Workers' Liberty

When introducing a discussion at our AWL branch meeting on the first and second Labour governments, I found it useful to tell the story, then ask people to discuss some questions.

35 teachers at Haggerston School in Hackney face disciplinary action for refusing to cross a Unite!/T&G picket line of striking school meals workers. You can read all about it on Hackney TUC's website. Below is an email I have just sent to the head teacher.

One of my great heroes is Minnie Lansbury. She is one of those socialist feminists who would be an icon if more people had even heard of her.

Briefly ... Minnie was born in 1889 in Stepney to Jewish parents named Glassman.

This article by Ruah Carlyle looks in depth at the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, where anti-fascists successfully fought to stop the police clearing a route for Oswald Mosley's fascist march.

A report has claimed that East End schools are dividing by race.

While 17 Tower Hamlets primary schools have more than 90%+ Bangladeshi pupils, nine have fewer than 10%. Three of the borough's 15 secondaries have less than 3% Bangladeshi pupils, while two have more than 95% Bangladeshi pupils and three over 80%.

Hackney Council has apparently rebranded its estate regeneration policy. It is now called 'Estate Plus'. Plus what, though?

... plus privatisation ... plus overcrowding ... plus community fragmentation ...

Yesterday it seemed that any remaining hope that Diane Abbott MP might support John McDonnell's campaign for the Labour leadership had been extinguished. In the '60 Second Interview' in the 18 April edition of the Metro, she was asked who she supports for Labour leader and replied "Gordon without a second's hesitation".

On Tuesday 27 March, facing the threat of a solid strike, management at Central Foundation Girls’ School in East London backed down on their threat of compulsory redundancies.

Over 70 Hackney residents packed into a public meeting on Monday evening to protest against Hackney Council's plan to fragment, privatise and over-populate their estates.

I gave the opening speech, largely an updated version on this blog entry from a while back. There was then plenty of discussion, despite some rather heavy-handed chairing.

Mayors Livingstone and Pipe will be slapping each others' backs at the official opening of a space in Dalston today. Tempted though we are to congratulate them for finding a space and not building posh flats on it, Hackney community activists will be there to rain on their parade.

Hackney Council's Cabinet has agreed to the deputy mayor's proposals for 'estate regeneration' - selling spaces on estates to be built on. The policy that was agreed by the Labour Group was bad enough, but the version that went to Cabinet looks even worse.

Having saved ourselves from the wrecking ball last year, our estate - and all other estates in Hackney - now face another fight to defend the places we live. Hackney Labour has a plan for Council estates: to sell pieces of their land to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to build new 'affordable' homes on.

Last night's Hackney TUC / Leabridge Labour Party meeting with John McDonnell was packed.

If you believe Hackney Council’s propaganda, you'd think we live under the most generous administration on the planet. Awash we are with fantastic new services.

Just the odd caveat:

• Many are re-openings or replacements of facilities closed by Hackney's Labour Council in the past. Petchey Academy is on the site of the old Kingsland school; Mossbourne on the site of Hackney Downs – both closed by the Labour Council against opposition from students, parents, staff and the community. It closed London Fields lido in 1988!
  
  

Hackney Council has a draft new policy for hiring out estate community halls, under which:

• Residents will no longer be able to use their estate's hall free of charge for events such as kids’ birthday parties.

• Anyone holding a one-off event must pay £150 deposit.
• Groups hiring a hall would have to pay more.
• TRAs will pay utility bills, currently paid by the Council.

The effects will be to:

Ernesto Leal has won his right to stay in Britain – and the Home Office will not appeal against the decision.

Ernesto came from Chile to Britain as a child in the 1970s, fleeing Pinochet's repression with the rest of his family. After living in Scotland for years, he now lives in Hackney. His first language is English, he no longer has family in Chile.

Hackney Labour’s election manifesto said that the Council would build 2000 new affordable homes. As the government refuses to pay for this without privatisation, the Council would need to defy the government and provide public housing. But don’t expect that from Hackney Council. They have secret plans of their own.

Opposition to East London Line privatisation is growing in Hackney. But Jennette Arnold (our GLA member) says that it’s not really privatisation and RMT is scaremongering! In fact, all the rail unions oppose this privatisation, as did TUC Congress - unanimously.

Hackney Council is consulting on a new policy for hiring out estate community halls. This might not seem the biggest issue in a world of capitalist triumphalism and reactionary revivalism, but it's going to have an impact on working-class communities, so read on.

From Central Foundation Girls' School Unison: At a branch meeting [on 27 September] our members voted unanimously to ballot for industrial action over the threat of redundancies among admin staff in the school.

I got this letter (below) published in the Hackney Gazette this week. It's self-explanatory. I look forward to any response from TfL/Livingstone to the challenge at the end.

Last week's Gazette reported Transport for London's launch of its 'London Overground' project, joining up the North and East London Lines to greatly improve rail services in Hackney and other parts of London.

It looks like Hackney TUC's public meeting with John McDonnell next month is going to be a good one. It's jointly organised with Leabridge branch Labour Party, and boasts some big cheese union speakers alongside the socialist candidate for Labour leader.

This issue of Hackney Socialist Unity was given out at the Hackney TUC / Leabridge Labour Party meeting on Wednesday 18th October, at which John McDonnell will be speaking. Click "read more" to read it.

If you believe the propaganda department of Hackney Council, you'd think we live under the most generous and enlightened administration on the planet. Awash we are with fantastic new services. How will we ever find the time to enjoy them all or the means to thank our leaders as fullsomely as they deserve?!

City & Hackney Mental Health Trust wants to become a foundation trust. And as a service user, it wants my opinion on the idea.

I'll certainly give it that. Mental health services here - as everywhere else no doubt - are horribly underfunded, leaving poeple waiting six months or more for a first appointment. I can think of things that the trust does need, more money for starters, but becoming a foundation is the one thing that will make it worse not better.

Ernesto Leal came from Chile to Britain as a child in the 1970s, fleeing Pinochet's repression with the rest of his family. After living in Scotland for years, he now lives in Hackney. His first language is English, he now longer has family in Chile. Ernesto is British.

This summer, the Mayor of London gets new power over housing and planning in the capital. He says he will use these powers "mainly to ensure more affordable homes are built for Londoners."

By Dan Katz

Following a small — 60-strong — march in Brick Lane, East London, the companies involved in making a film of Monica Ali’s novel, Brick Lane have unfortunately caved in to the protestors’ demand that they stop filming in the area.

Around 50 people packed a meeting organised by Hackney TUC to launch a local campaign against the privatisation of the East London Line. The Line - which currently does not serve Hackney - is due to be extended in time for the 2012 Olympics, but will be sold off to private contractors. Stagecoach and National Express are amongst the list of "preferred bidders".