Ilford South Labour Party

Ken Livingstone visited Seven Kings on Saturday (7 January) to promote his Fare Deal. He spoke to residents in the High Road and then joined the Ilford South Labour Action Team, who had been calling door to door in the area since the morning, for a further canvass of houses in Pembroke and St. Albans Roads.

Our photos show Ken with the Seven Kings Councillors, Bob Littlewood, Balvinder Saund and Stuart Bellwood, with Goodmayes Councillor Barbara White and meeting residents on the doorstep with Mandy Richards the Labour GLA Candidate for Havering and Redbridge.

From the reaction we encountered support for Ken's policies was obviously high and we will be on more doorsteps explaining what a change of Mayor can do for London in the coming weeks.

If you want to know more about Ken's policies for London visit the website http://www.kenlivingstone.com.

Ilford South Labour Party members have been out at stations across the borough today (3 January) leafleting about the fares increase and Ken Livingstone's proposed fares deal.
Ken has confirmed that if elected in May 2012 he would cut fares by 7% taking them back to at least 2011 levels. Bus fares would also fall still further back to 2010 levels. The deal would also see fares frozen in 2013 and the end of Tory Mayor Boris Johnson's plan for a further inflation busting rise after that.

This is all affordable, each year Londoners pay more in fares than the Mayor's own budget predictions say they will. This operating surplus grows each year. The Tories claim the increase is to pay for improvements, but the capital budget is entirely separate from the operating budget. Ken's policy is to put money back into Londoner's pockets and purses. It is estimated that over the next 4 years the average commuter can be £1,000 better off.

Mandy Richards, Havering and Redbridge GLA Candidate is backing Ken's campaign locally. She says:-

“In an area such as this where so many people travel to London each day, fare levels are important, for the future prosperity of London we have to ensure that people are able to afford to travel”

In our pictures Mandy is seen with Ken at a recent fundraising event and (above) with Labour members at Newbury Park. Ken will be canvassing with your local Labour Action Team in Seven Kings this coming Saturday 7 January.

The Chadwell Councillors are seen below at Chadwell Heath Station.

The Boundary Commission has put forward proposals to abolish the parliamentary constituency of Ilford South, splitting its wards between four other constituencies. This is part of its attempt to reduce the number of MPs in London. It seems strange to do so by breaking up one of the largest existing constituencies! Below is the response of Barbara White, Labour Councillor for Goodmayes Ward. You can also see Mike Gapes MP’s response by clicking here.

Whilst understanding the difficulties of reducing the number of constituencies in London from 73 to 68 the proposed changes would mean the total loss of Ilford South with the stroke of a pen.

Ilford South is a multi cultural area made up of many races and many faiths. We all live in harmony and we should be held up as a model and not divided by four. We share each others festivals and our lives are enriched by this.

I live in Cranbrook and under the proposals Cranbrook would join the new Wanstead and Woodford constituency. People from Cranbrook have little to do with Woodford. We are used to walking round our constituence y and passing synagogues, churches, temples, gurdwaras and mosques. This isn't the case in Woodford. People from Ilford South joke about needing a passport to visit Woodford. There is a tremendous community spirit in Ilford South which should be treasured.

The destruction of the historic Ilford South is appaling and will result in the loss of identity for many. As terrible as it may be I appreciate the fact that some change is inevitable.

If we think of Ilford town centre, the hub of life in Ilford, it appears madness to split the town centre into two separate constituencies.

Because of its diversity there are close community and religious associations between certain wards. The first one that springs to mind is the closeness of the jewish people who live in Cranbrook and Clayhall. Putting these two wards together would make sense. I believe that Mike Gapes, MP for Ilford South, has already presented his alternative to you. The alternative proposal was given to you by somebody who understands the area and the important links between certain wards. He has been the MP for Ilford South for almost 20 years.

The historical part of Ilford is very important. The constituents of Ilford South have had their own member of parliament for sixty six years. They want an Ilford South MP and surely they are entitled to that. Ilford South is one of the five largest constituencies in the country and to simply dismiss it is callous and brutal.

An item from Barbara White, one of our Labour Councillors for Goodmayes & Chair of the Area 5 Committee

What a wonderful day was had by approximately 5.000 people on the last Sunday in September. They were the people who attended the Area 5 (Chadwell, Goodmayes & Seven Kings) Community Festival.

The crowds were entertained by the Wenn Stage School, a Folk Band, and a very energetic Janice Irwin who had the crowd on their feet joining in her Zumba Class. They say that Britain’s Got Talent but I can assure you that Redbridge has as well.

Free food for all was provided by the Seven Kings Gurdwara and there was a BBQ provided by the Barley Bowls Club. Our Deputy Mayor, Cllr Felicity Banks, tried her hand at bowling. Free afternoon tea was provided at St Paul’s Church as part of the event. Councillors from Seven Kings, Goodmayes and Chadwell were also there offering help and advice to residents.

There were so many events for the children that it is difficult to know where to start. Spartans Basket Ball Team coached younger children, the Youth Bus was there as was a climbing wall, gyroscope and crazy bikes for free. Maytime Montessori, Goodmayes carried out free face painting and henna and for the mums and dads Lloyds Pharmacy, Chadwell Heath, gave free checks for blood pressure and diabetes.

