My post yesterday on Sir Robin Wales appears to have caused a bit of a stir, most of it within his own party.
From what I hear about Newham’s mayor, he is regularly attacked as “divisive”, which seems to the untrained eye as odd when you consider he’s been running the borough continuously since 1995 and when all 60 councillors are from his party. But as I say, I’m not that yet very familiar with the borough: I plan to learn more.
And on that note, I’ve heard rumours about Robin’s ambitions for City Hall for more than a year, so I just presumed he’d confirmed them to someone somewhere. But apparently not.
In my post yesterday, I wrote that he’d admitted he wants to follow Boris Johnson as London Mayor (using his Newham experience and policies as a manifesto) but I provided no quotes to back that up.
They’re at the end of this post, and it’s worth looking his claim that what’s happening in Newham will be replicated by a future Labour government.
However, a bit more background is probably useful. In 2011, he launched a policy document based on ‘Resilience‘, the concept that underpins the thinking on “migration management” that I detailed for the Sunday Express and which has been praised by David Goodhart.
It’s worth looking at some of this before reading his thoughts on City Hall. So, according to the Newham council website:
Our approach to building resilience in Newham
Newham is the second most deprived borough in the country and we face enormous challenges. Our approach to transforming the lives of our residents is unique. Through building resilience; personal, economic and community, we will make a positive and lasting impact, working towards the people of Newham having the same life chances as those in other parts of London.
In 2011, following our consultation A Strong Community: Building Resilience in Newham, we launched Quid Pro Quo, Not Status Quo, Why we need a welfare state that builds resilience (pdf). It was our delivery plan for building the resilience of our residents and community. Since then we’ve committed to embedding resilience in everything we do as a council. We have made great progress in building a more resilient Newham and we have now launched Resilience Making it Happen – An update on delivery (pdf) which outlines what we have achieved so far.
We are building resilience in Newham by:
- Jobs through our local employment scheme, Workplace, which gets 5,000 people a year into work, half of which are long term unemployed.
- A comprehensive Every Child programme. This includes a groundbreaking programme which gives children in Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument, at no cost to parents.
- Free universal school meals for all primary age children;
- A guarantee of one to one tuition for primary children falling behind with reading;
- Free theatre-going and sports participation, including Every Child a Chess Player.
- Our elected Councillors with our residents will have real control over physical assets and local services. From now on they’ll direct the biggest council-run volunteering service in the country. They’ll be able to pro-actively approach hub co-ordinator officers to share ideas about what will make their neighbourhood better, and then participate to get changes made.
- The country’s first borough-wide licensing scheme for private rented sector landlords. Better quality housing will mean healthier residents, better community relations and a higher quality physical environment.
A more resilient future for Newham
The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games brought the world’s attention to our doorstep. We’ll always fight for legacy from the Games and beyond. That means jobs and we’re delighted that we helped so many Newham residents get employment during the Games. Summer 2012 was a also a time for celebration as a our Lets get the Party Started programme supported residents from all walks of life come together and celebrate. This is just the beginning of our work in this area and we’re making sure we’re supporting local people in the most effective ways possible. From helping young people to find work, to plans for a life-changing fund for local people who want to transform their lives, we’ll keep looking for new ways to build resilience in partnership with local people.
Understanding community resilience
To build our understanding of community resilience in Newham and the strengths, networks and connections in the borough we conducted a research project with think tank the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and The Campaigns Company.
That’s the background, as is the piece from yesterday, and here are some of the other quotes from my interview.
Asked whether his thinking was being plugged into Labour party head office, he said:
“Our values are trust, solidarity, fairness and reciprocity, and if you follow that those through, it happens that it works out in this area and it detoxifies immigration, so people think, ‘Do you know what, it’s not a bad thing.’ Properly managed, it can work really well, not only for the country, but where local people are, and also for the immigrant.
“So Resilience is what we believe, that sense of people doing things and us being their best buddies and helping them to do it. Then the stuff on private sector licensing, I think the Labour party is very keen on that and is very supportive of what we’re doing. The minimum wage and enforcing will be a party commitment, while the GMB have also been great on that.
“Many of the things we’re doing, the party recognizes but then many good Labour progressive authorities will do these things as well. Maybe we’ve put a narrative around resilience that’s much clearer than elsewhere. So we follow that.
“I think head office has a vision and our vision is similar to head office’s.
“We’re very supportive of the direction of travel for the Labour party is taking. We’ve got experience on the ground. As a Labour authority, we’re doing the things that a Labour government would do. So let’s get rid of these bloody clowns in [Coliation] and let’s have Labour in.”
