A need to live more healthily

The Covid pandemic has really brought home just how important good health is to everyone. Without good health, what else matters? You can have all the riches in the world but without health it counts for little. One of the constant calls over the period of the pandemic has concerned the need to protect the NHS. This has been to ensure the NHS will not be over run and can continue to serve the people. But how much more capacity would there be in the NHS to meet the need, if funding had not been cut for the past 10 years? The government did not take the threat of Covid seriously until it was too late. Then, there was the lack of Personal Protective Equipment, leading to unecessary deaths. The frankly criminal decision to send Covid patients into care homes. The test and trace debacle, with the work handed out to private sector 'connections' of those in government. They failed to deliver - still today we do not have the quality of data necessary to deal with Covid hotspots, This in turn leads to the incredibly damaging blanket lockdowns, so readily applied across the country. A system truly unfit for purpose. Coming out of Covid, never again must the NHS be starved of funding - it must be our first priority always. The overall health of the population also needs addressing. It has been pointed out that inequality and general low health and welfare have made the UK population particularly vulnerable to Covid. We all need to live better, eating healthy diets and getting more exercise. One of the few pluses of lockdown was people reconnecting with nature, getting their daily exercise. Also, people began to cook and eat healthier foods - there was the beginning of a something new. These developments need to be extended. We are living in a more sedentary world, with life increasingly revolving around phones and computer screens - this is not a healthy way to live. Not surprisingly there is an obesity epidemic. The Covid pandemic has taught us all many lessons but perhaps the most important is to live healthier lives and invest in those who can best help us when we are sick.

West Ham 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

West Ham will feel that this was another two points that got away, not that Brighton deserved to lose a match of very much two halves. The visitors dominated the first half against a lack lustre West Ham side, who once again took a long time to get going. Many were surprised at the defensive approach adopted by West Ham manager David Moyes, who started retaining captain Mark Noble in midfield and returning to playing five at the back. The result a formation decidedly lacking in ideas. Brighton dominated the first half, though failed to convert that pressure into goals, going in at half time just one goal to the good. The goal was a scrappy affair, with Neal Maupay turning to fire home after having his first effort blocked, only for Declan Rice to return the ball for the striker to have a second go. The chance was set up by an excellent interchange down the left by Solly March and Dan Burn. Moyes shook things up at half time replacing Noble and the out of sorts Jarrod Bowen with Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko. Lanzini made an immediate impact, upping the tempo and providing some much needed inventiveness to the play. The half was just four minutes old when a Yarmolenko cross fell to Lanzini, who saw his effort blocked but managed to scoop the ball back to the incoming Ben Johnson. The young left back finished in the far corner to register his first Premiership goal. The most controversial moment came in the 68th minute, when the incoming Lewis Dunk appeared to use his arm in controlling the ball, before driving it into the roof of the West Ham net. However, VAR ruled that the goal should stand. West Ham were not though to be denied with Tomas Soucek heading home an Aaron Cresswell corner. Moyes was unhappy with the Dunk goal, declaring that there had clearly been use of the arm. He was frustrated at the inconsistency and lack of clarity being shown by the Premier League at the moment in making such decisions. “I’d like to see people accept when they have got something wrong, “ said Moyes. “We need clarity and we are not getting clarity on these decisions.” The manager admitted his team hadn’t played particularly well and that he was relieved to be able to make changes at half time. Moyes was pleased with the creative contribution that Lanzini added to the play. Certainly the little Argentinian and Yarmolenko made a big difference when they came on at half time. If there is a criticism of this West Ham team it is its predictability, continually working the ball to the flanks for crosses, which - without Antonio playing - there really isn’t anyone in the middle to finish off. Lanzini brought different options through the middle which need to be developed.

The war against the BBC - how an unprecedented combination of hostile forces is destroying Britain's greatest cultural institution ...and why you should care

by Patrick Barwise & Peter York Prior to reading this book I have to admit to not being the BBCs biggest fan. Long having regarded the Corporation as hostile to the Left, with a notable recent chapter in this process being some of the appalling treatment of Jeremy Corbyn. However, having read this book, the importance of defending the BBC against an unholy coalition ranging from the likes of Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings, Rupert Murdoch and a number of spurious right wing think tanks becomes all the more apparent. The authors meticulously examine all of these forces set on destroying the BBC, from those like Cummings, set on creating a US media type landscape dominated by right wing commercial operations to the Murdochs whose opposition - whilst dressed up in neo-liberal idealogy clothes - is more about removing a powerful commercial opponent. The biggest threat to the BBC over the past 10 years has been the Tory government, which has tried to destroy the Corporation by stealth. First, there has been the freezing of the licence fee, then the decision in 2015 to make the Corporation pick up the bill (of £750 million) for the free licence fee for over 75s. The effect has been a 30% cut in. funding of the Corporation - £1.4 billion, if funding had kept pace with inflation. The unfairness of it all is underlined by the fact that the Corporation saved the government £2.34 billion by the way in which it handled the digital switchover from analogue. None of that saving was given to the BBC. These cuts all come at a time when the Corporation faces growing competition from the likes of Netflix and Amazon, as well as the social media giants like Facebook and Twitter. The Tory opposition seems mostly grounded in a fundamentalist antagonism to the BBC on market economic grounds. Many Tories just seem to see the BBC as another nationalised industry in need of removal. The authors destroy the classic Tory argument that the BBC is left leaning and biased against them They find that the BBC usually bends toward the government of the day but more so when it is Conservative. Given the electoral success of the Tories over the years, it is difficult to see what that parties problem is with the BBC. One illuminating bit of data concerns where the public go for impartial news, with the BBC way out in front on 44%. Next comes ITN on 10%, Sky News on 6% and Channel 4 News on 5%. The papers hardly register, with the Guardian highest on 3%. Yet there has been this unruly coalition of the right, made up of the likes of the Daily Mail, Sun, Telegraph, Times and Express continuallly attacking the BBC. Much of the ammunition has been supplied by right wing think tanks such as the Institute of Economic Affairs, Newswatch, New Culture Forum - all situated around Tufton Street in central London. One of the central accusations is that the BBC is anti-Brexit and pro-EU, despite the lack of evidence to support the accusation. This detailed study is essentially a call to arms to defend the BBC and Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). The ongoing assault of the BBC's myriad opponents seems determined to inflict a death of a thousand cuts. Make it impossible to compete in the ever more competitive world of media market place, then let it die away. In reality the BBC has battled valliantly despite this onslaught. It is efficient and continues to provide a comprehensivr service. The BBC remains popular with the public, a survey in 2015, showing 99% use at least one of its services in a single week. In the days of fake news, the need for PSB has never been more important. The period of the pandemic should be one of value for the BBC, with ever greater numbers turning to its news services for reliable information. Moving forward, the Tory government needs to be persuaded to call off its dogs. The BBC needs to be valued for what it provides in this country and beyond. A proper funding settlement is required that can provide certainty and adequate resourcing for this public service going forward. The BBC needs supporting so it can prosper, not demolition at the hands of a bunch of baying market fundamentalist fanatics. This book makes that argument comprehensively. Published by Penguin - price - £10.99

City of London Corporation needs to step up to fund Wanstead Park Plan - after latest setback

Wanstead Park has been a popular destination for many during the pandemic. The numbers out enjoying this fantastic place over lockdowns has been particularly striking. The City of London Corporation (COLC) reported a 122% increase in visitors. Given the numbers who visited during the most recent lockdown, this estimation may now well be on the low side. One highlight of the period was the trial of cattle grazing for a month from mid-September. The three long horn cows made headlines locally and nationally. A stream of adults and children came to see and be seen with these good natured animals. The trial seemed to go well, so hopefully more longhorns will be coming to graze for a longer period next year. One concern expressed over the summer months was the increasingly low levels of water in the lakes. The recent rain has helped to some degree. Indeed, the River Roding recently broke its banks coming over into the park. Nothing like the flooding of last December but the levels are high. There have, though, been growing concerns over the flood risk around the river and the park over recent years. The Environment Agency were concerned about the danger af a cascade of water building up in the lakes, going into the river causing flooding. A flood prevention plan was devised that would improve the lakes infrastructure and prevent flooding. In association with this project were other works around the Parkland Plan. It would enable match funding to be obtained from other sources, relating to the non-statutory parts of the work. It looked signed and sealed with the City of London Corporation set to stump up £10 million plus required. However, now all has changed, with the work required being drastically reduced - the new cost is reportedly £500,000. Good news for the coffers of the COLC but not necessarily the park. The reduced project will severely reduce potental funding for other parts of the Park Plan, The lakes system, which was the reason the park was put on English Heritage's at risk register in 2009, will continue to deteriorate. Those who have been trying to improve the park for years are alarmed at the latest setback. A lot of people volunteer, litter picking and raising funds for seating, signage and all sorts of other things. There is a huge amount of goodwill toward this much loved space. But increasing numbers are growing exasperated at what they see as a failure to act. It is high time the COLC recognised that Wanstead Park and Flats are the jewel in the crown of Epping Forest, not the poor relation. The park must be treated with the respect it deserves. Sort out the lakes and put the money in to fully fund the Parkland Plan, thereby ensuring that this fantastic space can be enjoyed by present and future generations.

