Newham Labour councillor joins Respect

[Fisher_Gate]

And, I repeat, will 'Merlyn' or any other SWP Central Committee member be prepared to lead by example?

If they aren't, then they have absolutely NO right whatsoever to expect others to do so.

Either that or they never intend to do so, and this just another bit of vainglorious posing for the benefit of the rank and file. And thus equally obnoxious.

Hopefully it will be Lindsey German ...

 

[Fisher_Gate]

Indeed.

If true it is also telling about the quality of people being attracted to represent Respect.

Those that don't want a quiet career on the Labour backbenches maybe?

 

[Pilgrim]

Of course. I must have missed the 'Traitors of the Week' column in Socialist Worker listing those former members who left to join other parties.

Don't try and be witty, it doesn't suit you.

And I have heard, and seen it on these boards, the slagging that people get when they leave the SWP for something else.

In fact, let's throw this open to the UK P&P posters as a whole, and ask how many former Swappies have had hassle as a result of their leaving 'THE Party'.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Ruiz is the boyfriend of a council officer with whom I have crossed swords with in the past in an official capacity.

She is an empire builder and I know of volutary organisations who had to work bloody hard to keep on her good side (if she has one)

I remember meetings where her name was mentioned with dread. She started off as a council officer of a middling grade and due to the totally dodgy politics in Newham managed to get herself selected for a safe ward.

Re arrange these words into a well know phrase or saying

Ruiz trusted be not.

I would be worried if I was a Respect member with SR on board. It may well be that she is worried about her seat or has made some enemies on the ruling labour group and is therefore going for the religious block vote. If you wanted to hollow out an organisation and neuter it then SR is your woman.

Remember Newham councillors have a long history of tapping 'community leaders' for help with block votes during elections. Not good for the muslim community as the control freaks dictate the councils policies towards the muslim community.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Tower Hamlets council is corrupt. I'm not sure if there are any individuals who have taken a stand.

The news from Newham is good and I hope she will be selected to stand for RESPECT given her apparent record and experience.

That's a bit naieve Groucho. Look at the character of the person who is joining before crowing about another respect 'success'.

 

[JHE]

Tower Hamlets council is corrupt.

Yup. I think you are very right there.

It would be impressive - and maybe electorally useful to Respec' - to be explicit about the corruption among the existing councillors and officers of the council.

Though I strongly share your perception, there is a possibility of misunderstanding here. 'Corrupt' is sometimes used by Muslims to mean 'not properly Muslim'. I guess you mean that councillors (and officers) have been doing - and, in other cases, trying to do - dishonest things with public money and property, for the benefit of themselves, their friends, relatives etc.

There has also been another problem with complaining about corruption in LBTH. Those who say there is corruption there get accused of racism.

It will be interesting to see what Respec' people have to say. Will you just leave it as a vague comment on the council or spell out what you mean?

 

[Pilgrim]

Jeez, give it a rest.

It's a fair point, mattkid12, and you know it.

I've been involved with several direct action camps, and numerous protests, with Trident Ploughshares, and I know, from many conversations with arrestable activists, just how debilitating arrest, trial and imprisonment can be.

Getting nicked can have serious consequences, and not just geting a criminal record. The fallout can affect friends and family, certain jobs can be lost as a result of a criminal conviction, bailiffs can hassle you for unpaid fines, bail conditions can be a real hassle to live with, and jail is NEVER a nice place to be.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

... It may well be that she is worried about her seat ...

Doesn't look very likely ...

2004 Euro Elections in Royal Docks:
Lab 414, Tory 249, LibDems 163, UKIP 128, CPA 83, BNP 82, Respect 66, Green 65

 

[Fisher_Gate]

... and is therefore going for the religious block vote. If you wanted to hollow out an organisation and neuter it then SR is your woman.

Remember Newham councillors have a long history of tapping 'community leaders' for help with block votes during elections. Not good for the muslim community as the control freaks dictate the councils policies towards the muslim community.

Census 2001
Muslim Population of Royal Docks Ward: 457
Total Population " : 6,186
Muslim proportion: 7.4%

Any more theories?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

- dishonest things with public money and property, for the benefit of themselves, their friends, relatives etc.

