"My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose"

<
I still think this is the best version of this classic love poem. Happy Burns Night Comrades!

Check out some other more traditional versions here.

Meet Nigel Farage

Check out the new website Meet Nigel Farage and find out Nigel's plans to privatise the NHS, cut the NHS and charge for the NHS.

All his plans are sourced.

It is about time that Farage and UKIP got held to account for their Ultra Tory Right wing nonsense.

West Ham at Wes' Birthday Canvass

Today is the birthday of Labour candidate for Ilford North Parliamentary seat, Wes Streeting.

So instead of giving him a well deserved day off, his campaign team designated it as "Wes Birthday Canvass Day" and arranged 3 separate #labourdoorstep sessions.

West Ham went to the 2pm session and took part in a number of campaign teams, while our MP, Lyn Brown, ran a telephone canvass session in the CLP HQ (Lyn is out of door knocking action at moment due to a serious knee injury).

My team was led by Newham's youngest Councillor, Seyi Akiwowo, who enjoyed bossing us about and sending us hither and thither. After we finished I had an unusual telephone conversation with a West Ham CLPer, who asked me if I remembered where they had parked their car? (they eventually found it).

Double click to enlarge picture and check out the top right of collage for photo of show stealer, Cara.

Make yourself sheep and the wolves will eat you

Workers who are not members of a trade unions please note.

Ilford North campaigning and cake with Lyn Brown MP

104 days left to get rid of this Tory/Lib Dem Government

"Help get a Labour government elected in May. Lyn Brown MP and your West Ham colleagues will be in Ilford North on Saturday (24 Jan). It's Labour candidate Wes Streeting's birthday - which means campaigning with cake!

Instead of meeting at Fairlop we'll meet at the Campaign Office, 153b Beehive Lane, Ilford, IG4 5DX (entrance in Radnor Crescent) - a five minute walk from Gants Hill tube. As usual we'll be leaving from outside Stratford station at 1.30pm.

I hope you can join us. Our work identifying Labour voters in Ilford North is just part of huge amounts of work all across the country to get Labour MPs and a Labour government elected. Tweet  John Gray (@grayee) if you need any info on the day.

Best wishes

Julianne Marriott"
(West Ham CLP Vice Chair)

UNISON Housing Association AGM 2015: London Assembly City Hall

The branch AGM is taking place at the London Assembly City Hall on Tuesday 17 February 2015 - 6pm to 8.30pm.
The theme of the meeting will be about "rights at work".

City Hall is a wonderful and iconic modern London building, over looking the Thames and Tower Bridge.

It is well worth a visit.

Former branch activist and now a Labour London Assembly member, Murad Qureshi, is hoisting the event.

We have over 3000 members across London in the branch and would really welcome as many as possible to attend.

Afterwards, we will be having our annual branch social at a venue nearby. 

Further details (and guest speaker) to follow. 

All members will be sent an AGM report and invite but please check out for updates on our branch website here.

Harry Leslie Smith on defending the NHS

91 year old Harry Leslie Smith remembers the time before the NHS when his sister suffered from TB and had to go into the workhouse hospital to die.

Democracy Day: "Have you voted yet? Nah... There's gonna be a Peoples' Revolution any minute..."

Today is "Democracy Day" the 750 anniversary of the first ever Parliament in Westminster. There was a fascinating debate on Radio 4 "Today" this morning which resulted in sparks between young and old about feelings of disenfranchisement with politics and accusations of laziness. It was noted that neither side really understood each other.

Check out Kitty Jones thoughts on Non Voters. She is not one to pull her punches.

Which side are you on...

    A moving union song by the late and great Pete Seeger... "Will you be a lousy scab or will you be a man". 

Update: check the origins of the song

Enfield Chase Walk (and where a Nazi Monster admitted his Shame)

Today I went for my first country walk of 2015. Trent County Park in Enfield Chase, North London is a remnant of an ancient Royal hunting ground.

This pathfinder walk was only 4 miles (but we got lost and added another couple of miles I think). It was cold but the winter sunshine and shadows was lovely.

The country mansion Trent House,  which  you can see across the lake in the photo was during the 2nd World War a prisoner of war camp for senior German officers including 84 Generals. The British "bugged" the camp and recorded  many conversations between prisoners. Some of secret recordings let to the RAF bombing previously unknown German rocket research sites.

What struck me most was the recording of General Dietrich von Choltitz who was quoted as saying in October 1944: "We all share the guilt. We went along with everything, and we half-took the Nazis seriously, instead of saying "to hell with you and your stupid nonsense". I misled my soldiers into believing this rubbish. I feel utterly ashamed of myself. Perhaps we bear even more guilt than these uneducated animals."

This was a man who refused orders by Hitler to destroy Paris in the second world war but who ordered the murder of thousands of Jewish civilians in Russia.

The walk is a history feast with its Water Gardens, monuments and medieval Camlet moat. Only 30 minutes from Forest Gate. Well recommended.

Update: further photos from walk on Facebook here