Covid proves that the money is there to be spent in a crisis

The response of those who govern, whether nationally or locally, to something they don't like is to say that it cannot be afforded. It is instructive to recall, a year on, some of the hysteria that greeted the Labour Party' s. transformative election manifesto, costed at £80 billion.The critics claimed it could not be afforded. Yet, less than a year later, the Bank of England pumped £150 billion into propping up the British economy. The government has so far put £291 billion into supporting the British economy during the Covid crisis - it is all relative. The same Conservative government recently announced that it could no longer fund the previous commitment of 0.7 % of GDP to support the poorest in the world via the overseas aid budget. The cut will see the aid budget reduced from £15 billion (0.7%) to £10 billion (0.5%). This is another tokenistic gesture from the Conservative Government toward the UKIP agenda of chauvinstic nationalism that has taken over the national psyche and will damage us all in the long term. What the Covid crisis proves is that spending is all a matter of priority. The real trick is to spend the money before crisis hits. As previously discussed in this column our present way of living invites crisis after crisis. Covid emerged from destruction of the ecosystem. The vaccines may deal with Covid but if we go on destroying the ecosystem, another virus will be along soon causing equal if not more devastation. If future problems are to be avoided, action needs to be taken now. There are some encouraging signs, like the government's efforts to roll out Low Traffic Neighourhoods. Also, the commitment to eliminate petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The desire to phase out fossil fuel dependency. Plans for mass tree planting and rewilding. These are all good signs but more needs to be done and quickly. We need to convert to a totally green economy, majoring on the likes of renewable technologies. At local level there needs to be greater boldness in engaging with the challenge of creating real green economies. It is no good talking the talk but failng to walk the walk. Some might see it all as a cynical exercise in avoiding what really needs to be done to secure the future for our children and children's children. Action needs to be taken now not when political priorities regard it as appropriate or affordable.

Redbridge wants to improve score on healthy streets scorecard

The number of deaths due to Covid (53,000) recently overtook the annual rate for deaths caused by air pollution annually (50,000). Initially, under the first lockdown, there were fewer vehicles on the road and planes in the sky, resulting in a drop in pollution levels. However, this has now changed, with people encouraged to stay off public transport to avoid Covid, whilst the roads have filled with cars. The cycling/walking infrastructures have failed to materialise, which when combined with spiralling pollution levels is hardly going to encourage anyone to get out of their car. The situation was nicely illustrated recently, walking along Cambridge Park and Blake Hall Roads in Wanstead - both gridlocked with cars and 90% empty buses belching fumes. This is no way to live. The London Mayor's Transport Strategy points the way forward, with a modal shift from the car to cycling, walking and public transport as modes of travel. The aim is to get 80% of travel on these active forms of transport by 2041. The recently published Healthy Streets Scorecard gave an indication as to how London boroughs are doing in their efforts to reach these goals. The scorecard looks at improving air quality and road safety, active travel and cutting CO2 emissions. The five indicators as to what councils are doing is most instructive. These look at the implementation of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN), 20 MPH speed limits, Controlled Parking Zones, Physically Protected Cycle Lanes and School Provisions (like school streets). All of these measures help encourage active travel, thereby making for a healthier population. The performance of the boroughs is varied, from the City of London and Camden at the top with scores of 8 .29 and 7.3 respectively out of 10 to Havering and Redbridge at the bottom with scres of 1.4 and 1.55. (Newham scored 5.24 and Waltham Forest 5.11). So there is much to be done in Redbridge. A number of the measures, such as Controlled Parking Zones, School Streets and 20 mph speed limits are rolling out slowly. The Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and Physically Protected Cycle Lanes are on the way. But what we really need is an acceleration of the work in all these areas. The money needs to provided, often from central government, and there needs to be buy in from local communities.Then maybe at last we can start to live in a cleaner, greener borough. Failure to act here and nationally will see those air pollution death levels continue to orbit upward, long after Covid is a distant memory. * Full report at - www.healthystreetsscorecard.london/indicators../

Black footballers fighting racism

Plymouth Argyle’s Jack Leslie was selected to play for the England football team against Northern Ireland on 25 October 1925, then he was inexplicably dropped – the reason being, he was black. The story of Leslie is one of the many fascinating accounts contained in the book Football’s Black Pioneers by Bill Hern and David Gleave. The writers track down the first black player to turn out for all of the 92 league clubs. There are accounts of players, like Orient's Laurie Cunningham (first black player for England Under -21s), Viv Anderson (first black player for Nottingham Forest and England) and Brendon Batson (first black player at Arsenal, though later as part of the famous West Brom trio together with Cunningham and Cyrille Regis). A particularly interesting chapter for West Ham supporters is the one featuring Clyde Best, who was not the first black player to play for the club but a real pioneer. The year was 1968, when Clyde came over at the age of 17 from Bermuda to play for West Ham. Clyde was playing for the first team a year later. I remember seeing Clyde, who played for the club until the mid-1970s, scoring lots of goals and becoming a firm fans’ favourite. He did also have to endure some horrendous racism. There was one occasion, when Clyde received a letter, with a threat that acid would be thrown at him, as he came out of the tunnel onto the pitch. The police took the threat seriously, creating a cordon between players and fans, as they emerged. Other black players turning out for West Ham over those years included John and Clive Charles plus Ade Coker. West Ham were the first team to field three black players, when Clyde Best, Ade Coker and Clive Charles played against Spurs in 1972. The litany of racism chronicled in the book is sickening, from Chelsea’s Paul Canoville receiving racist abuse from his own fans to the experiences of Chris Kamara (now football pundit), who was abused as both a player and manager. The black players, though, have been defiant in the face of adversity. There was Orient’s Bobby Fisher and Laurie Cunningham, giving the black power salute to baying Millwall fans and Howard Gayle (Liverpool, Newcastle and Blackburn) turning down the MBE in 2016. Gayle did not feel he could accept the honour after what the empire did to his family and ancestors. Among other highlights, are Roland Butcher who played for Stevenage, before making his name as the first black cricketer to represent England in a test match in 1981. The authors provide a real insight into the struggle of so many black players over the years to make their way in the game. Racism is still ofcourse rife in football, though not as bad, as in the days of the likes of Clyde Best, Laurie Cunningham and Paul Canoville. This is testimony to the bravery and resilience of so many players down the years. There is though still much to be done if racism is to be truly expunged from football. * Football's Black Pioneers by Bill Hern and David Gleave Published by Conker Editions Ltd. Price -£16 Published Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 6//11/2020

Working for the common good is the way forward

The common good is an idea that comes from Catholic Social Teaching but it has universal application, never more so than in the present situation. The idea of coming together in community, working and living, for the benefit of all. It is the opposite of the economic system that has operated here for the past 40 years, where the advancement of the individual to the cost of the common good, has been the mantra. in his latest book, the Tyranny of Meritocracy, philosopher, Michael Sandel looks at how the economic system of the past four decades has bred division and alienation, with a minority group of the priveliged and educated having taken all to the detriment of the majority rest. Sandel focuses on meritocracy, the idea that everyone can succeed if they just try hard enough. This is palpably not true. Only those with an advantage from the outset, whether that be money, education or privelige behind them, largely succeed Sandel cites university education as the passport to success, without it the mass of people are doomed to live increasingly poor lives. The credentiised (degree holders) elite group have come to look down on everyone else. And it is the non-credentialised that have lost out in the great globalisation game. The divisions are clear in relation to those who govern, wirh only 12% of MPs lacking a degree - 25% went to Oxbridge. Outside of Parliament, 70% of the population don't have degrees. Sandel is not saying educated people should not be in government but that the homogenous nature of this group over recent years has meant they govern for their own interests, not the common good. The wider disatisfaction and alienation that this has bred, led to the Brexit vote and the election of Donald Trump in America. Some 70% of those lacking degrees voted for Brexit, 70% of graduates voted remain. What is needed is a redistribution of wealth and opportunity across the board. Also, the re-introduction of solidarity, with people recognised for the contribution they make to society and for the common good. This re-awakening could be easier in the post covid world, where the value of the nurse, care worker, supermarket operative and street cleaner have been recognised as being of greater value than say the hedge fund manager or stockbroker. There is a great opportunity now to really re-establish the idea of the common good, that we are all in it together. Survival depends on reaching out and helping each other, not existing atomised, disconnected and working against the interests of the whole. * Tyranny of Meritocracy - what has become of the common good by Michael J Sandel is published by Allen Lane Price - £20

