Support Abdi Mohamed - Labour Candidate for Bow East By Election

 

A perfect Labour fundraiser last night in Tower Hamlets for our candidate, Abid Mohamed, who is standing to replace Cllr Rachel Blake in Bow East. Rachel was elected as an MP for Cities & Westminster in the general election (and I was so happy to congratulate her in person on her fantastic victory). 

I have worked in Bow East, off and on, for the last 31 years and I am certain that Abdi will make a superb Councillor. 

He has the support and respect of Newham and Tower Hamlet Labour Activists in the new shared Parliamentary Consistency of Stratford and Bow. 

Many thanks for Adam Allnutt for organising such a well run event. I continued with my run of luck in Labour Party raffles by winning a bottle of wine!

Eve of Poll Campaigning in West Ham & Beckton for James Asser and a Labour Government

Tomorrow at the polls, vote for our local Labour candidates in Newham & Bow:

@JamesAsser

for West Ham and Beckton

@Uma_Kumaran

for Stratford and Bow

@stephenctimms

for East Ham. Vote Labour everywhere!

Remember that this is about electing a future Government. The only real choice is between a Labour Government or a Tory Government. A vote for any other Party is in my view a vote for the Tories.

Supporting Uma and Liz in Forest Gate North

 

This evening I joined Liz Cronin (3rd from left) who is standing in the local Council by election being held the same day as the General election. Forest Gate North is my home ward (I represent West Ham as a Newham Councillor). Uma Kumaran  is standing to be our MP for Stratford & Bow. 

The canvass went well and being Forest Gate, there was some lively political discussions about whether or not, Keir Starmer was sufficiently left" for them to vote Labour. When it is pointed out that the future choice of prime minister, is between either Keir or Rishi, then I think most realise that you have to vote Labour to get rid of the Tories. 

I met a young first time voter who was delighted that we had called to speak to him and was really excited about taking part in the election and voting Labour. 

It was good to come across some very well maintained social housing blocks whose communal areas where kept to a very high standard. 

I was also put in my place, very firmly, when I asked a resident if he will be voting for "Labour" next week, who replied he will be voting for his Party next week, which of course is called the Labour Party but is his Party. The loyalty and self identification of so many voters with the Labour Party is humbling. We need to always demonstrate that we deserve this trust. 

On Saturday and Sunday I am off to Great Yarmouth  to support the Labour Candidate, Keir Couzens, who I have heard so many positive reports about and will encourage all of us, who have been asked by the Party to show solidarity, to do so in the next few days, if at all possible. 

Supporting Melanie & Uma in Maryland - Wednesday (then burger, pint & chips in the "Cart and Horses" the birthplace of Iron Maiden)

 

I went to Beckton to canvass but it had to be cancelled due to a mishap. These things happen in elections. So I went again to Maryland to support Melanie and Um,a in a session led by my West Hammer colleague, John Whitworth and our number one canvasser, Varghese Mathai. 

As we started it was nice to be told "good luck" by a friendly passer bye. It was pretty hot and humid and we had lots of blocks and stairwells to climb which was good for my steps. 

Tonight, we were in a more traditional working class part of Maryland and I had a 100% positive response for Labour from the residents I managed to speak with.  I was also stopped by other passer byes, pledging support and asking for leaflets. So many people are so desperate for change and want to give Labour a chance. 

Afterwards we went for a drink (and some of us food) in the well known, Maryland pub, the "Cart & Horses", which is apparently the birthplace of the heavy metal band "Iron Maiden" ( a name inspired by a certain former Tory Prime Minister). There were some bands playing in the basement but it was very nice and relaxed in the bar area. 

On the way back home I listened to the live debate between Sunak Vs Starmer and thought Keir wiped the floor with him. I admit that I am somewhat conflicted on this issue :-) 

Launch of Campaign by James Asser to be the Labour MP of West Ham & Beckton

 

Great picture from today's launch in Beckton, Newham and apologies for last minutes changes to venue. We also had with us Stephen Timms (standing again for East Ham), new candidate, Uma Kumaran (who had a fantastic launch in Stratford earlier), for Stratford & Bow, former West Ham MP Lyn Brown, Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz  and Labour London Assembly member for City & East Umesh Desai. As well as local Councillors and activists. 

Afterwards we split up into 4 canvass teams to support James and my fellow East End housing worker Blossem Young (right of picture), who is standing for the Beckton Council seat vacated by James. Will post again on this canvass, Uma's launch and the other Newham by elections. A lot going on. 

Proud Union Labour Activists

This collage is from the "Unions together" TULO Rally in London on Monday. Last week Ed Miliband and UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, spoke at the national TULO rally in Birmingham with over 1000 union members present.

General secretary of the GMB, Paul Kenny, was the first main speaker and he compared the huge number of people who are now forced to beg for insecure jobs on poverty wages with what happened in the London Docks in the 19th century. He pointed out that the Sunday Times Rich list reported that the personal wealth of the richest had doubled since 2010 while working people have had their income slashed. He condemned UKIP for attacking the exploited and not the exploiters.

Next was Jack Elliot, a GMB member and grass roots Labour Party activist, who first voted in 1945. He attacked the ultra left Party TUSC for betraying workers, working with racists and doing what they can to let the Tories win. To loud cheers, he told us that "he had a go" at the Trotskyist newspaper sellers outside as he came in.  He called for a real unity of all things and vote Labour.

UNISON Branch secretary Emine Ibrahim spoke passionately about the 18% cut in wages in real terms for Council staff since 2010. How her members cannot pay their bills and rely on loan sharks to survive until pay day. She called on all of us to work in the marginal seats to bring about a Labour victory.

Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey, urged all union members to vote Labour and get rid of the Tories. The Tories are the party of fear while Labour is the party of hope. Reject the Tory path to food bank and rip off Britain. Make sure the super rich and corporate elite pay their bloody taxes! Ed Miliband and Labour put hope back into politics. Vote for Change. Vote Labour and kick the Tories out and build a better Britain.

London Assembly member, Tom Copley, described his job has trying to keep his eye on Boris as London Mayor. A difficult job since Boris he is rarely at his post as Mayor. Tom urged union members to remember the 11 million people who rent their homes from private landlords and how important it is for them to have a Labour government, who will cap rent rises and introduce 3 year tenancies.

Manuel Cortes, from the railway union TSSA believes that Labour leader Ed Miliband will rebalance our society and economy away from the interests of the top 1,000, who have increased their wealth by £250 billion since 2010. He is really pleased that Labour have promised an industrial policy if they win power.

He reminded us that Ed has said that it is not leaders that change the world but movements.

TUC General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, began by stating that she was proud to be the daughter of immigrants and proud of the role that people like her mother made to the NHS as a nurse. She looked forward to a Labour government introducing worker reps on company remuneration committees to stop greed at the top. She thought the Tories claim to be "the workers party" as convincing as Cameron's claim to support West Ham FC.

Last speaker was Uma Kumaran, the Labour candidate for Harrow East in London. When she speaks to people and says she is a trade unionist, some say she doesn't look like one. She replies that it does not matter what you look like to be a trade unionist but do you believe in common decency for all and standing together in order to achieve it.