Author: Nick Tiratsoo

‘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 o... »

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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 ab... »

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... »

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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 p... »

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The E11 BID Co.: strike off discontinued, but accounts still overdue

July 28, 2016 E11 BID Co.

According to Companies House, the Registrar has discontinued the compulsory strike-off of the E11 BID Co.. On the other hand, the visitor who uses the Companies House webpages to check on the E11 BID Co.’s progress is still greeted by the following: As I’ve pointed out before, it does seem strange that an organisation which depends solely for its income on the hard work of local traders, and in the past has been showered with public money, cannot get its accounts in on time. Indeed, this is particularly so because not so long ago the E11 BID Co. was castigated for failing to pay it... »

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Cllr. Liaquat Ali: an update

July 21, 2016 Cllr. Liaquat Ali, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Uncategorized

In the last couple of days, both Private Eye (‘Haq Attack’, see below) and the Waltham Forest Guardian have published versions of the Ali-Haq story. It is notable that the latter does not mention Senator Haq’s rantings about ‘Jews and Christians’, spineless journalism at its worst. Meanwhile, a rumour going round the Town Hall is that Mayor Khan has declined to re-appoint Cllr. Ali to the London Fire Authority (LFA), despite Cllr. Robbins’ recommendation. If this is true, the LFA will have to soldier on without Cllr. Ali’s notable expertise, always so ... »

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Save Highams Park’s Library campaign – resident groups demolish LBWF’s business case

July 12, 2016 Waltham Forest Labour Party

Oliver Shykles writes as follows: ‘I chair the Highams Park Forum which is working together with the Highams Park Planning Group and The Highams Park Society to protest against LBWF proposals which could drastically affect library provision in Highams Park. At the time of writing, 3,956 people involved with Highams Park have signed a detailed petition against the Council’s scheme, while 1,117 people involved with Highams Park have joined a Save Highams Park’s Library Facebook Group. Over 200 residents attended a spring clean and protest outside their library last Saturday (im... »

More on Selwyn Primary School in Highams Park

July 8, 2016 Selwyn Primary School, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Schools

A local resident writes: ‘As your blog has previously noted, LBWF plans to demolish our impressive Edwardian Primary School and replace it with a new “modular” prefab alternative, which has been described on the BBC website as an “Austerity school”.  It is confirmed that this proposal will go to the council’s Planning Committee on 12 July. As you have reported, too, SAVE Britain’s Heritage argues persuasively for keeping the present structure. But it is also worth underlining that the Victorian Society and other local groups are equally concerned by the plans. LBWF has ... »

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George Tomlinson Primary School, Leytonstone, again

July 7, 2016 Academies, George Tomlinson, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Schools

A previous post (see link below) looked briefly at George Tomlinson primary school in Leytonstone, and the fears of some that it was surreptitiously being prepared for academisation. Since then, much has changed. The school has new governors, and a new management team, the latter led by Executive Head Lynne Harrowell. However, the sense of general unease seems if anything to have increased. Various alterations to the school’s everyday life have proved unsettling. Some teachers have left, apparently because they feared redundancy. A union representative has publicly complained of bullying. That... »

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Cllr. Liaquat Ali boobs again

July 4, 2016 Cllr. Liaquat Ali, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Uncategorized, Waltham Forest Labour Party

The Waltham Forest Guardian today quotes Cllr. Liaquat Ali pontificating about community safety: ‘“Our sense of community and of belonging, and the need to always treat others with respect, helps to make Waltham Forest such a great place to call home. We’ve been shocked and saddened to see the various news reports that have emerged in the aftermath of the EU Referendum result, indicating a rise in incidents of hate crime in some areas.This is not a trend we’ve experienced in Waltham Forest. But, we remain vigilant and continue to actively promote community cohesion, signpost support serv... »

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