Stratford Labour Rose - canvass 23 March 2019

Picture collage of recent canvass in Stratford and Newtown ward in West Ham CLP. They have a really good new local Labour Rose newsletter which we gave out.

We canvassed one high rise tower block (with waking watch fire marshals due to cladding) then low rise blocks and street properties.

There was the traditional very strong support for Labour but I did have a pointed "exchange of words" with one resident who objected to our presence loudly with choice Angle Saxon terms,  to which I responded he had every right to tell us to clear off but not with foul language. He shut up.

Apart from that very rare silliness I love canvassing, especially at this time of the year because of all the beautiful blossom.

Campaigning in Stratford Ward - Saturday 23 March 11.30 Meet Maryland Station

Canvassing in Stratford. Meeting time and location: Saturday, 23rd of March 11:30AM (leafleting) 12:00PM (canvassing) Maryland Station E15 1SA

Charlene McLean officially selected unanimously to fight the Stratford & Newtown by election

This is great news. Tonight local new Mum Charlene McLean was selected by Stratford and New town Labour Party ward to be their candidate in the forthcoming by election.

This will take place at the same day as the general election.

I was the procedural secretary for the meeting and saw the ward unanimously select her.

Following the announcement of the decision there was an emotional ovation by members for Charlene.

(picture of Charlene in Stratford supporting the 2012 TUC March)
 

“On the knocker” with Labour Fire-fighter Michael Nicholas in Canning Town South

On Monday evening I went out canvassing with Michael who is an existing Labour Councillor, a London fire-fighter and who is also on the Executive Council of the Fire Brigade Union (FBU).

I hadn’t been to this part of the Canning Town South Ward before and was impressed with the regeneration works that had taken place in the area. The older “Newham Homes” blocks have been refurbished and there were a number of small new build housing association developments. Estate management and design by both organisations seemed to be pretty good.

Michael was born in Canning Town and has lived in Newham all his life. Local residents were usually quite happy to chat with him about local issues and concerns. So much that we had to take off him the voter ID sheets (NB never let your candidate lead the canvass team).

Pictured with Michael is Charlene McLean who is standing herself as a Newham Labour Councillor in Stratford and Newtown.

Rain didn’t stop play: Stratford Labour stall

This morning we had a rather “damp” but cheerful West Ham Labour Party street stall outside Stratford shopping centre. Despite the on/off rain I thought it went pretty well - led by members of the Stratford and Newtown Ward Labour Action Team. Together with our MP, Lyn Brown, they picked up loads of case work as well as giving out lots of lovely red balloons.

An irate “opposition” supporter accused me of “endangering” the shopping centre roof by giving kids balloons! Since apparently some of them were letting go of the balloons inside the centre and they would explode when they touch the hot lights on the roof bringing it all tumbling down (or somethink like that). He said I “would be held personally responsible for this” and then rushed off. I thought that I had at long last met up with Mike Law but apparently it wasn’t him.

I had a more interesting and constructive conversation with a shopper who worked in Canning Town. He asked me about what Labour was going to do about bringing down public spending and reducing the national debt. He argued that it was excessive spending on public services that had brought about the debt. My counter argument was that no, it was the collapse in tax revenue caused by the recession that had caused the debt. The real problem was the past over acceptance of a neo-liberal financial model that the “free markets knows best”. It was the Banking and Financial services disaster that brought about this debt not past public spending. It is absolutely amazing to me how blame for this recession, which never, ever, forget was caused solely by the actions of the greedy, corrupt and irresponsible rich friends of the Tory Party, has somehow turned into being the fault of public services?

After we packed up the stall and on route to voter ID (aka door knocking) in Plaistow I had a chat with a long standing Party member about our chances in the forth coming General election. He thought that we have every chance of winning a majority. The most likely scenario at the moment was a hung Parliament but he pointed out that hung parliaments are incredibly rare in our political system (he does have a PHD in history). The General election campaign itself will be absolutely crucial. He reminded me of 1970 and 1992. In 1970 the then Labour government called an election while ahead of the polls and until the last week were widely expected to win. The Tories won because they ran the better campaign . In 1992 Labour were expected to defeat the Tories yet a better than expected performance by Prime Minister John Major and his Party in the campaign resulted in their victory.  So in a tight spot - if they do well, the "underdogs win".

So comrades – there is still everything to play for – but we must play to win.

On the knocker in Stratford & Newtown: A future fair for all

Today, I woke up to a very wet and miserable Sunday morning. The words “Oh dear” (or something like that) sprung to mind as I contemplated the pending Sunday door knock. The prospect of soggy canvassers and sodden, illegible canvass sheets is deeply unappealing. I did once remark that politically campaigning is ideally a summer sport which just met with a pretty universal lack of sympathy from across the hard bitten political spectrum.

Yet the rain held off for today’s West Ham CLP canvass with our MP Lyn Brown (2nd right) in our Newham Olympic ward of Stratford and Newtown. We had 4 teams of canvassers out and about in the ward. The polling district we covered was mostly traditional London Railway terrace houses. We had I thought, once again, a very good response.

I very much doubt that many folk had heard that the Labour Party “vision statement” for the forthcoming general election is now a “future fair for all” but funny enough one of the themes that I and others picked up today was that residents were willing to say that they thought “fairness” was a crucial political issue to them.

This is not at all original but how on earth can we have fairness when we have the Conservative opposition promising “swinging cuts” (and worse) in essential public services while at the same time cutting inheritance taxes for the very, very rich?

I think that “our people” cannot abide such blatant unfairness and injustice.

Picture is of local members and Lyn before we went off for coffee and brunch in a Stratford High Street cafe.

Labour Party Social brings Political Cheer

Last night I attended my first 2009 Christmas Social. The Labour Party is traditionally very hospitable at this time of year and keen to celebrate the season while amongst comrades while at the same time raising funds for the good fight ahead.

The event was in the Vicarage Lane Community centre, Stratford and members from West Ham, Stratford & Newtown and Plaistow North ward met up to share company, conversation, food, wine and raffles. Our MP Lyn Brown was there (third from right photo). I won a bottle of Port which was great timing for Christmas. We raised £144 for the West Ham CLP campaign fund.

The mood was politically pretty good as well. People feel that at long last things are moving nationally our way - slowly but surely. One or two swallows don’t make a summer but the opinion polls are turning. The Tories are also being seen to panic as they realise that their expected shoo in ain’t going to happen. Cameron got well hammered by Gordon Brown at PM Question Time this week.

This will happen we think since the Emperor does not have any clothes; the Tories have been barking up the wrong economic tree and the Great, British public are finally beginning to “get it”. A Road-Runner moment as people begin to consider what a Tory government would really mean. As Lyn said “Game On” for the general election.

Stratford and New Town Canvass

Picture is of members about to go out canvassing in the Olympic ward Stratford and New Town with our MP Lyn Brown.

This is outside the local Party HQ (which I think needs a lick of paint and some TLC in the next few months). I think we had about 4 teams out door knocking and others using the call centre inside the HQ. The Mayor, Sir Robin Wales was out leading one group.

The response was pretty positive and my team managed to recruit two new Party members.

We canvassed a small public housing estate owned by East Thames HA and rows of Victorian terraced houses.

I know that national opinion polls are negative at the moment but I simply do not pick up any mass hostility to Labour or any real enthusiasm for the Tories. What is going on?