Brent Greens

Letter in Harrow Times: Domination by Supermarkets

2012-02-03T08:07:00.000Z

Letter by Shahrar Ali, 'Tesco expansion: Domination by supermarkets', Harrow Times 2 Feb 2012.

Willesden Green Library Redevelopment

2012-01-28T21:48:00.011Z

Local residents have set up a collaborative blog, Keep Willesden Green, in response to mounting concerns amongst residents about the regeneration plans for the area, in particular, redevelopment of Willesden Green Library Centre.

In a nutshell, the Council Executive of 16 January 2012 has already given the go-ahead for the modern Library Centre (fronted by the old Willesden Central Library pictured above) to be demolished and replaced by a new building, made viable only because the favoured contractor has been permitted to build residential housing on a substantial part of the land. I heard impassioned speeches against the project by local residents both at the Executive meeting and the subsequent Willesden area consultative forum of 18 January. At that forum, Leader Ann John dismissed appeals to save the historical old building, answering that it was right to have a "clear out" instead.

The decision is now to be examined by the Call-in and Overview Scrutiny Committee of Brent Council at the request of the Lib Dems. The meeting is on Wednesday February 1st (7.30pm Committee Room 1, Brent Town Hall). A detailed submission of criticisms against the original paper signed off by the Executive is available here.

Judging from past performance of this Council, the stronger the arguments the more likely they are to be ignored. Yet this submission comes from within the recall mechanism of the Council - maybe it has more leverage than impassioned speeches from members of the public?

Let's not resign ourselves to bad decision making in Brent Council. It does not have to be this way.

Willesden Green Wassail 2012: In pictures

2012-01-28T20:25:00.007Z

On 22 January 2012, local residents converged on Willesden Green to perform the annual Wassail. Now in its third year of revivial in Willesden, this Anglo-Saxon tradition consists of chanting "good health" (literally "waes hael" in old English means "be well"). We were told by Rachel (pictured in green above, alongside Viv with loudhailer) that the plan was to extend the blessing beyond fruit trees to local shops on the Willesden High Road. We had our own song, and a couple of lines would be customised to take in the propreity names of the local shops and premises as we made our stops.
There was a great community spirit and as these few pictures attest, many came out in force, assisted by Transition Kensal to Kilburn in Willesden. I was particularly impressed by the political literacy of the slam poets in action (one pictured here).
Banner reads: "Willesden Green Wassail"
Gerry of Mapesbury Residents Association demonstrating a Wolf-Garten pole and basket for fruit-harvesting. I joked that he could have been the next Dyson.

Letter in Harrow Times: Holocaust Memorial Day

2012-01-28T20:05:00.002Z

Letter by Shahrar Ali in Harrow Times, 26 Jan 2012 edition, "Perfect Example of Solidarity"

Commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day in Brent: In words and in spirit

2012-01-22T12:54:00.006Z

Rwandan survivor, Ndiho Sean Obedih addresses Brent Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration, Town Hall, 22 January 2012. (Chief executive, Gareth Daniel and borough Mayor, Cllr Aslam Choudry also on stage, l-r).

Performance of 'Viva La Libertad' by Kensal Rise Primary School Ethnic Contemporary Classical Orchestra.

Today's event was well attended and a huge success. I found the programme, put together by the Brent Multi Faith Forum, an excellent combination of historical overview, reflection and meditation, yet something to lift the spirit, too.

Ndiho Sean Obedih (pictured) spoke emotionally, yet eloquently, about the period in 1994 when he and his family escaped with their lives. He started by confiding in us that he hadn't "been able to open the vault of the bad memories" which he held. He punctuated his description of his eventual flight from the home where murderous gangs repeatedly visited and finally burnt to the ground with, "Had we been there [that day], I wouldn't be here today." Mr Obedih's insights were painfully authentic: "I could name a thousand names whose lives have been wasted because of hatred," and he spoke of how when first asked his tribe he did not know the answer, nor could it have been known, or important, amongst the friends he had made before then .. and still. I was impressed with Obedih's articulacy of the evil which men (and it is generally men) do: "No one is born a saviour or a murderer." He ended with a quote from Anne Frank, "I don't think of all the misery but the beauty that still remains."

The performance by the young orchestra from Kensal Rise Primary school was a fitting close to the proceeding, all of which was ably compered by Gareth Daniel. I did wonder whether somebody else might have wanted to perform that link role, but Daniel does have his own charms (describing himself self-effacingly at one point as a "front man")

We do not have enough opportunities in Brent for demonstration of community cohesion and solidarity, but at least this was one almost perfectly managed. Whilst enjoying, as a borough, the most diverse society in the country this was a perfect place to demonstrate the inclusive purpose of the Memorial Day, which has sometimes gotten unduly politicised elsewhere.

News story in Brent Times, "Hundreds pay tribute to genocide victims in Holocaust Memorial Day event in Brent", 23 Jan 2012.

Brent Commemerates Holocaust Memorial Day: 22 Jan 2012

2012-01-19T08:58:00.000Z

Brent Council's Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration takes place at the Paul Daisley Hall, Brent Town Hall, on Sunday 22 January 2012 at 11am-12noon (following taken from Brent's invitation, also available here).

Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity to remember those who lost their lives during the Holocaust and those affected by genocide all over the world. It is an interfaith event which is open to all to attend. The national theme for this year is "Speak Up, Speak Out", and we will be encouraging our guests to reflect on the impact of genocide in the past and to consider how we can act to challenge acts of prejudice, persecution and genocide today.

Please find details of our programme below:

11.00am Welcome by The Worshipful Mayor of Brent, Councillor Aslam Choudry

11.05am Introduction by Gareth Daniel, Chief Executive, Brent Council

11.10am Lighting of the memorial candles by members of Brent Youth Parliament

11.15am Rwandan survivor, Ndiho Sean Obedih ‘Speaks Up’ about his experience during the Rwandan genocide

11.25am The London Cantorial Singers perform ‘Schoch'nei votei Chomer’

11.30am A performance poem by Adisa the verbaliser

11.35am A talk by Frank Dabba Smith. Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar: A German Industrialist Helps the Persecuted During the Holocaust

11.45am Memorial prayer in Hebrew and English led by Reverend Anthony Wolfson, accompanied by The London Cantorial Singers. Followed by a one minute silence

11.55am Performance of ‘Viva La Libertad’ by Kensal Rise Primary School Ethnic Contemporary Classical Orchestra

12-12.30pmTea & Coffee and viewing of exhibitions

All communities are welcome so please encourage your friends, family and colleagues to attend the service and support this very important cause.

Contact Louise Inder for more information.

Willesden ACF: Brent Budget Presentations and Civic Centre Costs

2012-01-19T08:37:00.003Z

Leader Ann John addresses the Willesden ACF, with Cllr Hirani chair (second from right) and Deputy Leader Cllr Muhammed Butt (right).

The latest of the area consultative forums took place in Willesden on 18 January 2012. The main item was presentation of the Council budget. This consisted of a double act by Leader Ann John and Deputy Cllr Muhammed Butt. Unfortunately, the attendance was poor. I counted 26 in the audience, including some ward councillors, with a few latecomers thereafter. Papers for the budget item could have been better distributed if placed alongside the agenda papers as people entered instead of tucked away on a display table.

Ann John is a formidable politician and her presentational pitch was nothing if not disarming. She spent a good while framing the cuts which her administration was implementing in terms of coalition government edicts – no surprise there, but added in a cocktail of other contextualisers, such as record high income ratio differentials nationally (neglecting to mention past Labour government policies), lamenting the prospect of multi-borough councils (along the lines of a West London Alliance, that Brent was already taking a lead on for other reasons) and the consolation of Diamond Jubilee celebrations on our doorstep in 2012 (Wembley Stadium). She has a straight-talking manner and one can easily warm to her. Somebody said to me afterwards, "How come she makes the worst decisions sound like they're so wonderful? Does anyone believe her?"

Cllr Butt, on the other hand, struck me as uncomfortable with his brief – which went into greater specifics about the figures. In this context, that's actually a compliment. I've heard him speak passionately and confidently in the previous administration, but now as a key front man he looks conflicted and nervous about what he's doing. I've not heard him speak from the heart lately, only with his calculating brain (eg. asking a question about legal licence at a key meeting in which the fate of local libraries was being sealed with his vote among others). I pity when I see politicians with a conscience risk losing it like that. I especially pity the people who have to forebear the consequences of bad decisions.

I raised a clarificatory question about the financing for the Civic Centre, which was heralded in the presentation of a revenue-raising venture. The Council's basic contention is that the co-location of 12 buildings, mostly with soon-to-expire leases, into one civic centre will cost the council less to run overall. We were told that "within 3 years it will be delivering £3.5m savings each year". However, this did not sit easily with previous assertions that the capital cost of the project would be paid back over 25 years – wouldn't these putative savings be used up in repayment of that debt, costing at least £4m year on year over 25 years? I was referred to an officer both at the meeting and invited to speak to him during the interval, which I took up. I was told that over and above these putative savings, another £3m per annum was already being offset against the cost of the debt repayment, although I couldn't be given the term of this repayment – it would have to be considerably more than 25 years. Nor could I be supplied with hard calculations since these were "confidential".

Ultimately, I don't see how we can have confidence in these savings assumptions without being able or allowed to scrutinise the devil of the details and assumptions behind them. Even if savings could have been expected through co-location, why then squander the larger part of them on repayment of a building, a large part of which is going to be allocated to private occupancy? Why not use the £20m expected to be raised through sale of the Town Hall on a more modest building? Even after such a sale, I was told, the debt will be £105m. How can the Council be counselling, and implementing, service cuts in the front line, such as local library provision, without this debt worsening the situation?

Moreover, even if were to rely upon the £3.5m per annum net savings figure from 2016 (3 years after opening), that means a net cost to us at least until then. Brent claims that it needs to make £100m of savings over the next four years – but surely this financial pressure is made worse by the civic centre costs in the interim?

Even on their own terms, the current costs associated with financing the debt is substantial (repayment plus interest). In answer to a recent FOI request about this cost, I was told:

“The actual monthly contract costs of the construction of the Civic Centre are now being published as part of Brent’s commitment to Open Data:

http://www.brent.gov.uk/opendata.nsf (a prize to anybody who can locate the relevant lines?)

The cost of financing the debt is published in the council’s Statement of Accounts as required by International Financial Reporting Standards. Prior to the introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards the interest paid on the debt was £67,496.75.” (FOI, 27 Sept 2011)

Finally, it’s hardly comparing like with like to calculate a net savings figure in 2016 using 2012 as a baseline, when Brent’s use of space would have significantly reduced by then due to redundancy and downsizing (much of which will be controversial). The correct comparison would surely be against how many of the 12 buildings would still have been required without co-locating?

At the Council Executive on Monday 16 January, two days earlier, we heard the Audit Commission present its annual audit of Brent Council. Unfortunately, we were advised, in understated yet authoritative tones, that Brent had had "difficulty" in presenting its accounts, which had been found "incomplete, inaccurate and untimely". This had necessitated payment of an additional fee of £50,000 to help bring in order. Improvements were said to be required in financial reporting and reserves. The annual Audit Commission letter is available here.

The final in the latest round of ACFs takes place in Kingsbury on 7 February 2012. (Oh dear, this date seems to be changing continually! It was advertised first as 8 February, then misadvertised for January (including by Ann John last night) and now I see it has changed yet again. At this rate, who will know?). My colleague, Martin Francis, reports on the Wembley ACF here.

PS. Here is a useful meetings diary, difficult to find on the site, but currently does not list the Kingsbury ACF at all.

Letter of the Week: Anti-HS2 Campaign Will Continue

2012-01-12T18:42:00.005Z

Shahrar Ali's letter in Brent Times, 12 Jan 2012 edition (p. 20), 'Our anti-HS2 rail campaign will continue'.

Transcript follows:

'Our anti-HS2 rail campaign will continue'

The notion that there may be a silver lining on the cloud hanging over residents who would be adversely affected if the HS2 high speed rail proposal got the go-ahead is a dangerous one, (‘Campaigners pledge to step up battle if HS2 goes ahead’, 5 Jan 2012).

The fact that a light rail scheme for north west London could take advantage of a new station at Old Oak Common IF HS2 went ahead is hardly cause for celebration for residents of Camden, Kilburn, Wesminster North and Kensal Green who would have to contend with a tunnel being built under their homes.

The HS2 proposal, even though given the all-clear by the government this week, would have a long way to run in terms of public consent and planning approvals. It would surely be better for proponents of light rail not to risk having their campaign recruited by proponents of an ill-conceived HS2 plan – unless, that is, they are in favour of the HS2 in its own right, too, or would wish to prioritise it?

John Whitelegg, Green Party spokesperson on sustainable development, and an expert in the transport industry has said: "The reasons for opposing the current set of proposals revolve round the flawed business case, the damage to environmentally sensitive areas, the forecast increases in car and air transport that are associated with high speed rail demand forecasts and the very poor performance of high speed rail in reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Brent Green Party supports light rail as part of an integrated transport solution for the borough, together with better pedestrianisation and cycling routes.

However, together with a growing number of organisations and individuals campaigning nationally under the banner of STOP HS2, we continue to campaign vigorously against HS2. It would also represent a massive cost which none of us can afford.

Shahrar Ali
Green Party London Assembly candidate for Brent and Harrow
PO Box 54785
London NW9 1FL

See John Whitelegg's latest article in the Huffington Post: 'HS2 is Socially Regressive, Environmentally Damaging and Bafflingly Irrational' (11 Jan 2012)

Brent Times: Council won't rule out private parks

2012-01-12T18:37:00.002Z

Martin Francis pictured and quoted in story on Brent Parks Service privitisation rumours (Brent Times, p. 2, 12 Jan 2012 edition)

Continuing Opposition to HS2 High Speed Rail: Brent, Chilterns and Beyond

2012-01-08T15:47:00.015Z

I recently visited a part of the Chiltern Hills (tree pictured), threatened with development if the HS2 high speed rail proposal went ahead. What price the despoilation of our beautiful countryside? The Green Party has been taking a lead, amongst all the political parties, in opposing this ill-conceived plan. (See STOP HS2 campaign site here and here, my report on recent public meeting in Brent, and a letter in Brent Times). The campaign against HS2 was also highly visible in the village of Great Missenden (on the approach to the Chilterns, google map below), from where these posters present the case against succinctly.
Great Missenden says Stop HS2. Why? "No business case. No environmental case. No money to pay for it."
Gt. Missenden: "The country's broke. Axe HS2"

View Larger Map

National press and media reports yesterday of Network Rail endorsement of the HS2 plan paving the way for a Government approval is cause for alarm (e.g. Channel 4), if only for fear that the government has already made up its mind and is trying to soften the blow by media management. NR were already firmly in the yes camp before the consultation concluded.

