Wednesday, November 28, 2007
TUBE PETITION
London Liberal Democrats will present their ‘Tube Passengers must not pay the penalty for PPP failure’ petition to Mayor Livingstone on Monday. You can still sign by clicking here.
Monday, November 19, 2007
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SPEAKING UP "FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES"
The Annual General Meeting of Chingford & Woodford Green Liberal Democrats was held on Friday, 16th. November at North Chingford Methodist Church.
GUEST SPEAKER was Cllr. MERAL ECE, who is the Lib Dems’ London Assembly candidate for the elections next May in London North East. The constituency comprises Waltham Forest, Hackney and Islington. [She is herself an Islington councillor and has previously been a councillor in Hackney. She is currently Islington’s Chair of Overview and Scrutiny].
Addressing the meeting with an upbeat message, she stressed that this is a winnable seat.
She drew attention to the fact that that this is a very varied, diverse part of London with a mix of different communities and ages.
Particular concerns she referred to were Health and other public services, crime and policing, and the local environment.
She said “Sometimes there is the wrong culture in public services and there are also injustices. There is a need for someone to root for the people. I want to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.”
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
"-- not a popularity contest"
In his Chairman’s report, Cllr. John Beanse thanked all those who had helped in any way in the past busy 12 months. On the national stage he regretted the circumstances that had led to Ming Campbell standing down as party leader. He said: “People in Britain need to realise that politics is not – or should not be – some kind of popularity contest. The bottom line is that if either Gordon Brown OR David Cameron had been Prime Minister at the time, we would still have gone to war with Iraq. Ming Campbell was a politician of integrity who deserved respect – not the treatment he received in some of the media."
Cllr. John Beanse referred to the surge of support towards the Lib Dems in the Chingford Green by-election earlier in the year, where the Liberal Democrat candidate gained a creditable second place with over 1000 votes. He reviewed the ongoing work on the councils in Redbridge and Waltham Forest and in the different wards and expressed particular pleasure that Cllr. Sheila Smith-Pryor was the current Deputy Mayor in Waltham Forest..
Looking ahead, he referred to the Assembly and Mayoral elections next year and said : “we need to look forward now and advance the cause of Liberal democracy for a fairer and greener Britain.”
The Annual General Meeting of Chingford & Woodford Green Liberal Democrats was held on Friday, 16th. November at North Chingford Methodist Church.
GUEST SPEAKER was Cllr. MERAL ECE, who is the Lib Dems’ London Assembly candidate for the elections next May in London North East. The constituency comprises Waltham Forest, Hackney and Islington. [She is herself an Islington councillor and has previously been a councillor in Hackney. She is currently Islington’s Chair of Overview and Scrutiny].
Addressing the meeting with an upbeat message, she stressed that this is a winnable seat.
She drew attention to the fact that that this is a very varied, diverse part of London with a mix of different communities and ages.
Particular concerns she referred to were Health and other public services, crime and policing, and the local environment.
She said “Sometimes there is the wrong culture in public services and there are also injustices. There is a need for someone to root for the people. I want to speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves.”
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT
"-- not a popularity contest"
In his Chairman’s report, Cllr. John Beanse thanked all those who had helped in any way in the past busy 12 months. On the national stage he regretted the circumstances that had led to Ming Campbell standing down as party leader. He said: “People in Britain need to realise that politics is not – or should not be – some kind of popularity contest. The bottom line is that if either Gordon Brown OR David Cameron had been Prime Minister at the time, we would still have gone to war with Iraq. Ming Campbell was a politician of integrity who deserved respect – not the treatment he received in some of the media."
Cllr. John Beanse referred to the surge of support towards the Lib Dems in the Chingford Green by-election earlier in the year, where the Liberal Democrat candidate gained a creditable second place with over 1000 votes. He reviewed the ongoing work on the councils in Redbridge and Waltham Forest and in the different wards and expressed particular pleasure that Cllr. Sheila Smith-Pryor was the current Deputy Mayor in Waltham Forest..
Looking ahead, he referred to the Assembly and Mayoral elections next year and said : “we need to look forward now and advance the cause of Liberal democracy for a fairer and greener Britain.”
