Posts

Extremism in Waltham Forest: an update (1)

September 8, 2016 Prevent, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

In recent weeks, various commentators on social media have questioned why a Pakistani preacher called Muhammad Hassan Haseeb ur Rehman has been allowed into Britain to tour mosques.* For Muhammad Hassan Haseeb ur Rehman is a fervent supporter of Mumtaz Qadri, and the latter is a very controversial figure indeed. The story starts in 2011. Qadri was a policeman guarding the liberal governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, when one day he shot him dead. Quadri’s motive was straightforward: he abhorred the fact that Taseer had advocated the reform of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws. Subsequently, Quadri was tried and executed, events that for some have made him a martyr, a man who has given his life ... »

‘In Calais with Stella Creasy’

September 8, 2016 John Cryer MP, Stella Creasy MP, Uncategorized, Waltham Forest Labour Party

There is a long article in today’s New Statesman about Dr. Stella Creasy’s recent visit to the Calais refugee camp: http://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2016/09/calais-stella-creasy-how-politicians-are-trying-change-refugee-policy For sure, there will be the usual accusations that this is another example of her penchant for grandstanding. But I doubt if such comment is fair. Dr. Creasy has her failings, as I have suggested before, not least her silence on a whole slew of local Town Hall scandals. But no-one can reasonably contest her strong commitment to helping the less well off, or her bravery in standing up to online bullying. It says a lot about Momentum that its members ... »

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The Corbynistas and local government in Waltham Forest

August 25, 2016 the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

I hear from a number of sources that, as Corbynistas increasingly dominate the local Labour Party, thoughts are turning not just to the de-selection of one or more local MPs, but also to the de-selection of councillors. Whether any such thing will happen is a moot point. There are certainly some on the Labour benches who have contributed little or nothing, and richly deserve to be replaced. But the Left’s fixation with ideology (and penchant for allied witch-hunting) makes it inherently disputatious, and subject to often vicious arguments – a characteristic that has historically limited its ability to get anything much done. It is quite easy to envisage a scenario where the ranting yet large... »

Robbins trip to the Palace postponed – again!

August 3, 2016 Cllr. Chris Robbins, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

Our man with a finger on Council Leader Chris Robbins’ pulse reports as follows: ‘When some weeks ago Chris Robbins put his name to a petition got up by Labour councillors calling on Jeremy Corbyn to resign, he must have thought it was only a matter of time before the Labour Leader was toast, and, with a replacement appointed, his own quest for honours would be back on track. Subsequently, his hopes no doubt rose further because the emerging challenger, Owen Smith, seemed to share Robbins’ flexible approach to politics, selling himself as a lefty in the hope of impressing the Corbynistas who have taken over the Labour Party, whilst downplaying his previous employment as a corporate lob... »

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Love Wapping investigates the Islamist takeover of Tower Hamlets UPDATED

July 29, 2016 Cllr. Ahsan Khan, Cllr. Liaquat Ali, Cllr. Saima Mahmud, Cllr. Shabana Dhedi/Qadir, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets, Uncategorized

Mark Baynes’ blog Love Wapping is fast becoming indispensable for those interested in how East London is developing. A couple of days ago, he published part one of his investigation into Islamists in Tower Hamlets: http://lovewapping.org/2016/07/tower-hamlets-london-borough-hijacked-by-fundamental-islamists/ It makes a very interesting read, and I’ll  be posting the follow-ups here in due course. His discussion of the links between Islamic Forum Europe (IFE), a fundamental Islamist group inspired by the teachings of Abul Ala Maududi, and Jamaat-e-Islami are pertinent. As previous posts on this blog have pointed out, a group of Waltham Forest councillors recently (and surreptitiou... »

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