Local press reports this week, 'Brent light railway campaigners to 'step up' fight if HS2 goes ahead' (Brent Times, 8 Jan 2012) surely risk distracting attention away from the campaign to Stop HS2 proper. The planning approvals, even if an all-clear is given by the government, have a long way to run. I think it would be good for proponents of light rail not to risk having their campaign recruited by proponents of an ill-conceived HS2 plan. Any hint that there may be a silver lining on the cloud hanging over the residents of Camden, Kilburn and Kensal Green (and that's just our locality, see proposed route) because of an additional station that could be used by both schemes, is hardly going to compensate for the negative impact of having a tunnel built under them!

John Whitelegg, Green Party spokesperson on sustainable development, and an expert in the transport industry has said: "The reasons for opposing the current set of proposals revolve round the flawed business case (e.g. assuming that people do not work whilst on a train journey), the damage to environmentally sensitive areas, the forecast increases in car and air transport that are associated with high speed rail demand forecasts and the very poor performance of high speed rail in reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Brent Green Party will continue to monitor developments in the HS2 proposal and to argue the case against.

Public Rally: Ten Years of Guantanamo Injustice

2012-01-07T18:38:00.009Z

On 7 January 2012, peace and human rights campaigners converged on Trafalgar Square to mark ten years of injustice at Guantanamo Bay. Impassioned peeches included our own Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London (pictured below). I joined the visual display by wearing an orange jump suit and black hood, as part of a line of would-be Guantanamo detainees (pictured above, from the line). We had our numbers and names read out in turn, as we passed to the front of the line, then returned to the back of the line to continue the process again, until all 171 names and numbers of the currently detained were read out in public. Though this process continued for only ten minutes, the sense of dehumanisation from under the hood was already palpable. (London Guantanamo Campaign callling for this action.)

One can hardly imagine the suffering and degradation which these unjustly detained men are having to endure, and have done for up to ten years. Moreover, British resident Shaker Aamer and former resident Ahmed Belbacha are being impeded for return to this country by the current British government.

When I sought to explain the injustice of Guantanamo to sixth formers during the Bush years, their response was one of incredulity, "Surely they must have done something wrong?" No, that's the point. No charge. No trial. Now we must persevere to fight this injustice even whilst Obama breaks his pledge to end the regime.Shahrar Ali and Jean Lambert MEP at the public rally, Trafalgar Square.

Local meeting on Guantanamo injustice: As part of Brent Stop the War meeting, Monday January 9th 7.30 pm at Brent Trades Hall, 375 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2JR. Aisha Maniar, steadfast campaigner, will speak on Ten Years of Guantánamo Bay.

More photos from the action day.

Navin Shah and Brent Library Campaign

2012-01-07T18:02:00.005Z

My letter questioning Navin Shah's position on the local library closures and associated campaign to save them was published in this week's Brent Times (5 Jan 2012, Letters, p. 14). The position to which my comments were directed appeared on Mr Shah's website on 22 Nov 2011, 'Libraries are community hubs'. Another public affirmation of Mr Shah's position has since appeared here (6 Jan 2012). However, support for the local library campaign surely includes the key goal of over-turning Brent's closure decision - and the latest step in the legal battle means taking this to the Supreme Court (see my previous posting, 19 Dec 2011). Does Mr Shah support the campaign's aim to have this decision overturned? Support only for a contingency library facility, say, without proper public funding, is controversial for reasons of principle, precedent and strategy.

A transcript of my published letter appears below:

Unfortunately, Navin Shah finds himself in the awkward political situation of trying to distance himself from the decisions of his own party and to defend them at the same time in one of the boroughs which forms half of his GLA constituency.

In November 2011, writing on his website about the six library closures across Brent, Mr Shah says, “I’m not a Brent Councillor so as such have no powers or vote on Brent Council. Brent has been placed in an impossible position by the stringent cuts worth £60million next year alone imposed by the Tory and LibDem Government.”

Firstly, the position was not “impossible”. Nor was it inevitable. It was a political decision made in the Council chamber, specifically by the Brent Executive on 11 April 2011. That night we heard from dozens of petitioners. We heard from young, we heard from old – invariably eloquent and impassioned - exercising their speaking rights against the proposals, for two hours solid. Yet the Executive could not even bring themselves to raise their hands when voting for the Library Decimation Smokescreen, which they have the gall to describe as a “Transformation Project”.

Secondly, if the safeguarding of our local libraries does not count as a “frontline service”, that Mr Shah claims to want to defend, then what does? Young and old alike are being deprived of access to essential educational resources – and those harmed include some of the most disadvantaged in our community, looking to improve their lifechances. Nor is the erection of a new Brent HQ in Wembley at a cost of £102.4million worth foregoing frontline services for.

No, compare Brent Council’s reckless disregard for the People of Brent, continued in the Courts, to the commitment shown by Southwark Council. Southwark also had exactly 12 libraries, but instead of decimating them to six, they have just opened a new facility in Canada Water to bring their complement up to 13. Shame on Brent Council!

I can understand the embarrassment of Mr Shah’s political situation. But make no mistake, the decimation of our libraries is happening on his patch, and I think we do deserve a proper condemnation of it from him; instead of misplaced loyalty to his party and trying to pass the buck only to the Coalition government.

Shahrar Ali
Green Party London Assembly candidate for Brent and Harrow
PO Box 54785
London NW9 1FL

Picture top: part of Preston Library Wall of Shame on 7 Nov 2011 (since dismantled, see Wembley Matters).

Calling Planet Earth on Boxing Day: So Many Beautiful Things So Little Time!

2011-12-26T12:52:00.006Z

Shop till you cash-or-credit-card-accepted-at-this-till drop on Boxing Day: "So many beautiful things, so little time."
So many beautiful things. So little time.
Boxed in on Boxing Day: "I didn't find it. It found me." Honest. Wow, all that lovely green foliage on the side of the building!
BBC interviewing shopaholics on Oxford Street. Camera later trains in on their shopping bags, "Wow!" says interviewer. "Hope you get some time to do some shopping later!" couple tells film crew as they leave. So little time!

New Year Message from Brent Greens

2011-12-24T12:42:00.004Z

Brent Greens would like to wish the People of Brent a peaceful and productive New Year. The following is an address by Martin Francis, originally commissioned by Brent Times (22 Dec 2011 edition, p. 2):

"I hope that readers will have some quiet time to reflect over the holiday on what has been tumultuous year. The way the community has rallied in defence of libraries and other local services has been magnificent but more difficulties will face us next year. There is likely to be a big rise in evictions and subsequent homelessness in the new year which will impact on young families - they will need all the support we can give them."

"At a broader level we need to rethink the way our economy works so that basic needs of work, warmth, food and shelter are provided for all and the wants of rampant consumerism and greed are challenged. Meanwhile extreme weather events in many parts of the world remind us that Climate Change is an ever-present threat which needs unprecedented international action to ensure our children have a future."

Picture: Martin Francis in polar bear suit at Willesden Green, ahead of climate change march, Nov 2011.

Wembley Central By-election 2011: Labour Hold No Cause for Celebration

2011-12-23T10:43:00.025Z

The results for the Wembley Central by-election held on 22 December 2011 are as follows:

Krupa Sheth - Labour Party - Elected with 1402 votes 48.1%
Afifa Pervez - Liberal Democrats - 1022 votes 35.0%
Madhuri Davda - Conservative Party - 349 votes 12.0%
Martin Francis (pictured) - Green Party - 130 votes 4.5%
A total of 13 votes were rejected with a turnout of 27.58% (2,916 papers).

Source: Brent Council with vote share percentages calculated by me.

The group picture shows the Labour team in jubilant spirit at the delcaration. Libdems looked particularly dejected (identifiable in foreground for that reason alone) and had clearly cottoned onto the fact, fairly early in the count, that it wasn't going to be as close as they expected. In the event the margin was quite large.

I had spent some hours on polling day on a walkabout with the Green candidate, Martin Francis. We canvassed two streets until all the leaflets were gone, visited polling stations, shared friendly discourse with tellers from opposition parties, and solicited latest polling figures. By late afternoon we were predicting a very low turnout. In the event, turnout must have picked up in the evening rush hour better than we expected. After taking postal votes into account, I estimate that each of the four polling station venues (serving 7 polling districts between them) must have seen on average around one voter per minute pass through their entrances in the last six hours of polling. I should imagine that Labour's knocking up operation was particularly good - and we passed Cllr James Powney twice during the day.

Although Councillor Sheth and Brent Labour are to be congratulated on their win - only as a matter of electioneering - local and vocal opponents of the cuts agenda will be left wondering how they managed it - more important, politically - or what it would have taken for Labour to have lost this byelection, given how much discontent has already been caused by the local library closures, with the threat of yet more pain to come; in particular, when housing benefit caps come into force in the new year with little prospect of a fight by the Labour administration. The result is little cause for celebration but rather greater cause for trepidation that Labour might feel emboldened in its current course.

The LibDems will also be left worried about their prospects in Brent, given that they had already taken this ward at the byelection in 2009 and weren't short of leaflets this time round either.

The Greens have much to proud of in their campaign. Our aim was modest, in a part of Brent where we have not been active in the past, and we managed to increase our vote share on both the 2009 byelection (3.5%) and the 2010 local elections. We canvassed only a part of the ward, with a small team, and could see the fruit of this labour when one of the ballot boxes in particular was sorted. Martin Francis served us proud!

A word about Brent's statistical analysis. The following shows percentages rounded to the nearest integer. However, such rounding is neither de rigeur nor, in my opinion, advisable. Figures should be expressed to at least one decimal place (Brent is already calculating the turnout to 2 decimals so why the discrepancy?). Firstly, one could then distinguish between candidates getting 0.3% and 0.7%, for example, and one would hardly want to round 0.3% downwards. Secondly, totals would then come to 100%, even after taking any spoilt papers into account. Therefore, I have expressed percentages at the top of this post to one decimal place. The Greens vote share went up 1.0% in this election from 2009.

Let me take the opportunity, on behalf of Brent Greens, to thank our voters at this byelection. We will be back for your vote in the May 2012 GLA elections, and then some!

First thoughts on result on Wembley Matters by the candidate Martin Francis.

Weekly press: Brent Times edition 22 Dec 2011, reflection on the year by Martin Francis (page 2) and letters (page 14) by Shahrar Ali (on HS2) and Martin Francis (on Willesden bookshop).

Brent Libraries Decimation Smokescreen: The Fight Continues

2011-12-19T19:25:00.002Z

On 19 December 2011, the People of Brent lost their Appeal in the High Court against Brent Council in their determination to see half of the borough's libraries returned to use (previous postings).

The Judge almost whisphered his verdict. Public speaking training may be required, or maybe this is the accepted technique for swallowing words for conclusions which don't follow from the arguments presented? I collected a copy of the Judgment (since available on-line) so I could convince myself that he hadn't misread the conclusion. Indeed, two of the three judges say in the report that they "would dismiss this appeal" and the third says he agreed for reasons given by the first two. However, as an example of the kind of bizarre logic presented in the Judgment:

"So that is the real question: whether the council did have due regard. This has to be decided as a matter of substance, not form. Thus in any particular case it is not necessarily fatal if there is no EIA [equalities impact assessment]; and likewise it is not necessarily conclusive if there is an EIA." (LJ Davis, para 92)

But this is to set out, in form [sic.], that an insubstantial EIA - ie. none - will not count against a consideration of whether due regard has been taken with respect to section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (in particular, as this relates to indirect racial discrimination of a community disproportionately affected by the closures). Doesn't deployment of this bizarre substance/form distinction beg the question about what weight is to be given to such an EIA, particularly when the Appelants have contended that the Council has paid insufficient regard to its duties under the Equality Act?

The library campaigners congregated in the corridor outside to hear from their solicitor, John Halford of Bindmans LLP (pictured, with papers). He gave an account of what happened and articulated options for the campaigners to consider. An emergency motion was moved by the campaigners to continue the fight in the Supreme court and to instruct their solicitors, in the first instance, to prepare a petition to have the case heard there. I also felt as though our solicitors had public interest in their sights and the requisite, and reassuring, level of impassioned commitment to the cause - without this clouding their judgment.

The campaigners' solicitor, John Halford, of Bindmans LLP said today:

"Today's Court of Appeal ruling is very difficult to reconcile with what Parliament intended when it enacted the equality duty that obliges Brent, and all other local authorities, to properly grapple with the impact withdrawal of local services of this kind has on communities. The Court of Appeal appears to accept that there is a risk of indirect discrimination against significant numbers of people in Brent resulting from its plans to impose devastating cuts on local library services, but it has excused the Council from properly taking that risk into account before deciding to make those cuts. Our position is that this is simply wrong in principle. If the Supreme Court is willing to hear this case, we anticipate the outcome being very different."

Dr Shahrar Ali, Green Party London Assembly candidate for Brent and Harrow said:

"This is another sad day for the People of Brent in their collective aim to get the Libraries' Decimation Smokescreen exposed for what it is. In an unconscionable raid on some of our few remaining community spaces, the Council would deprive its people of the best part of their educational resources and have the audacity to pretend that we simply don't understand that this is really for our own good! The People of Brent will not stand for it; we will prevail in the Courts the third time!"

My colleague Martin Francis is posting at Wembley Matters.

