“There’s only six weeks to go until the European Health and Safety Week 2016, with the theme this year of: “Healthy Workplaces for all Ages.” Further information about the event can be found here, but as we count down each passing week, we’ll take a brief look at one of the relevant…Read more…
Councillor report to West Ham Labour Party branch meeting
Report for Ward Meeting 6 October 2016
Apologises for the lateness of this report and not attending all of this meeting but after presenting my report and answering any questions, I will go to the Forest Gate North ward meeting where I am the Vice C…Read more…
“Education not Segregation” – West Ham Labour Party Street Stall: Barking Rd, 11.30am, Saturday 8 October
“Despite the rain we had a great turnout last week – so we’d thought we’d do it again.
Please join local members at a street stall on Saturday. And some of us will also knock on doors of nearby homes to talk to voters there too. Don’t worry if you’v…Read more…
Red Tories are trying to “nationalise without compensation” the £130 Billion Local Government Pension Scheme
I do sometimes wonder whether Communist Soviet Union “sleeper agents” in the Conservative Party have been “activated” since 2015?
The recent announcement of Government guidance that directs UK Council pension schemes to only invest…Read more…
Mr Cenz starts new Street Art Mural In West Ham
I stopped off today to say hello to Street Artist, “Mr Cenz”, who is creating a mural in West Ham ward, Church Road junction with New Plaistow Road, E15 (next to William Hill bookmakers).
Mr Cenz is a professional international artist. He r…Read more…
Battle of Cable Street – 80th Anniversity of “East London Routs The Fascists”
On Tuesday 4 October 2016 it is the 80th anniversary of the 1936 “Battle of Cable Street” when anti-
fascists stopped a march through the (then) largely Jewish East End of London by Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists.
I have worked …Read more…
#Lab16 Labour Housing Group fringe
After the “Unions together” fringe on Sunday I cycled (using the Liverpool Council rented City Bikes) from the conference centre to my 2nd housing fringe that evening at the historic Cunard Buildng in Pier Head.
The Labour Housing Group is a soci…Read more…
#Lab16 Unions together fringe
Picture collage from the packed “unions together” (TULO) fringe last Sunday at the Labour Party Conference. Speakers included Jo Stevens MP who spoke about “Workplace 2020” and Angie Rayner MP, who thanked Unison for her politics.
Labour le…Read more…
“Education not segregation” – West Ham Labour campaign day
No New Grammars day of action – 11am this Saturday, Forest Gate station
Hello – it’s nice to be back after our enforced break over the summer. At at the request of our old new leader of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, we’ll be kic…Read more…
#Lab16 “Axe the Housing Act” Fringe – 6pm Monday Holiday Inn
I will be at this fringe this evening. The Government will have to return to Parliament to pass regulations regarding the Act so it will be interesting to see what can still be done to oppose it.Read more…
Jeremy Corbyn wins: Now what.
I drove to Liverpool yesterday with two Labour Party colleagues. We were never going to get to the conference in time for the announcement of the leadership result but with smart phones we heard the result in real time. I think we talked politics for n…Read more…
“Brexit and the New Age of Uncertainty” – Cllr Rokhsana Fiaz speach to Newham Full Council 19th September 2016
“Brexit and the New Age of Uncertainty: Implications, challenges and opportunities for Newham, London and our country”
“Thank you Chair for allowing me the opportunity to address colleagues at today’s Full Council.
I’ll be talking about the implications of Brexit as I see it; and a…Read more…
Newham Triathlon 18 September 2016
Picture from Sunday, when fellow Newham Councillor, Terry Paul and myself completed a self organised Triathlon (using google maps) starting and ending in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London.
This was not a race and ther…Read more…
Victory for decency at work – Sports Direct will hold an independant review into its employment practices.
In what is also a victory for effective pension stewardship, “workhouse employer” Sports Direct agreed to hold an independent review into its awful working practices and governance.
See TUC press release below
“Trade Union Share Owners welcome Sport…Read more…
#HousingDay 2016 (A view)
Today is “#HousingDay 2016” a day that “celebrates positive impact of social housing on thousands of people across the UK. Stories by #ukhousing landlords, staff & #proudtenant”.
While I think this is a really good idea to challenge neg…Read more…
Prep for tomorrow’s Newham Triathlon OMG
Just getting things sorted for tomorrows self organised Olympic distance triathlon. Currently I am wondering why do I volunteer for such things!
I am meeting fellow Newham Councillor, Terry Paul, at the London Aquatic centre in Queen Elizabeth O…Read more…
Axe the Housing Act Summit: 22 October 2016
The Battle is not yet over. The Government needs to bring back to Parliament exactly how they intend to Act to operate so there is still lots of campaigning opportunities.
UNISON is also sponsoring this meeting. So many of our members and their famil…Read more…
Hackney Mayor Election 2016
Tonight I helped out in Lea Bridge ward, Hackney for the election campaign to select a new Executive Mayor for the Borough.
At the campaign headquarters, ward activists were really hospitable and appreciative to us for turning up and&n…Read more…
TUC Congress 2016: Day 2 Monday
My second collage of Twitter photos of the UNISON delegation (mostly) at this year’s TUC Congress getting stuck in and telling it as it is.
We started off with Gordon McKay, berating our mean employers for not knowing how to add up&nbs…Read more…
Speech on Housing Policy to TUC Congress
This is the text from my speech yesterday on the composite motion on Housing. “Congress, the housing crisis and the lack of affordable homes is blighting the lives of workers and their families across the nation. More and more people, particu…Read more…