The White Poppy - Time for a Rethink All Round?

Following on from discussions on other forums about yesterday's Remembrance Day events, one couldn't help but notice that Syon ward councillor Katherine Dunne was sporting a white poppy at the Isleworth parade alongside the traditional red one, emblazoned with the word "Peace".

Personally I thought this was a nice touch. So often I have found myself nonplussed by the abuse I have received from a very small minority of people when selling poppies, usually accompanied by allegations that I am a warmonger and an apologist for murder. Yet I have opposed UK and Western military aggression in North Africa and the Middle East as outspokenly and as consistently as any anti-war campaigner from the so-called "left".

Similarly there is undoubtedly a feeling amongst some to whom the Remembrance season is held dear that those who choose to wear the white poppy are unpatriotic, even traitors, whose act betrays those who have given their lives. This despite the fact that they call only for peace and an end to war - a sentiment which, in my opinion and experience, is shared by the overwhelming majority of ex-servicemen and women as well as right-thinking people everywhere.

The former ICG councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs was a pacifist who, when she became Mayor of Hounslow, struggled with her conscience in the knowledge that she would be expected to attend the annual ceremony of Remembrance and to play a prominent part in proceedings. I remember having a long conversation with her in which I managed to persuade her that Remembrance was not a celebration of war but an act of respect for those who had lost their lives as a result of the failure of politics and of national leaders worldwide to reconcile their differences peacefully. Indeed some may even see it is an act of defiance to those people, a reaffirmation of the gratitude and debt that we feel to those brave men and women who put their lives on the line in contrast to the contempt that we may hold for those who casually send them out to fight from their comfort and safety of their own pampered offices. I am pleased to say she attended the event and did Isleworth proud.

There needs in my view to be a rethink on the part of all concerned. The moral snobbery contained in the notion held by a few that people who wear the red poppy are all monsters who celebrate in blood and death is as insulting and obscene as it is patently ridiculous. There need be no contradiction between remembering with fondness and gratitude those who gave their lives, and aspiring for a peaceful future in which war is made a thing of the past.

The British Left is Janus-Faced on Remembering our War Dead

Having finished a stint of poppy selling at a local(ish) supermarket today I felt moved to approach a stall that had been set up by three young* lads (*it needs to be said that most people are young to me these days) in support of the Socialist Party. This of course is the socialist party which was once the Militant Tendency within the Labour Party, but is now a separate entity very much outside of same.

The trio were collecting a petition for a £10 minimum wage in London, as well as selling their newspaper "The Socialist".

Feeling cheerful after a fairly successful sale I signed the petition, bought a paper and made a small donation to the cause. One of the lads thanked me and engaged me in conversation, first about the petition he was collecting but then about the poppies he had watched me selling. Generally it was small talk, but he asked me how well I'd done and wished me luck. In a separate short conversation one of the others expressed his solidarity with those who had given their lives in the fight against fascism during the Second World War.

It struck me that probably not much more than half an hour earlier I had been finger-pointed and shouted at by another young chap of a roughly similar age who had seemed to assume from the fact that I was selling poppies that I was pro-war and ipso facto supportive of the military interventions instigated by recent Labour and ConDem governments. Something was said as he walked away to the effect that I was a murderer and a fascist.

The shouter had no connection to the Socialist Party activity but it occurred to me that he would probably have considered himself to occupy a roughly similar place on the political spectrum. And yet their respective views on the whole concept of remembrance could not have been more opposite. An interesting dilemma for the British left to try to resolve.

Incidentally, for the benefit of anybody who is interested my position is generally anti-war, although I am not a pacifist as I acknowledge the case for military action in self-defence. Only very tenuously can this card be played in respect of recent offensive actions in the various Middle Eastern theatres of war in which we've been engaged. My policy is to mourn the victims, respect the service personnel who risk and sometimes give their lives under orders and detest the financiers and politicians who send them to their deaths under sundry nefarious pretexts. Clearly not everybody shares my view.

United in celebrating a wonderful community effort

Two years ago, when my father Ron in his capacity as Poppy Organiser for the Isleworth Royal British Legion organised a social evening to thank those who had sold poppies, not even the lure of a free bar persuaded more than about seven or eight people to come out and join in the celebration.