Harlesden Gallery Artist Group Exhibition @ The Tricycle - Kilburn

2011-12-19T18:48:00.002Z

Harlesden Gallery Artist Group Exhibition @ The Tricycle - Kilburn

January 9th – February 4th 2012 | Private View – 12th January 2012 - 6.30 - 9pm

Harlesden Gallery presents: A Graphically Illustrative Concept…

The Harlesden Gallery artists are back at the Tricycle with an exhibition of digital, illustrative and graphic art. This exciting exhibition will feature works ranging from the conceptual and iconic to the ironic and bizarre. The show combines the dreamlike illustrations of Alex Stewart, Cos Ahmet and Stuart Alexander with the iconic imagery of Ben Oakley and the digital composites of urban artist ‘PIKY’. Meanwhile the humorous subtlety of Gabriel Parfitt and Will Parker’s pieces are a non-confrontational poke at the ordinary and everyday.

Harlesden gallery was borne out of a project called the Harlesden Town Charter, compiled by local residents as a means to deliver regeneration of the area with funding from various sources. The charter identifies the absence of cultural space. So, as there is no actual gallery, we've created a virtual one instead, resulting in the recruitment of a group of talented artists that wish to promote Harlesden and the NW10 area. Harlesden Gallery represents a talented mix of artists, both from NW10 and elsewhere, creating a fascinating network of talented individuals, and providing a comprehensive artist resource, using the combined knowledge, links and contacts of those featured to promote the group under the 'Harlesden Gallery' banner.

Our aim is to exhibit all over the London area and beyond, creating a commercially successful art group while also being a great benefit for the Harlesden locality and community. Harlesden Gallery serves the purpose of creating an interest and awareness of the area, and our aim is to secure the funding for a cultural space that arlesden so desperately needs and deserves.

Gabriel Parfitt: Gallery creator and coordinator

Featured Harlesden Gallery Artists:

Cos Ahmet: www.cos-ahmet.co.uk | Stuart Alexander: www.stuartalexander.net |
Alex Stewart: web.mac.com/alexanderjs | Will Parker: www.worldofparker.com | Piky: www.piky.co.uk |Ben Oakley: www.benoakley.com | Gabriel Parfitt (Curator): www.gabrielparfitt.co.uk

Contacts and Links:
Website: www.harlesdengallery.co.uk
Curator: Gabriel Parfitt | gabrielparfitt@hotmail.com | 077 8686 5356
Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlesdengallery/
Venue: The Tricycle Theatre | 269 Kilburn High Road | London NW6 7JR | 020 7372 6611 | www.tricycle.co.uk

North West London and Ealing NHS Hospital Trusts Selling you More for Less

2011-12-13T20:17:00.000Z

This picture shows notes from a break-out group discussion (with advocates of merger plans in the background), taken towards the end of a public consultation meeting on 12 December 2011 at the Sattavis Centre in Brent. The meeting was hosted by Brent LINk on behalf of the Ealing Hospital Trust and North West London Hospitals NHS Trust. A full report of the meeting is given by my colleague Martin Francis here and a previous posting describes the running down of the Central Middlesex Hospital's A&E department.

Due to a speaking engagement, I was not able to hear the presentation but residents will be able to attend another consultation meeting in Harrow on 12 January 2012 at Premier House Banqueting, Canning Road, Harrow, HA3 7TS (5.30-8pm).

Unforunately, judging from the discussion I did witness, there is some cause for alarm. Martin Francis asked, "Won't you have a problem if there was a major incident? How would you cope?" He was not satisfactorily answered. A woman, waving a merger plan, asked why the motivation to cut costs was not made transparent in their proposals. Reading the briefing document, "Stronger together", I can attest to the fact that this motivation is not made properly explicit. The obvious question then arises whether core and specialist services won't suffer, if the main driver is cost savings. Under "financial drivers" the merger proposal states:

"While the key driver for merging our organisations is to improve clinical quality, we also have to consider what financial benefits merger will bring. Our services need to be affordable, as we know there will be a reduction in hospital income when resources shift to the community. We need to match our services to this change in funding."

This is a very odd way of expressing cost-cutting as a driver and it's certainly difficult to decipher cause and effect from this statement. Instead it sounds like the decision to "shift resources" has already been made. If the merger advocates had said, "Sorry, we need to run these services for less therefore we can't maintain the level of health provision across the board. Sorry for any inconvenience or damage to health caused," we might all know where we stood.

But to pretend that 800,000 residents can receive more for less seems to rely on some perverse logic. Perhaps, instead, the status of this "consultation" is revealed on the penultimate page:

"Whilst we do not have to formally consult with the public about the merger, we would still like to hear your views.."

So much for the patient-centred care ethic, even if the Trusts were right about their interpretation of their duties to consult.

Notice of refusal to collect refuse in Wembley Central ward

2011-12-13T20:02:00.000Z

This picture was taken in Wembley Central ward on 10 December 2001, whilst out canvassing. Clearly not all residents are favourably adjusting to the new waste disposal regime (previous posting). The notice of refusal to collect this waste states:

"Today you left extra waste next to your landfill waste bin. We only collect waste that is inside the bin. Put it in your landfill waste bin next time. We will not empty your landfill waste bin if it is too full and cannot be shut."

Unfortuantely, that means that this particular resident could be facing a catch-22 situation. They cannot put the waste inside the bin, since it is full and will not be emptied if overfull. But they cannot leave the waste outside the bin either, since it will not be collected. Presumably they should be collecting their waste indoors until or unless they have spare capacity in the grey bin every fortnightly collection?

Is this rule being sensibly applied in this case? The bearer of the notice (Brent's subcontractor) is acknowledging that this waste is meant for landfill but it is being left to stand on the street exposed to the elements and interference from foxes, with the inevitable result that dispersal will result.

Clean Air for Brent and Harrow: Neasden Goods Yard

2011-12-13T19:38:00.001Z

On 1 December 2011, Shahrar Ali, Green Party London Assembly candidate for Brent and Harrow was joined by Jenny Jones, Green Party Mayoral candidate outside the Neasden Lane goods yards (pictured) in a call for action over air pollution in the constituency. Neasden Goods Yard has been the focal point of the local party’s campaigns to improve air quality locally.

Dr Ali and Jones met with local shopkeepers and residents to discuss how dust from the bay affects their quality of life and business in their community. Recent research has suggested that more than 4,000 people a year die in London prematurely as a result of poor air quality—and the Green Party have discovered that pollution is often are often twice as bad at child height.

This week Green Party activists across London joined their colleagues in Brent and Harrow in collecting signatures for a petition calling on the Mayor of London to urgently reduce air pollution on main roads near schools to protect the health of children in London.

There are 1,148 schools in London within 150 metres of roads that carry 10,000 or more vehicles per day.

Shahrar Ali, Green Party London Assembly candidate said: "Clean air is a basic necessity of life. The particulate matter generated by the goods yards along Neasden Lane is a serious health hazard for the neighbourhood, made worse by the proximity to the North Circular Road. In this campaign I shall be exposing the harm visited upon residents and local traders by unsafe environmental practices. Only the Greens offer the long-term sustainable solutions to improve air quality and quality of life at the same time."

Jenny Jones said: “Shahrar’s experience as an activist committed to improving the lives of those in the communities of Brent and Harrow make him an ideal candidate to represent the boroughs on the London Assembly. Because we are rooted in the community the Green Party is able to make the links between the issues that affect ordinary Londoners and the policies of those in power at City Hall. This air pollution campaign is a perfect example of joining the dots and working together to create a healthier, cleaner, greener London.”

Notes
1. Statistics on air pollution deaths can be found here.
2. Statistics on schools near major roads can be found here.

Report from Jenny Jones at Jenny for London: "Brent and Harrow candidate demands Clean Air Now!"

Polar Bear sighted at Willesden Green

2011-12-13T19:31:00.001Z

Representatives of Brent Green Party, Brent Friends of Earth and Brent Campaign against Climate Change leafleting outside Willesden Green Tube on 28 November, building for the Climate Change march on 3 December 2011.
L - r: Tim Danby, Viv Stein, Shahrar Ali, Martin Francis (suited), Brian Orr and Ken Montague. Photo by Jonathan Goldberg.

Letter of the Week: HS2 and Kensal Rise tunnel proposal

2011-12-08T18:30:00.000Z

Letter by Shahrar Ali in Brent Times, 8 December 2011: "HS2 does not include London tunnel review"

Wembley Central By-Election: Canvassing in the Cold with Warm Reception

2011-12-04T20:19:00.009Z

Brent Greens were out in force in Wembley Central ward this morning. Our candidate, Martin Francis, is seen here canvassing a resident (with fellow Green Laura maintaining head gear in the foreground, against a sometimes biting wind).

Residents were keen to hear Martin's pitch for a strong and independent Green voice in the Council chamber. We learned that many residents were disgruntled at the loss of their local library in Barham Park. We explained that we were fighting alongside other campaigners to see this situation reversed. The increase in incidence of fly tipping in the neighbourhood was also complained about. We explained how the Council had recently reduced street sweeping frequency.

The by-election takes place on 22 December 2011. One resident told me that we should instead be thanking the creator at that time for all that he had bestowed upon the earth. For sure, he had one of the finest front gardens, without excess paving.

Bus 302: Destination Unknown

2011-12-03T21:29:00.003Z

The Destination of this Bus has been Changed: Please listen for further announcements? But the destination of this bus no longer exists. Neasden Library was boarded up by Brent Council on 13 Oct 2011. The Green Party continues to fight alongside local campaigners to have this situation reversed, and for the change of destination of this bus thereby rendered meaningful.

Kensal Triangle Residents Association Against HS2

2011-12-03T20:55:00.012Z

On Tuesday 29 November 2011, I attended a public meeting (pictured) in Kensal Rise about HS2 (high speed rail network project No. 2) organised by the Kensal Triangle Residents Assocation. Nobody had a good word to say about the project.

Joe Rukin of the Stop HS2 national campaign told us first about the history of the proposal - the brainchild of Lord Adonis, appointee of the previous new Labour administration - then the likely impact on residents of Kensal Rise if the proposed route went ahead. On one scenario, from Euston to just north of Sheffield by way of Old Oak Common, construction would last from 2017 to 2026, with a track tunnel normally at 50m below ground rising to as little as 15m below housing in Kensal Rise (only 10-12m if tunnel height is taken into account). This would likely cause significant vibration disturbance and noise to residents when in use (18 trains per hour each way). Moreover, we were told about the massive expense at a time of putative austerity - £32bn on 2009 figures, which did not include interest on the loans nor inflation nor train carriages themselves.

The speaker was continually interrupted by residents from the floor, concerned about the impact it would have on their lives, wanting to find out what they could do to stop it, or simply trying to clarify what was being said, because incredulous that any of this could be true. For example, why would it be proposed not to connect HS2 with HS1 (the channel tunnel rail link)? But true.

The most memorable line, I think, was Mr Rukin's assertion that neither this nor the previous govenment had worked out the question to which this proposal was the answer. That's why it made such little sense, on grounds of feasibility, presumed economic impact, or environmental impact (next to none of which had been assessed).

Residents were left in no doubt about the need to remain vigilant about developments and to step up their campaigning and lobbying of politicians at all levels, with a decision on the public consultation expected from Transport Minister Justine Greening shortly.

The Green Party voted at its conference in Sepember 2011 against the HS2 proposal because, amongst other things, we say that long-distance service provision should not concentrate on high speeds where this will affect local service provision or take up and excessive amount of limited resources.

Recent statement from Green Party of England and Wales. My colleague, Martin Francis, was also at the meeting and has posted here.

Update: on 3 December, the government announced a postponement of their decision to January 2012, pending a review of the Chiltern hills leg of the route, but this contains no review of the London tunnel section.

Occupy Finsbury Square: My day at Tent City University

2011-12-03T19:23:00.007Z

On Saturday 26 November 2011, I spoke to the occupation at Finsbury Square. Here is a picture of some of the people at "Tent City University". I was set up with a good PA system and, as we were right up against the pavement, several passersby were also attracted to the meeting. First, I expressed London Green Party's solidarity with the Occupy movement and said why the occupiers' physical presence was such an important expression of resistance to the economic system, both in symbol and in fact. I said we were 100% in solidarity with them. Then I delivered a critique of the current economic system by describing virtual and fradulent economic measures which failed to represent true value, either as equal to the labour or value put in or by failing to factor in the true cost to the planet of our consumption activities, whether for human beings or ecosytems. I attempted to describe a localised, meaningful economic system that could ensure that everybody's basic needs were met, such as shelter, food and health, that could safeguard resources for global populations today and tomorrow, and that did not try to commidify everything, whilst still recognising the preciousness of such things as clean air and rich ecosystems. (The second picture is of a great sign made out of coloured bottle tops.)

I found it invigorating to deliver the talk and engage in discussion with the people. Questions were far-reaching, whether about the credibility of conferring international rights to natural systems upon which humans and other species depended; the identification of an alternative currency, whether through valuing things by consensus, or protecting basic goods from commidification and monopolisation; or about the manner in which social and political change could be effected, by transition to grassroots-led participation and representation instead of submission to heirarchy.
Finsbury Square and tents.
Finsbury Square and Democracy as a Work in Progress.

Letter in Brent Times: Political Accountability and Civic Centre Unaffordability

2011-11-25T18:23:00.003Z

Letter by Shahrar Ali in Brent Times, "Downsize civic centre proposals", 24 November 2011.

Letter in Brent Times: 'Tory lead coalition is the real villain'

2011-11-25T18:20:00.002Z

Letter by Martin Francis, Brent Times, 24 November 2011.

Wembley Central by-election: Statement of Persons Nominated

2011-11-25T13:43:00.006Z

The duly nominated candidates for the Wembley Central by-election on 22 December 2011 are as follows:

Conservative Party: Madhuri Davda
GREEN PARTY: Martin Francis (pictured)
Lib Dems: Afifa Pervez
Labour Party: Krupa Sheth

from the Official Statement of Persons Nominated.

As is typical, at time of posting, information about the Wembley Central by-election is extremely difficult to find on the Council's website. You won't find it linked from Councillors Democracy and Elections or the Elections sub-page. You might just spot it on the home page if you happen to look at the busy banner at the right moment. Probably you will have to resort to a search, which assumes you already know what you are looking for, and that you will dismiss the first search result for 2009 as history.

