Darul Jannah Community Centre 2nd anniversary & Student Prize Awards

I was really pleased tonight to be a guest at the Darul Jannah community centre in my ward, alongside Cllr John Whitworth, Cllr Anam Islam and Cllr Shaban Mohammed as well as local Police and other community activists.

The centre has been open for 2 years and the ceremony tonight involved making speeches, listening to prayers, islamic hymns and giving out prizes for achievements and attendance to the students who have religious classes at the centre. There was a fantastic hymn by a group of young girls.

In my speech I compared the Darul Jannah Islamic tradition of a strong inclusive community, charity and love of family with the close knit, socialistic community that I knew growing up as a child in North Wales.

Towards the end, newly elected Newham Councillor, Moniba Khan, also attended. The centre gave everyone a delicious meal afterwards. 

Out and about Newham Council Housing: Cundy Street Centre, David Lee Point, Janson Close & Park Road

Picture collage from recent visits, talks and walkabouts I have been on as Newham Housing lead with local residents, Council Officers and local Councillors.

While visiting our housing estates and meeting residents I have found lots of things that we need to do much better but also examples of excellent practice and dedicated Newham staff doing, what is at times, a really difficult job.

I really enjoy "walkabouts", meeting residents and also getting things done. So, if you are a Newham Council tenant or a leaseholder and want me to to come to your estate then please contact your local Councillors and ask them to invite me. 

Max Levitas - Battle of Cable Street Anti Fascist Veteran RIP

Life long anti-fascist and former "Red Stepney" Councillor for 15 years, Max Levitas, has passed away aged 103. I first met Max many years ago when he was probably in his late 80s and he addressed a meeting of Tower Hamlets residents opposed to the stock transfer of its Council estates to housing associations.

To my surprise, after savaging the Council, he then turned his fire on certain left wing anti stock transfer protestors, who he also attacked in no uncertain terms. I asked a trade union colleague, who was a member of the trotskyist SWP sitting next to me, what was going on? He replied "We are still the Wreckers and Splitters".  Max was of course also a lifelong supporter of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB). Fabulous photo of Max above by Charlotte Barnes.

Max was the son of Jewish refugees who fled Eastern Europe to escape Russian persecution. He and his brothers Sol and Maurice fought alongside thousands of local residents and stopped the fascists marching through East London at the Battle of Cable Street in 1936.  See the Battle of Cable Street Memorial above.

Check out this marvellous interview of Max on Channel 4 News.

Max used to take number 25 bus from Stepney to do his shopping twice a month in the Stratford Centre, Newham and occasionally he would join our regular Saturday, West Ham Labour Party street stall and have a chat with us, warn us about Trotskyists, exhibit the "Morning Star" and happily pose for photos. He told us that he would always vote Labour unless a "real communist" was standing.

Definitely end of an era and an important link in our history but the modern day battle against fascism in all its forms continues. RIP Max

Boleyn (Newham) result:

Boleyn (Newham) result: LAB: 74.8% (+4.3) CON: 14.2% (-4.4) GRN: 7.5% (-3.4) LDEM: 3.6% (+3.6) Labour HOLD.

Well done. Moniba Khan (right of picture next to our Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz) is elected as a Labour Councillor in a by-election last night.

The 74% victory margin is humbling. Moniba and her agent, Alan Griffiths, both worked their socks off for this victory as did many activists. 

Moniba is also the nicest election candidate I have ever met. 

Child Poverty in London

This is from a hard hitting report by the Child Poverty Action Group. 37% of children in London (700,000 kids) live in poverty. It is projected to rise 2019-2021 to 41.5%. What a shameful statistic for one of the richest cities in the world. 2/3rds of such children live in families where at least one parent works#.

You can download a London borough specific report here.

Newham has the highest child poverty numbers in London at 36,780 affecting 43% of all our children.

The reasons for this must be linked to fact we have the highest level of low paid residents at 36% (London average is 21%) as well as exorbitant housing costs. The average rent of the bottom 25% of Newham properties is a staggering £1200 per month and the lowest paid 25% of Newham residents spend 72% of their gross income on rent.