?

There is the questioin of the missing million pounds from the Millenium. A senior Newham Councillor (who has since had a stratospheric career ) set up a private company to run a Millenium festival with the intention of raising money from charitable trusts to pay for the shindig. What he / she didn't take into account was the fact that it is illegal for charities to donate money to private companies. This coupled with the debacle of the Stratford Circus where the same councillor and others applied for lottery cash for capital expenditure but forgot to include running costs - doh!!

The millenium festival went ahead but the council stumped up the cash. The council then recovered the cash because of the Millenium Festival and the Stratford Circus cockups from many small voluntary organisations some of which were of 20 odd years standing nd had extremely good relations with the community and were providing unique services.

Ruiz's hands were not in the till to my knowlede but she may well have had a chance to speak out but didn't.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

Census 2001
Muslim Population of Royal Docks Ward: 457
Total Population " : 6,186
Muslim proportion: 7.4%

Any more theories?

Oh yes, and more than twice as many atheists as Muslims by the way (945)

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Census 2001
Muslim Population of Royal Docks Ward: 457
Total Population " : 6,186
Muslim proportion: 7.4%

Any more theories?

I see your point but by splitting the labour vote she could save her seat. If you add in the factor of apathy / split votes etc on the part of the non muslim population then she could survive.

Not quite sure I agree with the census retuns there. I've family in the Royal Docks ward and I'm sure there are more Muslims there than 457.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

I see your point but by splitting the labour vote she could save her seat. If you add in the factor of apathy / split votes etc on the part of the non muslim population then she could survive.

Not quite sure I agree with the census retuns there. I've family in the Royal Docks ward and I'm sure there are more Muslims there than 457.

I don't make it up - from the Office of National Statistics:

Ward Name Royal Docks
ALL PEOPLE 6186
Christian 3955
Buddhist 17
Hindu 85
Jewish 26
Muslim 457
Sikh 55
Any other religion 9
No religion 945
Religion not stated 637

 

[Fisher_Gate]

She has principled form predating her switch to Respect:

Socialist Worker 15 May 2004 issue 1901

Newham - Union busting no way!

A SECOND day of strike action saw services across Newham council heavily disrupted on Wednesday of last week as members of the Unison union struck to defend trade union rights. The dispute was triggered by the council, which evicted Unison from their union offices and sent union officers on full facility time back to work. During last week's strike workers shut down libraries, school kitchens and offices. Rubbish went uncollected.

A determined campaign of intimidation-including warnings to workers and elected officials alike that "supporting Unison is not without consequences" had no effect on the strike. "In my section", says Jo, "this strike is better supported than the London weighting dispute or strikes in the past".

In response to the first strike, the council has attempted to step up the pressure, insisting that Unison publish an apology, issue a statement that Newham is a good employer and then, after a six-month period, it may agree to restore some facilities to the union. The six month cooling-off period-during which time Unison won't be allowed to take industrial action, communicate with the public or even speak freely to its own members-coincides with the timetable to privatise all council housing in the borough, and with the national pay dispute.

Every Newham worker understands this is about the right to an independent trade union.

"I am a Labour councillor," Sarah Ruiz told a strike rally, "but I am also a member of Unison, and I object to being told what I can and cannot do. I am fed up with the dictatorship we are living in. We are not going to be bullied."

Newham has more CCTV cameras than any other authority, but they were useless when the workers monitoring them kicked off the strike by walking out on the stroke of midnight. Two years ago when we started action over London weighting, they used to laugh at us," one of the first to strike later told a packed rally. "Last night we all walked out solidly. They are not laughing now."

Messages of support from members of the national executive were read out before a lively debate on strategy that once again addressed the question of stepping up action on the political as well as industrial fronts.

Strikers cheered when told that the regional officials have now agreed to take back some of the donations to New Labour to fund facilities in the branch, but strikers quickly went on to say it was not enough.

The suggestion from the region that sectional strike action was the way forward and that only Labour Party members can decide on the donations to Labour was not acceptable to the meeting.

