Posts

Save Our Buses and Mini-Holland

April 5, 2017 Mini Holland

As this blog has observed before, many of those who vociferously debate Mini-Holland in Waltham Forest remain unconvincing, largely because of their unfortunate habit of confusing anecdote and assertion with properly grounded research. However, there are exceptions, and one that stands out is the organisation Save Our Buses (SOB). SOB was formed in 1990, and has been campaigning pretty much ever since, along the way becoming an authoritative voice in the borough. What makes it stand out is the forensic nature of its approach, and the clarity of its briefings. Inevitably, over the past couple of years, SOB has turned its attention to the impact of Mini-Holland, and its conclusions are fairly ... »

Waltham Forest Labour begins the selection process for the next council elections…and Momentum bottles it

March 15, 2017 Momentum, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

The closing date for applications to stand for Labour at the next council election has just passed, and fevered rumours are circulating about who has, and has not, put themselves forward. I understand that three sitting councillors have called it a day – Peter Barnett (most famous for his late night Facebook spat with Cllr. Dhedi), Angie Bean, and one time big-shot Johar Khan (who appears still to be suspended – what on earth did he do that it has taken so long to clear up?). Meanwhile, the Momentum push has spectacularly fizzled out. Private caucus followed private caucus, but despite ever more desperate calls to arms, the great bulk of the comrades declined to stand, and in the end, ... »

,

LBWF and Community Ward Forums: a further blow to local democracy

March 13, 2017 Cllr. Chris Robbins, The Conservatives in Waltham Forest, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

I have written previously about LBWF’s gradual strangulation of Community Ward Forums, and it would appear that this unfortunate trend is now reaching its logical end point, with, perhaps unexpectedly,  Conservative hands on the wind pipe. A motion presented by Conservative Councillors Siggers and James to the Council meeting in December 2016 sounded the death knell. It argued that though Community Ward Forums had been ‘very successful’ in providing support to ‘many community groups’, they had been ‘far less successful’ in reaching and engaging with ‘hard to reach groups’, whose needs well might be greater. Indeed, as the motion put it, ‘[a]ll too often’ Community Ward Forums were ‘attended ... »

,

Waltham Forest and Islamist terrorism

March 8, 2017 Cllr. Chris Robbins, Prevent

This week, the Henry Jackson Society’s Hannah Stuart published a report entitled Islamist Terrorism: Analysis of Offences and Attacks in the UK (1998–2015) which contains profiles of all Islamism-inspired terrorism convictions and suicide attacks, ordered chronologically by date of arrest or incident. One finding is of considerable local interest: ‘Across…[1998 to 2015], East London was home to half (50%) of London-based offenders, while the three most common boroughs – Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest – contained the offenders’ residence in 38% of all Londoner IROs [Islamism-related offences]’. Responding, LBWF Leader, Chris Robbins, tells the Waltham Forest Guardian: ‘“Waltham Fore... »

,

Momentum in Waltham Forest: the promise and the reality UPDATED

January 30, 2017 Cllr. Saima Mahmud, Cllr. Shabana Dhedi/Qadir, Momentum, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest

As is well known by now, Momentum promises a ‘new politics’, one characterised by, amongst other things, openness, transparency, and enhanced democratic participation. Since this blog has always supported such unarguably laudable values, it is worth asking whether the Momentum group here in Waltham Forest is walking the walk, that is living up to the aims of the organisation as a whole. Predictably, Momentum Waltham Forest communicates most extensively on Facebook, and so an obvious starting point is to look at what it has been posting. The bulk of the material revolves around calls to support a familiar array of left-wing causes – from the striking rail unions and the junior doctors, via th... »

, , ,
Page 56 of 85«‹5455565758›»