Casablanca La Marseillaise

 
"On ne passe pas". Never give in to fascists

Aylesford Green By-Election

Today I drove down to Ashford in Kent with two other West Hammers, Anamul and Aleen,  to support our former CLP Vice Chair, Gordon Miller.  Gordon is standing to be a borough Councillor in Aylesbury Green ward. This is a Labour marginal seat so every vote will count.

On the way down it was pouring with rain and we speculated whether we will be door knocking or getting slightly less wet by delivering leaflets. Remembering Gordon's campaigning energy and enthusiasm, I had little doubt that he would have us door knocking.  So it proved. Despite Gordon and his agent Caroline being already soaked from the morning session, they were still up for speaking to residents.

The rain held off a bit and the canvass itself was actually quite fun, chatting to residents about local and national issues. While there is differences in the canvass returns for Labour compared to that in West Ham, there is strong support for Labour, even in so called Conservative "heartlands". It reminds me that it was in rural England not the cities that the Labour movement first started.

Afterwards we warmed up and dried out in the local pub "William  Harvey" in Church Road. Anamul had a Nepalese curry cooked by the former British Army Gurkha landlord, which he said was as good as any in Green Street.

Tomorrow more West Hammers will be driving down to help out but after this we will be concentrating on our own Newham by-election in Boleyn ward and supporting our candidate Veronica Oakshott.

The Aylesford Green by election is next Thursday 19 November 2015. If you can help out then let Gordon know via Facebook "Ashford Labour" or @Ashfordlabour.

 UPDATE:
What a shame. Gordon lost by 4 votes! Politics is a cruel game at times but a great result that Labour got a third of the vote in a Tory heartland.

Adrian John Gee-Turner	Liberal Democrats	42
Alex Howard	The Conservative Party Candidate	110 Elected
Christine Ann Kathawick-Smith	Ashford Independent	92
Gordon Miller	Labour Party	106
Thom Pizzey	The Green Party	10
Harriet Bronwen Yeo	UK Independence Party (UKIP)	109

Solidarity with France

Liberté, égalité, fraternité

Croydon University Hospital UNISON members supporting Dave for General Secretary

Pictures of UNISON members who work in Croydon University Hospital supporting Dave Prentis to be elected as our General Secretary.

When a manager tells you there is no need for a union rep as it is only an informal meeting

Love it. Seriously if you work for an employer that provides services to the public you should consider https://join.unison.org.uk/ or try out the "union finder" search engine at https://worksmart.org.uk//

#VoteDaveDay

My ballot paper arrived at home yesterday. I have voted for Dave Prentis to be our UNISON General Secretary.

Ballot paper is now in the pre-paid envelope to be posted back this morning.

Please vote as soon as you receive your ballot paper or else it may end up unused in a kitchen drawer.

Encourage your fellow unison members at your workplace to also vote and participate. 

The union and its members are under attack as never before and we need a competent, experienced  General Secretary, who will lead and unite us in the forthcoming battles.  Dave Prentis is that person.

Armistice Day 2015

This morning I took part at in a 2 minutes silence, while at a work UNISON/Unite/GMB trade union meeting in Kings Cross.

Hat tip photo top union steward Franzi Bee.

West Ham Councillor Report: November 2015

Councillor Report to West Ham Ward

WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY tel: 07432 150 *** or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk

 

Ward meeting 5 November 2015 

 