Lib Dems hold their AGM-
Cllr.MERAL ECE, the Lib Dem candidate in next year's London Assembly elections in London North East, who was the guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting of Chingford & Woodford Green Liberal Democrats. The meeting was held on Friday, 16th.November at N.Chingford Methodist Church.
Meral delivered an upbeat message and stressed that this was a winnable seat, (comprising Waltham Forest, Islington and Hackney). She said there was a need for the Liberal Democrats to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Waltham Forest Deputy Mayor in action
Lib Dem Cllr. Sheila Smith-Pryor
(Hale End & Highams Park ward), pictured recently, officiating at a Waltham Forest Citizenship ceremony. 30 new British citizens were awarded their certificates that day.
(Hale End & Highams Park ward), pictured recently, officiating at a Waltham Forest Citizenship ceremony. 30 new British citizens were awarded their certificates that day.Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Getting greener?
BRITAIN STILL THE DIRTY MAN OF EUROPE ON RECYCLING, FIGURES SHOW
Research by the Local Government Association has shown that the UK dumps more household waste into landfill than any other country in the EU. UK households sent 22.6 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill in 2004/5, the most recent year for which comparable figures are available across the EU. [BBC] After 10 years in power, Britain is still the dirty man of Europe on recycling. No other rich country performs so badly.
In Waltham Forest, there has been a big drive to push up recycling rates and the Council is now one of the best performing councils on recycling in London.
Research by the Local Government Association has shown that the UK dumps more household waste into landfill than any other country in the EU. UK households sent 22.6 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill in 2004/5, the most recent year for which comparable figures are available across the EU. [BBC] After 10 years in power, Britain is still the dirty man of Europe on recycling. No other rich country performs so badly.
In Waltham Forest, there has been a big drive to push up recycling rates and the Council is now one of the best performing councils on recycling in London.
Lib Dem candidate for London Mayor
Brian Paddick has been selected to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for London mayor in next May’s election. The former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police was selected after winning a ballot of the party's London members. Mr Paddick, who resigned from the Met earlier this year, beat competition from Chamali Fernando and Fiyaz Mughal for the candidacy. He won 73% of the first preference votes during the contest and will stand against Labour's Ken Livingstone and the Conservatives' Boris Johnson. [BBC] [Brian Paddick’s first speech]
Monday, November 12, 2007
Definitely food for thought!
TWO THIRDS SEE OPPORTUNITY FOR LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BREAKTHROUGH
In his Queen’s Speech response, acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable highlighted what he called a “grand coalition of ideas” between Labour and the Conservatives. It seems most people agree. A poll for The Times has found that 64% of those questioned think “there is so little difference now between Labour and the Conservatives that there is a real opportunity to make a breakthrough if the Lib Dems can develop some clear and distinctive policies”. (Perhaps we should read that as “get across the clear and distinctive policies they already have”?) Other findings in the Populus poll were:
· 70% of those questioned would favour the Liberal Democrats if they had a strong and credible new leader
· 54% say that if no party has an overall majority after the next general election, the Lib Dems should be willing to support whichever has the largest number of MPs
[Times - Peter Riddell analysis] [Lib Dem briefing on Lab-Con ‘cosy consensus’]
In his Queen’s Speech response, acting Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable highlighted what he called a “grand coalition of ideas” between Labour and the Conservatives. It seems most people agree. A poll for The Times has found that 64% of those questioned think “there is so little difference now between Labour and the Conservatives that there is a real opportunity to make a breakthrough if the Lib Dems can develop some clear and distinctive policies”. (Perhaps we should read that as “get across the clear and distinctive policies they already have”?) Other findings in the Populus poll were:
· 70% of those questioned would favour the Liberal Democrats if they had a strong and credible new leader
· 54% say that if no party has an overall majority after the next general election, the Lib Dems should be willing to support whichever has the largest number of MPs
[Times - Peter Riddell analysis] [Lib Dem briefing on Lab-Con ‘cosy consensus’]
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Healthcare Commission
Summary of the verdict on our local health services:
[1 = Quality of services; 2 = Use of resources (finances, etc)]
Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust: 1. Fair 2. Weak
Redbridge Primary Care Trust: 1. Fair 2. Good
Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust: 1. Fair 2. Weak
North East London Mental Health Trust (NELMHT): 1.Good 2. Fair
To read a fuller report - with links - type Healthcare Commission into box top left and click on SEARCH BLOG.