The local allotment societies from both Seven Kings and Goodmayes joined forces to display a colourful array of produce.

There was a Give or Take Recycling event and Dr Bike was there to fix any bike problems.

The event proved that in Area 5 there is only one community and that is Our Community.

I would like to thank the caretaker, staff and everybody who helped with the event. The biggest accolade must go to Antoinette Davis who was like a one woman show pulling all the events together. She even arranged the sunshine.

I’m looking forward to next year and hope to see you there.

Cllr Barbara White, Goodmayes. Chair Area 5.

High on the list of cuts proposed by the Tory/Lib Dem Coalition running Redbridge is Goodmayes Library. They are proposing to close this modern purpose built facility in 2013. The Council feels that the tiny shop premises at Seven Kings are sufficient for all of the areas needs.

Mike Gapes M.P. Local Labour Councillors and members have been active in the campaign to oppose the closure of the Library. This weekend to celebrate National Libraries day Mike Gapes M.P. was at the protest at Seven Kings Library when hundreds of residents turned out to show how inadequate the facility was if lots of people tried to use it at once. Later demonstrators massed at Goodmayes Library itself in a demonstration of support. On Sunday Mike and the Labour Team called door to door in the Goodmayes Area collecting signatures for the petition opposing closure.

As of today the petition has 2530 signatures and it is intended to present it to the Council’s cabinet meeting on 15 February. The petition has been set up by an independent, broad alliance of local people formed to save the Library. If you have not signed go to www.savegoodmayeslibrary.org and sign there now, or call at the Library in Goodmayes Lane and sign there. We need as many signatures as possible before this vital meeting.

If you want to attend the Cabinet Meeting it is at 7.15 p.m. on Tuesday February 15th at Ilford Town Hall.

In our pictures we see Labour Cllr. Ali Hai addressing demonstrators at the Library and the Labour Team prior to setting off knocking door to door on Sunday morning.

Chadwell’s Councillor Andy Walker interviewed Waseem Nawaz about the care his sister received at King George Hospital while ill with flu and posted the video on You Tube. He is encouraging others to post videos of family and friends as to why A&E and maternity should not be cut to make a video petition which can be drawn to Andrew Lansley’s attention before he makes his decision about whether to close services at our hospital.

The title of the video is “Speaking out against King George Cuts”” if anyone would like to make linked videos to go with it.

The campaign to save services at King George Hospital has the support of all the political parties in Redbridge.

THIS IS THE NIGHT THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED TO REVIEW THE PRIMARY CARE TRUST’S DECISION TO CLOSE KING GEORGE HOSPITAL A&E.

Only a decision by the Council to refer the whole matter to the Andrew Lansley the Health Secretary can save our services now. At the moment all parties locally agree that we must oppose the closure, but we need a big show of support outside the Town Hall before the meeting at 7.15 p.m.

BE THERE TO SUPPORT YOUR COUNCILLORS AND HELP SAVE OUR A&E. OAKFIELD ROAD ENTRANCE, ILFORD TOWN HALL, 6.45 p.m. TUESDAY 4 JANUARY.

The Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee debates the issue at 6 p.m. The public may attend, but capacity for speakers at this meeting will be limited as it must be over, with its recommendation made before the 7.15 p.m. Full Council Meeting. The M.P’s are already ‘billed’ to speak at this one and you may want to attend just to observe.

The Full Council Meeeting to consider the issue is at 7.15 p.m. This obviously is not so time constrained and there is thus more oportunity for members of the public to speak.

If you want to speak at or know more about attending either meeting contact Cllr Andy Walker.

On Wednesday the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts decided to go ahead with their proposals to close accident & emergency and maternity services at King George Hospital despite the results of their “consultation”. Yesterday, in response, a request for an Extraordinary Council meeting about King George Hospital was lodged with the Mayors Office. The date suggested is the 4th or 6th January. The meeting has the support of all parties. Councillors are determined to do the best they can to stop the cuts.

At the Stratford Town Hall meeting of 15th December it came out that Queens A&E has been closed for around 4/5 hours to ambulances twice in the last month. Despite this, the Health Authority is proposing to cut medical staff by 27% over the next four years for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Trust. The date of the exraordinary meeting will be posted soon.

At a meeting in Stratford Town Hall last night the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts decided in favour of closing the Accident & Emergency service & the maternity unit at King George Hospital. This decision was taking in the face of public opposition demonstrated through their own “consultation”. It seems that nothing will stop them except the intervention of the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley.

The leaders of all the political groups on Redbridge Council, a councillor from Havering, the Ilford South MP, Labour’s Mike Gapes, & the Chair of the Health Scrutiny Committee for Redbridge were all interviewed outside Queen’s Hospital in Romford as they campaign to maintain Accident & Emergency and Maternity services at King George Hospital. The contributors are:

Cllr Keith Prince, Leader, Redbridge Council
Cllr Paul McGeary, Havering Labour Group
Cllr Bob Littlewood, Leader, Redbridge Labour Group
Cllr Ian Bond, Deputy Leader, Redbridge Council
Mike Gapes MP, Ilford South
Cllr Chris Cummins, Chair Health Scrutiny Committee

Read the Recorder report on the protest & the campaign.