Saturday, May 01, 2004
London calling
On to Fulham primary school as the kids come out. We meet some Muslim women who support Respect and want to have a meeting in the local Clem Atlee estate hall. They take plenty of leaflets - telling us 'don't worry, we're child minders - we know loads of people'.
Then round some shops to leave leaflets. In the car it takes an hour from North End Road to Shepherds Bush. The traffic is a nightmare all day in West London - too many cars, buses get snarled up and a surprisingly large part of London has no tube.
I know London pretty well but going round these areas you cannot help but notice how poor many people are and how much the rich few in places like Kennington have.
On to meetings first in Shepherds Bush then Acton. There's great enthusiasm, concern at a range of issues; from war to the West London tram link, determination not to vote Labour and to build an alternative. Respect hasn't come a moment too soon.
Saturday
On the May Day march from Clerkenwell Green, one of the old historic working class areas of London. The march, a few thousand, is disappointingly small. Shouldn't the TUC do better than this when we at the Stop the War Coalition can mobilise much bigger with far fewer resources?
Andrew Burgin from the Coalition makes a great speech full of life and anger at the situation in Iraq. Lots of people ask about my campaign and take leaflets. I'm invited to 3 separate socials but I don't see how I'll be able to make all of them.
Then round some shops to leave leaflets. In the car it takes an hour from North End Road to Shepherds Bush. The traffic is a nightmare all day in West London - too many cars, buses get snarled up and a surprisingly large part of London has no tube.
I know London pretty well but going round these areas you cannot help but notice how poor many people are and how much the rich few in places like Kennington have.
On to meetings first in Shepherds Bush then Acton. There's great enthusiasm, concern at a range of issues; from war to the West London tram link, determination not to vote Labour and to build an alternative. Respect hasn't come a moment too soon.
Saturday
On the May Day march from Clerkenwell Green, one of the old historic working class areas of London. The march, a few thousand, is disappointingly small. Shouldn't the TUC do better than this when we at the Stop the War Coalition can mobilise much bigger with far fewer resources?
Andrew Burgin from the Coalition makes a great speech full of life and anger at the situation in Iraq. Lots of people ask about my campaign and take leaflets. I'm invited to 3 separate socials but I don't see how I'll be able to make all of them.
Friday, April 30, 2004
Dry the rain
The day started badly when my alarm didn't go off. I had to get to West London in an hour, which I just about managed. We got a good response leafleting at White City tube. We meet a number of people who said they were interested in the Respect Coalition's campaign. It was a grey and drizzly morning, but the mood from meeting people ensured that things could only get better.
We went to Imperial College where a group of students came to a question and answer session. I had to rush off but Kevin Cobham, a brilliant black lawyer who specialises in defending young black people and is also standing for Respect, was able to take over.
I went off to North Westminster school in Paddington for a lunchtime meeting with students and staff, which had been organised by one of the teachers. North Westminster tells you exactly why Respect is standing. It's a decaying 1960s inner city school, with many of the students from asylum seeking families and 70 languages spoken - all the problems of the public sector cutbacks were clear in the meeting. Even more grotesquely the school stands in the shadow of the Paddington Basin office development - by the rich, for the rich. There was supposed to be cheap housing built by the Basin development, but this was reneged on by the developers.
There were 30 people at the meeting. We had a brilliant discussion encompassing Palestine, Iraq and generally how we can improve the world. They say that young people aren't interested in politics, but these young people proved - as most of the young people I meet do - that this couldn't be further from the truth. We discussed if people should have the vote at 16, and they came to the conclusion that the politicians wouldn't allow them to because they were against the war.
I'm off now to other campaign meetings at Fulham, Shepherd's Bush and then Acton. Another 12 hour day, but well worth it. Everywhere we go people see Respect as the answer to their problems.
We went to Imperial College where a group of students came to a question and answer session. I had to rush off but Kevin Cobham, a brilliant black lawyer who specialises in defending young black people and is also standing for Respect, was able to take over.
I went off to North Westminster school in Paddington for a lunchtime meeting with students and staff, which had been organised by one of the teachers. North Westminster tells you exactly why Respect is standing. It's a decaying 1960s inner city school, with many of the students from asylum seeking families and 70 languages spoken - all the problems of the public sector cutbacks were clear in the meeting. Even more grotesquely the school stands in the shadow of the Paddington Basin office development - by the rich, for the rich. There was supposed to be cheap housing built by the Basin development, but this was reneged on by the developers.
There were 30 people at the meeting. We had a brilliant discussion encompassing Palestine, Iraq and generally how we can improve the world. They say that young people aren't interested in politics, but these young people proved - as most of the young people I meet do - that this couldn't be further from the truth. We discussed if people should have the vote at 16, and they came to the conclusion that the politicians wouldn't allow them to because they were against the war.
I'm off now to other campaign meetings at Fulham, Shepherd's Bush and then Acton. Another 12 hour day, but well worth it. Everywhere we go people see Respect as the answer to their problems.