Councillor Ruiz told the meeting, "We need the region to be saying, 'Withdraw all the money now,' because if we stop our contribution, someone will say something to the mayor. There are 3,000 Unison members and we need to remember that when it comes to the ballot box."

A motion was passed unanimously calling for stepping up strikes alongside a big public rally in Newham attended by the general secretary, a demonstration and withholding funds from Labour. A public meeting with Tony Benn and national officials is now planned for just before the next strikes on 26 and 27 May.

We are sending a loud and clear message: "Union busting no way! Newham Unison is here to stay!"

# Newham Striker

© Copyright Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). You may republish if you include an active link to the original and leave this notice in place.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=339

 

[Fisher_Gate]

Although she backed the wrong candidate on 5 May:

" I have known (Labour candidate) Lyn (Brown) for over twenty years, twelve as a colleague on the Council. She has always had a wider strategic vision of the needs of Newham and how these needs should be addressed. An example of this is how she has led Culture and Leisure services: constantly and consistently improving the quality, and targeting the outcomes, to meet the health, education and community cohesion needs of the Borough. Her qualities have been recognised on the National and Regional stage, where she has effected change and proved to be a capable operator. We need her experience, her passion, her commitment and ability in Parliament fighting for West Ham."

Cllr Sarah Ruiz
http://www.lynbrown.org.uk/testimonialver1.2.htm

2005 General Election Results

The result of the 2005 General Election in Newham's constituencies is as follows:

West Ham

Generoso Alcantara - Veritas - Party Leader Robert Kilroy-Silk - 365
Lyn Carol Brown - Labour Party - 15,840
Lindsey Ann German - Respect (George Galloway) - 6,039
Stephen Charles Hammond - Christian Peoples Alliance - 437
Jane Alison Lithgow - Green Party - 894
Henry Edmund Burke Mayhew - UK Independence Party - 409
Alexandra Elizabeth Sugden - Liberal Democrats - 3,364
Christopher Lawrence Whitbread - Conservative Party - 3,618

Turnout: 49.71%

Lyn Carol Brown is duly elected

 

[KeyboardJockey]

She has principled form predating her switch to Respect:

There are many words to describe Ruiz but principled is not one I would use having seen her and her cronies operate at first hand.

Besides you are quoting from the Swappies propaganda sheet not exactly the most reliable source of facts. SW is Fox news for the terminally deluded.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

And from the same period (13/5/04) as the Socialist Worker quote, she made the pages of the New Worker no less:

Strikers attended a special campaign meeting in East Ham,
where Labour councillor Sarah Ruiz told them that Sir Robin
Wales was running "a dictatorship". "He pays all but five
of the 59 councillors at Newham to side with his Blairite
agenda for privatisation of public services. "To keep
people on side he pays them. Disagree with him and you lose
that money," she said. "Now Mr Wales has decided to wage
war on Unison, following its efforts to secure a decent
London weighting increase for workers."

http://www.solidnet.org/cgi-bin/age...ommunist_party_of_britain/414ncpb14may041.doc

 

[Fisher_Gate]

There are many words to describe Ruiz but principled is not one I would use having seen her and her cronies operate at first hand.

Besides you are quoting from the Swappies propaganda sheet not exactly the most reliable source of facts. SW is Fox news for the terminally deluded.

Presumably the NCP is no better ...

 

[mk12]

Yeah, but Fisher Gate, you can't believe anything in the SW.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Well I agree with the comments about 'brave' Sir Robin. Another slippery character. But I would be extremely careful about Ruiz she is an experienced operator and having seen things at first had even though I have many problems with Respect you might find yourself eaten up and spat out. Don't take the presented face as the real one iyswim.