Asked whether he would like to be Mayor of London, he said:
“My point is currently around resisilience at this point. I think we need to have a vision for London and we’re putting together a vision for London. The most important thing the Labour party has to do for London is have a vision.
“I argue it should be based on resilience, I’d argue the stuff we do on economic development and transport infrastructure, on housing. We plan to build lots of houses and lots on hoiusing; what a pity that the Mayor of London is not doing that.
“We think we’ve a very interesting offer. Now my argument would be when the general election is over (in 2015), we should pick the best candidate but the key issue should be what are our policies.
“And I think our policies I think are the right ones for London and we will be pushing that and saying this is what we want.
“So the answer is to, ‘Would I like to be mayor of London’, is of course I would, but the issue is what are you standing for, what is Labour going to stand for. I believe it should be based on resilience, based on the things we’re doing here and if we can get a good candidate who does that, I’ll be the first to support them.”
“” The country’s first borough-wide licensing scheme for private rented sector landlords. Better quality housing will mean healthier residents, better community relations and a higher quality physical environment. “”
Absolutely agree. I’ve seen too many sub-standard properties, not in LBTH but in another ‘safe’ Labour borough, where neglect and decay creates misery for the families living in bad conditions.
Landlords get rich, funded by the tax payers, because they charge as much rent as they can. Families can not afford it, so Housing Benefit tops-up the tenants payments.
Sub-standard private sector rented-out housing should be acquired for a nominal sum by the local authority and retained as council housing.
In 2013 Rackmanism still flourishes.
Stop talking him up ! Robin has zero chance of being Labour’s Mayoral candidate. David Lammy, Sadiq Khan or Jon Cruddas (and it’s not even clear that Jon wants it). Does anybody seriously think that Robin could win a London-wide selection contest?
It’s commonly known that Sadiq Khan is being lined up for it which is why they quietly made him Shadow Minister for London in January, not that he’s done anything mind.
I miss the picture of Josh Peck…
…the terms “divisive” and “inclusive” are both Labour NewSpeak terms (duh!) which in this context can only be fully understood with reference to the well-known ‘BlackWhite Prinicipal’ which when applied to a Party matter means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it also means the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought known in NewSpeak as “doublethink”.
Now by using doublethink it is possible to understand what the Party is saying to itself. If we presume for one moment that Lutfur Rahman’s policy of treating cultural communities in his borough differently; encouraging the separate development of one particular cultural community, showing favouritism towards that community and enhancing it’s separateness then it follows that Robin Wales MUST be being “divisive” by way of treating cultural groups equitibly, working to reduce differences and encouraging integration.
You see really it is obvious.
What has Sir Robin Wales done for Newham? We had billions of investment into the Olympic park and transport infrastructures improvements. The Borough remains in terminal decline and it has the highest rate of poverty. Sir Robin Wales did nothing to regenerate the area. People are moving out of Newham for better areal.
Look at the state of our high streets. Full of cheap shops. Newham was never like this. Sir Robin Wales has been sending his army of traffic wardens over the years, to harass drivers. The shops loose business, they sell up and new tacky pound shops open up in their place. Then Robin Wales wonders why people are moving out. Newham has the highest rate of parking fines in London.
Over the years, that Newham turned their sights on residential areas and they are putting in residential parking zones everywhere. Our family GP is in another residential parking zone. So how can you visit the GP. So you have to waste money on taxis.
During school holidays, the grand children can’t visit, as their mother can’t carry prams and suitcases on public transport. It is too far and expensive to come by taxi. The visitors parking permit is limited to 6 hours. There are plenty of car spaces… another thing to make life difficult.
Newham has become a worse place to live under Robin Wales leadership. He is an elected mayor and has total control. There is no democracy in Newham. All the 60 Councillors are from the Labour party. None of them bother to listen to your concerns. They don’t even consult residents properly. If you have a problem and the councillors ignore you. Where do you go?. The local newspaper rarely scrutinises the Mayor’s decisions.
How can you have Sir Robin Wales as Mayor of London, who has NEVER faced any real opposition parties. Newham’s Councillors don’t challenge him or have publicly spoken out against him.
Sir Robin Wales talks about “resilience” – this is just another B.S. marketing concept.
It is time Sir Robin Wales retired from Politics.
http://www.blowe.org.uk/2013/04/how-credible-is-call-for-referendum-on.html
Ennding the Mayoral system in Newham?
Watch what they do, copy it in Scamlets
I’m prompted to note that Sir Robin Wales is the longest-serving current borough council leader in London, having been in post since 1995.
