We're voting for change - Newham Referendum 6 May 2021

Newham voters are going to the polls today Thursday 6 May to decide how their council is run.

This is a one-off referendum - if you don't vote today, you won't get another chance for at least ten years.

Vote for Change for a fairer, more democratic council - don't miss your chance.

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. You do not need your polling card to vote. If you forgot to post your postal vote, you can hand it in at a polling station. Find your polling station at https://wheredoivote.co.uk/

#VoteForChange #NewhamReferendum

A Day in the Life of a Labour Movement Activist

A busy but satisfying Saturday. Started off with being a UNISON delegate to the virtual TUC London and South East Regional Council AGM. 

During which we were reminded that today was the 8th anniversary of when the Rana Plaza factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh collapsed. This tragedy took the lives of 1,138 people, mostly young women, and injured around 2,500, making it the fourth largest industrial disaster in history. #WhoMadeMyClothes

Then Labour telephone canvassing for my UNISON colleague, Lola Oyewusi, who is standing to be the next Crime and Police commissioner for Kent. More people answered the phone than in similar East London session and I had a number of very interesting conversations with voters. 

Next was a physical stall in Forest Gate on the Newham Mayoral Referendum, which is also taking place on May 6. I am supporting the change from an Executive Mayor system to the more democratic and accountable Committee model. Again, I had more interest and interaction with local residents with this stall than I have ever had in the past with Labour Party stalls (in the same spot next to the Co-op). No one I spoke to was fully in favour of continuing with the Mayoral model and many passionately against it.

We then went to support a community event in Central Park, East Ham for the "Walk with Dabirul Chachav". Dabirul Islam Choudhury MBE, aged 101,  was inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore,  has raised more than £420,000 for charity by walking laps in his garden in Bow. 

At home I did some local telephone canvassing for Labour in my West Ham ward then went off and delivered leaflets to postal voters in Forest Gate North. 

Finished the day with outdoors fish n chips & mushy peas, in the local pub, The Holly Tree. 

We're voting for Change: Newham Governance Referendum May 6, 2021

 

Dear friends,

Please find attached our latest campaign newsletter; feel free to share and forward to friends and comrades.

Featuring:

- Our brand new leaflets - get in touch if you're able to deliver any in your local area by replying to this email newhamvotingforchange@gmail.com.

- Support our crowdfunder! We're raising funds to make a video to maximise our social media reach while physical campaigning is limited.

- Join our Digital Army! Our Whatsapp group will share campaign materials and actions for supporters.

- And catch some of our recent appearances on local media: John Whitworth in Newham Voices ………. John Gray speaks to Puru Miah and Andrew Wood on Relaks Radio’s Politics show ………. Josephine Grahl and Anam Islam chat to Jenny Fisher on East London News’s ‘The Tuesday Show’

In comradeship,

Newham Voting for Change

WEBSITE: https://newhamforchange.org/ 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/newhamvotingforchange/ 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ForNewham/

 

Newham Voting for Change

 Hat tip One Bangla News "Newham Voting for Change is the campaign set up in October 2020 to campaign for change in the local governance referendum which will take place on 6 May 2021.

The group, formed of Newham residents and councillors, believes that the committee structure is a more open, democratic and accountable way for Newham Council to make decisions.

The referendum on the 6 May 2021 offers Newham residents a choice between the current Democratically Elected Mayoral system, or the committee system, where decisions are made not by one person (the Mayor) but by committees formed of elected councillors.

Cllr Anamul Islam, Chief Whip for the Newham Labour Group of councillors, said: “The committee structure is a more democratic, inclusive and open way of making decisions in the local council. It allows much more participation from community groups in council decision making and ensures that local councillors are more accountable to the people who elect them.”

Josephine Grahl, Newham resident and campaigner for the committee structure, said: “The vote on the 6 May 2021 is binding for ten years, so it’s really important that Newham residents have their say. We’ve had a directly elected Mayor for nearly twenty years, but now is the time for a change to a fairer, more democratic system.”

