Voting Systems: Newham Compass debate 1 July 2015

A topical subject again after May 7. I suspect that those of us who support a change in "first past the post" missed the boat during the AV referendum and we are now stuck with the current system for at least the next 5 years.

Yet it is important that the debate continues. One of the many difficulties is getting people who support change to agree what is the best (or least worse) alternative. Party lists system for example, are in my view, worse than FPTP.

I will have to give my apologies due to clash with UNISON event. It would be interesting to hear Francis and Rachel speak but it's a pity that there is no speaker who supports FPTP (is Red Tel available?)

Ilford North, Stratford, Canning Town, Ilford North

This collage is a snapshot of campaigning during the last 48 hours. On Thursday evening I went to Ilford North and was sent out with Ross, Jeremy and Glen to speak to the postal voters at the Tiptree Estate. Which is a very well managed and beautifully designed Council housing estate in Clayhall. Lots of safe, green spaces for kids to play.

On Friday evening I was in Maryland, Stratford with by-election candidate, Charlene McLean. This was one of the slowest canvasses I have ever been on since seemingly everyone wanted to stop, speak and chat to Charlene and local Councillor "Red" Terry Paul. One resident even went off and posted her postal ballot paper for Charlene while we watched.

Today we had a lively stall in Canning Town with Lyn Brown, our West Ham Labour Parliamentary Candidate and supporters. It was heart warming to see local residents queuing up to shake Lyn's hand and wish her luck in the general election.

After the stall we went off to canvass in Stratford or Ilford North. I ended up in Ilford North with Cllr John Whitworth and we were given a "car round" to canvass and found ourselves out in the rural part of the constituency.  The results were as good as we get in the more urban areas. People are fed up of this Government and just want the Tories out. 

Prep for London Triathlon 2014 tomorrow

Off message but everything packed for tomorrow morning. Up 4am, leave home 5am, then meet fellow Newham Cllr "Red Tel" Paul and his brother-in-law for 5.15am. Arrive Excel centre for 5.30am and then 1.5km swim at 7am immediately followed by 40km bike ride and then 10km run.

Another fine mess that Terry has got me into :)

UPDATE: Did it -  Olympic @londontriathlon Swim 00:44:43, Bike 01:29:30, Run 01:03:20, Total 03:29:42. Will post tomorrow.

Rowenna Davis "What could One Nation Look like under Labour?"

I've been catching up on a back log of blogs based on my twitter feeds from events I have attended. This picture is of journalist, author and Labour Councillor, Rowenna Davis, speaking to West Ham Labour Party General Committee last month on March 28 at our Stratford HQ.

Each month the GC invites a political guest speaker to address the committee and take questions.  Rowenna wrote the book "Tangled up in Blue: Blue Labour and the Struggle for Labour's Soul".

Rowenna started off well by describing how she got her Labour values while on the play grounds of a South London state school but she showed her sarf origins by getting her East London geography slightly wrong and thought she was on the other side of the River Lea.

She rightly attacked the disgraceful Curzen Cinema chain for lauding middle class lefty films while treating its workforce like dirt, with poverty pay and zero hours contracts. New Labour was wrong to push the market so that the State provides less. Labour now has to collectivise and organise to change society.

What “Blue Labour” is really about is decent jobs and homes. There use to be a social contract that if you worked hard at school you would end up with a decent job. This has now gone.

She thought that the bedroom tax is so unfair since it is a symptom of an economy dominated by London with its desperate shortage of housing while there is rows of empty homes in the north.

She supported the German regional bank model with worker reps on company boards as the best way to raise wages, improve sick benefits and pensions.

In the Q&A I thanked her for being in affect the first speaker on the West Ham Ward and UNISON Housing Association motion on a “Living Wage Plus for all in Newham”. Which was later passed by the GC with a large majority (including even Newhams own "Red Tel").