Posts

The Labour Left in Waltham Forest: neither use nor ornament (2)

February 4, 2021 Momentum, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Labour Party

A previous post looked at the antics of the Waltham Forest Labour Left (see link below) and predictably prompted an abusive tirade from the Corbynistas and Toytown Trots who control parts of the local Party. Much of this was personal in nature, amusing evidence that, for all their avowals about embracing a kinder and gentler politics, when criticised, they soon regress to the playground. However, amongst the childish verbiage, was a more substantial allegation – that in documenting LBWF’s many faults, this blog consistently has overlooked the damaging impact of Tory cuts from 2010 onwards, and thus inexcusably failed to name and shame those who are the real villains of the piece. This claim,... »

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Private Eye reports the Waltham Forest fire safety scandal

January 26, 2021 fire hazards, fire safety

From Private Eye, No. 1539, 22 January 2021 »

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Fire safety scandal (2): Cllr. Louise Mitchell responds to my statement at the December 2020 full Council about flat entrance doors, admits fraud may have occurred, but otherwise again fails to impress

January 4, 2021 Cllr.Louise Mitchell, fire safety, LBWF spin

Pasted below is a letter to me from LBWF Housing Portfolio Holder, Cllr. Louise Mitchell, responding to my statement about fire safety which was read out at the full Council meeting on 3 December 2020 (and was previously posted here, see the attached link). What she writes certainly requires further comment. Her letter concerns the 217 flat entrance doors (FEDs) which in 2017-18 were installed at Northwood Tower, Goddarts House, and three other sheltered housing blocks. Readers will remember that initially, these were widely touted – including by Cllr. Mitchell herself – as FD60s, that is, FEDs which provided 60 minutes fire protection. Now Cllr. Mitchell comes clean, and admits that t... »

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Fire safety scandal (1): recently disclosed e-mail reveals industry expert’s warning that the LBWF specification for flat entrance doors on its estates prioritised ‘design’ over ‘compliance’, thus potentially ‘endangering lives’.

January 4, 2021 fire safety, LBWF spin, Mark Hynes

For ordinary Waltham Forest residents, how LBWF tenders and completes fire safety contracts is typically opaque, because so much is shielded from scrutiny by commercial confidentiality clauses and arms’ length transactions delivered through third parties, both outside the scope of the Freedom of Information Act. However, an e-mail that has just surfaced provides a fascinating, and unexpectedly revealing, insight into the realities. In October 2018, the technical director of a leading British fire safety equipment company, Mr. XX, approached Cllr. Alan Siggers about his unease regarding a large contract which LBWF was tendering for fire proofed flat entrance doors (FEDs). The context was that... »

Solidarity with the Sandwell Skidder!

December 21, 2020 Cllr. Anna Mbachu, Cllr.Sally Littlejohn, E11 BID Co., Fawaad Sheikh, Fred Wigg and John Walsh Towers, Goddarts House, John Cryer MP, North London Ltd., The BNI, Town Hall asbestos

From today’s Daily Mail: ‘”Labour council with £2.8m hole in its finances ‘found £300,000 to silence blogger” Published: 02:15, 21 December 2020 | A penniless Labour council with a £2.8million hole in its budget set aside £300,000 to silence a blogger who was highly critical of its work. Sandwell council…had admitted to setting taxpayers’ money aside to pursue blogger Julian Saunders, 62. The former solicitor’s blog, Sandwell Skidder, that features claims about the council has been viewed 1.9million times. Mr Saunders, who also ran a coach tour of the borough charging £3 to point out landmarks he claimed where council wrongdoing had gone on, wh... »

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