• Leafleting Ward for Sadiq Khan to be London Mayor & door knocking last weekend.
• There is a By-election in Boleyn ward East Ham on 3.12.1.  Veronica Oakeshott is the excellent Labour candidate.
• I attended the memorial service to murdered PC Nina Mackay on 24 October in Arthingworth Street, West Ham. Plan for next year as a wider community event?
• Car parking chaos off the Portway, E15. Need CPZ urgently. Resident Petitions to present to next full council.
• Complaints about closure of Greenway. I have cycled around division and made representations. Planning to meet Newham Cyclists to discuss further.
• Walkabout with residents in Dirleton Road, E15 about Parking, Environmental and ASB.
• Walkabout with residents and Council officers in Brasset Point Tower block about communal repairs, environmental and ASB
• The school governing bodies for Rebecca Cheetham Nursery School and Ranelagh Primary School are merging. (I am an authority governor at RCNS)
• Housing. Key surgery issue. I dread to think what will happen with “pay to stay” and “right to buy” to Housing Associations stealing properties from London Councils to fund election bribes in Tory shires, who have got rid of all their council housing.
• Section 106 money taken away to fund so called “start-up” homes that in London can only be afforded by the rich.
• Investigating complaints that West Ham homeless families kept in Bed and Breakfast hotels beyond statutory limits and impact of Council tax demands on low income families.
• I moved the UNISON motion on “The Housing Crisis” at the TUC Congress this year.
• Tax credits. Never thought I would say thanks for the House of Lords. West Ham worse hit in the country. Strivers and hard working families’ tax credits being taken away to fund tax breaks for millionaires.
• Disgusted to see that West Ham FC Vice Chairman, Baroness Brady, voted with the government to take away tax credits from working families, even though around 40% of working families rely on the credits and nearly half of all children in Newham are growing up in poverty according to the Campaign to End Child Poverty.
• Planning. “Stop notice” on Plaistow Road Muslim Education and Community Centre. I don’t think that the State should interfere in the right to worship except in exceptional circumstances.
• Voted against council accounts 2014/2015 on Investment and Accounts Committee, since I was not given the opportunity to attend joint meeting with audit and question auditors. Also not satisfied with budget governance.
• Pensions for mayoral advisers. Do not believe that at a time of savage cuts to our budget, mayor advisers (or backbench Cllrs) should be gaining a 14% increase in allowances. Attended first Council Scrutiny “call in” in possibly 10 years over issue.
• Special purpose vehicle for Council pension scheme. Spoke against at cabinet. Public money spent before any scrutiny. Also attended “call in”.
• LOBOs. ‎We are spending millions of pounds in excess interest rates on capital loans. We are being ripped off by Banks. I have contributed to a joint article on Labour list and worked with Cllr Whitworth on disclosure.
• I have complained to the Council CEO and the monitoring officer about the continued refusal of Council officers to disclose important information on financial matters to elected members for no substantive reason.
• Finally. Labour Party conference and leadership. Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson deserve a chance to develop and build the Party in order to win the General election in 2020.

Vote for Dave: UNISON General Secretary Election from 9 November - 4 December

1.3 million UNISON members will be receiving ballot papers at their home address during the next week or so.

Every 5 years the union democratically elects its General Secretary. Dave Prentis, who is our current General Secretary is standing for re-election.

I have been an activist in UNISON for many years and have come across and worked with all 4 of the candidates.

I will be voting for Dave this time as I think that he is the candidate best placed to unite all the union against the Tory attempts to destroy us and will make sure that we continue to be a member led, member focused union that will put the real interests of members first.

Dave was once described in the national press as being "quietly awkward". He is passionate about public services and our members interests but doesn't shout and scream.

We are living in horrible times, with our jobs, terms and conditions under threat and at risk. We need someone who is an intelligent and thoughtful negotiator who will always fight when necessary and will deliver the best deal possible.

Rye Remembrance Sunday 2015

This Remembrance Sunday I was in the ancient town and port of Rye in East Sussex. Picture is from the service this morning outside the. 12th Century, St Mary's Church.

I watched beforehand the procession into the Church led by the Gold Mace bearer, the Lady Mayor in full regalia, followed by the town Councillors, wearing traditional robes, gloves and hats (female Councillors wore tricorn hats with three sides, men wore bicorns).

I waited outside with other onlookers.  At 11 am the 2 minutes silence was marked by an unexpected loud cannon or gun shot which was also fired again to mark the end.  This is always a poignant moment, spoiled somewhat by a thoughtless women, who talked throughout the silence.  She was thankfully drowned out by the cry of seagulls loudly protesting against the cannon shots.

At around 11.45 the Church service finished with "God Save the Queen" (In the meanwhile I had gone and had a look around the excellent nearby Rye Castle also known as Ypres Tower)

The service outside was led by the local Vicar. Wreaths were laid by the Mayor, Conservative MP Amber Rudd, the British Legion, cadets, guides, scouts, emergency services and many other local organisations and schools.

A young sea cadet read out the list (a long one) of men on the memorial who had been killed in 1915.

In a nice gesture, cubs, brownies and other small children planted small wooden crosses each each with an individual name from the memorial.

The latest name on the memorial was Corporal John Rigby, 4th Battalion The Rifles, aged 24, who died from injuries sustained by a roadside bomb attack in Basra, Iraq on Friday 22 June 2007.