The Focus E15 mums decided to confront Sir Robin Wales at the Newham Show this weekend about his housing policies and what they see as the long-term social cleansing of the borough. It’s clear from the video that he’s not at all happy about it.
The mayor obviously doesn’t appreciate ordinary people using his expensively staged propaganda events to challenge his priorities.
A number of Labour councillors can be seen providing a human shield for the mayor. This must have been an uncomfortable experience for some of them. They stood for election in the genuine and sincere hope of improving the lives of Newham residents; now they find themselves confronted by people protesting against homelessness, high cost private rents and the prospect of being rehoused hundreds of miles away from their families and friends – causes that ought to be close to their hearts.
The confrontation was even reported in the Morning Star, which described it as
a testosterone-fuelled east London mayor squaring up to a young homeless mum campaigning for decent housing.
The Star reports that the protesters were subsequently forcibly ejected from the Newham Show:
A spokeswoman for the council argued that “officers took the decision to evict the group of protesters and political activists from the park as they staged an aggressive protest.”
It’s ironic that Sir Robin’s angry response to the protest is that it’s “a family day” when all that the Focus E15 mums want is to keep their families together in Newham. ‘A place to live, work and stay’, as the council’s own slogan has it.
forestgatedotnet 
You guys voted for Sir Robin Wales, what else do you expect ?!?!? Newham will blame Central Government for what they are doing, while they dine in michelin star restaurants.
Ben, many people didn’t vote for him. Only 47,000 out of a 173,000, not a ringing endorsement but enough to elect a little dictator.
Thanks for posting Martin. In Newham you get the democracy you deserve. The Mayor should be setting up public forums where the issues can be debated, not behaving like some medieval potentate where access is as limited as possible.It’s unhealthy for him and his Court , and very unhealthy for us.