16 April 2005
Birmingham blues
News overshadowed by the closure of Longbridge, the Birmingham car plant. When I watched it on the news last night I felt like crying to see the workers leaving the plant after in one case 35 years with their belongings gathered in plastic bags, like people being evicted. One man even had a dartboard on his back.
They have been evicted of course _ their work built the factory and allowed the former managers who bought the company to become millionaires after paying £10 to buy it from BMW. That was five years ago and I remember going to Birmingham to march against closure then. It was a huge march _ representing the people of Birmingham, the trade union movement_but its outcome was this buyout by Towers and his mates.
Welcomed at the time as the saving of the plant, some of us warned that it would be an asset stripping operation. Unfortunately we were right.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown rushed to Birmingham and Blair whined that there was nothing he could do to save the plant. What's the point of being a prime minister if you can't stop the closure of a plant everyone wants to keep open? If they nationalised it then people would be employed, goods would be produced and Birmingham would be a much happier place.
This slavish devotion to the market is one thing people hate about Blair and his policies as I find every day in West Ham. People can't understand why a Labour government can't help the people who supported it.
Handed in our nominations for the election to the returning officer at East Ham town hall. This is a stunning building built in 1901 in ornate Edwardian style. Our papers were all accepted and in order which is a great relief. The postal voting scandal continues, and it is clear that the returing officers are unhappy about what all three parties are doing.
In this time of scapegoating immigrants and Muslims, let's remember it was the Kashmiri People's Justice Party that took Labour to court in Birmingham and exposed this fraud. Democracy was not safeguarded by the government _ in fact it ignored guidelines which would have avoided some of the fraud.
Ghada, my campaign manager, Abdul Khaliq, my fellow candidate in the other Newham constituency and I checked out the main hall in the town hall before we left because we have a big public meeting there on Monday. No other parties are holding public meetings, I notice.
The hall is an ornate high ceilinged room, set out now for a mayor's function that evening with round tables set for dinner. We have to envisage it with the diverse crowd we hope to attract on Monday, not as a banqueting hall. It's a leap of imagination we can all make and we discuss where to put the platform, how many mikes, where people can go to pray if they want to, and how to decorate the hall.
Then follows a round of mosque visit (it is Friday so large numbers come out of prayers and we have a great response), asking for posters to be put up in shops and cafes, visit parents outside a primary school, have a strategy meeting and plan the weekend's canvassing and events.
My food intake consists of half a smoked salmon sandwich made by Ghada, a bag of crisps, a lovely bowl of dessert made with rice flour and spices. All the food is bought or provided by someone else. The other day I had rabbit stew (cold) which Sinead brought in and a lentil and feta cheese salad made by Andy. It's rather an odd feeling to be fed like this. I keep promising myself that will buy some food and organise my sandwiches but I don't suppose anyone is relying on that.
Every day meet new supporters who will campaign for us. Today we visited a Bangladeshi woman who wants to help us. More food _ grapes and shortbread _ and a great discussion. Sinead is leaving us today to go back to university. We will all miss her but she's back on polling day.
They have been evicted of course _ their work built the factory and allowed the former managers who bought the company to become millionaires after paying £10 to buy it from BMW. That was five years ago and I remember going to Birmingham to march against closure then. It was a huge march _ representing the people of Birmingham, the trade union movement_but its outcome was this buyout by Towers and his mates.
Welcomed at the time as the saving of the plant, some of us warned that it would be an asset stripping operation. Unfortunately we were right.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown rushed to Birmingham and Blair whined that there was nothing he could do to save the plant. What's the point of being a prime minister if you can't stop the closure of a plant everyone wants to keep open? If they nationalised it then people would be employed, goods would be produced and Birmingham would be a much happier place.
This slavish devotion to the market is one thing people hate about Blair and his policies as I find every day in West Ham. People can't understand why a Labour government can't help the people who supported it.
Handed in our nominations for the election to the returning officer at East Ham town hall. This is a stunning building built in 1901 in ornate Edwardian style. Our papers were all accepted and in order which is a great relief. The postal voting scandal continues, and it is clear that the returing officers are unhappy about what all three parties are doing.
In this time of scapegoating immigrants and Muslims, let's remember it was the Kashmiri People's Justice Party that took Labour to court in Birmingham and exposed this fraud. Democracy was not safeguarded by the government _ in fact it ignored guidelines which would have avoided some of the fraud.
Ghada, my campaign manager, Abdul Khaliq, my fellow candidate in the other Newham constituency and I checked out the main hall in the town hall before we left because we have a big public meeting there on Monday. No other parties are holding public meetings, I notice.
The hall is an ornate high ceilinged room, set out now for a mayor's function that evening with round tables set for dinner. We have to envisage it with the diverse crowd we hope to attract on Monday, not as a banqueting hall. It's a leap of imagination we can all make and we discuss where to put the platform, how many mikes, where people can go to pray if they want to, and how to decorate the hall.
Then follows a round of mosque visit (it is Friday so large numbers come out of prayers and we have a great response), asking for posters to be put up in shops and cafes, visit parents outside a primary school, have a strategy meeting and plan the weekend's canvassing and events.
My food intake consists of half a smoked salmon sandwich made by Ghada, a bag of crisps, a lovely bowl of dessert made with rice flour and spices. All the food is bought or provided by someone else. The other day I had rabbit stew (cold) which Sinead brought in and a lentil and feta cheese salad made by Andy. It's rather an odd feeling to be fed like this. I keep promising myself that will buy some food and organise my sandwiches but I don't suppose anyone is relying on that.
Every day meet new supporters who will campaign for us. Today we visited a Bangladeshi woman who wants to help us. More food _ grapes and shortbread _ and a great discussion. Sinead is leaving us today to go back to university. We will all miss her but she's back on polling day.
