Ilford South Labour Party

The London elections may be over but Labour Party members are still out campaigning.  This month the focus is on Valentines Ward.  Councillors and local members will be out speaking to residents and delivering the latest newsletter.

Click here to see the newsletter on line.

If you have an issue you want to raise with your local councillors, wherever you live in Ilford South, find their contact details here.

If you live in Valentines Ward and want to get more involved, you could register as a Party Supporter for free. This would mean you will be kept informed of all forthcoming Party events. If introduced by an existing member you could join the Labour Party for £15 for the first year. Ring 020 8911 0899 or email contact@ilfordouthlabour.org.uk if you want more information.

The photographs show Party members running a stall at the successful Redbridge Green Fair, held at the beginning of the month in Valentines Park.

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.

Mandy Richards a Labour activist from Hackney has been selected to fight the Havering and Redbridge GLA Seat in the 2012 election.

Mandy says:-

‘In 2012 we must return Ken Livingstone as Labour Mayor and reclaim Labour’s legacy now hijacked by Boris Johnson. I aim to be a catalyst for community campaigning, fighting to protect and strengthen community policing, promoting regeneration and social enterprise, and working towards real community cohesion by building trust and engaging the young and disenfranchised through inclusive politics’

True to her word Mandy is now a regular campaigner in our area. Here we see her at work with local Party members in Valentines and Cranbrook wards with Cllrs. Aziz Choudhury, Ross Hatfull, and Mushtaq Ahmed.

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.

School Places

Labour Councillors Aziz Choudhury & Ross Hatfull have been busy representing constituents at this years batch of school place appeals.

Conservative/LibDem controlled Redbridge has a chronic shortage of school places so many children are expected to make long journey’s to Hainault and Woodford Bridge each day. For primary age children this usually means parents must take and collect them when the journey can be an hour each way.

This can’t go on. Aziz & Ross are organising a petition calling on the Council to make provision of additional local authority school places in Valentines their number one priority.

Street Drinking

Many residents have told us of the problems you are experiencing on a nightly basis caused by street drinking.  Ross and Aziz are calling on Cllr. Patel, as the Cabinet member responsible for Environment and Community Safety, to approve expanding Ilford’s Drinking Control Zone to cover to cover Mansfield, York, Beal and Argyle Roads. This would give the Police more power to take action when nuisance is being caused.

If you were out when we called you can contact us to sign the petitions. Or print both petitions here, complete them & return to:
Ilford South Labour Party at:
6 Mildmay Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1DT

Or call at Aziz & Ross’s Advice Surgery, Cranbrook Baptist Church, Wellesley Road, Ilford every 2nd and 4th Saturday each month between 10.30 a.m. to 12.30

Look here to see the newsletter we have been distributing in the Valentines area.