However last Saturday scores of people came out to the Legion to enjoy a great evening at which it was announced that in 2010, for the first time, the local community had collected over £22,000 for the Poppy Appeal. Two Isleworth ward councillors joined us and stayed for most of the evening (certain of them had helped us to collect money outside supermarkets in the build-up to Remembrance Sunday), and the Mayor made a welcome speech before himself joining local community activists at the bar for a drink and a pleasant chat.

There is nothing to be feared or ashamed of on the part of people in positions of office supporting and encouraging community-led activity such as this. Everybody wants to do well by those who have given their lives, those who have suffered injury, their families and their loved ones.

This year, once again, I like to think the community did those people proud, and we are very grateful and appreciative for having received the support of all those who gave up their free time to help.

We Will Remember Them (Part 2)

In the course of remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in two World Wars, it would be remiss not to remember those who work so hard year in and year out to keep the memory alive.

It is obviously with a certain bashfulness that I pay tribute to my own father, but I have done already in any case in a previous post. For many years he has organised the poppy sales that have thus far produced a higher yield with each year that passes. The poppies may only go on sale a week or so before Remembrance Sunday, but the preparation work begins long before.

Similarly one must mention the Branch at the RBL and particularly the indefatigable Linda Green who, despite having difficulties and hardships of her own which would have deterred most other people from becoming actively involved, has been in the thick of the preparations as always.

Lastly one must give thanks to all those volunteers who took the time to stand outside supermarkets and other outlets, sometimes unprotected in inclement weather, to sell poppies and to collect money for the cause.

A big well done to everyone who took part in this excellent effort, and here's to many more in the future.

We Will Remember Them - Sunday, 14th November 2010

This year's Remembrance Day Parade, although sadly shortened by the rain, was probably the largest that I have ever attended.

Some years ago the general public would just stand and watch as the ex-servicemen and a few local dignitaries marched past them. One of the achievements of the "Community Culture" heralded by the rise of the ICG over the past decade or so has been to turn this occasion into a public event. Nothing, after all, was ever more public than a war in which millions of "ordinary" people made the ultimate sacrifice.

At the War Memorial ICG Vice Chair Andy Sibley (above right) laid a wreath on behalf of the community. All the new ward councillors from Isleworth and two from Syon were present; the Isleworth councillors laid wreaths on behalf of the Mayor, the Labour Party and the new Member of Parliament for Brentford and Isleworth, Mary Macleod.

Following the parade there was the familiar gathering at the Isleworth Royal British Legion, which was enjoyed by many. The Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow paid a visit and met many of the local ex-service people and organisers of the parade.

This major and sombre event on the local calendar always presents a welcome opportunity to meet colleagues and other friends, some of whom are not as regular at the IRBL as others amongst us!

Collectors wanted for Poppy Day 2010

Once again we approach the time when we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country in two World Wars and subsequent conflicts.

On Sunday 14th November 2010 local people will join the annual Remembrance Day parades in various towns around the borough. In Isleworth the local community pays tribute to its fallen at the War Memorial at the junction of Twickenham Road and South Street.

As in previous years my father has been entrusted with the task of organising the poppy collections in the run up to the main event. Each since he started he has managed to better the previous one in terms of the total amount collected.

However he could always use more volunteers to assist the fund raising effort by giving up a few hours to collect money outside local supermarkets and from local businesses.

If you can spare any time to help between now and November 13th please call Ron Andrews on 020 8892 4260 and leave your name and contact details.

Thank you.

A month flies by

I've done it again, haven't I?

This time virtually a month has flown by since I last got around to updating this blog. Again this has been purely down to pressures of work, not just in my councillor role but also the need to make a living and keep the kids in food, pocket money and everything else they seem to have become expert in demanding at strategic times when they know my resistance is not at its best.

Since I last posted I have had the honour of attending the annual Remembrance Day parade in Isleworth, which in terms of public support was certainly the most popular that I have ever witnessed. Councillor Paul Fisher laid the wreath at Isleworth War Memorial on behalf of the community of Isleworth whilst Councillor Shirley Fisher represented the Mayor in the absence of Councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs, who was unwell (Councillor Jon Hardy meanwhile laid the wreath on behalf of the Mayor at Brentford War Memorial). It is was a pleasure to see the Mayor, Councillor Paul Lynch, arrive at the Isleworth Royal British Legion after the event and spend some time speaking to ex-service people, councillors and other members of the public, and he made a return visit some days later to present the Poppy Organiser Ron Andrews ("Dad" to some!) with a badge of recognition for all his hard work at a special event for those of us who had assisted with poppy selling, which this year saw yet another record collection (an achievement repeated over the last several occasions), this time in excess of £21,000.

