I couldn’t make the Newham UNISON rally tonight with Guest speaker, Tony Benn, in support of their sacked branch Chair, Michael Gavan, (I’m laid up and off work with a dodgy Achilles heal). However, I was able to visit the brand new on-line “Union Island” on “Second Life” to listen to an on-line debate on “union busters”.

I had registered for a Second Life account yesterday, but I couldn’t work out how to enter the site. Tonight, I just followed the links from the SLUnions blog; it took me about 15 minutes to work out how to travel inside the site. It was actually quite logical and straight forward, since they had 4 short compulsory training modules. Then I was teleported to” Union Island” (just like in Star Track!).

Before we "tut, tut" too loudly about the morons in Sudan who have locked up a volunteer teacher for allowing a teddy bear to be called “Mohammed”, we shouldn’t forget we have more than our own share of home-grown religious berks. I’m not this time referring to Galloway and his Respect Renewal but rather to the new Christian Fundamentalist website “MegaMosqueNoThanks”.

This site appears to be run by a certain Newham Councillor, Alan Craig, from the “Christian Peoples Alliance” (CPA). His name and telephone number is on the press release.

It seems that even the Fundamentalist Far Right can be unfairly treated by the Courts and the Police. On the face of it, the quashing of the conviction on appeal of Newham Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA) Councillor, Simon Ademolake, of assault on Police and Court bailiffs, is somewhat surprising. Especially given that the judge in the original trial clearly expressed the view that Ademolake was lying and that this Christian Councillor choose to evidence without swearing on his bible?

Yesterday there was an outdoor rally for Labour Candidate Michael Keith in the Shadwell by-election, Tower Hamlets. The rally took place in the garden area adjacent to the Battle of Cable Street Mural (see main photo) painted on the side of St Georges Town Hall.

Went off today with Newham Labour Party comrades to help out in the Shadwell By-Election, Tower Hamlets. One of the Respect Councillors for the ward resigned suddenly a few weeks ago claiming that Respect was “bickering, immature, self serving and militant”. No surprise there then. See action photo of Labour Party activists outside Limehouse DLR station planning campaign activities (middle Denise Jones the current leader of the Council, right is the candidate former Labour leader of Council, Michael Keith).

Back from speaking to East Ham CLP Manor Park and Little Ilford Labour Party wards at the Froud Centre, Newham, London, E12. Spoke about the “Labour Movement and New Capitalism”. It went down pretty well (or they were very polite!). I'm trying to gauge reactions to forming a national Labour Party “Forum” on socially responsible investment and company governance by speaking to branches.

Started off saying that at the end of the talk I hoped to persuade them that they were “New Capitalists”. Then quickly I asked if they were members of pension scheme if so which one, how many have life assurance policies, how many have shares in companies or saving plans that invest in companies? Nearly everyone present raised their hands.