This is the latest media release from Newham Council (see below).
I am still waiting for copies of the fire risk assessments for high rise blocks in my ward (West Ham) from the Council.
I have also asked who is checking the fire risk asse…Read more…
The Great Get Together Newham
All the events on one poster! Please share widelyRead more…
Grenfall Tower Fire – The shock and the horror but East Enders rally to help
Like everyone I was horrified at the news reports and pictures this morning at the fire and destruction of Grenfall Tower in Kensington. I have been a housing officer in London for the past 25 years, who has managed a number of high rise resident…Read more…
Newham Council AGM 2017 (The Selfie)
This may not be very dignified but I do like this picture of some Newham Councillors after our Council Annual General Meeting on Thursday.
The meeting itself in the Old Stratford Town Hall was pretty formal. I missed the first bit since I had a Genera…Read more…
One Housing Group suspends rent rises for West Ham key workers
Good news that One Housing Group has agreed to suspend the imposition of up to 40% rent rises and new contracts on a key workers scheme near West Ham station. Well done for the tenants for standing up for themselves and for One Housing Group for (belat…Read more…
Councillor report to West Ham Labour Party Ward 6 April 2017
Councillor Report to Ward 6 January to April 2017 WEST HAM WARD LABOUR PARTY
tel: 0203 373 2615 or email John.Gray@newham.gov.uk
Council Issues
Full Council January 30 2017At this meeting as a Councillor I had raised a question via the Chief Executiv…Read more…
“One Housing to raise rents on key worker scheme by 40%”
This story about the rent rises was on the Inside Housing website last week. I am in the process of responding to a particularly inadequate response I received from One Housing management.
A London housing association is set to start lifting rents by …Read more…
Government cuts threaten Newham Free School Meals programme: They cannot afford to pay 60% of the cost
This letter below was sent to many primary school parents today in Newham by the union for Head Teachers. Due to Government cuts and Newham Council changes in the way they charge for meals, many primary schools have decided that they cannot pay 60% of…Read more…
One Housing Group 40% rent rise for key workers update
Last Monday evening I attended a lively public meeting with One Housing Association tenants from across Newham, who are facing a 40% plus increase in their rents. These tenants are “key workers” who work in local hospitals, schools and social/care serv…Read more…
“Executive mayors and one-party councils”
“As a councillor for the London borough of Newham, I find the observations in your editorial (22 February) linking one-party councils and autocratic government only too true. Not only does Newham have no councillors other than from the L…Read more…
“On the knocker” for Labour and the NHS in Canning Town (and elsewhere)
When Councillor Terry Paul (aka “Red Tel”) promised on Facebook “sunshine” for this morning’s Canning Town campaign session perhaps we should have looked out of the window first!
A very cold and at times snowy Labour doorstep this morning in Canning T…Read more…
“Labour refuses Newham ‘trigger ballot’ inquiry as affiliate finds breach of its own rules”
From Guardian journalist Dave Hills on his blog. “Labour’s governing national executive committee (NEC) has turned down a request from party members in Newham to hold an inquiry into how the borough’s executive mayor Sir Robin Wales was narrowly chosen to seek election to the…Read more…
Plea for mayoral “open selection”
A well argued letter in the Newham Recorder by respected and long standing West Ham CLP Treasurer and former Councillor John Saunders. Read more…
Democracy Triggered “lobby the NEC about the Newham Trigger Ballot”
I received this email yesterday and as a signatory to the recent complaint to the Labour Party NEC I have taken its advice and emailed them.
On Tuesday 24th January Labour’s ruling body, the NEC, will be considering a letter submitted by party members in …Read more…
Labour NEC asked to inquire into Newham mayoral ‘trigger ballot’
On the whole a fair article but it does not report on the complaints of many members that this ballot was rigged.
The Guardian Dave Hill on London “Nearly 50 party members in the east London borough want their national ruling body to examine claims …Read more…
“Praise for Sir Robin but time for change”
A fair and balanced letter in the local weekly newspaper “Newham Recorder” on 28 December 2016 about “time for change”. Read more…
LOBO Local Finance Hackathon – 14 January
please register here: http://bit.ly/LOBOHack2
Through hundreds of Freedom of Information requests, Debt Resistance UK have obtained a dataset of LOBO loan contracts. These are risky and expensive loans miss-sold to local authority by financi…Read more…
Newham Fabians – Should I Stay or Should I Go?
I posted here on the AGM meeting of Newham Fabians due to be held tomorrow Wednesday 11 January 2017.
A previous “relaunch” meeting with Newham Mayor, Robin Wales, as speaker, had already been cancelled I understood because of a planned lobby by membe…Read more…
“What is Robin Wales so scared of?”
Long standing Newham Councillor and former Cabinet member and Community lead Kay Scoresby writes a passionate letter in last weeks Newham Recorder which represents the feelings of nearly all the local Labour Party members and affiliates I have met.
“M…Read more…
Mayor of Newham issues public apology to Travellers and Gypsies
Comments made by the Mayor of Newham were said to be “racist”.Sir Robin Wales has formally apologised to Gypsies and Travellers for making comments deemed to be “casual racist banter” at a council meeting.The Mayor of Newham said he was “sorry for the distress caused by my comments, how they came…Read more…