[1 = Quality of services; 2 = Use of resources (finances, etc)]
Waltham Forest Primary Care Trust: 1. Fair 2. Weak
Redbridge Primary Care Trust: 1. Fair 2. Good
Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust: 1. Fair 2. Weak
North East London Mental Health Trust (NELMHT): 1.Good 2. Fair
To read a fuller report - with links - type Healthcare Commission into box top left and click on SEARCH BLOG.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Lib Dem film
The Liberal Democrats' latest film (party political broadcast), first broadcast on Thursday, 8th November, can be seen - or watched again - on the party's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/libdem
The film will go live on YouTube at 17:55 on 8.11.07.
The film will go live on YouTube at 17:55 on 8.11.07.
On-line petitions
To support the call to bring our troops home from Iraq, please click on http://www.ourcampaign.org.uk/iraq
Back the Lib Dem NHS campaign by clicking on http://www.nhssos.com/
There are 3 main demands: 1. Stop the cuts. 2. Cut the waste. 3. Give us back our NHS.
Back the Lib Dem NHS campaign by clicking on http://www.nhssos.com/
There are 3 main demands: 1. Stop the cuts. 2. Cut the waste. 3. Give us back our NHS.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Walthamstow Liberal Democrats Christmas Dinner
Date: 1st December
Time: 6.30pm for 7.00pm start
Venue: The Royal Forest Hotel, 4 Rangers Road,Chingford, E4 7QH Hosted by: Farid Ahmed
Chief guest: Lord Eric Avebury
Guest speakers: Nick Clegg MP
Chris Huhne MP
Great opportunity to meet Nick Clegg & Chris Huhne, the two candidates for the party leadership, in a relaxed and social environment. The chief guest Lord Avebury, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Team, and speaks frequently on conflict resolution and human rights.
Ticket price is £20 for a three course festive dinner if booked before the 21st of November, thereafter ticket price is £25 25. Vegetarian meal available on request. Please call Seema on 020 7096 5086 (9.30am - 5.00pm) or email her on seema@oplsolutions.com to book your tickets. Please send cheques payable Walthamstow Lib Dems, 3 Palmerston Rd, Walthamstow, E17 6PQ.
Time: 6.30pm for 7.00pm start
Venue: The Royal Forest Hotel, 4 Rangers Road,Chingford, E4 7QH Hosted by: Farid Ahmed
Chief guest: Lord Eric Avebury
Guest speakers: Nick Clegg MP
Chris Huhne MP
Great opportunity to meet Nick Clegg & Chris Huhne, the two candidates for the party leadership, in a relaxed and social environment. The chief guest Lord Avebury, is a member of the Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs Team, and speaks frequently on conflict resolution and human rights.
Ticket price is £20 for a three course festive dinner if booked before the 21st of November, thereafter ticket price is £25 25. Vegetarian meal available on request. Please call Seema on 020 7096 5086 (9.30am - 5.00pm) or email her on seema@oplsolutions.com to book your tickets. Please send cheques payable Walthamstow Lib Dems, 3 Palmerston Rd, Walthamstow, E17 6PQ.
Ken refuses again to support the Hall Farm Curve
City Hall on the south bank of the Thames in London. 
At a Question Time session here in October, London Lib Dem Transport spokesman Geoff Pope asked the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone:
"Please update me on the progress you and Transport for London have made with Network Rail seeking to reopen the Hall Farm Curve".
The response from the Mayor was:
"The business case for the re-instatement of the link between Chingford and Stratford remains weak compared with other priorities for the improvement of National Rail services in north-east London".
The question was put after Geoff Pope was contacted on this issue by Waltham Forest Lib Dem Councillor John Beanse.
Cllr.John Beanse called the Mayor's response "depressingly curt and dismissive". He commented further: "It is a disgrace that the Mayor continues obstinately to refuse to back this scheme which could bring considerable benefit to the people of Waltham Forest.