The LibDems have been complaining about the timing of the by-election, saying it has been scheduled just before Christmas to make it harder to notice. I doubt they have any evidential basis for this claim. However, it would be good if Brent could make the political fixture easier to find on their own website, and not just by people who already know about it. It would also be good to get a clear public statement from Jayesh Mistry why he resigned, instead of second hand statements and rumours.

Brent Green Party is delighted with the nomination of Martin Francis, who represents the only credible challenge to the decimation of our front line services at the ballot box. Martin will be regularly blogging at Wembley Matters and further by-election updates will follow on both these sites.

Video Clips of the Brent & Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign meeting 22/11/2011

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000Z

Introduction by Martin Francis , Chair of B&H PSC and speech by Michael Deas Europe Coordinator of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC)

Questions and discussion 1

Simon Natas, Human Rights Lawyer (ITN Solicitors)

Questions and discussion 2

Salim Alam, West London Palestine Solidarity Campaign

Questions and discussion 3

Veolia Violates Palestinian Land: Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign

2011-11-22T21:24:00.009Z

On the evening of 22 November 2011, I attended an excellent public meeting in Willesden Green Library centre organised by the Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Michael Deas, Europe coordinator BDS national committee (pictured above, second from left) spoke first about the reasons for the strength of the boycott against Veolia nationally and internationally and key successes in some local boroughs already, notably Tower Hamlets. He outlined three key areas in which Veolia was complicit in the Israeli policy of illegal settlements in the Occupied Territories of Palestine - the construction and operation of a light railway transport system connecting West Jerusalem to illegal settlements; the disposal and dumping of toxic waste on Palestinian land; and the operation of bus routes along trunk roads to the exclusion of Palestinians (all illustrated below in poster).
Simon Natas, a leading human rights lawyer (pictured right), spoke next about the relationship between international human rights law, in particular, Israel's violations, and the moral basis for our intuitions about legal transgressions. He also identified legally analogous precedents, such as the concept of "aiding and abetting". In the discussion period, I put it to him that there was good moral basis for confronting companies whose actions actively facilitated the oppression of human beings, and violation of their basic rights, in spite of the fact that they were not primary authors of the policies they were acting under: "co-responsibility not diminished responsibility". Mr Natas agreed that Veolia should be held to account, particularly when they had made commitments to protect human rights under corportate social reponsibility (CSR) codes of conduct.

Finally, Salim Alam, a BDS campaigner from Ealing (pictured left, substituting for Rafeef Ziadah), spoke about how the aims of the boycott could be furthered by local residents writing to their local councillors and impressing upon other officials the need to get the West London Waste Authority (which includes Brent as one of six boroughs) to exclude Veolia from consideration for municipal waste contracts on grounds of "grave misconduct". The campaign had already met with the Authority to press its demands, armed with a letter countersigned by 576 residents of the catchment area already (example of the sample letter).

The meeting was diligently chaired by Martin Francis and everybody got a chance to ask questions and network after the meeting on a campaign of great importance to anybody determined to see an end to the injustice and indignity suffered by the Palestinian people. The speakers were dedicated to their cause and this showed in their words, their summary of past actions and declaration of future intentions.

Brent Fightback, Brent Takeback: People's Assembly

2011-11-12T19:38:00.011Z

Brent Fightback organised an excellent public meeting on 12 November 2011, pictured, at the Harlesden Methodist Church, Harlesden. Attendance picked up throughout the day, with elected representatives (ahem) the most patchy. We saw Cllr Butt and former MP Dawn Butler in the audience only at the beginning and Lee Jasper did not show for his billed contribution to the opening speeches.

The second hour was given over to a workshop, in which local people got a chance to introduce themselves to one another (split into two groups) and to voice their fears and (ocassionally) hopes. Alas mobilisation against savage cuts - whether the local libraries, forthcoming caps on housing benefit, the threat to local nurseries - were recurrent themes. In our workshop we had a good debate addressing questions such as 1. Were not the voters partly to blame for electing their councillors in the first place, even though they now felt betrayed by them? 2. Did local councillors really have their hands tied by the national coalition, as some councillors present were claiming? 3. What was the proper role of voluntary, grassroots-led initatives either as a means of redirecting political energy into something seemingly more fruitful or in its own right? Leroy Simpson, chair of Harlesden Town Team spoke eloquently about the need to engage youth, in particular, through a can-do attitude. Some voiced concerns about the danger of letting our elected off the hook by such means and I entered in a plea that the two approaches were not necessarily exclusive - and that we certainly must continue to challenge the politicians who failed us, and to mount political alternatives through that route. After all, we were being taxed, locally and nationally, not to have to pay for everything all over again, let alone to have our politicians frustrate our lifechances.

The closing session (pictured above) was a Question Time-style debate. The chair was flanked by two Labour councillors to one side, and two anti-cuts campaigners to the other. Janice Long (Harlesden), Jim Moher (Fryent) and Lesley Jones (substituting for Cllr Moher towards the end) were questioned on topics ranging from political accountability, libraries cuts, the unaffordability of the new civic centre, loss of a local community centre, loss of anticipated housing benefit leading to foricible eviction, and depletion of mental health services. Sarah Cox and Pete Firmin added their criticism, and sometimes disdain, to that of a well-informed audience.

To my own question, What is the cost of financing the debt on the £102.4m headquarters over 25 years?, Cllr Moher answered £25m. But how is that £25m going to be found, if not through cuts elsewhere, year on year? All this, in addition to the increased expenditure on a captial project, which could hardly be met by the savings of co-locating council buildings alone.

Cllr Long had a tough time persuading the masses that if they did not implement the cuts agenda (going so far as outlining the scenarios they were encouraged to plan for at away-days), then they would simply be imposed upon us by unelected bureaucrats. Was it as though the Labour administration had spent sleepness nights tormenting themselves over how they could not avoid axeing half of the borough's libraries? It didn't look like they could have acted any less responsibly, or done more to damage the lifechances of young and old of our community, had they tried.

Of course, one has to thank the councillors who did take the trouble to attempt to justify themselves. Yet the music that they faced was not as inveitable as they might like to suppose.

I was left reflecting on the concern of one delegate that the Brent anti-cuts campaign could have been called something more positive. Some already responded that nothing less affirmative than a fight was required, and that it was not of our choosing. I think this is right, but that does not mean that Brent Fightback is not other things besides. Brent Fightback is also: Brent Comeback. Brent Blowback. Brent Takeback. We need to take back what rightly belongs to us, including our local democracy. Take Ownership.

Other reports: Martin Francis on Wembley Matters.

Brent Local Libraries: Coverage in Harrow Times

2011-11-10T08:20:00.001Z

'Protestors 'defiant' at Library closure march', Harrow Times, 10 Nov 2011 edition, p. 8 (on-line version).

'We must fight this assault', Letters, Harrow Times, 3 Nov 2011.

Further on-line coverage: 'Brent Council Chief apologises over Library distance claims', london24.com, 9 Nov.

Brent Council Barham Park Fireworks

2011-11-07T08:58:00.003Z

It was great to see so many people at this display in Barham Park on 5 November 2011. This was a time for families and friends to forget about their economic woes, for half an hour if they could, but not necessarily to forgive the closure of Barham Park library - which was conspicuous at the entrance to the park. It isn't clear how the fireworks calendar next year is going to accommodate more than one festival, let alone complaints about the loss of Roundwood Park festivities - for further comments see.

Photo by S Ali.

Brent Library Campaigners March One Step Forward: Brent Council Two Steps Back

2011-11-07T08:44:00.004Z

On Saturday 5 Nov 2011, I joined the library campaigners' march from South Kenton station to Preston library. This first pic shows us congregrating at the start.

Bringing up the rear along Carlton Avenue East.

Child donning placard "Labour isn't Learning".

"Los Indignados De Brent". Recognition of the movement in Spain before us.

Converging on Democracy Wall (as my colleague Martin Francis has dubbed it), or the Wall of Shame (as another has said), the march went on to Kingsbury library.

Still another 1.6 miles to the nearest local library (Kingsbury), says poster on Wall.

Brent Council is building a £102 million Civic Centre, £3m of which will go on a new library (below). Never mind the redundancies from six local libraries or the 25 years of debt this incurs.

Dr Shahrar Ali, Green Party GLA candidate for Brent and Harrow said: "Young and old, local and borough-wide, political and politicised came together this afternoon to march to Preston library and beyond. We were united in our abhorrence of these closures and defiant in our common goal to see them reinstated."

Further reporting on Wembley Matters.

Food, Floods and Climate Change

2011-11-06T13:17:00.000Z

Click on image to enlarge

White House Community Association Open Evening

2011-11-06T12:04:00.005Z

I found it really inspiring to hear about the work of the White House Community Association at their open evening on 1 November 2011. Members of the volunteer team are pictured here.

Matilde Melo (pictured, left of centre) gave a terrific introduction to the work of the Centre. Their Wembley office is always open to callers. Their motto is never to turn anybody away who seeks help, if only by finding the right person or organisation to refer them to.

The main programmes of work involve offering a local support stucture, whether by offering help or counselling with financial or legal issues; English classes and translation services especially for Porugese-speaking newcomers to the UK; and helping to combat poverty around the world as part of a global network.

Green MP to Speak at Occupy London Stock Exchange Rally on Saturday 5 Nov 2011

2011-11-04T09:19:00.006Z

The UK's Green MP Caroline Lucas will speak out in support of the "real politics" of protest at the 'We are the 99%' rally taking place outside St Paul's Cathedral on Saturday 5 November.

The MP for Brighton Pavilion, who pressed David Cameron to support a 'Robin Hood Tax' on financial trading during Prime Minister's Questions earlier this week, will join with protesters to show support for the Occupy movement against economic injustice.

Saturday's rally, taking place from 2pm, will be followed by a march on Parliament from St Paul's.

Caroline Lucas, one of the few MPs to have visited the Occupy LSX encampment, said:

"As the public becomes more aware of the injustice and unsustainability of our economic system, more and more people are taking to the streets for a different kind of society - one which puts the interests of the many before those of a powerful minority. That the leaders of the mainstream political parties have completely failed to engage with what is happening down at St Paul's and at protests across the country shows just how painfully out of touch they are with the public mood for change."

Dr Lucas MP said: "This is real politics in action - and the voices of those ordinary and extraordinary people who want a fairer, greener system to replace the stocks-and-shares house of sand that sustains corporate capitalism must now be heard."

Dr Lucas said: "The global financial crisis and billion-pound bailouts have exposed the plain truth that the entire economic system is rigged against the hard working majority. As a first step towards mending the damage wreaked on our society by reckless financial gambling, the Government must back a Robin Hood Tax at the G20 Summit in Cannes - with the revenue ear-marked to address sustainable development and the growing climate crisis."

Dr Shahrar Ali, Green Party London Assembly candidate, said: "Globally, we face an economic, environmental and ecological crisis of an unprecedented order. Two coal-fired power stations are being built in China every week, largely to prop up the West's completely unsustainable lifestyle."

Dr Ali said: "The Occupy movement represents the need for a grassroots, sustainable solution to fix the system, not just by tinkering around the edges. We need to find an economic system which costs things according to the planet and to value people's labour according to what they actually put in. We must support those doing an honest day's work, instead of the unaccountable bankers and financial service industry."

Caroline Lucas website.

Link to Shahrar Ali interview on Occupy movement, 9 Oct 2011.

Letter of the Week in Brent Times: Impact of Library Closures is felt by Community Now

2011-11-03T09:20:00.003Z

Letter by Shahrar Ali, 'Impact of Library Closures is felt by Community Now', 3 Nov 2011.

Martin Francis Brent Times Column: Cut after Cut Undermines the Quality of Our Lives

2011-11-03T09:15:00.001Z

Martin Francis column in Brent Times, Cut after Cut Undermines the Quality of our Lives, 3 Nov 2011.

China Mieville at Brent CCC meeting 17/10/2011

2011-10-22T19:49:00.002+01:00

China Miéville lives and works in London. He is three-time winner of the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke Award (Perdido Street Station, Iron Council and The City & The City) and has also won the British Fantasy Award twice (Perdido Street Station and The Scar). The City & The City, an existential thriller, was published in 2009 to dazzling critical acclaim and drew comparison with the works of Kafka and Orwell (The Times) and Phillip K. Dick (The Guardian). The City & The City recently won the British Science Fiction Award and the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was also shortlisted for the Nebula and Hugo prizes.

See http://www.panmacmillan.com/features/displayPage.asp?PageID=7881 for details of China Mieville's books.

China Mieville introduced By Ken Montague. Brent CCC meeting 17/10/11

China Mieville questions and discussion 1. Brent CCC meeting 17/10/11

China Mieville questions and discussion 2. Brent CCC meeting 17/10/11

Letter of the Week in Brent Times: The People of Brent will Prevail over Libraries

2011-10-21T08:12:00.000+01:00

Letter by Shahrar Ali, "Councillors have lost the confidence of the People", Brent Times, 20 Oct 2011.

Letter in Brent Times: Helicopter Policing

2011-10-21T08:05:00.000+01:00

Letter by Shahrar Ali, "Helicopter Noise must be reduced", Brent Times, 13 October 2011.

Shahrar Ali interviewed: Is US Adhering to International Law in Drone Assassinations?

2011-10-18T20:15:00.001+01:00

The Agenda: Is US Adhering to International Law in Drone Assassinations? [play, or click image above]. Shahrar Ali, Green Party, joins panel discussion about US drone strikes and assassination, with Robert Oulds (Bruges Group) and Andy Worthington (author).

SA general line: 3.10 "Brings into question accountability for who is making the call, scores of people involved in piloting the drone."

8.05 "Not good enough to say we didn't want those civilian deaths that we brought about. We cannot allow this kind of extra-judicial killing which results in erosion of international human rights around the world."

12.40 "Obama has pursued these tactics to the order of ten times more than his predecessor, assassinating people who have had no opporunity to make their case."

22.40 "There was no mechanism for these individuals to surrender. We have a legal system for a reason, to civilise these Wild West tendencies. Those who commissioned this need to be brought to book."