One activity which I took part in later in November and which is worth mentioning was a canvassing exercise on the Worton estate. Not canvassing for votes (this time), but calling on locals on behalf of the residents' association - Residents of Worton Estate (ROWE) - seeking their views on what improvements they would like to see at the Community Centre. I found people by and large surprisingly receptive and positive. Whilst as a seasoned canvasser the patter tends to come naturally in any event, I was ably assisted by the indefatigable Kim Dobson, who first asked if she could stick with me because she was nervous and then barely let me get a word in once the doors had been opened!

Kim is a truly dynamic example of the kind of community activist who has been let off the leash by the election of community councillors and the emergence of a local Area Committee dominated by a community leadership ethos. I'm biased of course, but I really do believe it would be a tragedy to throw all this energy and positivity away by reversing these exciting advancements when we go to the polls in May 2010.

On the 24th it was Borough Council, and I felt compelled to make what had probably been the most difficult speech that I'd ever given there when the time arrived to discuss a raft of budget proposals which had been submitted for consultation. It is to the credit of the Leader of the Council and the Lead Member of Finance that these proposals were being presented early in the process for consideration - under the old Labour administrations they usually came to us on the night in March that the decision was to be taken! Nonetheless due to a combination of what I believe to have been the understandable over-zealousness of our Conservative coalition partners in wanting to publicly promote their low-tax agenda in the run up to both the national and local elections and, I suspect, a certain amount of mischief-making on the part of some senior officers and chief officers of the council, the process had bypassed the Community Group entirely and thus I argued that, under the circumstances, it would be unreasonable to expect us to take joint ownership of it.

Bizarrely the opposition Labour Party would appear to have stepped up its attacks on us since I delivered my speech, suggesting that they would probably prefer the Conservative budget to pass through unhindered, I suspect both for propaganda purposes and also because they fear the challenge of having to present a credible alternative budget which somehow manages to reconcile their expressed concern for the well-being of our public services with their own new, imposed low-tax position. With the demographics at the council chamber being as they are it will be interesting to see how this all pans out.

At the Annual Meeting of my Church the following evening I was re-elected as a Deacon, for which I really am grateful as with my various duties I have not been as active with the Church in recent times as I would have liked to have been in. It truly was humbling to be reassured by my fellow members that they still considered my contribution to be worthy of acknowledgement in this very important way.

On Tuesday this week Councillor Paul Fisher and I were with a gathering of residents from Heron's Place as well as representatives of various local civic and amenity groups discussing the proposed extension of a footpath along the river with planning officers from the council. Many of the same residents and activists were also present at the meeting of the Isleworth & Brentford Area Committee (IBAC) two days later at which a frank and vigorous debate took place on the local authority's plans to move towards electronic-only access to planning documents, a laudable objective in an environmental sense but one which has sold residents short by being so clearly money-driven.

Last night a goodly number of us met at the recently reopened Magpie & Crown in Brentford to take stock of where we stand with friends and enemies, opponents and colleagues as we drift closer to the confused scramble that will be the May 2010 local elections. Judging from the mood of colleagues - old faces and new recruits, several of them former adversaries - I believe we will be ready for whatever is thrown at us and will emerge from the contest stronger, more knowledgeable, better organised and more streetwise than we have ever been before.

Getting down to business

On Friday evening several members and supporters of the ICG met at the Isleworth Royal British Legion for our monthly social get-together as we approach the 2010 local elections, which are now just six months away.

Despite several notable absences we had a good crowd gathered around the extended table. Four current councillors, a former councillor, two former Labour candidates and another disillusioned Labour stalwart discussed with other community activists from a position of some authority the demise of the Labour Party in the borough, the merits or otherwise of the coalition and the work that is still clearly to be done if our empowerment objectives are to be realised in full.

No less significant was the way in which the ICG crowd and the indigenous inhabitants of the Legion blended effortlessly. There was no sense of us being in any way a different or separate entity, we were instantly welcomed and treated all evening as though we were part of the community there (which of course some of us are).

