"despicable politics funded by scumbag millionaires"

Just when you thought that Tower Hamlets politics could not any worse!  Check out Ted's post here about the completely vile and rotten scumbags who have tried to misuse abused women to further their campaign of hatred against Labour candidate, Helal Abbas.

Someone in the know said to me this is "despicable politics funded by scumbag millionaires".

I understand that those who were involved will be having the 6AM knock by Old Bill in coming weeks...

Wot a shame...

West Ham 6 play Millwall 4 (Abbas as Labour Mayor)

Apologies for post title but I just couldn't resist it. Yesterday I was out with a canvass team led by West Ham MP, Lyn Brown in Millwall, Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets.  We were campaigning for the Labour Party Candidate for Mayor, Helal Abbas.

Last Saturday about 40 activists from Newham helped out with the campaign. 

The meeting point was in Copenhagen Place which I thought was fortuitous considering the election will be held this week on Trafalgar Day.  We were sent off to knock on doors.  The reaction from voters was again very positive. 

One person told me that he and his family will be definitely be voting Labour on Thursday "we don't want our Council tax in the hands of George Galloway for the next 4 years".  I told him I couldn't possibly comment :)

I also knocked on the door of the Chief Executive of a well know East London voluntary sector organisation and had a chat.

What is strange is that I work in Tower Hamlets and have been campaigning a few times now and I have never seen any of the opposition parties out door knocking or delivering leaflets?  Instead it appears from this report by independent local blogger, Ted Jeory, that for some - most effort has been in simply smearing Abbas and trying to poison the community against him.

Respect are up to their old tricks I see.

I posted on Facebook the other day this great quote from local MP Rushanara Ali "What’s at stake next Thursday is a billion pound budget, in one the most vibrant and diverse boroughs at the heart of our capital. For the people of Tower Hamlets this isn’t about personalities, it’s about the real issues – schools, housing, jobs and the economy. This is no time for a Galloway-backed independent who appeals to the margins and wants to turn the clock back to the politics of the past".  The bile it generated from Labour opponents was great fun.

Election is on 21 October - Campaign office is at 349 Cambridge Heath Road, London, E2 9RA - 3 mins from Bethnal Green tube and is open for canvassing and leafleting from 10am-until late every day until the election. Or you can ring 0207 729 6682 or email abbas4mayor@gmail.com for further details.

Picture is from left: Newham Councillor Charity Fiberesima, Gordon Miller, Lyn, Councillor Pat Murphy (honorary West Hammer for day) and John Cullen.

East End German PoW Camp at Olympic Village

 East End journalist and blogger (and fellow North Walian Gog) Ted Jeory has posted here on some fascinating new historical research on German Prison of War camps in Stratford and Victoria Park.  There were 400,000 German PoWs in Britain in 1946.  1500 were held "just a few hundred yards from where competitors will bed down in the Athletes’ Village in two years’ time". 

Hard core Nazi and SS were held in Victoria (Vicki) Park which is being used in 2012 as a Olympic training ground.

About 300m from me on Wanstead flats there was also another large PoW camp - near where the Easter and May Day Fun Fairs, Bonfire night and the annual Circus events takes place.  This is being considered as a temporary Police base during the 2012 Olympics as well.

What I found pretty heartening was the finding that "The documents show that despite being held in the heart of the Blitz-ravaged East End, the prisoners were warmly welcomed by local civilians. Their orchestra was invited to play in nearby Leyton public gardens, they played football against local club sides and were welcomed at council meetings in nearby Chingford".