour”, he turned round and said “Oh, don’t worry mate, we always vote Labour, just it’s none of your business asking”.

This is fair enough I suppose. Mind you, if he doesn’t vote that day, we will be “knocking him up” (early and often).

The Union Jack flies proudly in Upton Lane

On route to canvass for the Labour Party in Plaistow this morning, I got caught up behind a Sikh Charity Bike ride in Upton Lane, London E7. There were about 150 riders escorted by what looked like NHS medics on quad bikes. The ride was raising funds for the Richard House Children’s Hospice in Becton, E16.

The event was also to celebrate Vaisakhi (which I understand is a Sikh harvest holiday and the start of the solar year). It was started that morning in Ilford by the mayors of Redbridge, Newham and Barking and Dagenham.

On route there were people handing sweets to drivers and passer-bys, which were most appreciated by those of us who had to try and deal with “the morning after the night before hangovers”.

Especially when you are about to go door knocking and asking the great British public for their votes.

Although of course I am Welsh/Scots, I felt it was good to see the emphasis that the organisers had made on promoting the Union Jack and the Cross of St George (the National flags of Britain and England – see photo). Stick this in your pipe and smoke it Barnbrook.