Tomorrow is election day in Tower Hamlets!

"Do you have any spare time tomorrow? If so come and join us in Tower Hamlets to get Labour voters out to vote for John Biggs as the new Mayor. 

We've got two sessions: 1pm and 5.30pm at Stratford station (5.30pm meeting John outside the station near the station sign).

Both group's will be heading to West Ham's campaign base for the day - 23 Celtic Street, E14 6QB (near Langdon Park DLR) where we'll be met by Richard (078724 17288).

If you're can't make either of those times you can turn up to Celtic St campaign base any time between 7am and 9pm - they'll be pleased to see you.

Happy campaigning...

Julianne Marriott
Vice Chair
West Ham Labour party"

Why "Right to Buy" will be another nail in the coffin of the Housing Association movement

The 1966 BBC television play "Cathy Come Home" about homelessness and its back drop is credited with kick starting many modern day Housing associations.

Sadly, some (not by all means all) have forgotten their social mission and instead become money making machines for their chief executives and senior management team and don't give a damn about the homeless, their existing tenants or their staff.

Another nail in the coffin of the Housing Association movement is the Tory plans to extend the "right to buy" at a massive discount to their tenants. Everyone who believes in the basic human right for secure, safe, affordable and decent housing for all - need to get together and campaign to defeat this proposal.

The emergency motion below has been submitted by my UNISON branch to our National Conference next week. I hope (as always) the standing orders committee will be gentle with us and the motion is debated.

Government plan to extend “Right to Buy to Housing Associations

This conference notes:-

• The announcement in the Queens speech on May 27 2015 that the Government intends to extend the Right to Buy to Housing Associations. It is believed that the Government will push ahead with this legislation as a priority. 
• The Housing crisis in this country with regards to the chronic shortage of decent affordable homes in all tenures.   
• That there is an intention to “bribe” tenants to buy their homes with massive discounts. This will costs billions of pounds.
• If there is billions of pounds available to bribe tenants then this money is better spent on building new homes at social rents 
• To pay for these discounts local authorities would be expected to sell off up to 5% of their stock. 
• It is unclear how local authorities who have transferred all their stock to housing associations will be able to sell “5%” of homes they no longer own? 
• Housing Associations are charities and the Charity commission has strict rules on the buying and selling of land and assets. 
• In some local authority areas up to 70 % of properties bought under the Council Right to Buy have ended up in the hand of private landlords.
• In recent years only 1 in every 19 homes sold under Council Right to Buy have been replaced. 
• If this plan was to go ahead it would make the housing crisis worse by reducing the existing stock of supply of social housing for vulnerable and low paid families. 
• Housing associations already forced to borrow against their existing stock to fund building new homes will find with their assets sold at a discount the cost of borrowing will increase and they can in fact build less. 
• Many Housing association sector believe that this proposal will threaten their ability to raise new loans to build homes and even continued existence. This will impact not only on residents (many of whom are UNISON members) and workers. 
• That Conservative plans in the 1980s to force RTB on Housing Associations were defeated following a successful campaign in the sector supported by trade unions. Eventually a bill was defeated in the House of Lords. 

This Conference calls upon the NEC to :- 

• Oppose this plan to extend right to buy to Housing Associations.
• Support and help organise a campaign against the extension and work with other trade unions, tenant and resident groups, employers and recognised NGOs to oppose these plans. 
• Call on Labour Link to work within the Labour Party to oppose this measure". 

Greater London UNISON Housing Association Branch

Re-elected as UNISON National Executive Member

I found out this morning that I had been re-elected for a third term to the UNISON National Executive Committee (which is the UNISON "Parliament" of our 1.3 million members, which runs the union in between our National delegate conferences).

Many, many thanks to all the UNISON branches who had nominated me and all those who voted to support me. I am the Community General seat member for the part of UNISON which organises in the Housing Association and Voluntary sector. 57,433 members were balloted.

While I was pleased to get 1975 votes to 648, the turnout was only 4.9% (and not untypical in these elections) which is appalling and something we simply must-do-something-about and not just whine as some do.

Commiserations to Kieran Grogan who stood against me and to my Community running mate, June Poole, who missed out by only 61 Votes to Jane Bryan who was re-elected to a second term. Congratulations mind you, to Jane.

As in all elections there was a number of shock results and surprises but the NEC is still firmly in the hands of the forces of light and reason for the next 2 years.

I will be speaking in the next few days to some good comrades who lost and some new ones who have just won.

It is going to be a really horrible and tough time during the next few years for trade unionists and we need to make sure that our union is safe, strong and there for our members. I think we have a NEC team that can deliver.