Time the same level of urgency was shown in addressing the emergencies climate change and biodiversity loss as Covid

It was great recently to help out with the planting on Christchurch Green of the fourth Grow Zone. Bulbs and seeds were planted in the area adjacent to the high street. There are plans for more Grow Zones, with areas left to run wild, improving the overall biodiversity. Another community based project involves the seeding of tree pits with wild flowers. The pits look fantastic, as well as helping wildlife - like bees. At the moment, the adoption of tree pits is a bit patchwork, with some excellent streets that will offer a sea of colour in the spring and summer. However, there are many pits that are not adopted. It would be great to see more taken up by residents. Also, local churches and schools could reach out and adopt pits around their premises. Anyone interested in adopting a tree pit see: https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/our-streets/spruce-up-your-neighbourhood/ There are also plans to develop community composting in the area. In Wanstead, many people are rightly concerned about rising pollution levels. Over the period of the pandemicy, we have gone from empty streets to a situation where some roads are reaching gridlock. People have been encouraged to avoid public transport, while the planned walking and cycling infrastructure in Redbridge has failed to materialise - the result has been that vast numbers are getting in their cars. This situation needs to be addressed, we cannot go on poisoning generation after generation with this foul air. There is also the small matter of an obesity epidemic. The Low Emission Neighbourhood schemes need to happen. And there must be a real increase in biodiversity. In Wanstead, there are major polluting roads running between the Green Man and Redbridge roundabouts, as well as the Green Man and Charlie Brown roundabout. The lovely Roding Valley Park is encircled by the thunder of traffic on the M11 and A406. Indeed, despite much of the greenery that characterises Wanstead, another view is that we live on a polluted traffic island. This needs to be urgently addressed. There is the Ultra Low Emissions Zone that comes in next year, which will help. But what about some real greening of the area? The areas between the roundabouts described should become greenways, with more trees, shrubs and green walls. Traffic in the area has grown hugely over the past 20 years but counter balancing biodiversity measures have not. The time has come to act on biodiversity and climate change, we have talked about it for years and there has only been incremental change. But the climate and biodiversity crises need to be addressed with real action - pleas of no money really won't cut it. The Covid pandemic proves money can be found for a crisis, this is another one, so let's take it seriously and really do something about it. * To contribute to Redbridge's Green Urban Landscape Consultation see - https://engagement.redbridge.gov.uk/strategy/redbridge-green-urban-landscape-policy

Football's Black Pioneers

Plymouth Argyle’s Jack Leslie was selected to play for the England football team against Northern Ireland on 25 October 1925, then inexplicably dropped – the reason being, he was black. In the event, Leslie ended up scoring twice for Argyle, who cruised to a 7-2 victory over Bournemouth on the day of the England game. England drew 0-0. The story of Leslie is one of the many fascinating accounts contained in Football’s Black Pioneers by Bill Hern and David Gleave. There has certainly been some painstaking research gone into this book, that tracks down the first black player to turn out for all of the 92 league clubs. There are accounts of players, like Laurie Cunningham (first black player for West Brom and England Under 21), Viv Anderson (first black player for Nottingham Forest and England) and Brendon Batson (first black player at Arsenal, though later as part of the famous West Brom trio together with Cunningham and Cyrille Regis). A particularly interesting chapter for West Ham supporters is the one featuring Clyde Best, who was not the first black player to play for the club but a real pioneer. The year was 1968, when Clyde came over at the age of 17 from Bermuda to play for West Ham. Clyde was playing for the first team a year later. I remember seeing Clyde, who played for the club until the mid-1970s, scoring lots of goals and becoming a firm fans’ favourite. He did also have to endure some horrendous racism. The authors recall one occasion, when Clyde received a letter, with a threat that acid would be thrown at him, as he came out of the tunnel onto the pitch. The police took the threat seriously, creating a cordon between players and fans, as they emerged. West Ham were the first club to field three black players, when Best, Ade Coker and Clive Charles took the field against Spurs in 1972. clubs. The period stretches back right into the 19th century for some clubs. There are stories like that of Lindy Delaphena, who was the first black player at four clubs, making his debut for Portsmouth in 1948 before going on to Middlesbrough, Mansfield Town and Burton Albion. Among other highlights, are Roland Butcher who played for Stevenage, before making his name as the first black cricketer to represent England in a test match in 1981. Also, Charlie Williams MBE, who played for Doncaster Rovers, though possibly made a bigger name for himself later as a comedian. Hern and Gleave provide a real insight into the struggle of so many black players over the years to make their way in the game. An excellent read. Racism is still ofcourse rife, though not as bad, as in the days of the likes of Clyde Best, Laurie Cunningham and Paul Canoville. This is testimony to the bravery and resilience of so many players down the years. The change of attitude, though, is nicely noted by the authors, in the example of the tributes paid by clubs across the country at the time of Cyrille Regis's death in 2018 - a far cry from the days when as a player Cyrille was greeted with banana skins and worse. *Football's Black Pioneers by Bill Hern and David Gleave published by Conker Editions Ltd price £16

Covid pandemic exposes how unequal society has become

The ongoing row about the provision of free school meals for those in need during the holidays highlights the growing problem of poverty in our society. Why in such a rich country are children going hungry? A fifth of the population are forced to live under the poverty line in the UK. The Covid pandemic has made these divisions all the more visible. It has been the poorest areas of the country that have been most severely ravaged by the disease. When a couple of months ago Leicester was locked down due to a high level of infections, one of the major causes was found to be sweated labour in part of the area. The casualisation of work has seen things like zero hours contracts become prevalent in the UK, especially in the care sector. The employee is put in a weak position, forced to accept the work, when offered, or not get paid. So, the idea of taking days off (to maybe isolate) becomes unlikely. In work poverty has become commonplace in the UK's service sector economy. People not being paid enough to get by, bad employers being propped up with tax credits. This is the terrain over which the pandemic has run rampant. A terrain where over a number of years a few people have grown very rich to the cost of everyone else. A country that boasts 150 plus billionaires but has millions going to foodbanks. People have given generously to food banks but these are sticking plasters on a moribund system. There has to be fundamental change in our society with a shift of wealth from rich to poor. People need secure, properly paid work and well funded public services for all. This will be a big ask, post pandemic, given the deficit resulting from the amount spent in keeping society afloat. There will mo doubt be those determined to impose austerity, once again on the poorest and most vulnerable - this must be opposed. There is an opportunity to create a new, more equal and just world. It was done after the Second World War and can be done again, given the will of the people for fundamental change.

Quieter Streets setback will not deflect from efforts to create a cleaner, greener Redbridge

The withdrawal of the Quieter Streets schemes from Barkingside and Cranbrook is sad news. Some local people were not happy with the implementation of the scheme. The difficulties surrounding consultation and communication, caused by the tight timeframe, no doubt resulted in a failure to take the people with the scheme. The local Labour councillors listened to the complaints and communicated them to the leadership. As a result, the schemes were withdrawn. That's how democracy should work. However, there are some incongruities in this process. The Conservative government are the driving force behind the Quieter Streets schemes. They set the timetable for implementation, so tight that the schemes have to be operational by the end of October. This has made the consultation process difficult, so local residents can feel left out. The Redbridge Conservatves have behaved in a totally opportunistic way, opposing a scheme that actually comes from their own government. Sometimes, you have to pinch yourself to remember that these are Boris Johnson's Conservatives - many seem to dwell in the deniability zone, when it suits. Redbridge Conservatives approach on environmental issues is at best problemmatic. The Party adopts green issues when it is convenient for attacking the Labour administration. Moving forward, I am sure the Labour Council will redouble efforts to deliver on the pledges made in the Climate Emergency motion passed in June 2019. The Climate Panel will soon deliver its report, providing a blueprint for a cleaner, greener Redbridge. There is also a committee working on biodiversity recommendations, taking forward progressive ideas like the grow zones seen in Wanstead The efforts to cut air pollution and reduce emissions via Low Emission Neighbourhoods are a key part of this work. In Wanstead, the consultative process for this work was well underway back in March, when the pandemic struck. The work has now resumed, with some exciting plans coming forward soon. The council has listened to people and they want change. Cleaner air for our children and children's children. Active, non-polluting travel has to be the way forward. More active, healthy citizens will mean less health and environmental costs. It will also mean the population is more ready to face future pandemics. There will be blips on the road to creating a cleaner, greener Redbridge but everyone on the Labour Council is committed to delivering that goal.

