Truth or Lies

The Newham People’s Alliance (NPA) was prominent in the campaign to have Rokhsana Fiaz selected as the Labour Party candidate for mayor. The posting above was taken from the Facebook page of Newham People’s Alliance. It appeared in September 2018 and was an unsolicited vote of thanks from the outgoing management of the site to two individuals who had helped them earlier in the year. Or at least it seemed to be.

It also appears in the Open Newham publication, ‘Roxi and the Tablighis’. 

Its inclusion has caused one of those mentioned some distress. 

You will note that the post thanks “councillor Terry Paul for his generous donations made to the NPA in time of need”. Councillor Paul has been in touch with Open Newham asserting that the statement, i.e., that he gave money to the NPA is “untruthful and libellous”. In a further correspondence he went on to say, “I gave no financial support, in fact I don't know who they are”.

Simply put, an organisation Councillor Paul knows nothing about thanked him for a donation of money that he didn’t give them.

We know that in response to the same matter on another Facebook page, Councillor Griffiths stated that he didn’t know anything about the NPA or even who they were. This may be true, but he must have been one of a very small number in the Newham Labour Party in 2018 as their activity one Facebook was legendary.

So now you know as much as we do. The NPA, which had been prominent in backing the Fiaz campaign for nomination, said thank you to Terry Paul for the cash and Alan Griffiths for the political support. Why they would do this if both councillors had nothing to do with them, we don’t know.

Both claim to know nothing about the NPA and one denies giving them any money.

You, dear reader, will have to work out what is true for yourselves.