Nick Tiratsoo's Posts

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... »

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 Communit... »

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 ha... »

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. Predictabl... »

Dave Hill on ‘Mini-Holland’ in Enfield

January 20, 2017 Mini Holland, Uncategorized

Writing for his blog, the Guardian‘s Dave Hill, who has his favourites but is sometimes moderately iconoclastic, surveys how ‘Mini-Holland’ is evolving in our neighbour, Enfield: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2017/jan/17/the-long-war-of-mini-holland-in-enfield One sentence jumps out: ‘Meeting Rogers [‘Clare Rogers, local resident and mainstay of a g... »

STOP PRESS: Coghill replaces Robbins as Labour Group Leader

January 6, 2017 Cllr. Chris Robbins, Cllr. Clare Coghill, the Labour Party in Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest Labour Party

Labour councillors have just completed voting for their new Group Leader, and the results are as follows: Clare Coghill 30 Nadeem Ali 9 Gerry Lyons 1 Two of those eligible to vote did not attend (one was away, one sick) while another is currently suspended. It is said that Gerry Lyons’ single vote was cast by….Gerry Lyons. Amusement aside, however, it will be interesting to see what if... »

George Tomlinson Primary School, Leytonstone: the spectre of ‘academisation’ persists?

December 28, 2016 Academies

Earlier posts have reported on recent events at George Tomlinson Primary School in Leytonstone, and in particular noted the apprehension of some parents, teachers and onlookers that it is being prepared for ‘academisation’, perhaps by stealth. The development that first triggered such anxieties – the involvement of The Lime Academy Trust in the management of the school – has now come to an end, bu... »

Waltham Forest’s Mini-Holland: an imminent exposé?

December 21, 2016 Mini Holland

I recently stumbled across this video about Mini-Holland (MH) on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hEVPJm-cBM What is perhaps of more interest is the following statement that its creator has placed on Facebook: ‘This video is a response to the feedback from ENJOY WALTHAM FOREST in regards to MH. The feedback claims that residents are happy with the scheme. This is perversely misleadi... »

Chris Robbins: in memoriam UPDATED

December 16, 2016 Cllr. Chris Robbins, LBWF

EduAction: www.walthamforestmatters.org.uk/2015/02/10/down-memory-lane-2-nrf-eduaction-and-an-open-letter-to-cllr-chris-robbins/ Town Hall ‘culture’: www.walthamforestmatters.org.uk/2015/03/09/the-independent-panel-report-it-has-been-impossible-to-find-any-individual-within-the-council-itself-who-understands-what-was-contracted-and-what-has-been-delivered-for-the-money Worknet www.walt... »

Education round-up: worrying developments at Davies Lane and George Tomlinson

December 11, 2016 Academies, George Tomlinson, LBWF, Waltham Forest Schools

In previous posts, I’ve looked at some of the worrying developments that are occurring in relation to the governance of Waltham Forest schools. Now word reaches me of two further instances which set alarm bells ringing. Davies Lane Primary School recently was taken over by the Arbor Academy Trust. Almost simultaneously, the governors took the decision to dismiss NUT representative Tobias Hay... »

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