Tyranny of Merit - what has become of the common good by Michael J Sandel

The publication of this book could not have come at a more timely moment, with the political world shaken by Trump, Brexit and latterly Covid. Philosopher and political thinker Michael Sandel outlines how the the idea of meritocracy has developed into a tyranny, dividing societies between have and have nots, thereby fuelling nationalism and the ascent of authoritarian politicians like Donald Trump. Sandel tracks how the idea of meritocracy has been twisted in the neo-liberal context to help create an ever-richer self-serving elite. Politicians such as Barack Obama, Tony Blair and the Clintons are soundly criticised for their view that the neo-liberal system was ok, it just needed managing more fairly and efficiently. The technocratic approach was championed by Obama, who loved to refer to the smart and dumb. His tenure in office saw divisions grow, with those feeling they had no stake in the society increasing. This laid the groundwork for the arrival of Trump. The idea if the American dream - that everyone can succeed if they just try hard enough - is exposed, with the stats showing how increasingly difficult it has become in the last 40 years for working people to advance at all if they lack degrees. The Labour and Democratic Party's have become dominated by what Sandel calls the credentialised (degree holders). Sandel points out that 25% of the Attlee Cabinet of 1945 was made of people without degrees - seven had been miners including, Aneurin Bevan. In the UK now, 70% of the population don't have degrees but only 12% of MPs don't, with 25% going to Oxbridge. In the US, 95% of the House and 100% of those in the Senate, since 2000, have had college degrees. Sandel is not making a case against educated people in power but the meritocratic idea that has grown that if you don't succeed in getting a degree it is due to individual failure. The credentialised have become cut off from the rest of the population and worst still come to despise the less educated. This has helped inequaility grow in the globalised neo-liberal world. The vacuum created has provided a space for the growth of division, nationalism and anti-migrant attitudes. So the whole political system has turned on its head, with the less educated, who used to vote for left liberal parties, now supporting right wing authoritarians. Whilst, the educated vote for the left liberal options. Sandel presents an excellent analysis of how we reached the dangerous divided situation of the world today, which sees authoritarian nationalists forging ahead. The author's solutions centre around the idea of the common good, with an emphasis on fairness in educational selection and a restoration of the idea of dignity in work. He advocates a screening out of university applications that have no chance, whilst the vast majority go into a great lottery system. In this way people buying their way in or gaining advantage via extra tuition can be averted. On work he advocates tax, particularly on finance sectors, involved in speculative accumulation, so there can be a redistribution of wealth from rich to poor. Most important though is a restoration of solidarity, a belief that everyone has value and is valued for who they are and what they do. This aspect could fly better in the post covid world, where the value of nurses, care workers, supermarket staff and street cleaners has been recognised over and above say that of hedge fund managers. Michael Sandel has produced an excellent analysis of how the US and UK societies reached the divided positions of today. He points to some ways forward, though there is much still to be done on that side. The resurrection of the idea of the common good is welcome providing a pointer as to how a healing process can begin for this broken world. Published by Allen Lane - £20

Time to actively remember the true cost of war

The utter waste and total futility of war is something not discussed nearly enough in the modern era. Things have improved over recent years, with veterans sharing first hand accounts of the true horror of war. There have also been some excellent depictions of the reality of war in films like 1917, They Shall Not Grow Old and saving Private Ryan. These contributions were certainly long overdue. For far too long, so much of the coverage of war has been about sanitisation and glorification. The sanitisation is revealed in depictions that do not show the true horror of war. People being blown limb from limb. My own realisation was awoken on trips to Cambodia - seeing the effects of landmines, used in war, maiming men, women and children. Also, reading the account of a squaddie who served in Northern Ireland, describing picking up pieces of his mate who had been blown apart. Sebastian Faulks brilliant book Birdsong carries some harrowing descriptions of death and suffering in the trenches of World War I. One character refers to how if people at home could see the carnage, the war would not continue. But sanitisation and censorship ensured that people did not know what was going on. A good helping of jingoistic patriotism helped quell those who might ask questions. The glorification comes when remembrance ceremonies are at best turned into celebrations if war and at worst recruiting opportunities for the armed forces looking forward to the next conflict. Wartime heroes are sanctified whilst some of the less savoury actions they undertook are forgotten. One form this glorification takes is the erection of statues to fallen leaders. A stroll around Whitehall and Parliament Square reveals a series of feted war time leaders. How many pubs and squares in this country still carry the names of imperialist military leaders of yesteryear? A process of active remembering of what really went on in the past has begun but there is still a long way to go. Active remembering of war needs to be far more prominent in school syllabuses, which for too long have dwelt in the rarified world of kings and queens. It will only be if we really do examine what happened in the past and why that such mistakes can be avoided in the future. War and conflict marks the failure of humanity to resolve its differences in a peaceful way - something to mourn and remember, not celebrate or forget.

Trust and confidence have ebbed away from this blundering government

The elected politicians of this country rule by the consent of the people. Never has this been more obvious than during the time of the present pandemic. The people have in the main done everything asked of them. First, it was to stay at home and protect the NHS. Next, it was stay alert, social distance and wash your hands. Then came wearing masks and isolating on returning from holidays to countries with high Covid-19 rates. When, lockdown was lifted, people were told to go back to work, eat out to help out and go back to school - they dutifully did all of these things. The problem has been that this has proved a one-sided bargain. The people have fulfilled their side, the government has not. The deal has always been that people will do what they are told, just so long as the people doing the telling know what they are doing and stand by their own rules. The confidence in the government has been palpably breaking down. First, there was the failure to provide Personal Protective Equipment for staff in hospitals, care homes and elsewhere. Then the sending of people with the virus into care homes was an appallingly negligent act. The next great failure was testing. We were promised a fully operating test and trace system. To date, this has still not materialised. The government has stubbornly stuck to a centrally controlled system, run by private sector companies, with little experience in the area. What they should have done was devolve this role to local authority and NHS networks, who have the knowledge to make it work. Instead of addressing the basic logistical problems, the government has blundered on, seeking to cover one error, with further outlandish ideas - the latest being Boris Johnson's so called Moonshot plan for 10 million tests a day. To date, the government struggle to reach 200,000 tests a day - a target promised to be reached many months ago. Testing has always been vital because it tells administrators what is happening with the virus, where and why there are outbreaks. A comprehensive set of data allows for local solutions to be applied, without resorting to the blunt instrument of lockdowns. Lockdowns should be the act of final resort, only enacted when the health service is threatened with being overrun. They cause incredible damage to the economy and other health issues - particularly mental. Government has tried to deflect from its own ineptitude by treating the people like naughty children. They are warned -disobey and there will be even tougher sanctions. Obey, and there will be sweeties from the jar in terms of a return of basic freedoms. The untruth of people disobeying the rules has been spun up really as a cover for the government's own failings. The people have obeyed the rules, done as they are told - from staying at home to eating out to help out. It is those in government who haven't. Most notably, there was special advisor to the Prime Minister, Dominic Cummings, who palpably broke the rules, yet remained in office. He bluffed it out, backed by the PM That action created a dangerous precedent, establishing that we are not all in it together, there is one rule for us and one rule for them. And making matters worse, this individual continues to have a big say in how the crisis is handled. Then, whilst telling people they can only gather in groups of six, the government makes an exception for grouse shooters - again us and them. The trust and confidence in government has been ebbing away, ever since the Cummings debacle. The blundering over sending children back to school, students to University and the exams fiasco have not helped instil confidence. Government has much to do if it is to restore confidence and trust. It could start by devolving test and trace to local level, through local authority and health networks. It must also resource this work properly, not promise funding, then renege on the deal, as has happened with some spending. The rhetoric could also be toned down, less talk of lockdowns, waves, cancelling Christmas etc. There has been too much use of fear to control people in this crisis. In many ways, people need to be helped to live with this virus around because that is the way it will be until a vaccine is found. People also need to have security going forward, with maybe a Universal Basic Income applied across society, so that no one is left out. The government has done well in supporting people with systems like furlough but these need extending and unifying in one basic form of payment for all. There also needs to be a focus on the collateral damage being done as a result of the often narrow focus on Covid. The cancer and heart disease not being treated. The dementia cases. The mental health time bomb being created. The rises in domestic violence and other forms of abuse.. The long-term effects of the damage being done to the economy. It is not an easy path to tread and there are bound to be blips along the way. However, trust and confidence in those making the decisions is vital - without it government will lose all authority and cannot operate

