Remploy Strike - 2nd Day of Action

Picture is from this morning's picket line outside the Remploy factory in Barking.  The government is closing 27 factories employing 1,012 disabled workers. 

Check out this BBC report here and GMB press release here.

Local Labour Assembly member John Biggs (left) was there in support. Seen in picture on left with Remploy steward (and Newham Labour Councillor) Jose Alexander (2nd from right)

Ken visits Stratford Station to talk to commuters about Fare Deal

Guest Post from Tahmina Rahman, Forest Gate North Labour Party Secretary (3rd from right in photo) “A really positive response yesterday lunchtime from the local Newham residents and visitors at Stratford station. Labour Mayor Candidate Ken Livingstone was joined by Val Shawcross who is the deputy Mayoral candidate and local East London Assembly candidate, John Biggs.

Together with other local Labour Party activists we handed out leaflets and talked to people about “Fare Deal” and how the average Londoner could save a £1000 over 4 years".

Labour GS Iain McNicol visits Newham Party Machine

Yesterday evening the new Labour Party General Secretary, Iain McNicol paid a visit to Newham. He had a briefing on the campaign plans and went out with a door knocking team in East Ham.  While in total there were 73 activists out last night knocking doors and telecanvassing for Ken Livingstone and Labour in the GLA elections.

This picture is of some of the canvassers with the Labour candidate for the City and East London seat, John Biggs.

Update: it was actually 80 plus and we made 1782 contacts that evening - the overwhelming majority
were positive.

Picture of Iain with activists.

On the Knocker for Ken in West Ham

Picture from yesterday's canvass session in Abbey Road, West Ham, E15.  I represent the ward as a Councillor. After my surgery we met up outside the Rokeby Community Centre. It was pouring with rain at the beginning so we had split up into 4 separate canvass teams to call at the tower blocks and flats in the area and keep undercover as best you can. 

Since this is PR election every single vote in London will count. We need to bring out our core vote in East London to defeat Tory Mayor Boris Johnson. West Ham ward is solid Labour but the hostility shown by residents to the Tories is striking.

There was several other Labour Party canvass teams out this weekend in Newham. Later that day our local City and London Assembly member John Biggs was in Forest Gate North. West Ham MP Lyn Brown is 4th from right and GLA London wide Assembly candidate Unmesh Desai is 3rd from left. After this I went over to the West Ham and Stratford Spring Festival (post to follow).

Sadiq Khan MP Stratford fund raiser for GLA elections 2012

Picture from last night's successful GLA elections fund raiser at the

Manus Restaurant in Stratford.

Please indulge me for messing about with the picture attributes. The keynote speaker, Sadiq Khan MP (Shadow Minster of Justice) is genuinely funny and had everyone laughing at this
point.

On the left is John Biggs the local Labour City and East GLA candidate, and to the right of Sadiq is East Ham MP Stephen Timms and West Ham MP Lyn Brown MP. Double click to bring up detail.

The event had been organised by Newham Cllr Unmesh Desai, who is also standing as a GLA candidate in this year's election. The buffet meal was absolutely excellent. I shared a taxi home with some of the Newham born Leyton and Wansted CLP crew who shame us by always turning up and supporting our  events. 

Ken Livingstone meets London Labour Link

Last night following the London UNISON Labour Link Forum there was there was a "Ken for London"

meeting at the UNISON HQ in Euston.

Ken gave a 10 minute speech (see phone camera video here on YouTube - hat tip Phil Lewis from
Camden).

Picture is of Ken with the Chair of the UNISON London retired members Rob Beeston and Joel Bodmer who is chair of UNISON London Young members (and national) network.

We gave Ken a tour of the building and the campaigning phone bank.

UNISON has put out this press release 

Livingstone meets London Labour Link

UNISON activists raised their concerns about the future of public services in London at a meeting with Labour mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone last night.

The event, which also included Greater London Assembly candidates Andrew Dismore, Murad Qureshi - who are both UNISON members - and John Biggs, also gave union activists a chance to discuss the campaign with the candidates.

"Ken spoke about how he will put the needs of UNISON members and ordinary Londoners first by cutting fares, increasing the number of police on the streets, campaigning for a living rent, building homes for Londoners, restoring the campaign for the London Living Wage and standing up against attacks on public services," said John Gray of the Greater London UNISON Labour Link committee.

"We need to support Ken and the Labour candidates and return a Labour mayor and a Labour majority on the GLA on 3 May."