All this is a major reason why we in Newham have (arguably) the worst homelessness crisis in England.

#"A child is living in relative poverty if living in a household with below 60 per cent of contemporary median income, according to government measurements".

While I am convinced that the new Labour administration in Newham (I declare an interest) can make a huge transformational difference to many people's lives.  For example by building a 1000 Council homes at a social rent, community wealth building or tackling violence amongst young people by increasing the number of youth hubs. The sheer numbers mean that we will only be able to defeat child poverty in London by a change in Government.

We need a government in power that will tax those who can afford it to really provide for all our children in need. 

What is austerity?

"There's a lot of talk about Tory austerity. But what is it? Let's break it down, brick by brick".

Coombe Hill & Chequers Walk 2018 (& 2004)

Off message: Gill and I went for this fantastic 8 mile autumnal walk last Sunday in the Chilterns. The weather was incredibly warm and sunny for the time of year. Many trees were still remarkably green which I put down to the unusual hot summer we have had this year.

The walk starts in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. It took us about 55 minutes to drive from Forest Gate. There is also a railway station in the village with trains to London.

The first part of the walk is up Coombe Hill to the summit, where there is a monument to local Buckinghamshire soldiers, who were killed during the Boer War in South Africa 1899-1902. One of the first memorials to be erected not to honour famous Generals and military victories but to remember the names of all the ordinary soldiers who died.  The panoramic views from the top are magnificent.

Next is a rather steep walk down to the road and then walk across fields (top left of collage). Due to a failure to read instructions properly, we walked up the rather steep Beacon Hill instead of around it. It was however a great place to stop to have lunch and enjoy the views.

After this some very pleasant wood and hillside walking which took us alongside the country estate of British Prime Ministers, Chequers. See its main entrance gates in top top right of college. I have no idea if the current Prime Minister was in residence at the time. She is also a walker and I would have loved to have bumped into her to give her the benefit of my views on Brexit (and other things)

After Chequers we stopped off for some chocolate ice cream at a farm shop then continued into the famous beautiful and peaceful Chiltern woods. The paths through the woods are a little confusing but we managed to make it without getting too lost.

We ended up back at Wendover and it took just over 4 hours to complete the walk. We stopped off for a drink outside the "Shoulder of Mutton" pub.

We have done this favourite walk a few times now over the years but will always remember our walk in 2004, when we went with a number of Tower Hamlets UNISON trade union comrades, while training for the 3 Peaks challenge (walking up and down the three largest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours). See the group picture outside the "Shoulder of Mutton" from 2004 and behind me is my friend, George Woznicki, who sadly is no longer with us. A fantastic trade unionist, housing worker, father and husband who is much missed. 

UNISON endorsement for Emma Whysall as Labour Candidate for Chipping Barnet: "Let's get the job done"

"I’m at least the fourth generation of my family to be a Trade Unionist - back to the blacklisted docker and the miner on strike for the minimum wage in 1912.

Trade Unions are the core of the Labour Movement. I am so humbled by @unisontweets endorsement for @ChippingLabour"

Hustings are tomorrow. Eligible Labour Party members are being sent ballot papers. While Chipping Barnet members has 3 good candidates to choose from, Greater London UNISON elected lay leadership endorse Emma to be the candidate as its next Labour MP.

"Let's get the job done".

Check out

https://www.facebook.com/EmmaWhysallChippingBarnet/

https://twitter.com/EmmaWhysall

Newham Dockside Dusk

Off message. There has been some spectacular dawns and sunsets this month. This is view from the Cabinet workstations on the 4th floor, Newham Council Dockside, E16 on 6.12pm, October 5 (Google stylised photo but it was stunning at the time) 

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Love it. NEWHAM GREAT HOUSING COUNCIL. Way to go

If you tweet check out @tweetcloudbot

Hat tip Martin Warne