Also at Youtube.

A WALK IN THE WOODS plus panel discussion: Nuclear Negotiations Now

2011-10-18T14:51:00.002+01:00

A WALK IN THE WOODS plus panel discussion: Nuclear Negotiations Now
Thursday 20 Oct, 8pm
Tricycle Theatre

Set in the midst of the Cold War, this powerful and startling play dramatises a stand-off between US and Soviet arms negotiators as they battle for supremacy. Full of tension and humour, the relationship between two experts evolves as they stroll in the woods above Geneva, away from the glare of the negotiating table. But will this escape lead to a true breakthrough or just more posturing?
‘Go to the street. Ask the man: “Do you want to get rid of all nuclear weapons right now?” Of course, he will say yes.
Then ask “Are you willing to give up your country’s power, prestige and predominance in the world?” He will say no.
But the two questions are the same.’

SPECIAL OFFER FOR PERFORMANCE AND PANEL DISCUSSION – Thursday 20 Oct
Get £12 tickets (usually £18) when you book online or by phone with the promotional code NuclearNow
Advanced booking only.

Box Office: 020 7328 1000 www.tricycle.co.uk

Plus post-show discussion
Nuclear Negotiations Now

Panellists include:

Dr. Vladimir A. Orlov President of PIR Center, Editor-in-Chief of Security Index journal and a leading expert on international security and foreign policy of the Russian Federation. He has focused his research on threats and challenges to international security, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

Dr Randy Rydell
Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Office of Mr. Sergio Duarte, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations.
Previously Senior Counsellor and Report Director of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (Blix Commission 2005-2006) and Senior Fellow at the Arms Control Association in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jianqun Teng
Director and research fellow of the Centre for Arms Control and International, China Institute of International Studies, a think tank of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. In the past few years, Dr. Teng has published several dozens of articles on the issues of arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation, in addition to authoring numerous reports and books.

Ambassador Wa'el Al-Assad
Director of Multilateral Relations at the Headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo. In 2001 he established the Department of Disarmament Affairs in the Arab League and became its Director. He was also the Director of International Organizations Department in the League since 2000. He has a number of published papers and articles on Security, Disarmament issues and international relations.

A special event in collaboration with WMD Awareness Programme.

Important Notice: Brent Unapologetic about Work on Headquarters at Cost of £102,457,370.00

2011-10-16T14:47:00.005+01:00

Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley. Projected Cost = £102,457,370.00. Green Party Freedom of Information Request, information supplied 27 September 2011. (Background)

Wembley Point, a conveniently located and cost-effective alternative for co-locating Council offices?

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Cricklewood Library

2011-10-16T14:41:00.005+01:00

Cricklewood Library, 152 Olive Road, 16 October 2011. 48,786 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £183,700.

Front door.

"SAVE THE LIBERY NOW! We love reading"

Local residents (with permission).

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Kensal Rise Library

2011-10-16T14:34:00.005+01:00

Kensal Rise Library, Bathurst Gardens, 15 October 2011. 45,755 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £186,100.

Kensal Rise Community Library. Information for Users.

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Neasden Library

2011-10-16T14:28:00.007+01:00

Brent Council: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Neasden Library, 277 Neasden Lane, 16 October 2011. 117, 604 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £238,000.

Brent working with Tesco to make a difference.

Brent approves planning permission for Tescos directly opposite Neasden Library, in spite of negative impact on local grocers.

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Tokyngton Library

2011-10-16T14:25:00.004+01:00

Tokyngton Library, Monks Park, Wembley, 16 October 2011. 46,990 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £189,990.

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Barham Park Library

2011-10-16T14:22:00.007+01:00

Important Notice Brent Council: "We apologise for any inconvenience caused."

Barham Park Library, 660 Harrow Road, Sudbury, 16 October 2011. 62,507 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £179,740.

Important Notice: Brent "Apologises for Any Inconvenience Caused" by Closure of Preston Library

2011-10-16T14:00:00.006+01:00

Preston Library, Carlton Avenue East, Wembley, 16 October 2011. 95,591 visits in 2009/10 at cost of £176,000.
"Brent! You are interfering in the assimilation of knowledge & learning of the next Generation"

Failed by the High Court: A Sad Day for Brent and Our Libraries

2011-10-13T13:29:00.002+01:00

Sketch of Court 2 on 19 July this year, Royal Courts of Justice - The people of Brent versus Brent Council. (S Ali)

Today the People of Brent learned the sad news that they had not succeeded in their High Court battle to overturn the Council's plan to axe half of the borough's libraries (background).

I could sense the anxiety amongst my fellow Brentonians before the judgment was delivered. I reassured my neighbours that we did not know the result yet, but it seemed most of them did not dare believe that we would hear good news today, simply to protect against greater disappointment of a frustrated hope.

The truth is that whilst Justice Ouseley's judgment must be respected for what it is, his written judgment strikes me as a piece of legal casuistry in the main. Of course, points of law must be attended to, but in their attention one is always left with a judgment to make, whether on balance of probability or the spirit of the law as drafted. Even the most impartial observer could be left wondering whether arguments had been won, as opposed to counterassertions (in this case the Council's) simply affirmed by the judge.

The Judgment (Case No. CO/4957/2011) summarises the main pieces of law in contention then itemises the grounds which Justice Ouseley takes to have not been demonstrated in law:

1. Unlawfully ignoring the role which community libraries and groups could play in fulfilling the s7 duties (Public libraries Act 1964)
2. Unlawful failure to consult
3. An unlawful failure to assess needs
4. Breach of the public sector equality duty

However, many of the judgments appear, in reason, to be question-begging:

"I cannot see that it is unlawful for the Council to start the process by warning the groups, as in effect it did, that its approach would be that alternatives had to achieve the same level of savings for the same level of service as the Council's own proposals." (para 77)

But no piece of law is going to circumscribe consultation down to this level of detail. The question is whether this was a fair constraint, to effectively debar solutions that did not conform to a pre-decided lowest common denominator budget.

Later still, the Judge writes: "The Council's approach was entirely consistent with the requirement in s7(2) that the provision of library services by other menas be "appropriate"." (para. 80)

That sounds more like an assertion than an argument.

By some textual anomaly, moreover, the following appears in the introduction without any qualification, simply stated as fact, not as an argument from our side:

"The public consultation had been unfair since the Council had not told the public what it needed to know about the running costs of libraries so that groups could make informed responses in support of voluntary arrangements, and had not been told the basis upon which the Council would appraise their alternative proposals." (para. 4)

Yes, I agree that this is true Justice Ouseley.

Overall, I am bound to say, this was a very disappointing and dispiriting judgment. I salute the people of Brent for bringing this case. My fear now is that Brent Council will feel itself emboldened in this course of action, obviously they will feel vindicated, but the reality is that they have lost the confidence of the people they are meant to serve.

Let the People of Brent unite in their common endeavour to safeguard our community from this assault on our local libraries. We can despair, but we shall also regroup - with the same practical intelligence and determination we have already shown, to find a better way forward.

This is a sad day for Brent; but also a day on which the Citizens of Brent who give a damn about lifelong education and protecting the vulnerable from abandonment should hold their heads up high. Just not in the High Court.

Shahrar Ali on Press TV: analysis of Occupy Wall Street

2011-10-10T19:17:00.002+01:00

Topic: Occupy Wall Street [play, or click image above, includes loose transcript]

Shahrar Ali (Green Party) joins a panel of political analysts to discuss the Occupation of Wall Street and growth of popular protest. With Arun Gupta from New York, Founder of Occupy Wall Street Journal and Stephen Lendman from Chicago, author of How Wall Street Fleeces America.

SA's general line: (10.10) These people are representative of the overwhelming mass of Amercians. Rising up in a dignified and civilised fashion, exercising democratic rights in spite of provocation by police.

(18.50) Important because we live in a globalised, international community. This is grassroots politics with a vengeance, its strength is the use of social media to raise consciousness beyond the conventional mechanisms to deal with an economic, environmental and ecological crisis of an unprecedented order. We need to find an economic system which values peoples labour according to what they actually put in.

Brent Helicopter in Pursuit of Man Jumping Over Fence at 0027hrs

2011-10-08T15:53:00.015+01:00

The sight of a police helicopter in the Kingsbury residential area. It may not be that visible but it certainly was audible, for almost half an hour in the early hours of the night (0030 - 0100hrs) on 8 October. Scientists and residents are in agreement that rotorblade noise is not pleasant:

"From a psycho-acoustic (human perception) viewpoint, Helicopter noise is not generally perceived as a 'pleasant' noise, and has been rated as 10-15 decibels more annoying than other aircraft noise, for the same reading on a noise meter." (From Helicopter noise coalition)

Helicopter noise is a problem I have been highlighting for some years (Harrow Times letter: 'Time to chop these flights', 28 March 2008). A local questionnaire of residents conducted by Brent Greens picked up concerns parents had with children being woken up at night, to add to the anecdotal evidence. A resident recently pulled me up at a public meeting, "What's happening about all this helicopter noise? It seems to be getting worse."

A timely report in 2006 by the London Assembly environment committee, chaired by Green Assembly Member Darren Johnson, flagged up the growing problem of helicopter noise (London in a spin - a review of helicopter noise). Unfortunately, there seems to be less scrutiny over emergency services' use of helicopters, yet these are invariably able to operate at more anti-social hours and with fewer caps (commercial flights cannot take place after 11pm for example).

I would not doubt the good use to which police helicopters may be put from time to time, but I do think that there must be far greater accountability for their use, and far greater consideration of when to deploy them - on grounds of effectiveness, cost compared to police on the ground and environmental impact. We must begin with a proper public log of the incidents to which they have been called. My fear is that the public would not be impressed - and that the police have cause for embarrassment.

Real time information is very difficult to come by. I have persevered on the switchboards more than once, including last night and am now in a position to share the reason given for last night's police copter scrambling. Reason given:

"Male seen jumping over fence 00.27hrs".

And the reason to abort the search from the skies after half an hour? Quote:

"Helicopter left for refuelling."

This does not strike me as a sufficient reason in the first place to scramble a helicopter with infrared technology. Nor was the man seen jumping over fence found (maybe he heard the copter coming?). What guidance do the police have to follow? This from a police sergeant reporting on an incident in Cheshire earlier this year sounds reasonable:

“Criteria used for evaluating tasks include the risk or threat to life, the length of time since the incident has occurred, if there is a suitable description of the suspects and containment of the scene and if the deployment of the helicopter is proportional to the request." (Sgt Janet Griffiths, £1/2m cost of police helicopter, Warrington Guardian, 22 April 2011)

I question whether helicopter in pursuit of man jumping over fence was a proportionate use of police resources. Instead it would have reliably woken up many residents (perhaps disturbing as many as 10,000 people) at the end of a hard working week for many.

This kind of LA-style police-action-camera-copter-chase nonsense has to stop.

Letter of the Week in Brent Times: Waste Collection

2011-09-22T09:00:00.000+01:00

Letter by Shahrar Ali, "Council has wasted a great opportunity", 22 Sept 2011 edition.

Letter in Brent Times: Street Cleaning

2011-09-22T08:58:00.000+01:00

Letter by Martin Francis, "Street cleaning: bring service back in-house", 22 Sept 2011 edition.

The Earth is Turning. The Planet is Burning.

2011-09-20T18:52:00.004+01:00

Awe-inspiring view from Greenhill behind Brent Town Hall on 17 September 2011 (I took). But what kind of uninhabitable planet, and damaged atmosphere, are we leaving behind for future people? What will it take to jolt the human race into meaningful collective action to preserve even the possibility of such uplifting magnificence?

Brent Dry Recyling Bins: Pay more for less?

2011-09-16T13:25:00.000+01:00

Blue topped dry recycling bins are currently being rolled out across the borough, ahead of the start of a new waste collection regime in October 2011. In a nutshell, residents will now have three bins, a green one for organic waste such as food and garden (weekly), a blue one for dry recyclables such as plastics and newspaper (to replace the green box, but now fortnightly), and the grey one to continue for non-recyclable or non-compostable material that has to go to landfill (but alternate fortnightly).

Whilst many residents will have missed the past "consultation" period and may be caught unawares about the changes, there has been comment and formal representation to the Council from the likes of Brent Friends of the Earth before now. They have raised important concerns about the pitfalls of commingling waste, the risk of adverse working conditions for labourers further downstream and, of course, the lack of quality of the consultation (no surprise with Brent council - expose of managerial style).

There is clearly an argument in favour of reducing landfill (grey bin collection will move to fortnightly) and increasing provision for recycling. However, even if all this can be reconciled to, Brent appears to have failed to conform to its own commitment on the provision of the new bins.

In the St Andrews conservation area of Welsh Harp ward, residents have received only one blue bin per two households. Unfortunately, this is not compliant with the Council's own stipulations - that residents will only have to share bins if "living in converted properties" or already sharing bins. Neither of these conditions hold in the case of these streets of which mine forms a part. The maisonettes are purpose-built (one of the features contributing to conservation status) and the boxes these bins are supposed to be replacing in part, are not already shared.

There is definitely an argument to be had about reducing the number of bins overall, as these can contribute to street clutter on collection days and also represent a material cost themselves (see excellent overview by my colleague Martin Francis). However, this argument has not been made by the Council. Moreover, as one of the main services relied upon by local ratepayers, there is clearly a quasi-judicial assumption to be had, that services will remain equitable for all, per household.

So, whilst there may be a case for having neighbours sharing bins, this would have to be on a sufficent criterion, not an arbitrary one. Otherwise ratepayers will find themselves receiving half the level of collection (volume per household) depending on where they happen to live in the borough, without explanation. This may be of overall benefit to the planet, but this should not be imposed upon some ratepayers but not others. Collective actions work best when everybody plays their part equally, can be encouraged to do so, and without having extra burdens imposed upon some only. Unless, of course, the Council would like to offer those households sharing blue bins a rebate.

