There’s a lot of people fighting for their rights and the rights of others in Newham but these causes are often isolated campaigns and weaker as a result.

Lois Austin who has had a life of Activism since 1984, when she joined the Young Socialists Party as a young teenager during the miners strike, has recognised this problem and is trying to create a united front for these groups under the umbrella of Newham Resists.

This is “a group of activists that feel there is a need to coordinate these struggles to build a united movement in our borough against cuts, poverty and create an alternative to rally everyone.”

On 27 November, representatives from different groups, including members of the public, came together in Durning Hall Forest Gate to present their campaigns and cause.

Among the causes were campaigns to Stop the Silvertown Tunnel, Stop MSG Sphere, Save Durning Hall, Save West Ham Park, Save Stratford Circus, Save Queens Market and Save Newham City Farm.

Many concerns were expressed: that Newham has been a Labour controlled Borough since 1964; that the council is complacent and is not representative of local communities.

Newham Resists says Lois intends to fight against this and has set up a committee to organise effectively in the new year and in the run up to the next elections.

Lois has for years been campaigning for change in Newham and nationally. She was on the National Committee of the Labour Party Young Socialists, has been a member of Militant, founded a campaign against racism and fascism in Greenwich and Bexley, joined the fight against the poll tax and was on the steering committee of the Stop The War Coalition.

As a member of the East London Socialist Party (ELSP).she has been campaigning for years with trades unionists and anti-cuts campaigners across the Borough.

With local elections due in May and many campaigns on the march she expects the Newham Resists work to gather momentum in 2022.

For more information on these campaigns email newhamresists@gmails.com or call 07946 447 576.

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