Picture collage from yesterdays lockdown “3 Park walk”. First was West Ham Park (we had coffee sitting on the bench remembering local Spanish Civil War International Brigader and poet, David Marshall) then Stratford Park (check out the Senso…Read more…
UNISON COVID-19 response fund – there for you
(A reminder during these dreadful times)
Members experiencing financial and emotional difficulties can contact our welfare charity, There for You, which provides a confidential advice and support service for members and their dependants.COVID-19…Read more…
An Awful New Year Day Calamity
This morning my Councillor colleague, John Whitworth and I, went to West Ham Cemetery to lay some flowers at the memorial to 26 boys who died in a fire exactly 131 years ago. The boys lived in a massive workhouse for children nearby in Forest …Read more…
Happy New Year / Blwyddyn Newydd Dda: Despite Covid, Brexit & Boris – Let’s raise a toast to a better 2021
Photo from the Fyfield village bridge across the River Roding overlooking the 13th Century Mill pond.
Lola 4 Kent PCC
My branch UNISON member, Lola Oyewusi, is standing for election as the Labour & Co-operative candidate to be the next Kent Police Crime Commissioner. Her campaign launch is on Sunday 10 January 2020.
Read more…
Cycling to Cutty Sark
Off message. I decided to try and ditch my “fair weather only” cycling reputation by biking in the winter gloom and cold to the Cutty Sark in Greenwich. My favourite route to the south of the borough is via West Ham Park and the Greenway. Across …Read more…
So why is there 104,000 vacancies in the Care Sector?
On BBC News this evening there was a report on the 104,000 vacancies in the UK care sector. There are justifiable worries that Brexit restrictions on low paid migrants will make this problem much worse. A owner of a care home was interview…Read more…
“A Promised Land” by Barack Obama
I listened to the final episode of Barack Obama reading from his first term Presidential memoirs, “A Promised Land” today on my smart phone and headphones while trying to walk off some Christmas cheer.
There are ten 15 minute abridged extr…Read more…
Nadolig Llawen: Happy Christmas!
Hat tip my favourite Welsh artist, Kyffin Williams and his painting “The Gathering” and in a 2021 post Covid world (fingers and toes) I hope to climb to the top of this same mountain Glyder Fach in Snowdonia.
Communist Christmas
Its Christmas Eve! Hat tip StroppyRead more…
Happy Birthday Trev
Yesterday was the birthday of my Tower Hamlets Housing UNISON colleague, Trevor Dean. Normally we would have gone out for drinks and a curry at Aromas to celebrate. Instead we will have a virtual curry next month on Montrose Matty’s birthday whic…Read more…
London Councils’ All Councillor Covid Webinar – 22 December
Tonight I joined a webinar organised by London Councils (which represents all 32 boroughs in London and the City) for a briefing on Covid.
The meeting was chaired by Labour Leader of Camden, Cllr Georgia Gould, however it was very much a c…Read more…
Merry Christmas from Greater London UNISON!
This is the front of the card sent out on behalf of Greater London UNISON Regional Council Officers and its Senior Management team by Yvonne Green (Regional Convenor) and Maggie Fermcombe (Regional Secretary).
“It’s been an unprecedented a…Read more…
Newham Council Budget Consultation for 2021
Check out the wider budget consultation here and the Eat For Free here
Share your views on our 2021/22 budget proposals We have written up our proposed budget for 2021/22, and we want to hear what you think about our proposals and …Read more…
UNISON says goodbye & thank you to Dave Prentis
At the recent UNISON NEC meeting many members thanked Dave for his 40 years of service to the union (20 years as our General Secretary), often giving emotional tributes and wished him well on his retirement. He was presented with honorary Life me…Read more…
Unreported Deaths – Covid_19 cases in UK Food Processing Plants
A damning report by PIRC here into the failure of many UK food processing plants (the UK’s biggest manufacturing sector) to properly report the deaths of their workers from Covid_19 to the Health & Safety Executive and to take effective actio…Read more…
James Keir Hardie – 120 Years since his election as 1st ever Labour MP (booklet from 2012)
I was really pleased that I was recently able to respond to a request by the Keir Hardie Society (via a former UNISON colleague) for a pdf copy of the booklet issued in 2012 to mark the 120th anniversary of Keir Hardie’s election. He was elected …Read more…
Newham Covid Dashboard 16.12.20 & Get tested to keep your loved ones safe (even if you don’t have symptoms)
This is not good news Newham. Please get tested even if you don’t have symptoms. My wife Gill had common cold symptoms on Sunday and wanted to get checked. We booked on line a drive thru appointment for the same day in East Ham. It took around 20 minut…Read more…
Lyn Brown MP report in West Ham CLP Newsletter
Lyn Brown Update I hope you are all keeping safe and well. We are sadly still living in very dystopian times, with a lockdown still in place, and many struggling in our communities. I am so very grateful to so many of you who are ou…Read more…