Good Governance AwardWinner: London Borough of NewhamFinalistsEssex Pension FundLondon Borough of NewhamWest Midlands Pension FundI was really pleased to see that Newham won this award on Tuesday. Great work by the Pension Committee C…Read more…
LAUNCH OF THE NEWHAM CAMPAIGN FOR A COMMITTEE STRUCTURE – Tuesday 8th December 7pm
“Join us on Zoom for a public online meeting to launch Newham Voting for Change – the campaign for a committee structure in Newham.
In May 2021 Newham will hold a referendum on how the local council is run. We are campaigning for the committee sy…Read more…
West Ham Socialist Bakery & Red Flag Chocolate
Hat tip Country Standard. A fantastic historical clipping from “Labour Leader” newspaper Thursday 9 January 1913. The “Socialist and Labour Movement in West Ham” (now Newham) had set up a co-operative bakery not only to provide quality food and…Read more…
Ffermwr gyda Ffon mewn Storm Eira/Farmer with a Stick in a Snowstorm by Kyffin Williams (& World Aids Day)
Another print from a calendar published by National Library of Wales featuring the works of Welsh Artist, Kyffin Williams.I have been posting the paintings each month. This is Rhagfyr December 2020 and of course today December 1 is World Aids Da…Read more…
Petition: Fully fund schools for Covid-19 costs and provide relief for loss of income
Please share and support this campaign by a local Newham head teacher. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/555718/signatures/new
Hat tip my Labour Councillor & trade union comrade Sasha Das Gupta. Read more…
Newham Annual Rough Sleeping Winter Street Count 2020
On Thursday evening at 11pm I went to Newham Council Dockside Building, to be briefed and then take part, in the annual survey of the number of people sleeping on our streets. This is a national survey that all councils are expected to carry out …Read more…
BHP mine workers tell investors about their reality (and the “Shift of Death”)
As a Pension trustee I took part in this virtual round table. It is shocking how badly supposedly “blue chip” responsible international mining companies treat their workers (and the environment!). Setting up “dummy” companies to outsource staff in orde…Read more…
Greater London UNISON Labour Link AGM 2020 – Re-elected!
I was really pleased this morning that both myself and Yvonne Green were re-elected unopposed as the respective Chair & Vice Chair of Greater London Labour Link committee for the next 2 years. The last two years have been very difficult for …Read more…
“Talking to the Fabians about committees”
On Saturday morning there was a virtual debate organised by Newham Fabians on “Participatory democracy”.
Local blogger Martin Warne spoke in favour of changing Newham’s governance from an Executive Mayor model to a “Committee model”. Next May th…Read more…
Give Newham the dosh you promised us Chancellor!
Later today the Chancellor will announce the details of the Comprehensive Spending Review, which sets out the government’s departmental spending plans for the next financial year. Let us not forget the financial impact COVID-19 has had on local governm…Read more…
“A Space to Learn, Live & Play” (but can West Ham residents afford to live here?)
Today I joined a zoom presentation by the developers of the old Ford car dealer showrooms at 259 Plaistow Road, West Ham ward, Newham.
I was there as a local ward Councillor with my colleague Cllr McLean (Cllr Whitworth had a medical clash and w…Read more…
UNISON members time is running out. There’s only a few days left to #votechristina. Lets make history…
If you have not voted yet in the UNISON election for our new General Secretary then time is running out.
Vote for “MCANEA, Christina” with a single X to be the next General Secretary of UNISON. The first ever female leader of any big UK trade union. …Read more…
” Up with the houses and Down with the slums” – meeting to discuss forming a Newham Labour Housing Group Wed – 25.11.20 at 7pm
Check out this post and I have emailed an invite to many Newham activists but if you are a local Labour party supporter and are interested in attending then please email, message, Whatsapp or send via this blogs comments your contact details.
Can…Read more…
“Building for the future after years of neglect” Newham Voices
Last month Aidan White from the new community newspaper “Newham Voices” interviewed me in my previous role on housing issues. Subscribe to Newham Voices for £5 per month via its website and you will get a free hard copy of the newspaper delivered…Read more…
Fund managers deny Pension Trustees & their members a voice says AMNT
Well done to the AMNT (Association of Member Nominated Trustees) for this excellent stance on the refusal of many pension fund managers to allow trustees and pensioners to hold them to account for the way they vote in company Annual General Meeti…Read more…
Newham Governance Referendum will be a choice between Keeping Executive Mayor or Moving to Committee model
Picture is from the virtual Newham Council meeting on Monday, where I was pleased that it was agreed that the future governance referendum of our borough, due to be held next year on 6 May 2021 will give residents the real choice between carrying…Read more…
“Woman hopes to make history by becoming first female boss of major trade union” Daily Mirror
“For more than 150 years trade unions have campaigned for better conditions and workers’ rights.But no major industrial union has ever been led by a woman.Christina McAnea is hoping to change that. She is standing to be the general secretary of …Read more…
Newham MPs send letters of protest after shelling of civilian homes in Kashmir
Newham MPs Stephen Timms (East Ham) and Lyn Brown (West Ham) have signed a strongly worded letter to the British Foreign Secretary and the Indian High Commissioner about the shelling of homes in Kashmir apparently by Indian Army forces. Property belong…Read more…
Committee Workers Capital (CWC) online Conference 2020 – The Road Ahead
I logged on this evening to the first session of the Conference. The CWC describes itself on its website “WorkersCapital” “With over 700 participants from 25 different countries, the Committee on Workers’ Capital is an internatio…Read more…
“Opinion: Unison could soon have a female general secretary – about time, too”
The leadership race you may have missed that could have huge consequences for UK workers
Christina McAnea leads the race to become leader of Britain’s biggest union, one representing more than a million people in healthcare, social care, education and …Read more…