Posts

LBWF Leader Chris Robbins and Syrian refugees: the same old same old

May 27, 2016 Cllr. Chris Robbins, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

Back in October 2015, the Leader of LBWF, Cllr. Chris Robbins, went public with a pledge to house Syrian refugees. The Waltham Forest Guardian story started with his picture in large format – – and then included the following specifics: ‘Ten refugee families fleeing Syria will be housed in Waltham Forest…The council have promised to provide decent homes “wherever possible” and provide access to health care, education and local job opportunities’. Many readers no doubt reasonably concluded that this humanitarian gesture was immanent, and attributed credit to Cllr. Robbins for his concern. So what has happened subsequently? Are ten families fleeing ter... »

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Ex-mayor Cllr. Saima Mahmud and her ‘receptions to honour’ at the Town Hall

May 26, 2016 Cllr. Ahsan Khan, Cllr. Liaquat Ali, Cllr. Saima Mahmud, Cllr. Shabana Dhedi/Qadir, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

The recent fuss about Cllr. Ahsan Khan has revealed that the 2015-16 Mayor, Cllr. Saima Mahmud, habitually hosted receptions in the Town Hall, at which supposedly distinguished visitors were honoured with ‘mementoes’. There are several questions that arise. One is about whether this practice accords with basic democratic principles. It would be nice to think that those enjoying Mayoral honour were chosen openly and without favour. But it transpires that this was far from the case, with one or two ordinary citizens arranging a large number of the events, and little or no input from anyone on the council staff. Relatedly, it is reasonable to ask too whether – however they were chosen ... »

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‘Cllr. Khan cleared’ shock, and other Labour Party witterings

May 20, 2016 Cllr. Ahsan Khan, Cllr. Terry Wheeler, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

In what surely must be the biggest surprise since Leicester won the Premiership, it appears that barrister Jonathan Auburn’s no doubt thorough review has cleared Cllr. Ahsan Khan of any wrongdoing, and he is to be restored to the Cabinet shortly. Cllr. Khan’s adventures in bestowing ‘community awards’ are thus vindicated. In a related development, I understand that the Cabinet has been increased in size, with the unimpressive Grace Williams and the Pilgrim Sharon Waldron joining, and the dispeptic Mark Rusling leaving – a development that of course makes a further call on the public purse. More amusingly, it is said that Cllr. Wheeler’s bid to become chief whip narrowly failed, leaving the a... »

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LBWF Chief Executive Martin Esom responds to my questions re the Cllr. Ahsan Khan affair

May 12, 2016 Cllr. Ahsan Khan, Martin Esom, Prevent

I post Mr. Esom’s responses below. Much of what he writes is self-evidently vague, and seems to have been written with the explicit aim of avoiding giving anything away, hardly appropriate in the light of the seriousness of both the events in question and the wider situation that we find ourselves in. Regarding the ‘community award’, I understand that LBWF is claiming that every visitor to the Mayor’s parlour is given the same ‘memento’ or ‘keepsake’. I wonder how it is then that the Evening Standard came to use the phrase ‘community award’, particularly since the paper certainly would have consulted the council’s press office before publishing its story? As to the ‘i... »

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Waltham Forest Labour and anti-semitism (1)

May 11, 2016 anti-semitism, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

The Waltham Forest Guardian is reporting that the Labour Party has suspended Walthamstow activist David Watson, with a statement reading: ‘“An individual member of Walthamstow Labour Party has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation by the national party. We condemn anti-Semitism and racism of all kinds but cannot comment further until the Party investigation has concluded.”’  Predictably, Mr. Watson denies any link to anti-semitism, and believes that the charges are wholly without justification (mercifully, he spared us the ‘I’ve been quoted out of context’ routine). (see http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/wfnews/14485879.New_anti_Semitism_row... »

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