Address the biodiversity crisis or die

The recent David Attenborough programme, Extinction -the facts, should have set alarm bells running across the world, not least because of the links made to the Covid -19 virus. Attenborough told how one million plant and animal species face extinction - one in eight of all species. Some 500,000 plants and animals and the same number of insects face extinction. The loss of habitats is the largest driver of biodiversity destruction. Some 90% of wetlands have been lost. Each year, 3.8 million hectares of forest are cleared. The demand for coffee, soy, cocoa, palm oil and beef that are the greatest drivers of biodiversity loss. It is the behaviour of one species driving this destruction - the human being. The consumption rates of human beings continue to grow, with the average UK citizen consuming four times more than an Indian citizen.The gap grows to a factor of seven, comparing a US citizen. Attenborough highlighted how humans increasingly destructive relationship with nature is making pandemics more likely. Some 31% of all emerging diseases come from land encroachment. Predators are destroyed, allowing disease spreaders like rats and mice to proliferate. There is ever closer link with animals carrying viruses. The Covid--19 virus has been linked to bats in south China, with transmission believed to have come originally from a Wuhun market. If human beings continue in this destructive way,destroying the planet on which we all depend to survive the future looks bleak. There are five new diseases every year effecting people. If pandemics of the Covid type become more commonplace, then the world economic system becomes unsustainable. The warning from David Attenborough was stark - the very future of humanity is at stake if we continue on the present destructive path. Governments have to take the environmental issues like biodiversity loss and climate change off the back burner and give them priority. The linkage of biodiversity destruction with pandemics like Covid should provide the motivation needed to act decisively. Responsible leaders will do so, irresponsible ones will no doubt deny the evidence and continue as before. This cannot be allowed to happen. People must vote in leaders who will act for the common good and save our planet. We must act at local level, cutting waste (particularly food), reducing meat and dairy consumption and educating everyone about environment and nature. At local level, we need to rejoin with nature, stop concreting over green spaces and expand wild areas. The pandemic is a double edged sword - it offers a space, a chance to reassess and change but also a stark warning as to what will happen if we continue on the present disasterous path.

West Ham comprehensively dismantle Wolves

West Ham 4-0 Wolves West Ham ran out comprehensive winners of this keenly fought Premier league encounter with Wolves at the London Stadium. It is a long time since West Ham have dominated a game to quite such a degree, with the visitors limited to a couple of meaningful shots. The first goal arrived 17 minutes into the game, with Declan Rice passing out from the back to Michail Antonio, whose tangle with Wolves Willy Boly saw the resulting quickly taken free kick swept wide by Pablo Fornals to Jarrod Bowen, who cut in beating one player before expertly placing his shot in the far left-hand corner. Ten minutes later the excellent Arthur Masuaka swung the ball in from the left, which saw Tomas Soucek’s shot turned wide by Wolves keeper Rui Patricio. Soucek then had a header saved by Patricio. Antonio was a constant problem for the Wolves defence, twisting and turning, whilst running at pace. It was one such manoeuvre that saw his shot pawed out by Patricio, for the incoming Fornals to fire over from a couple of yards. Wolves sole effort of note, came when a Ruben Neves shot was turned aside by Lukasz Fabianski. The second half saw more of the same from the home side extending their lead inside 10 minutes. Antonio running down the left, checking inside before laying the ball on for the incoming Fornals to crash his shot against the post from the edge of the penalty area. Fortunately, the ball fell to Bowen, who rammed home. The third West Ham goal came from a Aaron Creswell corner, that was met by a Soucek header but deflected in off Raul Jimenez. The final goal came in injury time, when a wMasuaka pinpoint cross was met by substitute Sebastian Haller, who headed home across the goalkeeper. Assistant manager Alan Irvine, confirmed that David Moyes, who tested positive for Corona virus on Tuesday, was in control of team selection and substitutions from home. He was in constant contact via phone with Irvine and his team. Whilst, Moyes was no doubt pleased with the result, he will be hoping that his captain for the night Declan Rice is still at the club, when he returns to pitch side. There has been much media speculation, linking Rice with a move to Chelsea before the transfer window closes in a weeks time.

Tackle pollution now

Wanstead Climate Action recently protested about pollution levels in the area. The well organised event saw Roland and two other fantastic horses parade along to Christchurch Green, where people protested about pollution. The tranquility of the scene with the horses was in marked contrast to the other side of the fence, where a steady stream of cars ploughed along the high street, adjacent to the farmers market. The scene really illustrated the problem, people don't want pollution but they don't want to give up their cars. Thousands of people die each year due to pollution. The annual toxic nitrogen level at Redbridge Roundabout is more than 50% above the national Air Quality Standard, according to Friends of the Earth. The pandemic has offered a strange window on the whole situation. Initially, under lockdown, traffic was drastically cut - in the air and on the ground. Polution reduced, people could breath the air and see the stars. Then lockdown was raised. People were encouraged to cycle and walk but stay off public transport and get in their cars. Today, more people are walking and cycling but more are also driving. The fume belching lines of cars are becoming more prevalent. Also, the stationery idling vehicles, which produce the equivalent of 150 balloons full of harmful chemical for every minute they are sitting stationery (UK government, 2019) abound. Cars that idle in this way can be fined £80 in Redbridge. Hopefully, as the pandemic passes, those driving cars, who previously used public transport will return to that mode of travel. Change has been happening, with schemes like the mini-hollands in Waltham Forest. In Redbridge, things are moving in the same direction, with the Quieter Streets programme. There are five schemes being rolled out in Ilford and Barkingside over September and October. Schemes for Wanstead and Oakdale will follow shortly afterwards. These schemes will enable everyone to move around more safely and breath cleaner air. There are already schemes coming into place in Wanstead to improve air quality, including, school streets, stopping cars polluting the area around schools at certain times of day. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which cuts polluting vehicles, will come into effect in Wanstead next year. Redbridge Council are also keen to promote electric cars, providing charging points, where requested. There is also the partial pedestrianisation of Wanstead High Street on market days, cutting off some roads adjoining. It would be good to see this pedestrianisation extended. So things are happening to address the crisis but we need to speed up. The pandemic offers a real opportunity to reset the indices for a more healthy and sustainable world in the future. There needs to be a new normal, which cannot be the same as the old. It should be a place, where we can all live more healthy, active lives because there is clean air and safer, quieter streets

Return of the cows to Wanstead Park marks an important step forward for Rewilding

It is great to see cattle coming back to Wanstead Park, after an absence of two decades. The longhorn cattle will wear GPS collars, which give off a vibration, when the cow reaches the border of the area they have to stay within. The system has worked well in the different areas of Epping Forest, where it has been deployed. The plan for the park is that the cattle will be kept in an area on the Plain, in front of the Temple, for an initial two month period. A far cry from when the cows previously roamed the forest. In those days they were set free to go wherever they liked between spring and autumn, when they were taken in. I remember when growing up, the cows wandering around the park and Wanstead Flats. They would often wander into people's front gardens, munching the odd bush. There will be many readers who remember those days. They may also remember John Dexter, the park keeper, who lived with his family in the keepers houses behind the Temple. John's daughter, Anne, recently shared some pictures of John outside the house and in the park. John was a big presence in the area, on regular patrol, policing the park and doing some maitenance work. He retired in 1992 and thankfully is still going strong. Those were the days, John Dexter patrolling the park, cattle roaming free, water in the lakes and the sun shone all the time. Or is that a bit too much of the rose tinted spectacles? What the return of the cattle does signify is the continued evolvement of the ecology of the forest. The introduction of long horns is a definite move in the direction of rewilding. These cows will enable the forest pastures to develop. The Corporation of London deserve congratulation for the bold move. It must be hoped that other neighbouring boroughs will continue the effort to rewild the land. Rewilding is really about resetting the clock, letting nature breath and restore the natural indices that have so often been knocked out of sink by the behaviour humankind. It has been the supreme arrogance of the human being that has brought climate change and the extinction of so many species. It is great to now see some sanity being restored, with rewilding projects across the land. Let''s hope the arrival of the long horn cattle in Wanstead Park is the start of a real rewilding revolution in this part of the world.