Unless ... of course, the Council has an addtional motive, to use the rolling out of bins, also to reduce the number of overall collections it has to make. No doubt, some legitmate savings can be made on that score, but only up to a point. Where the commitment has been made for bins to be replaced, like for like - not one for every two households, but one each - any departure from that would constitute inequtiable provision. Like ratepayer; like service provision.

One further legalistic consideration. Brent is keen to mention its powers under Section 46 of the EPA 1990 (environmental protection act) to decide collections strategy. However, enforcement of its powers would become doubly difficult if the Council were unable to determine liability by any resident for contamination of the waste stream - for example, where households have had a shared bin imposed upon them for like cost.

I am soliciting feedback from both the neighbours and the Council about this.

Wembley Park Station: We rely on you to tell us what's going on

2011-09-16T13:15:00.000+01:00

A scene from the late morning rush-hour at Wembley Park station. Large queues for the ticket office, which seem to have been getting worse all week. Why?

The causal reasons - as opposed to the unintelligible ones - are that over 50% of the ticket machines were out of service or closed. In particular, machines that ordinarily accepted notes were closed or only accepting coins. Moreover, only one cashier was serving and another half a dozen or so service points were closed. I guess the only fault of the passenger, sorry customer, is that they either had complicated journeys, or did not have coins to the value of their ticket (who carries correct change for a £7.30 travelcard, for example?) or wanted to avoid spending on their credit cards.

The less intelligible reasons are that when I finally got to speak to the station manager - after first being offered a telephone number for a centralised customer service - he was apparently ignorant of what was going on in his own station. I pointed at the queue, asked him whether this was really acceptable, and reported back to him the advice of another of his staff earlier in the week, that some of the machines were malfunctioning. How about getting them fixed? Moreover, the manager was adamant that cash was being accepted at the machines but then qualified this to say only coins were.

I do think that commuters deserve better station management than this. Many locals already have to contend with being redirected the long way round the ticket barriers on their return journeys, when it should be obvious that at least 50% of people might wish to use the Kingsbury or Neasden-bound pavements and buses.

How about a transport system run for the benefit of passengers? Locals, and local businesses, will also face the impact of Jubilee and Metropolitain line closures this weekend.

Letter in Brent Times: Civic Centre Sums Don't Add Up

2011-09-15T17:40:00.000+01:00

8 September 2011 edition

Greens contest Highgate By-election in Neighbouring Camden

2011-09-15T08:00:00.001+01:00

Camden Green Party is contesting the Highgate by-election on 15 September 2011. We have a strong chance and already a track record of doing what it takes (convincing the voters), as in the memorable by-election win of 1 May 2008 (Highgate: Green, Alex Goodman).

This time the Greens are standing Alexis Rowell, who was last seen in Brent chairing the excellent Friends of the Earth hustings for Brent Central candidates in 2010.

Picture: Campaign coordinator Natalie Bennett, earlier in the week, over team talk before the final push.

Final Result:

•Anthony Denyer, Conservatives: 593
•Martin Hay, Liberal Democrats: 111
•Sally Gimson, Labour Party: 1,178
•Alexis Rowell Green Party: 947
Turnout: 34.26%
Commiserations to Team Green. We will be back for more!

London Living Wage: Bloomsbury Fightback

2011-09-14T19:15:00.001+01:00

Campaign for low paid workers in university sector to get London Living Wage.

Entrance to Senate House, University of London.

Volunteer Jason prepares for musical rendition.

On 14 September 2011, Bloomsbury Fightback organised a successful day of action in support of the right of low paid workers of the University of London to get at least £8.30 (London Living Wage). Senate House cleaners currently receive just £6.15 per hour.

Key demands include:
1. Immediate implementation of the LLW of £8.30 backdated to 1 Sept 2011.
2. Immediate implementation of sick pay for outsourced wokers on the same terms as enjoyed by other University of London employees.
3. Commitment to implement LLW upgrades on an annual basis.

In a statement the University of London has said:
1. The LLW is an hourly rate of pay, currently £8.30, set independently each year by the Greater London Assembly.
2. All our directly employed staff are already paid above the LLW and also have access to a wide range of benefits which compare well with other London employers.
3. All contract staff, such as cleaners, porters and security, are employees of Balfour Beatty Workplace (BBW) and will receive the LLW by July 2012.
4. The University is working closely with BBW over implementation, which has already been brought forward by a year as a sign of our commitment.
5. We are fully committed to introducing LLW by July 2012, but to commit to doing so earlier would mean failing to address the significant implications for responsible financial and staff management.

Please sign Street Cleaning Petition

2011-09-05T17:40:00.004+01:00

Brent: Street cleaning

Facts
From 2 October 2011, Brent Council plans to cut the street cleaning service:
• Most residential streets to be cleaned once a week instead of twice a week and not long ago it was three times a week
• Reduced service on other streets including limits on weekend work
• End of the seasonal leaf collection ie no separate clear up of leaves for composting and to protect pedestrians
• 20 street cleaning posts to go

Implications
• More people having falls on wet and rotting leaves + rubbish not frequently cleared up
• Elderly people, those with disabilities and children most vulnerable to injury (or death) from falls needing costly health and social care
• More compensation claims against the council for not properly maintaining the streets (health and safety issues)
• Dirty, messy, shabby, neglected looking streets, reducing the attractiveness of the environment and quality of life – loss of pride in the local area
• A Dirtier Olympic Borough
• More foxes, rats and other vermin in the borough
• More people (street cleaners) unemployed

What to do?
Sign the e-petition on Brent Council website (www.brent.gov.uk/epetitions) which runs until 23 September, calling for a reversal of the decision to cut the street sweeping services.

We the undersigned petition the council to reverse the decision to cut street sweeping services and to retain the employment of properly trained street sweepers.
(Started by Martin Francis – Brent Fightback)

Complain to your local councillor – names, contact details from Brent Council, website or Tel: 020 8937 1200, or from libraries

Get involved with Brent Fightback - brentunited@gmail.com

Asda Wembley Has To Stop Its Lorries from Endangering Pedestrians

2011-09-03T16:31:00.009+01:00

In October 2010, I summarised Brent Green Party's success in getting Asda to recognise the urgent need for pedestrian safety when organising its lorry deliveries. In April 2009, after two years of campaigning and a public apology, we thought case closed - epitomised in the physical evidence of signage on the redesigned access area (pictured above). Alas, though less frequent, infractions still happen. On 2 Nov 2010, I got the following reassurance from Head office:

"I have now forwarded your pictures to the stores management team as well as our store development team. They will be able to look at ways of minimising any pedestrian danger when passing between the vehicles on the road. Thank you for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention." (2 Nov 2010)

Unfortunately, here is evidence of further infractions from last night (2 Sept 2011):

I spoke to these pedestrians last night (at 10pm) and they acknowledged that they had just been forced into the main road by this lorry jutting out and blocking the drop kerb crossing, and endangered in the process. How can Asda consistently get away with road safety violations that your common-or-garden motorist would have been booked for, if not towed away, many a time?These are double yellow, no-loading, no-stopping kerb markings, operational all hours. To make matters worse, there was no driver visible in the cabin. I have written again to Asda.

London Living Wage Campaign and Brent Council

2011-09-03T16:05:00.014+01:00

The Greens have actively campaigned on the right of workers to a living wage across London. The London living wage is currently £8.30 per hour. On Friday 2 September, I heard from fellow workers in the University of London, Bloomsbury. Pictured: Fadili, Robinson, Samba and Paolo.

Closer to home, Brent Council also has not made this commitment to its employees and subcontracted workers. Yet the local Labour group campaigned ahead of last year's elections that if they gained control of Brent Council they would: "Conduct an audit of Council contractors to examine how many people indirectly employed by the Council are earning the London Living Wage." And? Instead we see jobs being axed in order to support a financially impossible £100m Civic Centre project that nobody wants or needs.

Back-of-Envelope Civic Centre Finances Revealed

2011-08-26T19:06:00.006+01:00

On 14 July 2001, I advertised that I had requested from Brent Council financial data for the civic centre project, under Freedom of Information law. Unfortunately, I find their response dated 9 August 2011 wholly inadequate. Here it is.
2011-08-10MrAliFOIInformationsupplied[1] To make matters worse, the covering letter to the response stated:

Brent Council: "Following careful consideration, [Brent Council] can inform you that we have decided not to disclose some of this information. [We] attach a copy of the information which can be disclosed in the form of a pdf file. The remainder of the information you requested is being withheld.

The exemption applied is Commercial Interests (public interest test) section 43. This exemption applies because it applies to trade secrets and to information which if disclosed would, or would likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of any person, including the authority holding it." (10 Aug 2011)

I have since written to the local papers, and replied to the Council themselves. Here is the gist of my follow-up to the Council:

SA: "Thank you for your FOI response. Unfortunately, I do have a number of follow-up questions, which I feel should have been covered in your original reply but have not been. Allow me to put them here:

- What is the cost of the Civic Centre? Remarkably this is not in there.
- What is the cost of financing the debt?
- What is "the most recent financial assessment of the project benefits"?
- How is the £89m figure quoted made up in terms of "reduction of operating costs" and "other efficiency savings"?
- On what basis has the "risk adjusted" figure of £2.85m per year over 25 years been arrived at?

I was looking for a response more akin to a balance sheet, showing income and expenditure over the lifetime of the project. Moreover, any reference to other documents should surely be referenced - and means of access to further data given, or hyperlinked where appropriate - and it not be assumed that the enquirer knows what is being referred to. Certainly, no prior knowledge should be assumed and the response should be self-contained and inclusive."

The good people of Brent await a High court ruling to have the Council's reckless decision to axe half the borough's libraries overturned. By such means the Council sought to save £1m. Since, on their own inadequate terms, Brent seeks to make savings of £2.85m per year over the next 25 years, to make the Civic Centre work, are we not entitled to know what further "efficiency savings" lie in store for us?

For an informative overview of the most recent Council budget, with reference to the Civic Centre, read my colleague Martin Francis. The full budget documents are still available as appendicies here. In particular, note that on page 3 of Appdx. B, the income line (red parentheses) is without evidential basis.

Previous Soapbox slot on why the Civic Centre is such a bad idea. Recent press letter, Harrow Times: How will this be paid for?.

Brent Voter Registration Happening!

2011-08-23T19:24:00.000+01:00

Last year, I described the flawed voter registration process of Brent Council. This year, I'm happy to report that the on-line method did work (evidence revealed above, click to enlarge), and was painless! As of today, at least. Since, on 7 Aug 2011, a Brent registree did report problems on this blog. It seems they must have been rectified. Here's to trouble-free registration for everybody else this year!

Nuclear Trains Action: Green GLA Candidate Interviewed

2011-08-19T19:42:00.001+01:00

The Nuclear Trains Action Group organised a successful day of action on 23 July 2011, converging at Stratford station. There were speeches (including myself for the Greens) and song, followed by a die-in (pictured). News was also given of a temporary stalling of trains during the Olympic games.

I was subsequently interviewed by Pete Day of NuSound radio, who has kindly sent me a copy of the audio file for this blog:

This campaign is of ongoing concern for Brent residents. Our latest information is that Willesden is still used as a transit point. Greens have been campaigning on this for several years (see press release of 1999), including a recent question to the Mayor by Darren Johnson AM. Was the Mayor's reply adequate?

Brent cyclists invited to meet Jenny Jones

2011-08-16T15:42:00.000+01:00

Jenny Jones, Green Party candidate for the London mayoral elections, will be coming to Brent on Friday to meet cyclists and investigate with them how cycling could be improved.

Her visit will start at Wembley Stadium station at 10am on Friday August 19th where anyone interested should come and meet her. She will then be able to cycle to any spots in the borough which give cyclists particular difficulties.

Could everybody who decides to come respond to Collette.Bird@london.gov.uk with their telephone number in case of any emergencies or delays.

Council must provide leadership and resources to combat climate change

2011-08-08T15:21:00.001+01:00

The Brent Green Party has submitted the following in response to the Council's consultation on the Green Charter:

A. Brent Green Party welcomes the initiative of Brent Council in opening up for consultation a proposed Green Charter. Unfortunately, we do not find that the current draft goes far enough and with appropriate sense of urgency in promoting or facilitating the lifestyle and social change that is required for the Borough of Brent to make its full and due contribution in meeting the challenge facing the world of reversing the present rapid deteriorating world environment, integral with which is the phenomenon of man-made global warming. This latter which, if not faced head on and forthwith at all levels, is likely to result in a largely uninhabitable planet within the life-time of children being born today.

B. Brent Green Party’s response here is directed towards the kind of radical, joined-up social and political change that should be aimed at all levels of society. The current draft is not sufficiently ambitious in this regard and needs to convey the need for a holistic approach in all aspects of human activity - energy efficiency in the home, localisation of food production, the development of habitable spaces which take into account the long term impact of transport policy and construction. Whilst we take education to be at the heart of this agenda, we also recognise that good policy has the power to shape individual and social action of the right kind, to make it easier for people to do the right thing and take local initiatives that spread good practice and ideas. The local transition towns initiatives in Brent are of just this inspiration. In contrast, the policy decisions taken by the current administration on the Civic Centre bring into question their recognition of the scale of the challenge represented by, in particular, climate change and the need to meet this challenge in the shortest practicable time-scale.

C. Our proposals below focus around investment in long-term jobs in green industry and services, as part of a package of Green New Deal solutions. The Green Charter as presently formulated puts the onus on residents to take action, which is a necessary part of the equation, but neglects the role of the local authority in providing both strong committed leadership and the resources necessary to implement real change. We ask Brent to build into its Charter the following programme:

1. The Council to implement a systematic programme of high quality roof and wall insulation, double-glazing and draught exclusion in its social housing sector.
2. The Council to make a street-by-street offer to private residents/tenants of a similar programme reducing the cost through economies of scale.
3. The Council to work with local colleges to provide training/apprenticeships in green technology.
4. The Council to provide incentives to local business to reduce excess packaging at source and to recycle waste
5. The Council to provide incentives for green businesses to locate in Brent, particularly in the regeneration areas.
6. The Council to extend the 're-use' aspect of recycling at local recycling plants by means of a warehouse to store household goods and furniture that can be re-used by residents and retailers for onward trading.
6. The Council to work with schools on making their buildings energy efficient and adopting 'green' curriculum which would see pupils as agents in the education of parents as well as giving them a role in managing the school environment in a sustainable way. This to be launched through a Climate Change And Education Conference open to teachers, student groups, governors and green community organisations.
7. The Council to set aside land in larger parks for community allotments and on under-used land such as railway embankments, derelict building sites and common areas on estates. The Metropolitan Housing allotments on the Chalkhill estate are a good example.
8. The Council to set aside land in parks for wildlife conservation and encourage schools to set up wildlife gardens

D. We reiterate our well-known opposition to the new Civic Centre on the grounds of its affordability and that its 'green credentials' have not taken into account the environmental costs of the raw materials, manufacturing and construction necessary to deliver the completed building.