His three nearest rivals have all been in post since 2000, but Merrick Cockell (K&C) has just announced he’s standing down next month, and Chris Roberts (Greenwich) has pre-announced that he won’t stand for re-election in 2014. That leaves Ray Puddifoot of Hillingdon as the runner-up.
That’s not a good thing at all. They just want to go on and on like African dictators.
Ted, before you get too carried away at looking at Newham. Talk to some of the local people who know how divisive Robin can be. Ask Kevin Blow, local community activist, his blog has shown Robin up on more than one occasion, Mike Law, ex councillor, who actually was forced to the join the Conservatives to expose serious problems with Robin’s park police, Christine Bowden, his deputy at one point who left under rather mysterious circumstances, (do ask yourself why Robin does not allow for deputies) Rita Chadha, ex GC secretary for West Ham, who despite being one of the best advocates for communities I have ever met, will not engage in local politics because of Robin, Sarah Ruiz, ex councillor who runs a local voluntary organisation that champions community affairs and can’t get Robin to take all but his favourite pet groups seriously. There are countless others, and some also in his own administration, the ones I have mentioned are the ones prepared to speak out, just ask any of them and you will see a very different side of Newham under ‘Sir’ Robin Wales.
Abi I’m sure he isn’t perfect. I’m more interested in some of his policies rather than trying to canonise him.
Congratulations on the press for being about 2 years behind the curve on the story. A betting man would put money on a Wales v Lammy fight to be candidate for Mayor. Both would be good candidates in their different ways.
Wouldn’t read too much into the resilience document myself. As i understand it, it was more about working out how a labour council can operate under a Tory government.
Why would Lammy be a good candidate? Is it on the same basis that Trevor Philips was a good candidate?
‘Robbin’ Wales as he’s known in Newham has been actively “robbin'” from the poor to feed the rich. In Newham decades of uncontested Labour voting has made the administration complacent to the point of arrogance; the borough is run by bullies and thugs and Wales is one of the highest paid Mayors in one of the poorest boroughs – in my opinion he should be stripped of his knighthood. His contempt for local communities (Carpenter’s Estate), reluctance to listen to their needs (Queens Market), his self-publicising approach (Newham Mag) and the directly elected Mayoralship has been the worst thing for one of London’s most needy borough.
Bin Robin, bin Robin, bin Robin – Newham residents should use this opportunity to stamp him out or the ‘disease’ will spread to the neighbouring boroughs.
If you want to lay blame the blame for regenreation failures in Newham, it has to go to right to Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham.
It is time he and his 60 Labour councillors resigned.
Regeneration is not in Newham’s political interest, as it would bring in Torys voters. Just look at what Newham did in the Royal Docks, a beautiful 1100 acre waterfront site. It was a Jewel in the Crown and a golden opportunity for regeneration. Developers were building new luxury flats and were attracting people with good jobs. Newham needs people of mixed incomes, so that they can spend in the local area and to bring in the trendy restaurants….
Newham decided to blight the Royal Docks, by letting London City Airport expand to 120,000 flights. This airport which opened in 1987, was never meant to expand beyond 30,000 flights, as it was located in a sensitive residential area close to homes and schools.
It was in their political interest to let the airport expand, which would put a stop to regeneration of the Royal Docks and stop an influx of torys. In turn keeping their Labour seats. The aircraft, they use now at London City Airport are much larger and noisier then those originally permitted in1987. The Royal Docks was once a be tranquil area, but now we have one flight every 98 seconds. Newham have destroyed the quality of life of people and people have moved out. Newham said it supported the expansion of the airport due to jobs. The figures showed, in the last ten years the airport has never met the jobs target. Based on the airport’s own figures, at least 74% of the jobs at the airport (and associated companies) are filled by people who don’t live in Newham. Newham’s Mayor Sir Robin Wales did nothing to protect the area.
Sir Robin, has the cheek to insult residents by saying it is their fault for living near an airport, even though the airport only opened in 1987 and the noise footprint has been growing year on year due to expansion.
At least with Boris, he is doing everything to stop the third runway at Heathrow. It is a shame Sir Robin did not have the guts to stand up for local people.
Asking about his policies and what was wrong with them – everyone is championing the Private Landlord scheme, well done indeed, but that is no use when you don’t have enough social housing or access to housing advice. He has done very little in way of negitotating benefits for Newham residents from the Olympics, look at Workplace and whilst the nukmbers look high for getting people into work, look at how his advisors treat people the nature of the work and the terms and conditions of the jobs.
Finally, look at May’s Newham timetable and the cabinet meeting that is billed to only last 5 minutes. That’s democracy Robin style