Eve of Poll Canvass: Plaistow North By election

Picture of activists meeting up before evening canvass. By election takes place tomorrow. If you can help at all please register https://events.labour.org.uk/event/396117

Plaistow North is normally a secure Labour seat but there has been a tremendous effort by the Conservatives and the so called "Independent Landlords Party" (who have been bullying and threatening Labour members). 

The canvass went well and we were joined by the Labour Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz. I led our group via the Labour doorstep app. Some complicated low rise block numbering system caused a little bit of confusion but nothing serious.  Many thanks to our Tower Hamlets comrades who are now in the new Stratford and Bow Parliamentary seat for joining us. 

Afterwards, many of us met up for coffee and Pizza at Caloroso. Carb loading for tomorrow. Polls open 7am-10pm. 

Happy Diwali

Best wishes to all those celebrating Diwali, which spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair....

(What a fantastic set of values - Hat tip Tower Hamlets Labour Party e-newsletter)

Winning in 2015, the Beveridge Report and Xmas Nosh

"Jon Trickett MP: The Labour Party vote 1997-2010 and what this means for winning in 2015 - Tuesday 27th November from 19:30 at 349 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA

The great British novelist Aldous Huxley once said, "that men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach." Help prove him wrong:

Join us to hear from Jon Trickett MP, Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office, on how Labour can win the next General Election by learning lessons from the electorate of the past.

Liam Byrne, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Beveridge Report, 1 December on 11am -12pm.
Toynbee Hall is hosting a series of free policy lectures to mark the 70th anniversary of the Beverige Report, and to contribute to the critical debate about the future of the welfare state.

On December 1 1942 the Beveridge Report set out the makings of the welfare state - and since then Britain has changed dramatically. Exactly 70 years on, Labour's Liam Byrne will give a keynote speech in conjunction with historic Toynbee hall and the Fabian Society as he sets out how we can build a system of social security fit for the challenges of the 21st century.

Tower Hamlets Labour Party Fundraising Dinner - 18th December 2012
Join us for a fundraising dinner as we end a very successful year for Tower Hamlets Labour and look forward and build towards the future. The event will take place on Tuesday 18th December at Mumbai
Square, Middlesex St, E1 7AA from 7pm.

Tickets cost £25 and £18 for concessions. More details to be announced soon including special guests. Please e-mail James King jrvking1990@gmail.com for more details or sign up at
http://thlp-fundraiser.eventbrite.co.uk"

Hat tip Tower Hamlets Labour Party newsletter edited by Chris Weavers.

Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes

"Campaigning greats - Sylvia Pankhurst and the East London Federation of Suffragettes - Wednesday, 14 November 2012

This event is an opportunity to learn from campaigning greats. The East London Federation of Suffragettes, led by Sylvia Pankhurst, galvanised women and men to campaign for Votes for Women.

Professor Mary Davis, leading biographer of Sylvia Pankhurst, will speak, and Cllr Rachael Saunders will present her research on the campaigning methods and tools used by suffragettes in the east end of London. The chair is Kathryn Perera, Chief Executive of Movement for Change, the home of community organising in the Labour Party.

Hosted by Tower Hamlets Labour Party and the East London Fawcett Society, kindly supported by London UNISON Labour Link.  To sign up please click here". 

(Hat tip Chris Weavers)

Have you ever thought of becoming a Councillor?

"In 2014 London will be electing its Councillors for the next 4 years. This training session is designed to help you understand what it means to be a Labour Councillor.  

What do Councillors do? What would you expect to find being a Councillor?  

Labour Councillors are Community leaders and are at the forefront of working in their local areas. This training session is about leadership, Community working and working in a team. 

The event is taking place on 8th September 10.30am at the Labour Party Head office in central London. Log onto http://members.labour.org.uk/event/20951/ to register for the event"

Hat tip Tower Hamlets Labour Party e-newsletter. Picture of new (ham) Councillors elected for the first time in May 2010.

Caroline Flint MP “a tough love sort of girl”

Caroline Flint, the Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government was the guest speaker at the Tower Hamlets Labour Party Housing Policy forum at The Centre in Merchant Street, E3 last month. I was invited as a member of Tower Hamlets TULO. She gave us a presentation followed by a Q&A.

Now, some of the things she said that I thought interesting. “Housing is not just about having a roof over your head. It is linked to your journey through life and what are your aspirations. People still want to buy their own home.  Home ownership may be “the english disease” but this is what people want if they win the lottery. They want a stake in life.  Not only for their children but for help with social care when they are older. How to increase the supply? Look at finance and supply. There are uncompetitive banks and building societies. It is easier to get a mortgage on a £200k new build than get £50k to do up and refurbish a home. There are over a million empty homes in UK. New build is VAT free, with a refurbishment you pay VAT. A very narrow range of builders.  A few big ones and lots of very,very small ones.  

Caroline was brought up in the private rental sector then the family had a council flat.  But with secure tenancies with fair rents. This is nonexistent nowadays.  While the private sector needs to be part of the solution.  This governments unfettered faith in the private sector is wrong. Labour is now engaged in a completely open policy debate. Willing to look at piloting housing policies in Labour Councils. Turn a talking shop into reality. 

In the Q&A I made a comment about despairing about housing in London due to the very high land prices.  Each Social housing unit in London had cost an average £100k in subsidy.  My question was related to her comments about pension funds and housing investment.  The Local Government Pension scheme has £160 billion investments and wants to invest long term secure low risk asset based investments.  What joined up thinking can her Shadow CLG team bring on this matter?  She said they will be looking into such ideas.

Question about Paris having a more successful housing policy since most people rent. Caroline said they may rent in Paris but many own homes elsewhere. Then one on the sub-letting of social

Housing it not only immoral - but should it be made illegal? (No real answer to that one)  

Social housing should not be a refuse of last resort. We need mixed neighbourhoods. So if someone gets a pay rise and they then risk losing their home, what is the incentive to work? Cameron and Shapps have a lack of understanding about what is and what isn’t possible. We need to help people make the journey they want to make.

Caroline says she is a tough love sort of girl. You should respect your environment, your neighbours and pay your rent. There are not only entitlements but responsibilities.

Caroline has three messages to Labour Councils. Show that Labour can get good value for money for services, they can get more people involved and have a say and have a sense of what you want to do.

Finally “aspiration”. Not everyone can own their own home at the end of the day. It is sad that so many people from all walks of life think their children will not do better than them. We should be on the right side of these people. Most people don’t want too much from government. The 1945 victory was broad based coalition who believed that Labour was about offering them a better future”.

Great action picture taken by Dan McCurry (with my camera!). Many thanks to TH Labour Party for the invite (and well done for arranging such good events.  Next one is on Health in July with John Healey MP). 

This post was from the last time I attended a "meeting" with Caroline, also in Tower Hamlets.

TUC March for an Alternative: What would Clem do?

Tower Hamlets Labour Party on the TUC March 26th.  With the very apt placard to the front "What would Clem do?" (Clement Attlee - former Labour Prime Minister and local MP).   This is important because the National Debt in 1945 was far, far higher than now and yet the Labour government of the time led by Clem managed to nationalise Coal and Steel, have a mass housing building programme and set up the NHS. 

Those were the days!  Hat-tip Col. Roi. Picture Dan McCurry.