E. At a more general level, Brent Green Party supports the One Planet Living Framework developed by BioRegional and WWF with the objective of helping people and organisations live and work within a fair share of our planet’s resources. We suggest this framework would be an excellent point of reference for drawing up the next draft of the Brent Green Charter.

In particular, we draw attention to the following important general objectives in formulating particular relevant proposals applicable to the Borough of Brent:

1. Making buildings more energy efficient and delivering all energy with renewable technology.

2. Reducing waste, reusing where possible, and ultimately sending zero waste to landfill.

3. Encouraging low carbon modes of transport to reduce emissions, reducing the need to travel.

4. Using sustainable healthy products, with low embodied energy, sourced locally, made from renewable or waste resources.

5. Choosing low impact, local, seasonal and organic diets and reducing food waste.

6. Using water more efficiently in buildings and in the products we buy, tackling local flooding and watercourse pollution.

7. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and natural habitats through appropriate land use and integration into the built environment.

8. Reviving local identity and wisdom and supporting and participating in the arts.

9. Creating bioregional economies that support fair employment, inclusive communities and international fair trade.

10. Encouraging active, sociable, meaningful lives to promote good health and wellbeing.

Wasted Authorities: Threat from Pinkham Way Waste Plan

2011-07-22T13:16:00.006+01:00

Installation Art in Lincoln Inns Field, July 2011. (photo: S Ali)

On 21 July 2011, the local Green Parties of Enfield, Haringey and Barnet organised a public meeting to raise awareness of the threat to health, environment and well-being posed by the North London Waste Authority’s plan to build an industrial scale waste plant at Pinkham wood.

Quentin Given, Coordinator of Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth, began with an overview of the kind of things we needed to be doing to reduce the amount of waste we produced as individuals and to take greater responsibility for its destiny in society. He made several excellent points, focusing on how overconsumption was the key illness that needed to be diagnosed and how goods needed to be built to last instead of turned over to the scrap heap.

Colin Parish, a local resident and founder of The Pinkham Way Alliance, spoke from the heart about how he first got involved in the campaign, almost as an unlikely activist, let alone somebody who had ever thought about green issues in the past. He spoke of his deepening understanding of the interconnectedness of things, and in particular the impact upon the planet of so much of human activity we took for granted, but needed to abate, such as supermarket packaging. He spoke about his desire to be able to enjoy his garden, free from fly infestation that would accompany such an industrial scale waste plant in his neighbourhood, and determination to see any future grandchildren be able to do the same, and to be able to visit the Pinkham Wood site as a place of beauty and nature. He spoke about the use of lawyers in the campaign and the need to be prepared to fight in the courts, as and when necessary, at every step – because of the intolerable impact such a plant would have on air pollution and huge lorries coming in and out of the plant, serving seven London boroughs.

Darren Johnson, Green London Assembly member, commended the campaign on its recent success in getting Haringey to postpone the NLWA waste application until the NLWA plan is completed. He spoke about the basic flaws in the waste plant proposal as a method of bringing together so much waste from seven boroughs without concerted action on improving the recycling regime, by introducing organic waste collection, for example. He spoke about the need to fight at every step, how the Greens would be with them every way, and the pressure that would need to be brought to bear on City Hall and the mayor.

Quentin Given (FoE), Darren Johnson AM (Green Party), David Bennie (Chair), Colin Parish (Pinkham Way Alliance)

All the contributions were eloquent and well informed. The contributions from the floor were also to the point and often attempted to address the broader context. Anne Gray spoke about the need for legislation to make it easier for businesses to be able to recycle without prohibitive charges. Laura Davenport spoke about her incredulity that whilst seven boroughs could get together to produce a dull, lengthy waste plan, they could not yet produce a plan to implement, what would be far better, consistency of best practice in recycling streams across the boroughs.

Colin Parish struck me as quite an inspirational figure. The local community will require leaders like that to come forward, to rise to the challenge. He even quoted Churchill, with the qualification (rightly) that he didn’t agree with everything he did or said, “Don’t do your best, do what is necessary.”

Just one thought I was left was the ridiculousness of co-ordinating waste across boroughs in this way. Brent is facing its own challenges up ahead, as part of the West London Waste Authority (see my colleague, Martin Francis's excellent updates here and here). There seems to be an inbuilt assumption amongst contractors bidding for tenders that they can make good on the profit motive by economising on scale, irrespective of whether this is good for the planet. Coordination must not come at the cost of proper appraisal of how to take responsibility for our waste locally.

Haringey Green Party report on the meeting here.

Soapbox: Unaffordability and Undesirability of £100m Brent Civic Centre

2011-07-20T19:46:00.000+01:00

Here is a recording of the soapbox I gave at the Kingsbury and Kenton Area Consultative Forum on 19 July 2011, entitled "The unaffordability and undesirability of the Civic Centre Behemoth". On the day that the people of Brent found it necessary to take Brent Council to the High Court for library closures, I was entitled to call a spade a spade:

In reply to me, Leader Ann John said that it was unremarkable for the savings figures to change on a monthly basis and that these figures were already in the public domain. Unfortunately, this assertion contradicts the statement made by the Asst Director for the project, Aktar Choudhury on 14 July 2011 that he could not release the figures due to "confidentiality". I await the result of my FOI request, which Brent has already acknowledged receipt of. Following the three-personed sales-pitch on the Civic Centre, two out of four residents who asked questions from the floor focussed on the same concern about unaffordability of this project.

Picture of S Ali by P Murry, taken at an earlier lobby of Council Executive on 11 April 2011.

People of Brent versus Brent Council: Save our Six Libraries

2011-07-19T18:45:00.000+01:00

Sketch of Court 2, Royal Courts of Justice - The people of Brent versus Brent Council. (S Ali)

As significant as the goings on in Westminster on 19 July 2011 (hackgate hearings), at least for the good people of Brent, is the High Court challenge to the Council's plan to axe six local libraries in Brent - and the potential repercussions if the case is won. On the opening day of the legal challenge, the BBC reports.

In the words of the Save our Six campaign, the basis of the challenge is that: "Brent Council has closed its mind to alternatives to closure, did not assess community needs or the impact of closure properly, made significant mistakes about the facts, misunderstood its legal duty to provide a library service and acted unfairly."

After presenting a physical and vocal presence outside the entrance to the Court (some pictured below), the people of Brent packed the lower and upper public gallery of Court 2. The judge first entertained an application he had lately received to have the case adjourned, on behalf of a third party. This struck me as a desperate attempt at sabotage, which could only have helped the Council, and the judge rightly dismissed as "too late".

Counsel for the claimaint (the campaign to save the libraries) then summarised, in the first hour, the main legal arguments that she would go on to put in more detail. The contention was that "Brent had not acted lawfully, or with due regard, to its statutory duties." The main pieces of law referenced were the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 (in particular section 7): "It shall be the duty of every library authority to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service for all persons desiring to make use thereof ..". Also referenced were the Equalities Act 2010 and the Childrens Acts of 1989 and 2004.

We were introduced to a compelling case that the Council, in deciding how to fulfil its duty under the 1964 Act, "had fixed on the means of fulfilling that end, without proper, open-minded consideration of the alternative options." These failures were itemised under the headings of failures of Approach - such as closing its mind to third sector collaboration - and failures of Analysis. The latter included the contentions that Brent Council had sought to reach a decision before facilitating the formation of rational and informed views; had failed to rigorously assess the needs of children; and had turned its Equalities Impact Analysis in to a piece of advocacy "rather than a genuine tool to inform the decision-making process."

The final piece of the legal challenge concerned Brent's inadequate consultation .. because "Brent closed its mind"; did not offer consultees financial alternatives; made up criteria without disclosing them to consultees; and offered no questions about what would mitigate the library closures. These charges will ring true to anybody who is familiar with Brent's attitude to consultation generally, and the libraries problem in particular. (Report of original Council decision on 11 April 2011 to decimate libraries.)

I shuffled a written note to a neighbour in the gallery concerned that Council representatives (for the defendant) appeared to her to be visibly making light, or in denial, of some of these grave criticisms. "We will prevail!" I replied.

Another resident, Andria Greaves, said to me of her local library in Tokyngton: "It's one of the very far out libraries which they think they can ignore."

Over the coming hours and days, let Brent Council's mind be focussed to its rank disdain of the people of Brent and its riding roughshod over the educational needs of some of its most vulnerable communities.

The people of Brent will not be ignored!

Brent library campaigners outside the High Court.

Freedom of Information Fightback against Lips-are-Sealed Back-of-Envelope Costings

2011-07-14T19:55:00.001+01:00

Last night I attended the Willesden Area Consultative Forum to give a soapbox on the unaffordability of the civic centre proposal - hot on the heels of the Wembley ACF the previous evening. In summary, I used my three minutes to point out that:

1. LACK OF CONSULTATION. Nobody but the political elite of Brent, in past executives, wanted this glass, steel and concrete behemoth, or thought they needed it. Moreover, none of the residents had ever been asked whether they wanted it, and it wasn’t just a case of them not realising yet that they had asked for it!

2. UNAFFORDABILITY. The Council’s maths just didn’t add up: to pay back a £100m loan from the government over 25 years using £4m annual savings from vacating the pre-existing portfolio of 14 office buildings. What about the certainty of the interest on today’s loan against the uncertainty of year on year savings? We were entitled to see the evidential basis for these back-of-the-envelope in-house calculations so that we could scrutinise them. Moreover, the latest assertions contradicted the conclusions of a £75k feasibility study, commissioned by the Council in 2003, which demonstrated that the project could not become cost-neutral for 25 years, meaning it would be more expensive year on year than the status quo until then. Try telling the thousands of residents set to be deprived of half of the boroughs libraries that this project was affordable!

3. ENERGY RATING. The Council boast that all would be forgiven when the energy efficiency rating of the new building is taken into account, failed to factor in the colossal “embodied” energy required in the extraction of raw materials, manufacture of steel, then their transportation and erection. For such reason the cost to the planet of new build over retrofit is generally much greater.

Finally, I called upon the Council to put its costings and savings balance sheet into the public domain – especially since it was caught out by ill-fated investment in Icesave. I implored the audience to have in the forefront of their minds, throughout the sales pitch to follow, the question: How are we going to afford all this at the current time, and how can it be right to forgo libraries in order to do so?

Mr Choudhury attempted to address my question after his presentation alongside the Skanska contractor. Firstly, he drew an analogy with mortgages, saying how the savings from expiring leases could be used to support the project, and explained how carbon reductions could also be achieved equivalent to taking 95 cars off the road per year. Unfortunately, the mortgages analogy failed to account for the prospect of negative equity. Moreover, a paper presented to the Executive in December 2010 identified risks relating to the early surrender of leases on outlying buildings. Regarding Mahatma Gandhi House, for example, the lease is not due to expire until Sept 2016 and the paper lists: “Legacy issues: 1) dilapidations; 2) costs of potential early surrender; 3) unlikely to be able to sublet for remaining three years of lease.” (See paper 10 here.)

Second, the aforementioned feasibility study was dismissed by Mr Choudhury as “out-of-date”. However, that flied in the face of the detailed case studies, appendices and work that went into the report, ostensibly future-oriented – none of which studies have been reproduced. If the feasibility study is suddenly out-of-date, then shouldn’t the Council be asking for £75k back – for a study that it commissioned for that specific purpose. To the contrary, isn’t it more probable that the Council is out-of-date, not just with the current economic reality, which compounds the negative recommendation of the original report, but also out-of-touch with the feeling of the residents it was elected to serve?

Third, when I pressed again to see Mr Choudhury’s calculations in detail, as opposed to back-of-the-envelope, we were advised that it would be in “breach of confidentiality clauses”.

This attempt at concealment, to which some responded with gasps, must not go unchallenged or uncorrected. With this aim in mind, I have now submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the Council demanding sight of the evidential basis for these costs and savings figures. If the information is going to continue to be withheld then we must be furnished with the reason, on public interest grounds, why we cannot see the sums for an unaffordable project that nobody but the Council wants.

Other attendees, notably Graham Durham, donning a Save Our Six libraries T-shirt, added their criticisms about the monstrous expense against the backdrop of lack of consultation and lack of political accountability. Mr Durham did a good job of challenging Mr Choudhury on the presumed carbon savings. Extending the cars-off-road-equivalent analogy, Mr Durham asked, But how many more actual cars are to be put on the road through increased use by residents and employees no longer able to visit one of the fourteen offices that used to be within walking distance of them? No answer was given.

Mr Choudhury came up to me at the interval, after an admittedly testy public exchange, to thank me for the spirit in which I put my questions, and I thanked him for his attempt to answer me; albeit I remained highly dissatisfied. I believe that it is our councillors and executive who primarily need to be put on the spot, ahead of officers.

NB. The Save Our Six libraries campaign is scheduled to challenge Brent Council in the High Court next Tuesday 19 July.

£100m Civic Centre Zero Cost: Go Figure

2011-07-12T21:31:00.007+01:00

I left the Wembley ACF this evening feeling frustrated that a key question put by several members of the audience was not answered properly. How is the £100m civic centre being built by the Council going to be paid for?

We had just been treated to a three-personed sales pitch by Council Leader Ann John, a formidable local politician (pictured), Aktar Choudhury, Assistant Director of the project, and a representative of SKANSKA, the civic centre construction company. We were told first about the past cross-party support for the project (not including the Greens), the purported fact that a £100m loan from the Government had been secured by the Council "at no cost to us", the presumed energy excellence of the building (conveniently neglecting to mention the considerable embodied energy involved in mining raw materials, their transportation and erection), and a rather lengthy animation showing the phases of construction.

