Beat the BNP in Barking Day of Action - Saturday 13 March 2010

"Barking Labour Party held a record day of action last Saturday with over 1 000 contacts made. Thank you so much to everyone who came along and helped out.

Our next day of action will be on the 13th March. We will be at Wood Lane Baptist Church between 11am and 4pm, with a lunch provided between 1pm and 2pm. I really do hope that you can join us. We give a warm welcome and full training to anyone who hasn't been canvassing before.

From next week we are increasing our phone canvassing. We are running sessions from 6pm each evening in Barking, please do drop in if you have some spare time, the number to call is 07576 323 109.

I look forward to seeing you next Saturday in Barking.

Best wishes

Margaret Hodge"

Cameron's Downfall

I think that YouTube Robebbson Films's may have got this idea from Icepicker100 post here. It’s a little bit rude and of course totally unfair to the Tories - but I do like it (and very topical ending)!

Michael Foot

I got a text this afternoon about his death from a good trade union comrade on my mobile while I was travelling on the tube to a union meeting.

It’s always shocking when these things happen even if you didn’t know him and he had lived to a ripe old age (96).

I can still just about remember seeing him speak in person for the first time in Rhyl Labour club, North Wales. I think it was soon after the election defeat in 1979. But he was the first real true “orator” I had ever heard live. Even though before he spoke he appeared to be very ordinary and unassuming.

I think that Harry Barnes has the best take on him – see here and hat tip thingy for the above photo of Michael at the 1960 Labour conference.

The Levithan Fiddler

Who would have suspected? What really good fiddling and a great folk song as well. I think he should give up the day job.

Hat-tip thingy Cdr Baby Trotter.

Enjoy!

(It's a UNISON thing)

Canning Town Voter ID

I was out tonight campaigning in Canning Town with West Ham Labour Party members Bryan Collier and Ahmed Noor. Byran is a UNISON member who use to be a member of my 3rd favourite branch, Lambeth Local Government!   I must have a chat to him some time about the “Levithan Witch hunter”.

While Ahmed is I am reliably informed the son of the first Asian shop keeper in Green Street.

There were a large number of Newham “Team Labour” canvassers out tonight. I was leading our team and wished I bought a torch since it was so dark I was sending them to the wrong door numbers. Yet another reason for my firm belief that political campaigning is ideally a summer sport. The response tonight from voters was again very good. 

Blogging Labour MP Tom Harris posted yesterday a really sensible article on political canvassing.

Millions stand behind me

"Sign the petition to demand Cameron’s pal Ashcroft pays back the £127 million he avoided " Left Foot Forward"

Picture mydavidcameron.com

Black candidate beaten by black votes”?

Check out this post with its provocative headline regarding the outcome of the recent Leyton and Wanstead Labour Party selection for its Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. This is on the blog “Operation Black Vote”.

I will admit to being a mate of Terry Paul who came 2nd (and check out this, this and that)

No-one is really suggesting that John Cryer did not win this election fairly under Party rules and by a significant margin. He was the clear leader in all the rounds. Looking at all the figures I think he would have won in any case so well done to him and I am sure that he will make a very good MP for the CLP.

The row is about whether or not Ahmad Shahzad (Chair of BAME – see picture) who came 3rd should have “encouraged” his supporters to vote for another black candidate if he was knocked out. It would clearly appear that they were not. Which is not good if you are Chair of BAME and “Our main aim is to work towards increasing the number of black and Asian and other minority Members of Parliament and other elected bodies.

While this could be “cock up” rather than "conspiracy" (and I repeat that I think that John would have won anyway) this sort of thing needs to be sorted out asap.

“Dear John...fob off” - Notting Hill Housing strike

This morning I received this letter from Notting Hill Housing Trust CEO, Kate Davies. This is in response to my letter to her here about the lack of dignity and respect for staff at Notting Hill Housing. It is the same bland, inaccurate and rather pointless stock response that I have seen been sent to all the other people who have contacted her on this same issue. Regardless of what they have said. It’s a wonder that it took a fortnight for her to reply?

Her staff has now voted by 93% for strike action which is unheard of in the sector and must demonstrate to anyone how disastrous industrial relations are in the organisation she supposedly “leads”.

There will now be a strike of UNISON members on Monday 15th March. Well done Kate. The first strike by our branch in decades.

(double click on picture left to bring up detail)

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i bawb!

Happy St David’s Day!

This poster is from the “Wise and Foolish dreamers” exhibition on Wales and the Spanish Civil War which has just finished a two year tour in Denbigh, North Wales. Shame I have missed it.

Some 30 Welsh volunteers are believed to have been killed fighting the fascists in Spain.

Check out a St David's Day message from Labour Welsh Assembly member Alun Davies.

Denbigh is by co-incidence the family home town of my Mum.

“Land of my Mothers”.

UNISON General Secretary Election latest

I received this email today. “Just to let you know that the UNISON Yorkshire & Humberside Regional Council overwhelmingly voted to nominate Dave Prentis as candidate in the General Secretary election.

Paul Holmes who is also seeking nomination and was at the meeting but not in the room at the time also failed later to even get onto the Regional Committee in the General seat elections. He came 16th out of 19 candidates and failed to make any of the 12 seats available.

So some potential General Secretaries can't even get elected to their own Regional Committee never mind nominated!!!”

It’s also good to know that practically the only support for Paul comes from Socialist Worker Party (winning witch hunters faction), Permanent Revolution (ex-posh boys and girls only), the Marxist Voice of Labour and Youth (Saga branch), Jon of the Rogers (trot entryist), Socialist Appeal (please...please can we have a revolution) and Union Futures (for wannabe entryist trots).

nuf said.