Justice system must not be reduced to a populist clamour for vengeance

There have been worrying moves over recent years to reduce the justice system to a means for victims to exact vengeance over perpetrators. Victims have been given more input to the whole trial process. There have been positive outcomes in terms of the practices of restorative justice, though this usually comes after the trial process has completed. It can bring victim and perpetrator together in the same room. Each is then able to tell their story, see the hurt caused and give the victim some understanding of why the perpetrator committed the crime. The process has proved beneficial to both sides bringing healing and rehabilitation. What is more alarming are the expressions of vengeance by some victims through the media, after the trial. A family declaring the sentence was not long enough or the offence should have been different. Campaigns may then follow to change the law or create new law. No doubt the courts do get things wrong and the law often does need to be changed. There are ofcourse also miscarriages of justice. Some media outlets, though, stoke the process promoting certain campaigns to change the law. There is an argument for victims being kept totally seperate from the trial process. They are subjective not objective. Some understandably want vengeance but that is not what the justice system is there for. It is difficult to understand how imposing more suffering on another party eases the sense of loss of the relatives of the victim - it does not bring their loved one back. Sadly, nothing can. A situation where a populist campaign could result in heavier sentences for the perpetrators is not that far from lynch mob justice. What happens when we get an horrendous murder and the victims family call for the death penalty to be restored on the back of it? Right wing newspapers take up the call and before you know it socety has regressed to killing it's own citizens. It is a slippery slope. There is definitely a role for victims in the justice system but that process must not be turned into one of simple vengeance. The punishment is denial of liberty, according to law, not dependent on the subjective view of one party as to what the sentence should be in order to satisfy their own sense of loss and desire for vengeance.

Things they are a changin in the post pandemic world

Things they are a changing in the post pandemic world The world is rapidly changing as a result of the impact of the Corona virus. Two recent news headlines gave an indication how much. One declared how "One in seven Londoners want to leave the city because of coronavirus," the other, how: "Outer London high streets are bouncing back faster from coronavirus." People are not returning to city centres due to a combination of factors, with probably fear of the virus at the top of the list. They are, however, increasingly working from home, shopping and socialising locally. So outer London areas like East Ham, Ealing and Southall have seen boosts in shopping and people attending restaurants. The move toward working from home has been increasing over recent years, the pandemic has had the effect of accelerating that process. If people can work from home, then home can be anywhere, so the move to out of town and rural areas will increase. In terms of transport, the active travel concept, which promotes cycling and walking is moving ahead, with new cycle routes and walkways being laid out across the country. If these changes result in a real modal shift in means of travel it should also lead to a fitter, healthier population. The downside on travel is the reduction in the use of public transport, whilst car use increases. This development needs reversing, if the crisis of climate change is to be overcome. Air travel has been hit, with passenger numbers hugely down. Unless governments step in to shore up the airline industry it cannot sustain at pre-pandemic levels. A world of fewer and more costly flights beckons. Some of the developments in the airline industry have mirrored what has been going on elsewhere, with a lot of workers losing their jobs. The sort of huge changes seen as a result of the pandemic are bound to see changes in how we work and play. However, there are no doubt some unscrupulous employers using the crisis as an opportunity to cut staff. In some cases, they will seek to re-employ the same staff on worse terms and conditions. Equally bad employers may use home working as another way to transfer costs onto employees. These are the sort of developments that must be guarded against, with the role of trade unions in protecting workers rights crucial in the circumstances. What is for sure is that times they are changing - in some ways for good but others for ill. Perversely, the longer the pandemuc lasts, the greater and more irreversible the changes will be. The chances to return to how things were pre-pandemic recede with each passing day. One day the pandemic will disappear, then the question will be just what sort of a brave new world has been created.

Water levels in Wanstead Park reach alarmingly low levels

Wanstead Park is a fascinating place to visit, as thousands have found out over the months of lockdown. There are always new natural developments to see. Recently, I made a new discovery, walking along the road side of the Shoulder of Mutton pond -an area of young oak trees. Most have grown up in the last 20 years, extending the fantastic tree cover in the forest. Rewilding has become popular over recent times but has been a way of life across much of Epping Forest for some time. The latest exciting development will see cattle re-introduced to the park. Something though of ongoing concern is the state of the lakes. The water levels have been declining for many years now. The five lake system, when created, saw each supplying the other thereby keeping the water levels constant. So the Basin on the golf course should flow into the Shoulder of Mutton, which then fills the Heronry, which goes onto the Perch pond before the final stretch through the Dell into the Ornamental lake. Over the years, the system has broken down. The Heronry and Ornamental both leak. The link between the Shoulder of Mutton and Heronry is at best problemmatic. Over recent years, it has only been via a licence with the Environment Agency to pump water from the bore hole near the tea hut that the levels have kept up at all. The priority being to keep up the levels in the Heronry. Recently, the dry spell has seen tne lakes dry out to unprecedented levels. It seems incredible that only eight months ago the banks of the Roding were breached and the area flooded. The lakes were then brimfull. It is though the flood risk that most concerns the park's custodians, the City of London Corporation, and the Environment Agency (EA), The latter have declared there to be a significant flood risk, which the Corporation are statutorily bound to address. The flood prevention plan is duly moving ahead at a cost of in excess of £10 million. It is hoped that this together with the Park Plan will address some of the water issues.This work though is not due to start for several years. In terms of the situation with the lakes, there seem to be a number of options, The first would be to restore the original structure, addressing leaks in lakes and blockages on flow routes. This though, would be very expensive, so is unlikely. Another possibility would involve some interchange with the River Roding. River levels are rising with the advance of climate change. The EA already have a scheme on the drawing board to prevent flooding from the Roding. Surely, Wanstead Park could become a safety valve, whereby some links could be put in, allowing water to over run into the Ornamental and other lakes at times of excess flows. Beyond such crisis times, there could be agreement for some refill of the lakes from the Roding as an ongoing process. There used to be an exchange via the old pumping station, though this now stands redundant. Some of these ideas may already be under consideration, as part of flood planning. Let's hope so. What is for sure is that the situation with the lakes in Wanstead Park and the relationship with the River Roding needs addressing. The present sticking plaster approach can only last for so long and recent months have shown some of those plasters are beginning to come off.

Discovering new places and ways in lockdown

The long days of lockdown offered the chance to get out, discovering new routes and places to go locally. On the cycle, one of my favourite rides involved following the River Roding, from the point at Charlie Brown’s roundabout, through the Roding Valley Park, across Redbridge roundabout and along on the opposite side to Wanstead Park. The route then cuts in, through the exchange lands and alongside the City of London cemetery fence. The option then is to cut right with the rail line on one side and the cemetery on the other, up to the Rabbits or come round the longer way going along the Romford Road. A beautiful route, with the winding Roding, punctuated along its banks with features like the Community Orchard in Roding Valley Park. A great place for blackberry picking. Another scenic route involves cycling through Wanstead Park, out onto Wanstead Park Road, then cutting up to Cranbrook Road and into Valentines Park. In one side, and out the other, before cutting through the side roads on the way over to Fairlop Water. A fantastic place to cycle and watch the wildlife. A very popular spot during lockdown. If feeling energetic the next stretch takes you round to Hainault Forest, with its classic trees. Then back through Chigwell to Wanstead. Enroute it was fascinating to see people developing their own entertainment. In Wanstead Park, there was the sight of makeshift swings going up in different locations – a popular one was at the top end of the Ornamental Lake, which saw groups of youngsters waiting to swing out over the Roding. The area known as the beach on the Roding (at the other end of the Ornamental) was another popular spot. Parents and children crowded onto the gravelly area, where the Roding dribbles past. Some days there were more than 40 people gathered (all socially spaced ofcourse) on this small idyllic space. On another trip over to Walthamstow Wetlands, people massed on the banks and in the River Lea. This came as a real surprise, one day cycling along the path that runs parallel to the football pitches on Hackney Marshes, with the Lea on the right – suddenly there were people all over the banks and in the water. Just in one short stretch of water up from the bridge that goes over into Walthamstow Marsh. A real case of people finding their own entertainment. Go in the opposite direction along the canal, through the Olympic Park and you finish up at Three Mills – the site of many a film shooting. River mullet can be seen down in the water. It is a short winding cycle from there up onto the Greenway and past the Abbey Mills pumping station back to the Olympic Park and past the stadium. It was great over these months to see people out, relaxing, enjoying nature and trying to get away from the trauma of the pandemic. The numbers have gone down now, as the lockdown has relaxed, people have got back to work and gone away on holiday but what is for sure is that new ways and places were discovered during these times that should enrich life going forward.