(picture of my old NEC "seat" on 9th floor of UNISON centre in Euston, London. Click on picture to bring up more detail)

West Hammers with John Biggs and Sadiq Khan MP campaigning for a Tower Hamlets Labour Mayor in Isle of Dogs

This afternoon we meet up outside Crossharbour station in the Isle of Dogs. It was a large turnout from all over London. Sadiq and John said a few words to rally the troops then we were sent off to various parts of the Island, mostly to deliver leaflets.

West Ham Labour Party Chair (and Stratford Councillor) Charlene Mclean led our team, ably assisted by our very own West Hammer Young Pioneer, Esme. We leafleted the east side of Manchester Road, in between the Samdu Estate and the Police Station alongside the River Thames. The weather was lovely and warm and we were quite envious of those who were sitting on the "beach" enjoying the rays.

Then I came across a plaque in Dudgeons Wharf remembering 5 fire fighters and another worker who were killed by an explosion while tackling a fire on this site in 1969. It was the worst single loss of life in the London Fire Brigade since the 2nd World War. One of our team, East Hammer Malcolm, used to be member of the now disbanded London Salvage Corps which was once part of the London fire office.

Afterwards we stopped off at the The George Pub (opened 1864) and as yesterday proceeded to once again put the world to rights.

Election day is this Thursday 11 June so if you can come and support John Biggs as Labour Mayor on the day please do and check out http://www.johnbiggsformayor.com/events. 

1200 dead so far & 7 years to go? Qatar: The human toll of FIFA’s corruption

Shocking chart and story from Washington Post. Hat tip TUC Risks. People quite rightly go on about the corruption and money but what about this waste of human life? Support the TUC "Play fair" campaign.

"The Washington Post has flipped the focus from the financial corruption gripping football’s global governing body, instead highlighting concerns about the considerable and deadly human price paid as a result of FIFA’s failings.

“In the end, it only took a $150 million scandal to make Americans care about soccer,” the paper notes. “FIFA, the notoriously corrupt and yet seemingly invincible governing body of world soccer, has finally landed itself an indictment that some would say is worthy of its reputation.

The charges against a handful of senior FIFA officials include money laundering, racketeering, bribery and fraud. In short, the federal lawsuit alleges what millions of soccer fans have suspected all along: that FIFA officials have been using the organisation's massive influence to line their pocketbooks.”

 But the Washington Post adds “a closer look suggests that there is a lot of real-world suffering happening as a direct result of FIFA's decisions. For the most obvious example of this, look to Qatar… a report by the International Trade Union Confederation has estimated 1,200 deaths so far, with up to 4,000 additional worker deaths by 2022.”

 Commenting on the corruption charges laid by the US Justice Department against several FIFA officials, the paper notes “as the families of 1,200 dead workers can attest, in many ways the damage has already been done. If FIFA board members did indeed accept bribes from Qatar to let it host the 2022 cup, it would show how backroom corruption can have widespread and fatal consequences.”

West Hammers out campaigning for John Biggs as Mayor in Devons Road with Diane Abbot MP

Picture collage from this afternoon's canvass and leaflet in Devons Road, Tower Hamlets. I was given a board to run and went with a team of West Hammers, which was joined by Diane Abbot MP and the shy and retiring Bill Turner, formerly from Tower Hamlets and now Barking and Dagenham.

It was an energetic round, up and down mainly non lifted housing blocks. Diane was recognised by residents who couldn't believe that someone from the telly was standing outside their front door!

I enjoyed listening to Newham's youngest Councillor, Seyi Akiwowo, tell off a young man who said he wouldn't vote for any politician "because they were all corrupt". She said she was a politician and she certainly wasn't corrupt!

The response from voters for John Biggs was pretty good but there was isolated allegations and counter allegations of dirty tricks, none of which could be substantiated.  I think overall there is a feeling that Tower Hamlets needs some stability and although some still have reservations about what has happened, many think John Biggs would be a good Mayor and make a new start for the borough.

Afterwards, many of went to the Galanisers Union pub in Bromley By Bow and proceeded to put the whole world to rights.

Tomorrow, (Sunday) Sadiq Khan MP, will be outside Crossharbour DLR in the Isle of Dogs at 2pm. 

Stop a £43m fat cat pay deal - Tell your pension fund to say NO to Martin Sorrell rip off at WPP

"Dear John, the FTSE fat cats are at it again. Advertising and marketing company WPP wants to pay its boss, Sir Martin Sorrell, £43m this year. That’s 2378 times what you'd earn on the London Living Wage.

Last November, you emailed your pension fund about a high pay deal at BG Group - and it worked. [2] The company received a barrage of opposition from shareholders, including pension funds, and the pay deal was cut. Your voice had a real impact. It's time to do it again.

Take two minutes to make sure your pension fund votes NO to £43m a year at WPP on Tuesday.

At WPP's annual general meeting on Tuesday, shareholders including our pension funds will be asked to vote to approve the pay deal. As savers, we have an opportunity to make sure shareholders vote no to this excessive pay package.