Contact details
newhamvotingforchange@gmail.com"

https://newhamforchange.org/

https://twitter.com/ForNewham

https://www.facebook.com/newhamvotingforchange

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/newham-for-change

Newham Governance Referendum will be a choice between Keeping Executive Mayor or Moving to Committee model

 

Picture is from the virtual Newham Council meeting on Monday, where I was pleased that it was agreed that the future governance referendum of our borough, due to be held next year on 6 May 2021 will give residents the real choice between carrying on with the present Executive Mayor system (all legal power in the hands of one person) or instead the Committee system (where power is shared amongst locally elected Councillors).

In the debate, I spoke strongly in favour of the Committee system. While I respect the views of those who wanted the question on the ballot paper to be different eg a choice between Executive Mayor and what is called the “Leader and Cabinet” model. I argued that this is not a real choice, since at best, the “Leader and cabinet” model is in reality "Executive Mayor Lite".  

The Committee model option is a real progressive alternative to the Executive Mayor. We need to change the political culture in Newham and I think the Committee model is the only one that will deliver on our manifesto commitment to deliver real participatory democracy to the people of Newham.

Check out the debate here on YouTube (and the excellent motion on Making Misogyny a Hate Crime by Cllr Mumtaz Khan) and also the twitter account https://twitter.com/ForNewham, website https://newhamforchange.org/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/newhamvotingforchange set up by local residents to support the Committee model next May. 

Torbay Council to have referendum on Executive Mayoral system

This is interesting to anyone concerned with local authority governance. According to this report just under 1,000 people in Torbay took part in a consultation process, where they rejected the mayoral system in support of a new committee system involving all Councillors in decision making.

Following a very close vote at the Council, there will be a referendum next year in Torbay on whether to continue with an Executive Mayor model or to do away with it. The main arguments made against the Torbay model is that it is expensive and undemocratic.

To have a referendum I think you either need a resolution passed by elected members at a Full Council meeting or in response to a petition signed by at  least 5% of local residents.

According to Wikipedia  "As of May 2014, there have been 51 referendums on the question of changing executive arrangements to a model with an elected mayor. Referendums are triggered by council resolution, local petition or central government intervention. Of these, 16 have resulted in the establishment of a new mayoralty and 35 have been rejected by voters. Average "yes" vote is 45%. Typical turnout is around 30%, but has been as low as 10% and as high as 64%. The turnout is higher when the referendum coincides with another vote, such as an election.
 
There have been four referendums on the question of removing the post of elected mayor. Two mayoral posts have been disestablished following a vote and two retained".

Directly elected Mayors can be imposed without a referendum and are very much in the news lately with Government plans for more regional and strategic Mayors.

Hat tip my former UNISON NEC colleague Lesley Discombe. The picture caption is of a famous Torbay resident who I am sure would have fancied himself as Mayor.

The Historic Mission of the Scots in the United Kingdom

On 18 September the Scots will go to their polling stations and vote on whether or not to remain part
of the United Kingdom.

As the son of a Scottish Father and Welsh mother who has also lived in Scotland but now in London I of course, do not have a vote. Quite rightly so...but like every else I am entitled to a view. 

Personally, I think it will not be the end of the world if Scotland votes to separate but I think it will a blow to Scotland and to wider progressive politics.

In my view it is in the interests of Scots, Welsh and English that we do not separate.  I think though that it is more in the interests of Scotland than England that the union continues.

There is a degree of lalaism by both sides in the current debate but I don't think there is really a real downside for England to have an independent Scotland as a neighbour? The argument in favour of the union by the English is mostly sentiment.

The crucial issue is that the ONS estimate in 2013 that the population of the UK is 64 Million while Scotland is only 5.3 million. The English population is over 10 times the size of Scotland and GNP gap is even greater.

The Scottish economy is and would be inevitably tied to England regardless of any legal constitutional arrangements.

As someone who has lived in Wales, Scotland and England I am amazed at the naivety of those who slag off the English and want a separate state but who think that if this happens then they will have some sort of equal status and power with a neighbour 10 times their size? ...Dream on.

Just a thought but surely if the English are really so bad that you want to split with them, don't you think there is a risk that they will use their dominant economic power and size to further their interests at the expense of Scotland?