 

[Pilgrim]

And from the same period (13/5/04) as the Socialist Worker quote, she made the pages of the New Worker no less:

Strikers attended a special campaign meeting in East Ham,
where Labour councillor Sarah Ruiz told them that Sir Robin
Wales was running "a dictatorship". "He pays all but five
of the 59 councillors at Newham to side with his Blairite
agenda for privatisation of public services. "To keep
people on side he pays them. Disagree with him and you lose
that money," she said. "Now Mr Wales has decided to wage
war on Unison, following its efforts to secure a decent
London weighting increase for workers."

http://www.solidnet.org/cgi-bin/age...ommunist_party_of_britain/414ncpb14may041.doc

I'm just wondering about the rather severe British libel laws here. That does, after all, sound like an accusation of impropriety at best and corruption at worst.

I hope there is some supporting evidence of the above claim.

And no, I don't hold any brief for New Labour or any other political party.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

There are many words to describe Ruiz but principled is not one I would use having seen her and her cronies operate at first hand.

Besides you are quoting from the Swappies propaganda sheet not exactly the most reliable source of facts. SW is Fox news for the terminally deluded.

Or the Stratford Guardian:

Councillor: Elderly services in crisis
By Jonathan Bunn

THE handling of a council decision to put services for the elderly out to tender has been described as a shambles by a Labour councillor.

Cllr Sarah Ruiz, a spokeswoman for the voluntary sector, has called it a "chaotic process" that has left organisations providing preventative care facing devastation.

She claims that while voluntary groups were coming to terms with a budget cut, they were told of the council's decision to put services out to tender at the last minute.

Writing in this month's newsletter from the Newham Voluntary Sector Consortium (NVSC) Ms Ruiz, who is NVSC director, said documents were sent out late and "relevant officers" failed to attend an important meeting for all applicants.

She claims the chaotic process led to staff being laid off and uncertainty that forced people to seek employment elsewhere.

She writes: "The contracts that have been awarded appear to have been done so with little knowledge of the sector and in an attempt to appease some communities. Quality of service has not been thought about, neither has the ability to deliver.

"The council has awarded less than is practical to keep services running while expecting the fullrange of services to be available."

She said the crisis highlighted the need for guidelines to determine working practices between the council and voluntary organisations.

Ms Ruiz added: "Our colleagues in the voluntary sector are still coming to terms with the devastation their organisations have faced, while the older people in the borough are having to face the stark reality that their clubs are no longer open."

But a spokeswoman for the council called the criticisms inaccurate and misleading.

She said: "The council is committed to ensuring the most effective and efficient provision of services for older people.

"In 2004, a review was carried out of voluntary sector services for older people that are directly funded by the council. It concluded that the current service provided by the council and the voluntary sector was not meeting the needs of certain residents, in particular frail older people from ethnic minority communities.

"We adhered to the council's code of procurement when undertaking the contracting process, ensuring fairness and equity.

"The budget for older people's services has not decreased, but there has been a redistribution of that budget with an emphasis on meeting the requirements of residents with the highest needs, while still maintaining preventative services."

11:01am Monday 6th June 2005

 

[KeyboardJockey]

I'm just wondering about the rather severe British libel laws here. .

Having had experience of Ruiz and cronies in a legal setting that is why I am being as open as I dare about this whilst still saying my piece.

All I will say is do some digging on the Stratford Circus accounts.

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Or the Stratford Guardian:

As I said if it had come from anyone else but Ruiz I may be more inclined to take it on face value but to me having had direct experience I would say it looks more like 'packing the parachute' after being frozen out by other councillors in an effort to keep her powerbase.

I remember voluntary organisations being more fearful of Ruiz than considering her their champion.

Trust me on this. I've been there.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

I'm just wondering about the rather severe British libel laws here. That does, after all, sound like an accusation of impropriety at best and corruption at worst.

I hope there is some supporting evidence of the above claim.

And no, I don't hold any brief for New Labour or any other political party.

The only other reference I could find to the Councillor's Allowances situation in Newham was in the pages of the Socialist, newspaper of the Socialist Party, and it seems to bear out Ruiz's claim that allowances are used to enforce discipline in the Labour Group.

Michael Gavan, the chair of the UNISON branch said at a meeting of 40 council shop stewards that the membership's response to this attack has been magnificent. "93% of the members have voted in a ballot to back the union and we will go to a strike ballot unless the council withdraw their threat."

