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From The Socialist newspaper, 23 February 2022
Newham City Farm - closed with no consultation
Photo: James Ivens (Click to enlarge)
Niall Mulholland, East London Socialist Party
Newham City Farm, run by the local council, has been a well-known community and educational resource in east London since 1977. Generations of local school children and residents, in an overcrowded and poor urban borough, have visited the home of farm animals, beehives and pond wildlife.
But the city farm never reopened when the coronavirus lockdown ended. Newham council cabinet, with no community consultation, voted to close it in September.
100 protesters - including local residents and children, with many in animal costumes and masks - turned up to lobby a meeting of the council cabinet on 8 February. The council has ignored a petition signed by over 46,000 people opposing closure.
With only 90-minutes notice, campaign organisers were denied a deputation to the cabinet meeting. Alison McLucas asked to attend via Zoom after contracting Covid, but the council said no.
Lois Austin, east London Socialist Party, also addressed the crowd, condemning the council's closure of many community resources and facilities. The council made £25 million cuts last year, yet it has hundreds of millions of pounds in reserve.
Lois added that the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) will stand candidates in May's local elections in Newham, as will others involved in Newham Resists - a coalition against cuts and for a council budget based on local needs.
The Save Newham City Farm wants to see the farm "reimagined, redeveloped, and reopened as a valuable educational and community resource". For socialists, a reopened council site should come under real democratic local community control, involving trade unions, which would include a discussion and agreement about animal welfare and how an ethically run 'farm' should look today.
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In The Socialist 23 February 2022:
News
Unite and fight for a decent pay rise
Johnson scraps Covid safety measures
Tories instruct teachers to wipe Britain's real history
International news
Ukraine: Workers' unity against capitalist warmongers and imperialist meddlers
Canada: Prime Minister Trudeau invokes Emergencies Act to end 'Freedom Convoy'
One year after the military coup in Myanmar
NHS
Privatisation and crisis in the NHS
Erdington by-election
The Erdington byelection and the fight for a new mass workers' party
Vote Nellist for a workers' MP in Birmingham Erdington
Workplace news
Tube workers strike in defence of pay, pensions and conditions
University workers continue strike against bosses' attacks
Coventry bin strikers lobby strike-breaking Labour council
Scunny scaffs action forces bosses to the table
Usdaw: 'Reinstate Max' week of action
Trade union support for standing anti-cuts election candidates
Barts NHS workers to walk out again on 28 February
Just Eat couriers continue action to fight pay cut
Rail workers strike in Sheffield
Students
Workers and students unite and fight
Fighting fees and marketisation after 2 March student walkout
Campaigns news
Restore Cardiff's slashed services
Brighton Green and Labour cuts - workers and communities fight back
Surrey: Unions and campaigns say stand as an anti-cuts candidate
Newham City Farm - closed with no consultation
London Socialist Party women's meeting
1 March: Socialist Party new website launch
Review
TV review: This is Going to Hurt
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