My own personal major beef with Scottish independence is that it will split and divide the working class and the progressive vote in this small island. I am amazed at the views of those who think that if Scotland becomes independent that it will be some sort of Socialist Idyll. Yeah.

I can remember discussing this with my Dad who was a Aberdeen born and bred, Rosyth docks trained electrician, who reminded me that the Tories were the major party Scotland until the early 1960s and that it is no co-incidence that the Tory vote went down roughly the same time as the Nats vote went up.

My view is good luck to Scotland if it goes separate but don't naive about what will happen if it does. The historic mission of the Scots in the last 300 years of the union is to hold the English in check. Scots have played a huge and completely disproportionate leadership role in the United Kingdom. Despite the small population, Scots have a significant place in our common history as British Prime ministers, Field Marshall's, Philosophers, Artists, Entrepreneurs and Social leaders.

Remove that influence and mission and I genuinely think none of us will like what will happen. To be clear, I don't stay up all night worrying about Scottish nationalism - I do fear English nationalism.

I am reminded of Truman Capote, that "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” I hope that the real land of my fathers 18 September will not result in more tears. 

Let's Stay Together - 'Scotland, you're my best friend'

"This is the campaign for everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who doesn't have a vote in The Scottish Referendum, but wants to have voice in saying #letsstaytogether
Take a closer look and sign up here: http://www.letsstaytogether.org.uk"

"Britain and Europe: Which way for Labour?"

Last week I attended (late) the joint meeting with Newham Compass and Fabians on "Britain and Europe: Which way for Labour?". Which took place at the West Ham FC supporters club in Castle Street, East Ham (now

what would Alf Garnett have made of this?)

Jon Cruddas MP, who was billed as a speaker with former MEP Anita Pollack, could not attend since he had to vote on the Health and Social Care Bill in the House of Commons (a very honourable excuse).

I only made the Q&A but Anita (who lives in Newham and was the former MEP for London South West from 1989 to 1999) was I thought on form and gave a passionate, no nonsense  and honest response to questions. It was one of the best attended Newham Compass or Fabians events that I have attended in recent times. It was chaired by former Newham Labour Councillor Graham Lane.

Please note my usual disclaimer about the absolute accuracy of my hurried and fumbled (two thumbed) Blackberry notes.

Anita responded to a question about the power of MEPs. She reminded us that in the beginning, the European Parliament had very limited powers. In 1979 it could only refuse to accept the budget set by the (unelected) European commission. Nowadays the Parliament has equal powers with commission. MEP's do have power. For example they managed to transform the recent Service Directive. Which is still not perfect but could have completely eroded workers rights had MEP's not amended it out of all recognition.

She then had a question about whether a Referendum on continued membership of the EU was not a good idea to settle the issue once and for all. Anita was firmly against. She understood that some good Europeans such as Jon Cruddas MP were for a referendum for this reason. However she thought that the "flat earthers" (those totally and utterly against the EU) would not be convinced if they lost a referendum in the same way that the one in 1977 (during which she admitted she opposed membership) did not settle anything permanently at all.

Anita admitted that she had maybe been wrong about UK membership of the Euro and it was not going to work. She was surprised however that Ed Balls MP in the Andrew Marr TV show on Sunday had said that this would not happen "in  his lifetime". There could be a "two speed Europe" with the Original 6 EU members forming a separate political and economic union. 

She had not read the full text but she understood that the EU Socialist Group was very much against. the "economic straight jacket" being proposed.

She noted amusingly that in America the Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, had been criticised for speaking French. When a good comrade made a separate point about British cultural isolation  by saying he had lived for "20 years in Europe mainly in France" Anita interrupted by saying "you have lived all your life in Europe, we are in Europe now".

Anita Greens was firm in response to a question about aliening to the Greens who were "pink socialists". In her view they were not at all "socialist". There was some good people in the Greens but many are in "Cloud cuckoo land". While you can work with individuals such as Caroline Lucas they are not "soft pink". Some of them she had come across in Europe had even believed in Eugenics. The Greens have different political values, they are not socialists even if we agree with some of their policies. 

A few of us stayed behind afterwards to continue to put Europe (and the world) to rights.