A note for readers…
This is a personal blog, which aims to scrutinise the powers that be in Waltham Forest, from the Council (hereafter London Borough of Waltham Forest or LBWF), both elected members and staff; to our MP... »
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Policing in Waltham Forest: performance
This post turns from its predecessor’s focus on police priorities to police performance. For reasons that are unclear, the most up to date figures borough by borough on number of offences and related ... »
Policing in Waltham Forest: priorities
Following on from my series about knife crime, this and the succeeding post look at wider aspects of policing in Waltham Forest. A sensible starting point is police priorities. Under Mayor Johnson, th... »
John Cryer MP and Labour’s endemic anti-semitism UPDATED
There is a sobering post on the Campaign Against Antisemitism’s website, here https://antisemitism.uk/three-months-after-107-labour-mps-issued-an-ultimatum-to-expel-livingstone-the-labour-party-... »
Petition to Waltham Forest Council: publish the fire safety plans for Fred Wigg & John Walsh towers
A petition has been started to persuade LBWF to publish the fire safety plans for the Fred Wigg and John Walsh towers in Cann Hall: It is really disgraceful, given all that has gone on both locally a... »
Knife crime in Waltham Forest: a nasty little scandal (5)
I hear from reliable sources that some of those community representatives who are currently listed on LBWF’s website as members of the Waltham Forest Safer Neighbourhoods Board (WFSNB) are both astoni... »
Labour takes William Morris, and Cllr. Marie Pye stirs the pot
The results of the William Morris ward by-election are in, with Labour unknown Umar Ali romping home, followed by the Green’s Rebecca Tully, and our man, Walthamstow ‘born and bread’ Afzal... »
Cllr. Liaquat Ali’s new Cabinet role: a square peg in a round hole?
A couple of weeks ago, the incoming LBWF Leader Clare Coghill announced her first Cabinet, and one of the most notable developments is that she has moved Cllr. Liaquat Ali MBE JP from the community sa... »
The forthcoming William Morris by-election: ex-Labour Titan Afzal Akram bounces back as a Tory (and with a bang) UPDATED
Politicians in Waltham Forest are often good for a laugh, and the forthcoming William Morris ward by-election is not short of crackers. Labour is standing Umar Ali, brother of the recently deceased Na... »
Council Leader Clare Coghill, trader Asghar Jilow, and the controversy over Walthamstow Street Market
In recent months, there has been a good deal of controversy about the future of Walthamstow’s famous street market and the shops that surround it. LBWF is involved in a strategic review, but many trad... »
Knife crime in Waltham Forest: a nasty little scandal (4)
Responding to my follow up e-mail to members of the Community Safety Scrutiny Committee, its chair, Cllr. Masood Ahmad states as follows: ‘Just to confirm, the Scrutiny Committee for Communities... »