Time to bring the Active Travel revolution to Redbridge

The news that the goverment is to push active travel, getting more people cycling and walking is most welcome. The new plans will see an initial £2 billion put behind the plans, which will see an Active Travel Commissioner appointed, with powers similar to the Ofsted inspectorate in education. This crucially will see funding provided or denied in accordance with the degree to which local authority's plans comply with the active travel ethos. So there will be no funding for the pitiful painted cycle lanes, which see a line drawn a couple of feet from the gutter. In order to get the funding local authorities, will have to create properly segregated cycle lanes that cut the cyclists off from the traffic in a safe zone. The momentum behind the plans is unprecedented, with pressure for people to get on their bike or walk in order to take pressure off public transport in the present Covid dominated environment. There is also pressure to get more active in order to combat obesity. Obesity levels in the UK have neen steadily rising, as people lead more sedentary existences, with more and more of life revolving around phones and laptops. Obesity levels in Redbriidge are alarming, so the pressure to get people out walking and cyclng is all the greater. Fewer vehicles means less pollution, more active travel means fitter healthy human beings - it is a win win. Some boroughs are further advanced with active travel than others. In Waltham Forest, there is the mini-hollands scheme, with segregated cycle lanes, cycle hangars on the streets and at stations. The idea is to force the traffic off the side roads onto the main arteries. Cycling also becomes a means to get to work, people being able to cycle to stations where they can lock their cycles up securely in the hangars, Car use has dropped dramatically. Other, London boroughs have also made great strides, with Camden, Islington and Newham all coming to mind. In Redbridge, there is a long way to go but the present consultation on Quieter Streets is intended to kick start the move toward active travel here. There are though some simple improvements that could be easily made to existing infrastructure. There have been calls from Redbridge cyclists to improve cycle routes in Wanstead Park. Two suggestions are to allow cyclists to use the direct route between Warren Road and Wanstead Park Avenue (the best route for cycling) and for the cycle route between the Exchange land and Aldersbrook lane adjoining Ilford Hill to be cleared. The first change is in the gift of the Corporation of London. The second route is on Corporation land but under the stewardship of Redbridge Council. There are other off road options in Wanstead but these should get picked up in the Quieter Streets process. There is much than needs to be done in Redbridge to bring about the active travel revolution but given the will it is achievable. The lockdown period, showed the appetite there is amongst the population to walk and cycle more, what is needed now is the means to make that desire for safe active travel a reality. The government seem keen to promote such change, now we need to make it happen on the ground.

Civil liberties must npot be sacrificed at times of emergency

Every dictator down the ages has offered security in return for people's liberties. These were the words of the former Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall, John Alderson in an interview I did with him a few years ago. His wise words have come back many times down the years, never more so than in the present pandemic situation. The move of the government to impose a lockdown across the country for three months was unprecedented. The messaging was simple -stay at home and protect the NHS. On the whole people were very compliant, most following the guidance to the letter.Some (or should that be one) in government took a different line but that is for another day. The lockdown began to lift in June as the country gradually returned to something like normality. People were scared by Covid - and rightly so. The constant quoting of the daily death total in the media helped heighten that fear. It made people stay at home. Fear though is a dangerous thing. As former US President Franklin D Roosevelt said: there is nothing to fear but fear itself. The lockdown is a blunt instrument made necessary by the danger that the NHS would be overun. A number of scientists have said that locking down earlier would have saved lives. Also, that the halt on community testing on 12 March limited the ability to deal with the pandemic. Testing and tracing are clearly key to controlling the spread of Covid. What has been strange is the clamour of some, often born out of fear, to restrict people's actions. The call to reimpose lockdown, the call for severe penalties against those getting too close together, making people wear masks wherever they go. The desire to just stop others doing things. These are all severe infringements on individual liberties and need to be carefully weighed in terms of the common good. The clamour often originates from people's own insecurities and anxieties at being locked down for months on end. The government have tried to weigh up these questions, though sometimes appearing to face one way - as with wearing masks - only to then do a u turn on the original decision. What is clear is that the questions of liberties and securities must be weighed at every turn. Measures like lockdowns are only justified in situations like a major health emergency to stop the NHS being overun. They are not justified as a means of keeping public order. When things finally return to sonething like normal, the human rights of all citizens should be fully restored and enhanced, not reduced permanently at the behest of those who see the possibility of using a crisis to justify the sacrifice of rights on rhe altar of security. published - 6/8/2020 - Wanstead & Woodford Guardian

Lions led by donkeys - what has happened in the eight years since the London Olympics opening ceremony

What a difference eight years makes? That was the thought following a recent visit to the London Stadium to report on the West Ham v Watford football match.

 

No fans in the ground, an eerie atmosphere, with the players shouts and the journalists commentaries the only things breaking the silence.

What a contrast to the 2012 London Olympics, when the same stadium played host to the opening ceremony. It was one of those strange quirks of fate that a re-run of that ceremony was on the TV, the same night as the football match.

The opening ceremony was a masterpiece from film director Danny Boyle and his team, showing the many different aspects of the UK. There was the history of the industrial revolution, the factory towers reaching up into the night sky, the tribute to the NHS and the Windrush generation.

Then, Prime Minister David Cameron. enjoyed the experience, as did then Mayor of London Boris Johnson.  Who would have thought then that eight years later the man, who dangled precariously from a zip wire, would later become Prime Minister?

Few would have thought that many of the same ministers, who sat in the stadium that night would oversee the disgraceful hostile environment policy directed at the Windrush generation.

London was a multicultural joy for those few weeks of the Olympics. People from across the world came in to watch and compete at the games. No racist divisions, just a celebration of the great sporting event that is the Olympics.

So what else has happened since that time? Well, then Prime Minister Cameron gave out his first referendum to Scotland. Two years later, the Scots narrowly rejected the idea of breaking away from the Union. A year after that, the fateful EU referendum took place, splitting the country in two. The remain side, ineffectively led by Cameron, lost. He resigned, to be replaced by the architect of the hostile environment Theresa May. Three more painful and embarassing years passed, as May repeatedly brought her exit deal to Parliament and saw it rejected.

Finally, the  man from the zip wire became Prime Minister. He illegally prorogued Parliament, before going to the country with his message to get Brexit done. He won an 80 seat majority to carry out that policy. The UK exited the EU on 31 January, staring into the abyss of international isolation.

The Scottish National Party want another referendum, given extra impetus by the fact that Scotland voted to stay in the EU.

Ireland too is edging toward unity, courtesy of Brexit – something that 30 years of conflict failed to achieve.

The Conservative and Unionist Party certainly needs a remake, it has done more to split the Union than any previous party.

Then, along came the Corona virus pandemic. The government was slow to react to the impending crisis. It failed to prepare, getting the required Personal Protection Equipment in place, especially for the NHS and Care workers. It also failed to get the test and trace system up and running in time to get a  grips on where and how the pandemic was developing.

The NHS workers celebrated back in 2012, once again rose heroically to the challenge, many giving their own lives to save others. Care workers similarly rose to the challenge. And many others, from the emergency services to retail staff went above and beyond to keep us all safe. The response of the people to the challenge of the pandemic was indeed another of our finest hours.

Looking back though, it is difficult not to see the last decade as a case of lions led by donkeys – a phrase first adopted in relation to the inept leading officers of the First World War.

The record is damning, those who sat grinning out on that warm July evening of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics have a lot to answer for regarding their stewardship – where there was once harmony, they have sown disunity, discord and division.

