In The August Report
Introduction
The Website
News From John Biggs
Questioning The Mayor
Campaigns
Get In Touch With Me!
Introduction
After a sustained campaign to use 21st Century technology by my two staff members I am today launching my new look monthly report. The usual word document has been replaced by a colourful newsletter complete with pictures and weblinks (I may also try to sneak past them a word version because I still really, really dislike these glossy things but lets see).
And I am also launching my own website. Previously to see my stuff you had to scrabble around GLA, MPA and Wikipedia sites, but now in theory everything you need to know about me is on the site - www.johnbiggs.org.uk Details of what you can find on the website are listed below.
Finally, I wanted to remind you all that I am also on twitter and facebook. I wont pretend to be very nimble at these yet but with time I imagine I will do little else. The addresses are:
facebook.com/JohnBiggsAM
and
twitter.com/JohnBiggsAM
Liking my facebook page or following me on twitter will mean that you get even more up to date information from me. Whether it is a link to a press release, details of meetings and events I am attending or my general musings on life I will try to put it on twitter and facebook.
Finally, if you belong to any sort of local group then please do pass my newsletter on to them and ask them to forward it to their members. They can then go to my website to sign up for the newsletters directly. The more people that know I am their London Assembly representative and engage with me on the issues, the more responsive and representative I can be. Although I am a politician and write with a political perspective I am there to serve everyone, and try to do this faithfully. And transparently.
A win-win surely?
The Website
On the homepage of the website you can see what my latest tweets are, as well as follow me on twitter or like my facebook page. Here is where you can also subscribe to my monthly newsletters.
If you go to the "About Me" section you can find out a little bit more about me. What did i do before I became a politician and what does my job of representing you entail? But not too much…..
News From John Biggs
The News section carries my official press releases, which are stored on the GLA website at http://tinyurl.com/John-Biggs-News
It also contains my monthly reports from 2008 so you can see what issues have interested me, and my constituents, for the past 3 years. And quite how many months I missed!
Questioning The Mayor
A big part of my work is holding people to account on behalf of my constituents. Some of this will involve writing letters to people, holding meetings with them, grilling people at committee meetings or directly questioning the Mayor.
The Mayor is where the buck should stop and so quite rightly it is the most high profile event at the London Assembly every month.
This section links to the GLA website where all of my questions to the Mayor, and his answers, are stored. This is always a good source of information about issues of interest to residents of City and East.
As your representative I am always happy to ask questions of the Mayor on your behalf so if there is anything you want to know then please get in touch. I will either send you back some information which answers your query, or if no such information exists, I can submit a question to the Mayor so you can hear his views.
Additionally, I do committee work at City Hall. Down the years I have served on most of the committees. I led for several years on Transport. Currently I Chair the Assembly’s Budget and Performance Committee (which is more interesting than it sounds! It oversees about £14billion of City Hall spending). I also serve on the Economic Development Committee, particularly important for City and East London, and lead for my Group on the Olympics. And I serve on the Met Police Authority, where I tend to focus on finance and corporate governance issues.
Campaigns
One of the ways in which I am able to secure improvements for residents of City and East is by taking part in campaigns. Some campaigns are successful and some are not. Some demand change and some want to keep the status quo. Some are about local issues and some are about national ones. At any one time I and my office are working on dozens of local and topical issues.
This section of the website gives a good summary of some of the campaigns I am currently involved in. There is also a feedback form on the page so you can let me know what you think of the campaigns. Am I on the right side of the argument? Is there something else I should be doing?
Alternatively, if there is a campaign that you are involved with and you want me help, or would like me to get involved, then you can contact me and we can discuss the situation.
Follow Me On Twitter
If you like using sentences that comprise of 140 characters or less then you will be delighted to know that you can now follow me on twitter.
I started quite recently, and haven’t totally got the hang of it but I am looking to build my following. Most of my Assembly comrades tweet too. Some rarely seem to stop!
Some of my recent tweets were:
I am submitting my questions for September, to the Mayor of London next week. Any suggestions on what to quiz him on most welcome. Tweet me!
Great news that @metpoliceuk have listened to the people of #EastLondon and have recommended that the @ukhomeoffice ban the #EDL march
Let the @cityoflondon know if you want to make more 1-way streets, 2-way for #cyclists
Like My Facebook Page
If you are not on twitter, and even if you are, you can also now ‘like’ my facebook page.
You will get all the updates my twitter followers get but with added information (and pictures!). Who could resist the thought of seeing pictures of me out and about in East London every week? Some, I am sure. But some pictures tell stories better than words.
Get In Touch With Me!
John Biggs AM
City Hall
The Queens Walk
London SE1 2AA
020 7983 4350
