Sir Robin has emailed local Labour members (or at least those on the last list he got from the party before being deselected):
“As you know, after 16 years, my tenure as Labour Mayor of Newham comes to an end in May.”
Cue unbridled celebrations!
But far from making a gracious exit, the soon-to-be-ex-Mayor proceeds to brag about everything he has ‘achieved’ over the last 16 years: free school meals (that he didn’t really pay for), MoneyWorks, Workplace and ‘500 community events’, among others.
Of course there’s no room to mention half a billion pounds worth of over priced LOBO loans or the £50 million wasted on the Olympic stadium, the failure to build social housing or tackle the epidemic of violent crime. Likewise he overlooks the London Pleasure Gardens ‘investment’ (£5 million pissed away) or the £10 million over-spend on the East Ham Town Hall Campus.
For some reason his valedictory oration neglects to wish his successor well, or even the party’s 60 councillor candidates. It really is all about him.
And despite his heavy defeat in the open selection he still thinks he has some role to play, some relevance.
I remain a member of the Labour Party, will continue to champion the Labour values I have held for 48 years, and lobby regionally and nationally for what I think is right: challenging payday loan companies and high street bookmakers; championing free school meals; calling the Tories to account and fighting for a Labour Government.
If you would like me, or people working with me, to update you on activities and thoughts in the future please reply to this email. All you have to say is yes and I look forward to working with you to support progressive Labour values and policies.
This call for people to join the counter-revolution has failed to generate the enthusiasm he hoped for. Within an hour or so a follow up email arrived telling people “if you are having trouble replying to my last email and want to keep in touch, please email robin.wales@…”
You almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
forestgatedotnet 
l see it now, wales running round the ‘flats’ shouting to anyone ‘gis a job’
What has Sir Robin Wales done for me?
If your mobile phone rang, every 38 seconds and you could not make it stop. Is this is a reasonable way to live?
This is what we have to put put with London City Airport. When people fly out of this airport, they should bear this in mind.
I am being tortured by aircraft noise and jet fumes from London City Airport. The area was never like this. Newham and Sir Robin Wales has done this to me. He failed to protect his residents.
The airport opened in 1987, there were objections and people were promised, it will not be another Heathrow, as big planes cannot land there. They did not allow jet planes due to the sensitive residential location. Only a few number of planes would be allowed to take off a day. The airport’s target was the VIP business traveller, who would turn up ten minutes before take off and be on the plane.
However, over the years, the runway had been made longer, so they fly bigger planes (They have been building over the docks). No one has protested about the loss heritage. The planes which were originally allowed where small 7 seaters planes, today they are flying larger 150 seater planes.
Jet planes were not allowed as they were deemed too noisy. Only propeller planes were allowed. Over the years, all these protections have been eroded. Everytime, the airport apply for planning permission, we loose something.
Newham Council have allowed the airport to expand time and time again. The airport is greedy, no matter how much increase in flights it has won, it still wants more. The airport will always be a continuing threat. It is becoming a mini-Heathrow.
The airport justifies expansion on the basis of jobs and business use. With the advancement of the internet, fewer business travellers are flying and many do business over video conference. The airport is now targeting holiday makers. Why is it so necessary to have holiday flights to Ibiza from a sensitive residential area?
Sir Robin Wales and Stephen Timms support the airport on the basis of jobs, but the airport only employs 500+ people. Some 120 are Newham residents. They were meant to employ a lot of people from Newham, but as far as I know, they have never met their target. They are in breach of their planning condition. By comparison Westfield shopping centre in Stratford employs 20,000.
The noise from jet trespasses into my my home. Sir Robin Wales, has stolen my rights as a home owner and given it to the rich airport owners. I cannot have a peaceful enjoyment of my home. We can’t enjoy a walk or picnics in our parks. We can’t open windows as the area is blighted by noise. The air is foul of jet fuel, it chokes the back of my throat.
Sir Robin Wales is a cheerleader for the airport. Newham council payers, have been paying for an council official to promote the airport and give talks at conferences. It is an abuse of my money.
When the airport launch their plans for expansion, not a single Newham councillor has stood up for local residents. Such are the problems of democracy in Newham. Many of the communities in Royal Docks, North Woolwich, Custom House, Beckton, Brittania Village etc.. are disconnected. Newham has shut down community forums (so people cannot voice their concerns) or form organised groups. It costs money to hire a hall. Newham have never held any public meeting about airport expansion.
Everytime the airport has asked to expand, Newham council under Sir Robin’s control, will let them expand.