Let’s hope that something positive can come out of the tragedy of this pandemic – some responsible leadership that rewards those who have contributed most to the common good. Some leadership that brings unity not division to our land. We certainly all deserve better than the past eight years has produced.

Ps: The return of the fans to that stadium would also be welcome.

Charity can never replace justice

There has been a tremendous outpouring of generosity over the period of the Covid pandemic.

At the beginning, there were the mutual aid groups set up to help those becalmed at home, unable to obtain things like prescriptions and shopping.

Then there was the tin in a bin initiative to support foodbanks. The amount given over this period has been overwhelming.

There have been charitable acts right across the community.

The homeless have been taken off the streets and put into accomodation.

Moving forward, we must ensure this generoaity of spirit in the community continues to be harnessed for the goodness of all.

However, what must not happen is for charity to replace the basic rights of people to justice.

So in a country of 150 plus billionaires why do a million plus go to foodbanks (and this was before the pandemic)?

Why, when there are thousands of empty houses do people struggle to survive on the street and elsewhere?

Why do levels of child poverty continue to grow in the fifth richest economy in the world?

These are fundamental questions, that reveal a badly run society with skewed values.

Some years ago, David Cameron's Coalition government promoted the idea of a Big Society. Central to the idea seemed to be people volunteering to do work that had previously been done by paid workers. The idea was dressed up as something else, aimed at the common good but in reality it wasn't.
The Big Society sought to use peoples charitable instincts as a vehicle to cut services. The idea of the deserving and undeserving poor began to develop. This can never be allowed to happen because in the end it leads to the workhouse of the nineteenth century.

It is great that people support foodbanks but in such a rich country it is a disgrace that the whole structure is required at all. Better a fully funded welfare state, where people have support as of right, not on the basis of someone elses charitable instinct to give.

So, yes, let's celebrate the incredible acts of generosity but don't let those acts obscure the fact that we live in a grotesquely unequal society, entirely of our own making - and that needs to change in the post pandemic world.

published - Wanstead and Woodford Guardian - 23/7/2020

"Wilding" by Isabella Tree

Published by Picador Price £9.99

This fascinating book really opens up huge possibilities for improving biodiversity and countering climate change.

Tree tells how together with husband Charlie Burrell they rewild the Knepp estate in West Sussex.

Prior to 2000, they had traditionally farmed the 3,500 acres of the estate. It wasn't working so they looked for something new. 

The work of Dr Frans Vera with rewilding in the Netherlands drew their attention.

The idea was in a way to turn back time to before humans brought their pesticides and fertilisers to the land. Effectively returning  to before the destruction and poisoning of the world began.

If some of the original breeds of animals were restored and allowed to run wild, other habitats also changed for the better.

So long horned cattle, Tamworth pigs, Dartmoor ponies, red and fallow deer were all introduced.

The effects were dramatic, bringing back purple emperor butterflies, nightingales and turtle doves. The land became resilient. 

Really understanding rewilding probably requires the human being to take a step back from its arrogant dominant role in the world.

The human needs to realise that many creatures live the way they do as an adaption to the behaviour of humans, it was not always so.  If the humans can now let go, then nature can restore.

There are so many interesting parts to this book, such as how the introduction of beavers in some areas of the country has helped counter flooding. Also, how allowing the land to go to wetlands also releases pressure and so flood risk.

An interesting aside is how this is happening in the Netherlands, where the renown canals are full to bursting. Climate change means greater volumes of water are falling on the land. So the Dutch are looking to release pressure by turning areas to wetlands, rather than building dykes.

Another fascinating view concerns how more carbon can be stored in the land.

Tree reveals that there are 1500 billion tonnes of carbon in the form of organic material in world soils. Increasing this by 0.4% a year -through restoring and improving degraded agricultural lands - would halt the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere. 

Tree suggests agricultural land could be taken in and out of rewilding over decades to restore it.

Wilding is a real eye opener as to what could happen with a little imagination - a sort of resetting of the natural paramaters, that wiil then revive and restore the ecological framework around us.

West Ham Premiership future almost secured with win over Watford

West Ham 3-1 Watford

West Ham United pretty much secured their Premiership future wirh this comprehensive win over relegation rivals Watford.

Manager David Moyes, though, was not counring his chickens, declaring that he would not be changing anything till his team are "mathematically safe."

The former West Ham caretaker manager has certainly transformed this group of players, getting them playing as a tight disciplined unit.

Perhaps the break for the pandemic helped in giving Moyes the time he needed to pull things around.

West Ham began in confident style, with the game just six minutes old when Michail Antonio slotted home, after being put through on the left by Pablo Fornals.

Four minutes later, the industrious Jarrod Bowen drove in a cross from the right, which was converted by Tomas Soucek, rising at the far post to head home. The impressive  Czech's third goal in the past five games.

The demolition looked complete, when 10 minutes before half time, Declan Rice cut in from the left to fire home into the opposite corner from 25 yards.

Rice dashed across with his team mates to embrace Moyes, as the Hammer's victory song, the Beatles twist and shout, rang out for the third time in the fan-less stadium.

Watford's best chance of the half was a header just over  from Craig Dawson in injury time.

The visitors came out though with more purpose in the second half, Troy Deeney getting a goal back with the half just four minutes old.

The big striker converted, as the ball rebounded off rhe post from an Ismaila Sarr effort.

Watford dominated the half but were unable to break down the well organised home rearguard.

The visitors best effort being a prod from Danny Welbeck that went over the bar.

Moyes felt his team "played exceptionally well in the first half and defended well in the second."

The manager paid tribute to Soucek, who he felt has brought "energy and physicality" to the team, since his arrival inJanuary.

Speaking as the manager of a team that has lost from being ahead more than 20 times this season, Moyes declared winning to be something West Ham have to do far more often than in the past."This was our best start and the finishing was conscise," said Moyes, who can now plan for the next season with certainty.

Great slowdown offers hope for the future in a post pandemic world

The world is slowing down in almost every way, with the exception being climate change, where emissions and temperature are accelerating at a destructive rate.

 

That is the conclusion of Professor Danny Dorling, who in his latest book Slowdown, claims that everything is doing just that. The world is not catapulting ever more rapidly towards the end but is instead slowing to a new phase of equilibrium.

 

Dorling looks at a whole variety of areas including the size of debt, fertility rates, population, gross domestic product and the size of cities, all of which are falling.

 

The focus is on five generational groups which he titles V (1901 to 1928), W (1929 to 1955), X (1956 to 1981), Y (1982 to 2011) and Z (2012 to 2042). There has been vast change across these generations but there will be far less discernible change for those in the latter two groups of Y and Z, than previous generations.

 

Dorling defines the present system as transitional mode, rather than a state of being with no end.

 

The one exception to the slowdown rule is climate, which saw the level of CO2 put into the atmosphere rise from 4.8 billion metric tonne in 1950 to 9.64 metric tonnes a year in 1960. Between 1942 and 1960, some 123 billion metric tonnes of CO2 were put into the atmosphere, the equivalent of what had been produced in the preceding 2.5 centuries.

 

Interestingly, Dorling also bursts the bubble of those who claim that population growth is fuelling climate change. He highlights how between 1920 and 1940 pollution rose most in the countries, where the population increased the least. The link between population and emissions comes down to unequal societies, where the demands of a few rich people - and the resulting technology - wreaks  the most climatic havoc on the planet.

 

Other climate related areas on the increase include the destruction of biodiversity and plane flights. Flights going from fewer than 1 billion in 1971, through 2 billion in 1989 to 4 billion per year in 2017.

 

The book was ofcourse written pre-Corona pandemic. The pandemic has brought a slowdown way beyond anything Dorling foresaw.

 

Among the positive elements has been the big reduction in carbon emissions, with flights virtually grounded.

 

The Slowdown analysis offers useful background for countries coming out of pandemic. Though tragic in so many ways, the pandemic does offer a chance to restart the system in a better way. Things like the reduction in carbon emissions need to be retained moving forward, The new normal must be a low carbon sustainable way of life.

 

Dorling found that many of the improvements in the world are coming about due to a greater equality and the growing power and influence of women across the spectrum, particularly with progressive female political leaders.

 

This point has been reinforced in the pandemic, with the countries doing best being those led by progressive women leaders like New Zealand’s Jacinta Ardern and Germany’s Angela Merkell.

 

So there is all to play for coming out of the pandemic – the chance to create a better, safer, more equal sustainable world.

*Slowdown by Professor Danny Dorling is published by Yale University Press