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Newham Respect: Here to fight against New Labour attacks

ImageNewham Respect members and supporters filled Harold Road Centre on Thursday 13th December to hear speeches from Respect MP George Galloway and Newham Respect's three Councillors Abdul Karim Sheikh, Hanif Abdulmuhit and Asif Karim. The public meeting was called to reinforce why Respect is needed in Newham and how the three Respect Councillors will serve and support the needs of the community in the next two years.

All three Councillors spoke about their vision for Newham and local residents in Green Street West Ward. They explained how they saw Respect as the only voice for working class people in the borough. Councillor Abdul Karim Sheikh said, "We have to be at the service of the people".

George Galloway MP said, "Respect is needed in Newham as this New Labour Council only continues to privatise and continues to criminalise our young people. Our youth are not given enough facilities to exercise their minds and bodies. Unlike New Labour, our three Councillors are not sheep so they will speak up for the residents of Newham. Respect is needed in Newham for local, national and international reasons."

The three councillors spoke about the need to defend sacked Unison activist Michael Gavan; Gavan was called a "beacon" by the councillors, who explained that with creeping privatisation and a Labour council that had no interest in representing the working class, people like Michael were vital to the people of Newham and beyond. Speaking about attacks on workers in the borough, councillor Hanif Abdulmuhit said, "this is how vicious New Labour has become – it has become an enemy of the trade unions".

Talking about Labour in the borough and nationally, he said "We are seeing the introduction of PFI in the NHS and education. The only political party that can challenge this privatisation is Respect. We are against the anti-union, big business policies. We are proud that we stood with the refuse workers in Newham when they fought against this."

Reinforcing the view that only Respect has the vision, the people and the courage to fight against New Labour, councillor Asif Karim said "Our policies and our party are to defend the working class people who are on the receiving end of Labour’s attacks. I am proud of that."

Welcoming those who had recently broken away from Respect to the meeting, George Galloway explained that even though there have been hard times for Respect recently, we are united and are willing to work with everyone who shares our vision.

Newham Respect is working hard to put the needs of local residents first. Extra surgeries in places of worship like Gudwaras and Churches are scheduled for the new year so that more residents can easily access the three Respect Councillors without needing to make any special trips to their surgery.
 

News and articles of interest

Here are some articles and news reports we think are worth looking at

From Triumph to Torture by John Pilger
Two weeks ago, I presented a young Palestinian, Mohammed Omer, with the 2008 Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. Awarded in memory of the great US war correspondent, the prize goes to journalists who expose establishment propaganda, or "official drivel", as Gellhorn called it.

SATs school tests criticised by official report by Harvey Thompson and Linda Slattery
In May, millions of school children throughout England undertook their Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) in English, mathematics and science. The statutory tests are widely considered to be flawed and almost universally reviled by teachers and children alike.

Health: Who asked for choice? - Morning Star
IF Health Minister Ben Bradshaw believes that there is political capital to be made by taking on our NHS doctors, he will quickly come unstuck.

Afghanistan troop deaths outnumber those in Iraq by Angela Balakrishnan and agencies
Militants in Afghanistan killed more US and Nato troops than those in Iraq in June after a fresh spate of rebel attacks that highlighted the growing strength of the Taliban.

Iran legally entitled to develop nuclear energy, says UK MP
Iran is legally entitled to develop nuclear energy under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, according to a British MP visiting Tehran for the first time. George Galloway, who was expelled from Britain's ruling Labor Party for his outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, also criticized the hypocrisy of Israel's belligerence towards Iran, which has its own illegal stockpile of nuclear weapons.

In the Cause of Fear and Ignorance by John Pilger
Muslims are alone as they watch the British state, with its "obstinate incomprehension" of their faith, do to them as it would never do to those of other faiths. Imagine Jews treated this way. You cannot imagine it; the profanity is too great. The silence of British Jews, who have the history, is also great.

Migrant Myths by Adam Ford
As part of her degree course, Kurdish migrant Filiz Celik researched the conditions that workers from overseas face in the United Kingdom. The full text of her study can be read here, but this summary by Adam Ford gives some idea of the reality behind the media-generated myths.

Tesco shareholders reject TV chef's chicken welfare call
Tesco shareholders today voted against a resolution from TV cook Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which called for the retail giant to improve its chicken-rearing standards.

Academies expelled 10,000 pupils
Academies have been accused of excluding disproportionately high numbers of students after it emerged that they excluded nearly 10,000 pupils for poor behaviour last year.

Let companies run state schools for profit, says Sir Simon Milton
Private companies should be allowed to run state schools at a profit and be free to dismiss teachers who are not up to the job, the head of the Local Government Association (LGA) said yesterday.

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