The airport was recently sold for £2bn, by its American investment owners. The airport’s value shot up as soon as Newham gave them planning permission to expand. These American investors bought the airport for £800m and sold for £2bn. They made a £1.2bn profit on the sale, by stealing from local people. It is our neighbhoourhood which has been turned into a gettho. Not a penny went in compensation to the people like me who are being tortured by noise and jet fumes on a daily basis. They are using my home for free. I need money, so I can move out of Newham. London house prices are out of control and it is a struggle to move elsewhere, given my circumstances. Has anyone checked if the former airport owners paid any tax?
When someone buys a plane ticket, not a penny goes in compensation to the people who are harmed by the airport’s activities.
Whilst Sir Robin Wales, likes to report small market traders to the tax man. The airport’s company account, show it registered in off-shore in a tax haven. Their company accounts, show it borrowed money from its parents company which is registered off-shore, to reduce is corporate liability in the UK. When they submit planning applications, they claim they generation millions for the economy. This is all about the rich getting richer of the back of local people.
Sir Robin Wales, has blighted the area. Where are the Labour value of protecting people?
Some Newham Coucillors even travel via london City Airport. Where is the solidarity and support? Are they so out of touch with Newham?
People who live in other Boroughs, have a disklike of Sir Robin Wales, because they are overflown London City Airport jets. People in South Woodford, Barking, Leytonstone, Hornchurch are increasing being overflown by Heathrow jets on their land, as they have to make give air space to jets taking off from London City Airport.
Stephen Timms MP, had the cheek to blame residents for living next to the airport, even though it was the airport who built their runway in a residential area. This is sort of politics people have to deal with in Newham.
The residents of Heathrow, Stanstead and Gatwick are lucky, their local council has objected to airport expansion, but it Newham, Sir Robin Wales, let the airport roll all over us.
Labour’s Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, has put in place policies to improve London’s air quality, but at the same time this hypocrite allowed London City Airport to expand again as soon as he came to office
Sadiq Khan has let the airport buy 22 acres of public dock land for peanuts. They will extend the runway over the King George V dock so they have more run ways space.
Sir Robin Wales has declared war against slum landlords. What is the difference between a slum landlord and Sir Robin Wales?. Sir Robin is cock-eyed, because he has turned my neighbhoorhood into a slum. The same council officers who appear on TV and are kicking down doors and tearing down garden sheds, bragging to journalists about cracking down on rogue landlords. It makes me cringe to see the same Council officers on TV and who recommended London City Airport to expand, then give TV interviews about slum landlords. It is ironic they are prosecuting these slums landlords, but they themselves are guilty or turning my home in a noise getthos. A lot of good people have moved away before of the airport. Newham have allowed the area to be blighted.
We live in a culture where the super-rich can do no wrong. Why not turn up to homes around London City Airport and see the devastaing impact.
Over time, the slum landlord will move on, but London City Airport’s planning permission is permananent. It cannot be undone. We cannot reduce the number of plane. The ongoing noise pollution from London City Airport will be there generations to come. Sir Robin did this to us.
Sir Robin Wales is worse then a mindless ignorant person throwing mattress down the streets. He has done the same to us. At least the council will pick up the mattress. They can’t to much about the noise, because it is with use every 38 seconds.
Whilst the airport may say it is great for the area, but Newham Dockside (Building 1000), was empty for five years. If the airport was so great, then why have n’t businesses rushed to the Royal Docks?. It cost Newham residents, £110million to buy this building.
Businesses don’t have enough space in Canary Wharf, but these businesses don’t want to have offices opposite a noisy runway.
In order to entice businesses to invest in the Royal Docks, these businesses have been given a huge tax break. It is a second time the Royal Docks, has been turned into an Enterprise Zone. The first time, was under Thatcher, who created the enterprise zone, which saw regeneartion of docks .e.g Canary Wharf, Wapping, Excel etc…
Every business in Newham has to pay business rates, but businesses operating in the Royal Docks will pay a lot less (or none!). This needs to be investigated. Newham could be missing out on millions. (I will leave it to others to investigate the matter further). The airport should be pay compensation Newham for lost business rates.
The £1bn Asian business park, will be of little benefit to Londoners, as office space will be taken up by Chinese businesses who want to import things to the UK. The people best suited to those jobs are bilingual and who can speak to colleague back in China. The Chinese community in Newham is very small. They should start teaching Chinese languages in Newham, to take advantage of upcoming jobs. For the majority, the business park will be of little benefit. You can blame the airport for that.