News

The governance of our local authority and city has become increasingly complex: Where does power lie? Who, at a local level has responsibility for our education, litter or indeed for representing our views and concerns on the Council? How can ordinary residents effectively interact with and influence the kaleidoscope of public bodies and institutions that make decisions over our daily lives?

 
By Saundra Glenn

Farewell to an inspirational role model - The Hon Amanda (Mandy) Howells - 11.1.11

This article pays tribute to Mandy Howells who passed away at Guys Hospital in London on Tuesday morning, 11th January 2011, with her mother and sister at her bedside. Aged 49, she had fought a courageous 18-month battle with non-hodgkin's lymphoma, a form of cancer.

Conservative Party Chairman Baroness Warsi is due to give a speech today asserting that Islamophobia is now seen by many in Britain as ‘normal and uncontroversial’.

Baroness Warsi will speak on ‘My Faith’ when she delivers the annual Sternberg Lecture at the University of Leicester later today.

Yesterday we reported that radical anti-Muslim Terry Jones was seeking to visit Britain to give a speech at a rally for England Is Ours (who ever they might be). Jones, known for his failed attempt to burn the Qur'an last September, is so extreme that even the English Defence League distanced themselves from him.

Kanja Sesay, Black Student Officer for the National Union of Students writes today for OBV about the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) ahead of the Parliamentary debate about scrapping it.

What is the EMA?

Amid the doom and gloom a ray of sunlight shines at the end of the Jamaican tunnel.

Monday saw Lutfur Rahman hold a 'Meet the Mayor' luncheon at his East London Headquarters organised with Operation Black Vote as part of the Who Runs my City project.

In attendance were students from Stepney Green and Swanlea schools, as well as activists from organisations Engage and TELCO.
  

And so it was that the wheat was separated from the chaff when America’s leading politicians, President Barack Obama and the leading Republican candidate Sarah Palin gave their thoughts to the nation about the attempted murder of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and those killed and maimed by the gunman Jared Loughner.

An early day motion (EDM) was submitted to the House of Commons yesterday by MP Joan Ruddock, representing the families still suffering from the tragedy of the New Cross Fire 30 years ago.

The motion laments the lack of respect paid to the bereaved families, the inadequate police investigations and the fact that this year marked a milestone date and no word was heard from Parliament, even in the form of condolences.

OBV’s Parliamentary Shadowing Scheme graduated in the House of Lords yesterday with MPs and the graduates celebrating the end of the six month mentoring programme and looking forward to the start of many potential parliamentary careers.