What is Behind the Most Expensive Plaque in History?
After a magnificent victory at council, where no-one spoke against and where Labour members were queuing up to speak for the motion, it transpired that the motion in favour of the plaque was passed. Albeit for placement on the wrong building.
However, we are informed that Mayor Fiaz had already agreed to the installation of the plaque. If true, that does raise the question of why Councillors Paul and Booker felt the need to table a motion. Surely, it couldn’t simply be for a bit of political grandstanding.
Four years ago, Cllr Paul was the politician with the responsibility for finance. It was a role it appears that he took seriously, at least until Mayor Fiaz gave him the Order of the Boot.
We are told that Paul was confronted by a senior officer of the GMB who was opposed to the commercial development of the old library in Canning Town. Paul, who like Fiaz it appears, wanted to continue with the deal with Nando’s, prayed in aid the fact that Nando’s were willing to invest over £1m in the refurbishment of the property. We are told that when faced with the objections from the GMB, Paul replied, “Nando’s will invest in the property, will the GMB put in £1.2m?”
Their answer was clearly “nothing”.
Having ditched the deal with Nando’s, the decaying site has cost the residents of Newham some £3m and this is a sum that is increasing, making the Will Thorne plaque the most expensive plaque in history.
So, what was it that caused Paul to ditch a profitable commercial deal in favour of turning the library into a multi-million-pound millstone?
Just what is it that has turned the financially conservative Paul into a spendthrift? Why did he oppose the GMB proposals four years ago but support them now?
If Councillor Paul would like to let us know, we will publish his response.
All of this is a bit of a shame. Will Thorne was undoubtedly one of the outstanding leaders of the early Labour movement. Both a trade unionist and a patriot, (Thorne was commissioned in WW1 and lost his son in France), he became an MP for both Canning Town and Plaistow. He is an example of what trades union leaders and MPs used to be like. He deserves to be remembered, but it is a bit perverse to put the plaque on a building where he did not speak when the place where he spoke and launched the gas-workers’ union is standing right next door.