At the meeting it was clear that plans were well in hand to take the council on including lobbies, strike action and occupations if necessary.

This New Labour council leadership is so arrogant that at the same time they were doing this, according to Michael: "The council cabinet increased their attendance allowance from £24,000 to £32,000 a year for a maximum of two meetings a month." He went on to say that the council leaders: "Had threatened to discipline any Labour councillor who opposed the increase".

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2004/329/index.html?id=np7.htm

 

[KeyboardJockey]

The only other reference I could find to the Councillor's Allowances situation in Newham was in the pages of the Socialist, newspaper of the Socialist Party, and it seems to bear out Ruiz's claim that allowances are used to enforce discipline in the Labour Group.

As the name has already been brought up Michael Gavan has been a close associate of Sarah Ruiz. Another person who should be handled with care. There is far far far more to all this than meets the eye. Although that is not to deny that there are shennanigans going on at the top of Newham Council. Wales got his knighthood as recompense for not being selected for the seat that 'slippery' Stephen Timms got selected for.

Gavan and Ruiz could rebound spectacurally on Respect.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

As the name has already been brought up Michael Gavan has been a close associate of Sarah Ruiz. Another person who should be handled with care. There is far far far more to all this than meets the eye. Although that is not to deny that there are shennanigans going on at the top of Newham Council. Wales got his knighthood as recompense for not being selected for the seat that 'slippery' Stephen Timms got selected for.

Gavan and Ruiz could rebound spectacurally on Respect.

I'm starting to miss the point here. Here's how it seems to me ...

A Unison branch organises industrial action against a new Labour Council. The branch chair appears to be encouraging the member to put up a fight against the Council. An associate, and Labour Councillor, Sarah Ruiz, who is herself a Unison member in the voluntary sector endorses the industrial action condemning the Council in pretty forthright terms. All this is picked up positively by three different socialist newspapers, each reflecting different perspectives. Over a year later, the same Councillor condemns the Council in the pages of the local press for cuts in voluntary funding. Three months later she announces she is leaving the Labour Party and joining the main left wing opposition party in the area, quoting opposition to the war and the attack on Civil Liberties as the main motivations...

Now call me naive but it sounds entirely to me that we need many more labour councillors with the guts of Sarah Ruiz. I'd never heard of her until a few hours ago and she may have had some dodgy issues in her past, but surely this must be a move in the right direction and 'A GOOD THING'?

 

[KeyboardJockey]

I'm starting to miss the point here. Here's how it seems to me ...

A Unison branch organises industrial action against a new Labour Council. The branch chair appears to be encouraging the member to put up a fight against the Council. An associate, and Labour Councillor, Sarah Ruiz, who is herself a Unison member in the voluntary sector endorses the industrial action condemning the Council in pretty forthright terms. All this is picked up positively by three different socialist newspapers, each reflecting different perspectives. Over a year later, the same Councillor condemns the Council in the pages of the local press for cuts in voluntary funding. Three months later she announces she is leaving the Labour Party and joining the main left wing opposition party in the area, quoting opposition to the war and the attack on Civil Liberties as the main motivations...

Now call me naive but it sounds entirely to me that we need many more labour councillors with the guts of Sarah Ruiz. I'd never heard of her until a few hours ago and she may have had some dodgy issues in her past, but surely this must be a move in the right direction and 'A GOOD THING'?

Even though I consider myself a political opponent of RESPECT I'm just warning people to be careful. Newham is a very dodgy borough and there are deep seated stuff going on there which I really can't go into on a public bulleting board. All I'm saying is be careful and watch for people pulling a 5th Ace from up their sleeve. Ruiz was not a champion of the voluntary sector when I knew her she wanted to control and mould.

 

[oisleep]

"I am a Labour councillor," Sarah Ruiz told a strike rally, "but I am also a member of Unison, and I object to being told what I can and cannot do. I am fed up with the dictatorship we are living in. We are not going to be bullied."

Then I fear she has joined the wrong party

 

[Fisher_Gate]

Then I fear she has joined the wrong party

You think she'd be better off with the CPGB (who are members of Respect anyway)?