Posts

Council Leader Chris Robbins: staying or going?

April 11, 2016 Cllr. Chris Robbins, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Uncategorized

A local Labour Party mole writes in as follows: ‘When Labour was re-elected at the 2014 council elections, it was assumed by many insiders that this would be Chris Robbins’ last term as Leader. Speculation turned to the succession, with Clare Coghill and Mark Rusling generally believed to be the leading contenders. However, those who knew Robbins well were always sceptical, because he previously had made a habit of hinting at his imminent retirement, using it as a tactic to keep members in line. Several aspiring successors were assured ‘keep your nose clean and you’ll be alright’, but each time absolutely nothing happened. One close associate asked: ‘What would he do if he retired, sit... »

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LWBF, Prevent, and the Lea Bridge Rd. Mosque

April 7, 2016 Martin Esom, Prevent

An interesting and very concerning report on the Lea Bridge Rd. Mosque has been published at the blog Harry’s Place: http://hurryupharry.org/2016/04/06/the-waltham-forest-islamic-association-conspiracy-theories-antisemitism-and-rejection-of-the-west/ I have written to Martin Esom, LBWF Chief Executive, as follows: ‘Dear Mr. Esom, You no doubt will have seen the recent report on the Lea Bridge Rd. Mosque published at the blog Harry’s Place… I understand that LBWF claims some sort of expertise in relation to the Prevent strategy; and also that a number of local councillors have strong connections with Lea Bridge Rd. Mosque. In the light of these facts, please will you explain... »

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FGM and Waltham Forest

April 6, 2016 Uncategorized

From yesterday’s Evening Standard: ‘A survivor of female genital mutilation today told how she had been attacked in public over her outspoken campaign to confront the barbaric practice in London’s schools. Hibo Wardere, 46, who fled Somalia’s civil war at the age of 18 having suffered FGM aged six, has made it her life’s work to educate and speak frankly about the brutal surgery which affects 200 million women in 30 countries. Mrs Wardere, a teaching assistant who visits schools to educate children about the procedure, has written a book about her one-woman fight to wipe out FGM in her lifetime. The mother-of-seven from Walthamstow told the Standard how after speaking at one loca... »

LBWF and the Freedom of Information Act: dumb insolence reigns?

March 30, 2016 Freedom of Information Act, LBWF, Martin Esom

LBWF’s response to Freedom of Information Act inquiries has, in my experience, always been pretty hit and miss, but recently things seem to have deteriorated sharply, ostensibly due to the fact that the system has been automated. I reproduce a letter that I have sent today to LBWF Chief Executive Martin Esom, as it well illustrates the kind of muddle that the innocent inquirer now can so easily find themselves enmeshed in. In some respects, the events outlined are comic, but there is a serious side, as well. LBWF has never been very open about its workings. If it ignores the Freedom of Information Act, too, how can anyone hold it to account? ‘Dear Mr. Esom, I have been seeking to... »

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North London Ltd.: further significant revelations UPDATED

March 24, 2016 North London Ltd.

In previous posts, I have discussed North London Ltd. (NLL), and pointed out some of the mysteries that surround it. To recap briefly, NLL was a private company that (a) was handed hundreds of thousand of pounds by public authorities (including LBWF, both directly, and through the Waltham Forest Business Board); (b) according to its accounts, paid generous ‘director’s remuneration and other benefits’ (a whacking £314,897 in the three year period 2004-07 alone); (c) left an unexpectedly faint footprint in terms of recorded outputs and accomplishments; and (d) was put into liquidation in 2013. What I think is particularly interesting is one of the two programmes that NLL was involved in during... »

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