Nick Tiratsoo's Posts

The Labour Party in Waltham Forest and the financing of local elections: a scandal in the making? (1)

June 4, 2018 the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Labour Party

Over the years, a number of correspondents have approached this blog to express anxieties about how the local Labour Party (LP) is being run and financed. Some of their claims are plausible, others less so. But in general, it is often difficult for the bystander, given the prevalence of internecine strife, to separate out truth from factional point scoring. However, a whistleblower with impeccable... »

Silver Birch Academy Trust: Lost in the Forest?

May 18, 2018 Academies

As this blog has periodically observed, to mere mortals the world of primary and secondary school academies, and in particular their governance, is sometimes rather puzzling. Last Sunday, the Observer featured a local case that well illustrates the point. Silver Birch Academy Trust (SBAT) runs four primary schools with nearly 2,000 pupils, three of which (Chingford Hall Primary Academy, Longshaw P... »

LBWF councillors and their register of interests forms: an update and reflection UPDATED

May 10, 2018 Cllr. Anna Mbachu, Cllr. Khevyn Limbajee, Cllr. Simon Miller, Mark Hynes, register of interests, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

Previous posts have looked at the problems that some councillors are having over accurately filling in their register of interests forms (see links below). What follows summarises the current state of play with the three most egregious cases, all uncovered by residents, and in particular looks at how LBWF Director of Governance and Law Mark Hynes has handled them. So, starting with the three cases... »

Steven Saxby, the ‘red vicar’ of Walthamstow, and Mr. Mahmood ul Hassan Raja, the ex-imam who praised an Islamist killer, but joined the Labour Party because ‘Mr. Corbyn will fix knife crime’.

April 28, 2018 Momentum, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

A good barometer of Labour’s ongoing moral collapse is the ever-expanding list of questionable characters who are currently being welcomed into its ranks, even (as Guido Fawkes regularly demonstrates) chosen to stand for the party at elections. No one with a few pounds to spare, it seems, is beyond the pale. Recently, the blog Harry’s Place published details of yet another revealing case, this tim... »

Waltham Forest Matters: 100,000 views up

April 18, 2018 Uncategorized

In the past few weeks, Waltham Forest Matters has sailed through the ‘100,000 views’ mark. As is obvious, ‘view’ does not mean ‘read’, and ‘read’ does not mean ‘digest’, let alone ‘agree’. Nevertheless, those caveats accepted, the milestone does indicate that (a) there is an appetite for discussion about the way that Waltham F... »

Redevelopment in Waltham Forest: the shocking fate of Section 106 ‘planning gain’ UPDATED

April 18, 2018 Redevelopment

In recent years, there has been growing unease in Waltham Forest about the character of redevelopment, particularly in terms of the balance between public and private good. While LBWF in theory is charged with advancing the interests of local residents, there is a feeling that all too often it has tiptoed around the big property companies now operating in the borough, meaning that what is built te... »

The mysterious case of the disappearing LBWF councillor…

April 13, 2018 Cllr. Alistair Strathern, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

Yesterday, various readers contacted this blog about a little local mystery. The story is as follows. A couple of days ago, our old friend, LBWF Director of Governance and Law Mark Hynes, circulated a list of councillors who are retiring at the forthcoming local election, and who should be tacked onto the end but Cllr. Alastair Strathern. This rightly caused consternation. Representing Higham Hill... »

Lutfur Rahman: an apology (of sorts)

April 5, 2018 Lutfur Rahman

Over the years, this blog has recorded the richly deserved political and professional downfall of ex-Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman. But it turns out we owe Mr. Rahman something of an apology, because compared to some he never quite scraped the bottom of the barrel. This week’s Private Eye (no. 1467, 6 April to 19 April 2018) explains all: »

Cllr. Limbajee, Cllr. Mbachu, their register of interests forms, and LBWF’s Director of Governance and Law Mark Hynes: the controversy continues

March 28, 2018 Cllr. Anna Mbachu, Cllr. Khevyn Limbajee, LBWF, Mark Hynes, register of interests, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

The controversy over the register of interests forms posted by Cllrs. Khevyn Limbajee and Anna Mbachu, covered by this blog recently, is mushrooming, with even the officer in charge of enforcing the rules, LBWF Director of Governance and Law Mark Hynes, apparently struggling. Let’s take Cllr. Mbachu first, because her case is fairly straightforward. It will be remembered that she has been a ... »

Islamist extremism in Waltham Forest: a disturbing new episode

March 12, 2018 ISIS, LBWF spin, Martin Esom, Prevent

In the past week or so, much of the press has covered the trial and conviction of Forest Gate Isis supporter Umar Ahmed Haque on a number of serious terrorist offences. During Mr. Haque’s trial, the court heard extensive evidence about his activities at two schools and a madrassa in East London, where (amongst other things) under the guise of teaching ‘Islamic Studies’ he ‘re-enacted attacks on po... »

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