This deal is seen as very high even within the industry. One group, Glass Lewis, has recommended that shareholders vote against the "wholly excessive" pay deal. However another group, ISS, has said shareholders should vote in favour despite labelling the pay deal "exceptionally high." [1]

Tell your pension fund to vote NO using this quick and easy tool.

With the industry divided, it's more important than ever that pension funds hear from their customers on this issue. Let's make sure WPP knows that it can't get away with spending shareholders' money on such excessive high pay.

Thank you,

Colette, Matt, Grace and the rest of the team at ShareAction.

[1] The Guardian: Sir Martin Sorrell's pay package labelled 'excessive' by investor advisory group
[2]: The Guardian: BG Group cuts Helge Lund's 'golden hello' after shareholder pressure"

Last weekend to get a Labour Mayor for Tower Hamlets

"Please come and join London Mayor candidates Diane Abbot MP and Sadiq Khan MP help John Biggs become the Labour Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

Saturday with Diane Abbot, Devons Road DLR at 2pm
We'll meet at 1.30pm at Stratford station or 2pm at Devons Road station (3 stops from Stratford or 1 from Bow Road/Bow Church). Don't worry if you haven't been out knocking on doors before someone will help you (or you could deliver leaflets). (Julianne). 

Sunday with Sadiq Khan, Crossharbour DLR at 2pm
We'll meet at 2pm at Crossharbour station (Isle of Dogs). Again, don't worry if you haven't been out knocking on doors before someone will help you (or you could deliver leaflets). 

If you've got time next week and particularly Thursday to help on election day please let us know - our colleagues in Tower Hamlets will appreciate any time you can spare.

Best wishes
Julianne


Julianne Marriott
Vice Chair
West Ham Labour Party"

The "undoing of Ed Miliband"? History will tell and why we really lost the election

This article here is a media hatchet job. Typical Guardian sneers and bile.

The truth is that we were never going to win. The defeat in 2010 was so massive that it would take more than 5 years to overcome.

Credit to Ed for keeping the Party together and making us credible. In 2020 voters will not give the Tories the benefit of the doubt again.

Yesterday evening we had a far reaching discussion at West Ham Ward meeting about the result and the future of the Party.  Afterwards we carried on these discussions with colleagues from different wards.  These were my views :-  

• Share of Vote for Labour in 2010 was 29%. The worse result since 1922.

• There has only been once in 100 years a one term British Government (and that was February 1974 after the 1973 Oil crisis, coal strike and 3 day week)

• Nationalism in Scotland and fear of SNP amongst floating Tory voters

• Ruthless Tory Party machine decimates Liberals & attacks our financial record

• It was an international crisis but the economic crash in 2008 took place on Labour's watch. 

• It is too slow, patchy and uneven but we are finally coming out of recession

• Wages are starting to rise, inflation is very low, unemployment down and house prices high

• Who could have predicted the collapse in energy markets - it's  now 25% cheaper to fill up my car

• as always in British politics "its the economy stupid". 

West Ham Ward Councillor report

This is the report (below) I presented at tonight's West Ham Ward monthly meeting.

After the Q&A we then had a fascinating debate about the General election result and the future direction of the Labour Party.

Afterwards some of us went to a joint ward informal social with comrades from Forest Gate North and South at Nando's in Stratford.

Ward meeting 4 June 2015 

"Due to the general election we have not met for some time. During the election campaign I was the Agent for our Parliamentary candidate, Lyn Brown and for our CLP Chair, Charlene McLean, who was the Labour candidate for the by-election in Stratford and New Town.

We were of course devastated by the result of the General election and a possible 5 more years of Tory rule. However, Lyn did manage to increase her majority by 5.7% and Charlene was also re-elected with the biggest vote ever for a Newham Councillor.

Many West Ham activists also played an important role in overturning a 5000 tory majority in Ilford North. We are also currently working in Tower Hamlets for the election of John Biggs AM as elected Mayor which will take place next Thursday June 11.

As Agent I am currently finishing off the Parliamentary and By-election expenses.

Last week we had an all members meeting for the selection of a Labour Candidate for London Mayor 2017. At that meeting, in my personal capacity, I seconded the nomination of Sadiq Khan and spoke in favour of him.

 Due to the election many Council and forum meetings have been cancelled. However, I have attended a number of meetings including the Council AGM and attended Housing Residents Scrutiny where I was able to get it agreed that Council officers should attend meetings of local Tenant Resident Associations if there is a special issue. I am trying to help organise such a meeting for Leather Gardens TRA.

I have continued to carry out regular surgery and respond to complaints. Housing, ASB and Parking remain the top 3 topics. Next month I will resume making a full written Councillor report to the ward.

Councillor John Gray.