With the greatest of respect intended to all those many good people who have served their community in the past, I cannot recall a time when the ICG as an aggregate included so many of such experience and quality as it would appear to today. In and around Isleworth it would be no exaggeration to say that the ICG has drawn the largest part of the community together under its banner almost like a magnet, including former politicians and even current ones from all across the so-called "political spectrum". Those who insist upon remaining outside of the community movement - aloof and superior, legends in their own lunchtime - choose to detach themselves not only from the progress of the locality itself but, increasingly, from the reality of the situation and of the age.

We select candidates for our local election campaign shortly and it's still not entirely clear whose names will be in the ring. Speaking personally, I told colleagues after the 2006 campaign that I felt I had done my bit and that I'd fought my last election, but I look around me and I see that there is still so much unfinished business. I've not decided yet but there is a fair chance I'll have another shot, possibly in a different role to hitherto. There is so much to do and, now, so many people offering to join us in doing it.

May 2010 will be unusual to say the least. For the first time we will be defending the council's record (In some areas of the operation anyway) rather that challenging it. In all likelihood the general election will be held on the same day, which must inevitably skew the result. There is increasing evidence - at the moment circumstantial, but growing by the day - that the old enemy, Labour, is placing so much strategic priority on stopping the ICG from completing its programme that it has begun to consider whether an outright Conservative victory might not be the best achievable result and that at least some consideration is being given to working towards that end. Little wonder that the rank and file are so disillusioned - the majority of them joined the Party to fight their traditional Conservative opponents, not the residents.

There can be no doubt that the coming months will be interesting. In the meanwhile though I am preparing for a second visitation to the IRBL later this morning to attend the annual Remembrance Day parade. More on that anon.

The Parade in Pictures

Scenes from the Isleworth Remembrance Day Parade -
Sunday, 9th November 2008

A section of the parade in North Street shortly after march-off. Behind Councillor Paul Fisher and myself are Mary Macleod, the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brentford and Isleworth and (partially obscured) Councillor Barbara Reid.



Residents of Isleworth pay their solemn respects to those local servicemen who gave their lives in two World Wars and other conflicts.



Local Church leaders conduct a non-denominational Service of Remembrance. My Pastor, the Reverend Antony W. Ball, is third from the left in the front row.


Councillor Paul Fisher lays a wreath on behalf of the community of Isleworth.


















The Mayor, Isleworth councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs, represents the London Borough of Hounslow.

















Nick Buss pays his respects on behalf of Isleworth Congregational Church.


















The Pride of Murray Pipe Band leads the column along Twickenham Road after the Service.



Further along Twickenham Road. The blonde on my left arm is my daughter - honest!



Into Brantwood Avenue. The flag-bearer leading the parade is Vic London, active ICG member and one-time local election candidate (Osterley & Spring Grove, 2002).



On to the home straits, the marchers are led back to base by the Mayor and the Borough Commander of the Metropolitan Police, David Bilson.

Lest we forget. Wreaths at the Cenotaph pay tribute to Isleworth's fallen.

Lest we forget

Just as we do every year, myself and several ICG colleagues have been helping the Isleworth Royal British Legion to sell poppies at a number of local outlets including the large Tesco stores at Isleworth and Osterley.

The Poppy Organiser at IRBL is my father, Ronald Andrews, and it is probably fair to say that other ICG members make up the larger part of the selling team that has seen collections increase steadily each year for the last several years.

In Isleworth the parade itself, which takes place this Sunday, has also been growing. At first this may seem odd, with the number of ex-servicemen ever decreasing for obvious reasons, but Isleworth of course is a community in which civic participation is now actively encouraged across the board. Whilst a dozen or so years ago the parades would be attended only by ex-service people, a few Legion members and a small gaggle of local dignitaries, it is now possible to count in the hundreds the number of ordinary, everyday members of the community who come along to honour those who gave their lives for us all. I believe this is a welcome development.

It is a fitting tribute to the gallantry and valour of these brave people that their memory should not only be being kept alive, but that awareness of their sacrifice should actually be increasing.

If you are reading this article before November 9th and haven't yet bought a poppy, please pop along to Tesco or another local vendor and do so now.