Out and about for Labour in West Ham

Today I took annual leave from work and campaigned for Ken and Labour in my ward, West Ham. In Newham there were a number of target wards in which we ran full GOTY (Get out the Vote) sessions with polling agents and "knock up" teams. In the rest of the borough we had smaller teams "working their ward" to maximise
turnout.

It was a great day. The rain held off (only a little bit of drizzle now and then - nothing like what we have had in recent weeks). Collage Picture of key West Ham Labour activists John Whitworth, Montrose Matty, Councillor Ron Manley and Freda Bourne (double click to bring up detail). I only heard one negative political comment all day from the hundreds we came in contact with (an attack on Ed Miliband coupled with a tease about "Red Ken").  The majority of "West Ham-mers" were genuinely open and enthusiastic about voting for Ken and Labour (although one person said she would normally vote Labour but she use to be a waitress and she once served him but he didn't give her a tip! I said I am sure that there must have been some sort of a misunderstanding).  The ward is a traditional Labour heartland (as is most of Newham) and the support for the Party amongst all parts of the community is genuinely humbling. Afterwards we went for a beer and a curry in the excellent Manus Palm Grove Restaurant in West Ham Lane.

The London Count does not start until tomorrow morning and the results not expected until late Friday.  I am sure that Labour will do well but turnout is key. Will Tory supporters do what Labour supporters do when they are "unhappy" with a Labour Government and sit on their hands and not vote???    

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).

London Marathon 2012 Wk 19: Ken's Fare Deal

The training for this year's London Marathon is still going relatively well except for ongoing sensitivity in my left knee. I'm trying to do more stretches and sessions on the "wobble board". So far so good. It

hasn't stopped me running but must keep an eye on it.

This week's "best run" was on Saturday when I did a 2 hour session delivering Labour "Ken's Fare Deal" tabloid leaflets (see right) starting off from Forest Gate, picking up leaflets on route then delivering around my ward in West Ham.

I am ashamed to say that in a moment of weakness I took the lift up the 21 storey tower block, David Lee Point and then ran down. However, I did run up its sister block, Brasset Point then back home via West Ham Park. The views of East London from the top of both tower blocks is spectacular. Delivering leaflets is stop start and probably nearer a jogging pace than a "run" but there is some useful "uphill" workout from going up stairs in blocks of flats.

I am running the London marathon on 22 April 2012 while sort of using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for a valuable homeless charity for Young People called "Alone in London". Click hereto sponsor me on the Justgiving website.

London Marathon 2012 Wk 16: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"

My run of the week was on Saturday. I went from Forest Gate and through West Ham then on the Greenway towards Temple Mills. Picture to the right is of the beautiful memorial in Three Mills Green remembering the death of 3 workers at this site who died trying to save a work colleague.

"Of your charity pray for the souls of Thomas Pickett, Godfrey Maule Nicholson, Frederick Eliott and Robert Underhill, who lost their lives in a well beneath this spot on 12 July 1901. The first named while in the execution of his duty was overcome by foul air. The three latter successively descending in heroic efforts to save their comrades shared the same death…".

I then ran past Bow Locks and along the Limehouse Cut into Limehouse Basin while listening on headphones to James Corden who was the guest on Desert Island Discs.  He seems a decent bloke. The Cut was largely frozen. I was surprised to see on the way a site full of tanks and armoured vehicles which I assume belonged to some film company. At Limehouse basin I followed the Thames Walk to Canary Wharf then ran past Billingsgate Market and Tower Hamlets Town Hall (Mulberry Place). Across Canning Town flyover and then up into West Ham again then back home. I stopped off at the station to check on a ward problem. The run took about 2 hours 15 minutes and the last 30 minutes were very slow and very sore.

I am running the London marathon in April 2012 while sort of using the official advanced training programme and will be raising funds for Homeless charity for Young People "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me.

Remembrance Sunday: West Ham All Saints 2011

This morning I went to the Remembrance Sunday Service at the West Ham Parish Church of All Saints.  This is one of four "official" Remembrance events taking place today in Newham.  The Revd Stennett Kirby took the service. It was as usual a touching and moving occasion.

This year Captain Ben Firth from our local West Ham Territorial Army Unit, 7th Rifles, spoke in full dress uniform from the pulpit.

Ben talked eloquently about his experiences in combat in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.  In 2006 he went out aged 25 as an infantry platoon commander responsible for 30 men on a 6 month tour.  Ben also spoke about the hardship and intensity of combat, of 9 hour long gun battles with the enemy, of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the inevitable resulting casualties.

But he also talked about holding regular tribal meetings with local leaders, establishing trust, providing them with a generator to bring electricity and giving toys to local children. He said it is the winning of these battles of hearts and minds that actually makes serving our country so worth while.

Big NHS Weekend

This weekend has been designated as the BIG NHS Weekend.  Up and down the country the Labour movement will be campaigning - street stalls, door knocking and petitioning - to save our NHS.

We have to let the public know that the Tories are planning to destroy our National Health Service.  Next week the Health Bill comes back to Parliament. In Newham, West and East Ham Labour Parties are planning to help TULO (Trade Union Liaison Organisation) run campaigning events.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis makes it clear what he thinks the Tories are up to:-

“Our health service is under siege. If anyone thinks that the NHS is safe in the Coalition’s hands - they better think again.  The Health and Social Care Bill is a Trojan horse bringing in private health companies to take over our health service. In Tory-ward, money talks and if patients don’t have the cash they will find themselves waiting at the end of a very long queue.”