Archive for August, 2007
Have enjoyed a busy bank holiday weekend where – amongst other activities – I spent a few hours helping colleagues from the Leyton and Wanstead Labour party do some leafletting in Cann Hall ward and also helped stuff our ‘All Members‘ newsletter into envelopes to be sent out to our 600+ local party members.
I am always really keen to help Labour colleagues work in Cann Hall ward.
Like Leyton, before I was elected last year, Cann Hall has no Labour councillors, which is quite mad considering that the people there absolutely love Harry Cohen, Leyton and Wanstead’s popular local Labour MP.
Labour did really well in Cann Hall in the local elections last year and the local Labour party is hoping that with sustained work over the next couple of years we will take all three council seats in 2010.
August 28th, 2007
Brilliant news reached me last night that Yasmin Qureshi, a formidable Labour party activist I know, has been selected as the Labour Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the Bolton South East constituency!
The Bolton South East constituency is currently held by Brian Iddon MP, with a whopping 11,000 Labour majority.
Barring a major catastrophe for Labour at the next General Election, Yasmin’s selection as Bolton Labour’s next parliamentary candidate, virtually guarantees her becoming Britain’s first ever British Pakistani female MP!
I am absolutely delighted for you, Yasmin, and wish you all the best for a glittering future parliamentary career!
xx
August 27th, 2007
Leyton ward’s excellent Safer Neighbourhoods Team are piloting an on-line Safer Neighbourhood’s survey, for members of the community to register their concerns about crime related problems in the Leyton Ward area.
Sergeant Jonathan Clack, who heads Leyton’s team, believes that the online survey could be a useful tool in helping the Safer Neighbourhoods Team gather the most up to date data available about what’s happening in Leyton ward, with regards to crime and issues of community safety.
The survey is very easy to use and makes use of google maps.
The Safer Neighbourhoods Team will be able to access the data and see the results, helping them form a better picture of whether there are areas where they could better target the team’s resources.
The pilot still has another week left to run.
I’d urge any Leyton ward residents reading this to take part in the survey, by clicking here.
Congratulations to Leyton ward’s SNT!
This is an excellent initiative that’s to be welcomed.
August 25th, 2007
London will now hold an annual day to commemorate the abolition of the slave trade following an extremely moving remembrance memorial service, held at London’s City Hall, on Thursday (23rd August).
I joined other Black Londoners, among them poets, MPs, Christians, Muslims, African dancers, journalists, and drummers, to hear Mayor Ken Livingstone formally apologise, on London’s behalf, for the part our city played in the transatlantic slave trade.
Words cannot describe how moving the whole chamber found Mayor Ken Livingstone’s speech and tribute to the victims and descendents of the transatlantic slave trade.
Ken reminded us why slavery was the biggest wicked evil the world had ever seen; 12 million African people were forcibly dragged from their homelands and beaten, castrated, lynched, raped, burnt, and hung in cages alive until they thirst to death – their dignity and humanity stripped from their entire being.
Such was the emotion the Mayor felt, he genuinely broke down at several points during his speech. This in turn provoked tears from those gathered in the chamber.
After Ken’s formal apology for London’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, he was joined by Mme. Françoise Riviere Assistant Director General for Culture from UNESCO (pictured above right with Ken), to sign a formal declaration committing London to holding an annual memorial day, to fall on the 23rd of August, which is the UN’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
Over a special lunch after the memorial service, I got to catch up with Chief Guest of Honour Jesse Jackson (pictured with me above), MP Diane Abbott, writer and poet Ben Okri, and many other distinguished guests from London’s Black community, who had also been invited.
Jesse Jackson’s currently over in Britain for the Equanomics coalition’s ‘Economics of Colour‘ tour, which seeks to highlight the economic contribution of Black and Minority ethnic communities in the UK past and present and develop more economic analyses and approaches to equality in the UK (click here for more info).
It was lovely to see Jesse again since he was last over in June. He is always inspiring and I have learnt a lot from meeting and listening to his warm words of advice on both the occasions we’ve now spoken.
Thanks again, Mayor Ken, for continuing to be a champion for London’s Black community and giving us a dignified voice through your work.
I was already geared up to hit the streets, to assist the campaign for Ken’s re-election next year, and Thursday’s historic memorial service, to commemorate the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, has made me even more determined to do so.
August 24th, 2007
Last week, I attended the Mayor of Waltham Forest’s charity dinner to raise funds for diabetes and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the creation of Pakistan.
Many of my council constituents in Leyton ward come from Pakistan and many people living in my ward (including most of my close family) suffer from diabetes. It was lovely to celebrate Pakistan’s birthday with all the residents who came, as well as to learn more about what we can do to combat this serious illness.
I had an absolutely lovely evening. After speeches and a gorgeous chicken dinner, guests were invited to tuck into the heavenly vision of Belgian chocolate loveliness you see above, so that diet I’m (supposed to be) on just went straight out of the window 
It was also really great to catch up with and congratulate Britian’s first ever Muslim Member of the British Government(!!) Shahid Malik MP (pictured with me above), now Parliamentary Under Secretary of State to the Department for International Development, on his promotion to Government.
Shahid is the greatest living example of hard work and the powers of persistence.
Congratulations again, Shahid!
Leyton’s Pakistani community is definitely proud of what you’ve achieved and I wish you well in your new role.
Two of my favourite members of the London Assembly, Waltham Forest’s London Assembly Member Jennette Arnold (pictured above right) and London wide Assembly Member Murad Qureshi (pictured above left) also attended the event to show their support for Waltham Forest’s Pakistani community.
I also got to catch up with mates and Labour party colleagues that I hadn’t seen for a while. Good friend and former local councillor for Lea Bridge ward Stella Creasy (pictured with me above) sat with us at my table….
….as did Cllr Faiz Yunis and the lovely Laura Bruni (who expertly ran my committee room on the day I was elected to the council last year – Thanks again, my dear! ).
Many thanks again to Waltham Forest’s Mayor and Labour council collegue Cllr Liquat Ali JP(pictured with me above) for organising a fabulous evening and raising a lot of money for diabetes sufferers.
Salaam aleikoom and a huge belated Happy Birthday to all of Leyton’s Pakistani residents for the 60th anniversary of the creation of Pakistan!
August 22nd, 2007
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