This is not a massive scheme, in that it just requires the funding to relay and re-open the Hall Farm curve beyond St.James St. and then provide an extra rail service to Stratford, which would then become feasible. The new link would prove a valuable interchange with the Docklands Light Railway, the Central and Jubilee lines, plus overground services. The embankment for the curve is still there and passengers can see it as they travel between St.James St. and Clapton as a sorry reminder of what could be!
If we are serious about an "integrated transport system" in this country, this is just the sort of scheme that should be given the go-ahead.
There is now another dimension. Crossrail has been given the go-ahead. When it was first suggested, it was proposed that the CHINGFORD line should be linked in. (Specific in a 1989 document).
Sadly this is no longer the case. In fact the line has been re-routed via WHITECHAPEL, not the original route. (For more news, type Crossrail into box top left and then click on SEARCH BLOG alongside) This means that
a) in order to use Crossrail trains, passengers from Waltham Forest will have to change trains at Liverpool Street
b) the ONLY way the Chingford line could now ever be directly linked to the Crossrail tunnel (and that would be another battle) would be to get the Hall Farm curve in place first!
So Waltham Forest is losing out twice over and it is high time the Mayor took a more enlightened look at this issue."
At a Question Time session here in October, London Lib Dem Transport spokesman Geoff Pope asked the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone:
"Please update me on the progress you and Transport for London have made with Network Rail seeking to reopen the Hall Farm Curve".
The response from the Mayor was:
"The business case for the re-instatement of the link between Chingford and Stratford remains weak compared with other priorities for the improvement of National Rail services in north-east London".
The question was put after Geoff Pope was contacted on this issue by Waltham Forest Lib Dem Councillor John Beanse.
Cllr.John Beanse called the Mayor's response "depressingly curt and dismissive". He commented further: "It is a disgrace that the Mayor continues obstinately to refuse to back this scheme which could bring considerable benefit to the people of Waltham Forest.
This is not a massive scheme, in that it just requires the funding to relay and re-open the Hall Farm curve beyond St.James St. and then provide an extra rail service to Stratford, which would then become feasible. The new link would prove a valuable interchange with the Docklands Light Railway, the Central and Jubilee lines, plus overground services. The embankment for the curve is still there and passengers can see it as they travel between St.James St. and Clapton as a sorry reminder of what could be!
If we are serious about an "integrated transport system" in this country, this is just the sort of scheme that should be given the go-ahead.
There is now another dimension. Crossrail has been given the go-ahead. When it was first suggested, it was proposed that the CHINGFORD line should be linked in. (Specific in a 1989 document).
Sadly this is no longer the case. In fact the line has been re-routed via WHITECHAPEL, not the original route. (For more news, type Crossrail into box top left and then click on SEARCH BLOG alongside) This means that
a) in order to use Crossrail trains, passengers from Waltham Forest will have to change trains at Liverpool Street
b) the ONLY way the Chingford line could now ever be directly linked to the Crossrail tunnel (and that would be another battle) would be to get the Hall Farm curve in place first!
So Waltham Forest is losing out twice over and it is high time the Mayor took a more enlightened look at this issue."
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
London NE Lib Dem GLA candidate
For an item on MERAL ECE, GLA candidate, click on October, 2007 and scroll down or type Meral Ece in box top left and then click on SEARCH BLOG alongside.
Less than half of students taking European Languages GCSEs
Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show the number of teenagers studying European languages has slumped to below half. Just 48 per cent of 16-year-olds at English secondary schools took a GCSE in French, German or Spanish, compared with eight in 10 when Labour came to power. The decline comes after the Government made modern languages optional for pupils over 14 years old in 2004. [Telegraph] In just five years we have gone from the vast majority of young people taking GCSEs in European languages, to less than half. For further comment on the issue, type Languages into the box top left and click on SEARCH BLOG alongside.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Hall open again
North Chingford Assembly Hall is open again for business after its recent refurbishment. There was a "Fun Day" and an official re-opening of the Hall and the adjoining Library [which has in fact been functioning again for some time] on Saturday, 27th.October. Chingford residents and Lib Dems had argued that what was needed here was not some grand scheme but proper refurbishment and so it is gratifying that local wishes were heeded in the end!