West Ham CLP phone bank

Picture right is of West Ham Labour Party phone bank volunteers about to start calling people this evening in our headquarters in Stratford. On left is Mark Lewis who with Alan Griffiths has set up the weekly phone bank. Then our ringer London Assembly member, John Biggs in middle, then yet another John (Armitage) on the right.

It was a successful session and we had a good reaction from residents. I spoke to a number of people in my ward who were pleased to contacted by their Councillor even though they could not think of anything to complain about at the time.  I did pick up Councillor case work and surgery appointments. See the colourful backdrop in the picture and you may recognise certain photos (I should claim copyright!)

Newham Tells Ken

The picture College is from the "Tell Ken" event in Newham on Monday Evening (sponsored by London

UNISON Labour Link).

Labour Party candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone has held "Tell Ken" events at all of the London 32 boroughs. His last one was in Newham on Monday which is of course a Labour stronghold.  I've posted on the
day events here.

This well attended "Tell Ken" event was chaired by City and East London Assembly member John Biggs. East Ham MP Stephen Timms introduced Ken.

Ken's speech was very, very good. The Q&A also went well. He judged the audience perfectly. I could see people nodding and agreeing with his points. His convincing narrative is that of an ordinary working class Londoner, who wants lower bus and tube fares, more housing, is tough on crime yet passionately believes in social justice and equality. Compare Ken and his love of London with the rich Old Etonian gadfly who regards being our  Mayor purely as a stepping stone to Number 10. It was a good night (pictures also from the Theatre Royal visit and of Ken with Becton Ward Councillors).

Ken in Newham

This evening I joined Labour Candidate for London Mayor, Ken Livingstone and his team as they visited the historic Theatre Royal in

Stratford.

Ken had been in Newham all day and had already gone on a Housing enforcement visit with Council officers and Newham Mayor Robin Wales in the morning. He then had a briefing with local Councillors and a Q&A with students at Newham College, as well as a “walkabout” in Green Street.

With Ken was Assembly member Val Shawcross (who is standing for Deputy Mayor) local Assembly member John Biggs and Newham’s finest, GLA Candidate, Councillor Unmesh Desai (who is also East Ham Labour Party Agent).

At the Theatre Royal there was firstly an informal meeting with staff and local actors (whose first break had been in the Theatre) in the “Green Room” followed by a brief tour of the theatre and a visit to a Performing Arts class to observe a lesson on “improvisations”. Which was simply enormous fun to watch. Afterwards there was a very relaxed discussion between staff, the young people and Ken, Val and John about the future of performing arts, dance and further education generally. I think the photo above is great. 

Afterwards we went off to the Didsbury Centre in East Ham for the Newham “Tell Ken” event (sponsored by London UNISON Labour Link) which I will post upon soon.

Plaistow North Labour Party branch "on the knocker"

Picture of the Labour Plaistow North ward canvass team (and a couple of friends) on Saturday. 

West Ham MP Lyn Brown and GLA member for City and East, John Biggs, were also on hand to speak to local residents about the importance of getting rid Tory London Mayor Johnson and electing Ken Livingstone.

Hat Tip Ali G.  Who when I asked if anything interesting or notable happened during the canvass replied "We met a Tory".

"The Tory-led Health Bill is a deadly threat to the NHS that we know and love"

This has been the "Big NHS Weekend".  Up and down the Country the Labour movement has been out campaigning against the Tory led Health and Social Care Bill.  It comes back to the House of Commons this week for its 3rd reading.  Yesterday we had Labour Party and affiliated trade union street stalls in Stratford and East Ham. 

We handed out leaflets produced by TULO that the "NHS is not safe" in the hands of Cameron and Clegg.

Colleagues in East Ham reported that people were reticent to accept this leaflet at first since it had Cameron's face on it!

Picture is of our local City and East GLA member, John Biggs, handing our leaflets in Stratford High Street.  West Ham MP Lyn Brown was also out collecting signatures for the petition calling for the defence of the NHS.   Today there was door knocking canvass teams out delivering the leaflets and asking residents to fill out the petition. 

On Wednesday evening there will be a candle light vigil in Old Place Yard, outside the House of Commons from 9pm to 10.30pm.

Finally on the reverse of the TULO leaflet there is one of my favourite quotations "The NHS will last as long as there are folk with the faith to fight for it" Aneurin Bevan 1948.