Unfortunately, the key question about funding was not properly addressed. The first questioner asked how the £100m was ultimately to be paid for if not by the Brent ratepayer? Another questioner put it to Cllr John, rhetorically, that she should "come clean" about the final bill being footed by Brent residents.

When I got a chance to address the floor, I tried to sharpen this question in order to solicit a proper response: How, even on Brent's own figures, was a saving of £4m per year from giving up the current portfolio of buildings going to meet the cost of a £100m loan today over 25 years, plus interest? I challenged the spokespeople to put their calculations in the public domain. Moreover, their latest, highly convenient assertions, flied in the face of their own specially commissioned independent business case into the costs associated with such a project. (For a precis of those conclusions see, including a catalogue of consultative misdemenaour over gaining public consent for the project.)

The commissioned report of 2003 had cost £75k and was independent, future-oriented. It said that the project could not become cost neutral for 25 years, and only then after "efficiency savings" - read, jobs cuts. The convenient assertions appear to be back-of-the envelope and in-house. They must be put in the public domain and properly scrutinised (by a Council which once invested in the ill-fated Icesave).

Even if the Civic centre project had been approved once, legitmately or illegitimately, it does not follow that it should not be revisited, or scaled down, in the current climate. Brent is the only London borough audacious enough to approve a plan to axe six of its local libraries (half of them), whilst in the same breath diegning to build a £100m behemoth that nobody but the political elite wants or think they need, and that we can ill-afford. (See Save our Six libraries campaign.)

If Cameron chooses to condemn an EU behemoth that would cost the entire UK less in proportionate terms, how could he counsel a loan to a Council at greater cost?

Miscellany: The ACF itself was without a pre-advertised on-line agenda, and no minutes of the previous meeting were available until mid-way, by which point approval of minutes had been passed and not returned to. We were also informed about proposals to make six wards into three twin-ward areas for Safer Neighbourhood Teams. I got a categorical assurance that their combined quota of PCSO's and sargeants would not be depleted (3 and 3, respectively, per ward). That's worth minuting.

PS. Interesting article criticising co-location of proposed Civic Centre with Wembley Stadium and Arena.

Threat Level from Incapacitated Met Train: Severe

2011-07-12T15:48:00.008+01:00

One day after the government lowered the threat level from a terrorist incident by a notch and just shy of a year before the Olympics, the risk of being held indefinitely on a standing train is still severe.

This is the sight of late morning commuters stuck between stations, after being evacuated from one Metropolitan line train to another because of a “signal failure” up ahead. The indefinite wait lasted one hour and we were instructed first to evacuate, then to hold fast, then to evacuate again, because of a Jubilee train being in the wrong place at the wrong time up ahead, blocking southbound trains on two lines.

The most worrying thing is not just the ridiculosity of the original excuse, but the complete absence of a contingency plan, delivered unambiguously and with confidence by either train driver or management. At one point we had two drivers onboard and one manager. Whilst all were apologetic, I would not have been surprised to find both drivers pulling the train in opposite directions, such was the appalling lack of a clear account about what was happening and what should be the response.

Had this incident happened underground, the wait would have been all the more intolerable. At least one passenger had a hospital appointment for her child to attend.

Had there been a genuine emergency, I can’t with any confidence say that we were in safe or competent hands. What on earth must have been going on behind the scenes? Managers being paid 100k+ a year to debate health and safety perhaps? But maybe that is assuming too much proactivity even.

Driver at one point described our delay as "hopefully enjoyable". Philosophical stoicsm on the underground no doubt - though I know he was trying his best and seemed to know no more than us.

Commuters being asked to evacuate to train behind, then change of plan then U-turn.

Previous woes reported by me: July 2010; Jun 2010.

Brent Fightback Banner on 30 June 2011

2011-07-08T12:12:00.002+01:00

Martin Francis and Ken Montague outside The Torch on Bridge Road, in support of strike action by teachers and public sector workers. (Picture: S Ali)

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group KUWG

2011-07-08T05:20:00.000+01:00

From: marie lynam [mailto:mlynam79@hotmail.com]
Sent: 07 July 2011 21:16
Subject: Hello there; This is the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group KUWG.

The KUWG will have a stand at the Kiburn Festival at Grange Park, Kilburn High Road, in front of the Tricycle, on Sunday coming, 10 July, from 1pm to around 6pm. Please visit us. Of course there will be nothing to pay.

The attached document shows you the progress of our group and our preparation for Sunday. It also shows you which of us will be looking after the Stand. If you wish to take a turn (at looking after the stand) yourself, you do not need to notify us - just come, that will be splendid.

Please note that the KUWG are holding a Public Workshop on Housing on 21 July, a Sunday, at the Forester Hall, part of the Tricycle, Kilburn High Road, from 7pm to 9pm. Hope you will attend and bring your friends as well. Free entry.

We continue to meet weekly and hope to see you one of these days.
One way or the other, we hope to see you soon

Marie Lynam for the KUWG.

Meeting the Campaign Against Climate Change Polar Bear at Gladstonbury Festival

2011-06-27T07:07:00.004+01:00

Brent Greens Campaign for Parent Voice to be Heard

2011-06-13T10:37:00.000+01:00

From the Willesden and Brent Times June 9th 2011

Click on image to enlarge

Jonathan Neale at Willesden library 6/6/2011

2011-06-11T07:09:00.006+01:00

Jonathan Neale, novelist, playwright, historian and political activist, lead-author of the Million Climate Jobs report, introducing his book, Stop Global Warming – Change the World at Willesden Green Library on Monday June 6. Martin Francis has blogged about this event at http://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/

Introduction

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Caroline's Tax Bill on Radio 4 Tonight and House of Commons Friday

2011-06-08T18:03:00.000+01:00

A new Tax and Financial Transparency Bill, which could help the UK recover billions of pounds of lost tax by forcing companies to be more transparent in their accounting, is on the agenda for debate in Parliament on Friday 10 June.

The Bill, launched by the MP for Brighton Pavilion and Green Party leader Caroline Lucas in March this year, is due for its second reading in the House of Commons - and will also feature on BBC Radio 4's Decision Time programme tonight (8pm)

The Brighton Pavilion MP launched her campaign after posing a number of Parliamentary Questions to the Chancellor, in which she exposed the fact that H M Revenue & Customs is failing to prevent serious tax evasion which could amount to as much as £16 billion in lost tax.

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), said:

This bill goes right to the heart of the economic issues facing our country. If the Government was serious about protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities from the cuts, it would start investing in tax collection and proper regulation so that companies are not allowed to simply disappear without paying the taxes they owe.

A report published by Tax Research UK in March revealed that around 500,000 companies "disappeared" from the UK's Register of Companies in the year to March 2010 - with billions being lost to the Exchequer as a result.

Caroline Lucas MP believes that urgent measures are needed to stop companies that are formally dissolved from trading fraudulently, thereby undermining honest businesses who do pay their taxes.She is also calling for a requirement on multinational companies to publish information on where they make their sales, record their profits and pay their taxes, in order to ensure that corporations make a fair and proper contribution to society.

Caroline said:

The first aim of this Bill is to tackle the scandalous reality that around 500,000 companies every year appear not to be paying tax in the UK. Tax Research UK estimate that regulatory failures by H M Revenue & Customs and Companies House mean that around 500,000 companies a year fail to pay their tax or file their accounts.

A great many are simply struck off the Register of Companies as a result, never to be heard of again. It is thought that up to £16 billion of tax a year might be lost to the country as a result. This Bill would ensure that banks have to provide details on all accounts they maintain for companies operating in the UK so that H M Revenue & Customs and Companies House can chase those companies who do not file the returns they're obliged to make for the missing information - and the tax they owe.

Secondly, the bill would force companies to 'publish what tax they pay', requiring all companies filing accounts in the UK to include a statement on the turnover, pre-tax profit, tax charge and actual tax paid for each country in which they operate, without exception.

If they only trade in the UK, this has no impact on them. This information would, however, mean that the answers to the questions asked of Barclays Bank earlier this year about where it earned its profits, how much profit was recorded in tax havens, and where it paid its taxes could be answered for all companies trading internationally.

The Brighton Pavilion MP added:

This information is vital if we are to ensure that multinational corporations make a fair and proper contribution to our society. Companies cannot opt out of corporate social responsibility - and paying tax to the country that provides them with their opportunities to trade is an essential part of it. You can't be socially responsible and accountable unless you say where you are and what you do in each place that you trade.

Caroline's Tax and Financial Transparency Bill will feature as the main topic of discussion in BBC Radio 4's Decision Time programme tonight (8 June 2011) at 8pm with Nick Robinson. Caroline will be joined in the debate by former Trade Minister Lord Digby Jones, Sir Nicholas Montague, former head of the Inland Revenue, Michael Jacobs, a former special adviser in the Treasury and Number 10, and Fraser Nelson, editor of the Spectator. The programme will be available to listen again here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pkqn

Stop Global Warming - Change the World

2011-06-04T10:53:00.000+01:00

Jonathan Neale, novelist, playwright, historian and political activist, lead-author of the Million Climate Jobs report, will be introducing his book, Stop Global Warming – Change the World at Willesden Green Library on Monday June 6th at 7.30pm

New Willesden Eco Group Meets on Tuesday

2011-06-04T10:51:00.001+01:00

Following a great deal of interest at Brent Friends of the Earth’s Green Fair in Willesden Green, a new group Willesden Transition is being formed for eco-minded residents in the Willesden area. Brent’s first Transition Town group, “Transition Kensal to Kilburn” started two years ago and now has over 450 members.

Environmental campaigner and Dollis Hill resident, Viv Stein, who came up with the idea of the new group says:

Transition is about local communities coming together to develop their own ways of making their neighbourhoods greener, friendlier, more sustainable and less wasteful places to live in. It is about people finding their own solutions to deal with the very real challenges of peak oil, rising food prices and climate change, without waiting for politicians to take a lead.

Brent Friends of the Earth’s Green Fair proved there’s a great deal of interest in the Transition Town movement in the Willesden area. We are now looking for local people from all over Willesden, Cricklewood and Dollis Hill to get involved to start this new group.

Transition Town groups are springing up in towns and cities all across the world. Camden has around 10 groups, the latest is being launched in West Hampstead next week.

The “Transition Willesden” meeting is being held at the Rising Sun pub, 25 Harlesden Road, Willesden, NW10 2BY at 7.30pm on Tuesday 7th June. All are welcome to come along and get involved. For more information see http://ttkensaltokilburn.ning.com/events/transition-willesden-first or contact viv2000-transition@yahoo.com

MP's and Councillors meet the public at Brent Green Fair 21/5/2011

2011-05-26T09:38:00.008+01:00

Sarah Teather MP (part 1)

Sarah Teather MP (part 2)

Barry Gardiner MP (part 1)

Barry Gardiner MP (part 2)

Barry Gardiner MP (part 3)

Brent Councillors (part1)
Cllr Lesley Jones, Cllr Ann Hunter and
Cllr Gavin Sneddon

Brent Councillors (part2)

Cllr Lesley Jones, Cllr Ann Hunter and Cllr Gavin Sneddon

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group meeting 18/5/2011: Report by Alan Wheatley

2011-05-21T22:33:00.000+01:00

Meeting summary and overall impressions

The meeting was held at street level in a room that had wheelchair accessible doors, as befitting an event that focused on eligibility for disability benefits.[1] The speakers' central message was, "Do not let the standard 'zero eligibility points with threshold of 15 points minimum" from Atos lead you to roll over as they want you to. Instead, get informed and share that information with others as you fight back at tribunal level and on street corner campaigning level."

The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group banner displayed behind the speakers reinforced the message that here was a group that believes in taking to the streets if physically possible and getting noticed. We were also given the message from the chair that there was a table at the back for anyone attending to display any relevant leaflets or newspapers for sale, and the Secretary and Chair and others in the audience were mutually respectful, encouraging visitors to feel welcome and get involved.That extended into the group discussion that followed on from the inputs of two wheelchair using speakers from Islington Disabled People Against the Cuts and one from Islington Poverty Action Group.

KUWG is funded by Brent Trades Council, and there were clear indications that there is strong orientation toward the Right to Work campaign, and banner steward Clarence who I know from campaigning against mental health cuts in LB Camden was selling Socialist Worker. The group is about a year old.

Meeting focus on Atos' handling of 'Work Capability Assessment' for DWP, and how disabled people can and should respond/fight back

The first two speakers were from Islington Disabled People Against Cuts (IDPAC for short here) and were followed by David, an advice worker from IPAG — that's Islington Poverty Action Group. The IDPAC input focused on background to the introduction and development of Employment & Support Allowance, while David from IPAG emphasised listening to audience people's individual case experience and queries.

Andy Green from IDPAC started by outlining the development of 'welfare reform' and global private sector involvement to the time of the John Major government in 1992. He emphasised that there has been considerable croneyism between government officials and MPs throughout with the companies such as Atos and Unum, and that much of the information he was giving out as background can be found on the Web.[2] He also emphasised that the 'Hardest Hit' rally and march on Wednesday 11 May with about 5,000 people in attendance is just a start of the fightback.

Disabled people are being lied about through smear stories that give credence to market led 'welfare reforms' being the solution to a fairer economy, he noted. "First they come for disabled people" who are being identified as either liabilities to be left alone or potential assets to be worked to exhaustion. The costs to the UK of running the Work Capability Assessment outweigh the savings, especially as a great number of claimants are now winning their tribunals, he pointed out. And Atos do not like the publicity of demonstrations such as the one that took place outside their London HQ on Monday 9 May.[3]

Worryingly for the general population, he pointed out that Atos Healthcare is now the second largest employer of medical practitioners [sic] in the UK, behind the NHS and therefore highly likely to profit from Lansley's privatisation of the NHS.

Patrick, also from IDPAC, outlined his story of going through a zero eligibility points assessment from Atos even after a deadly serious spinal problem that had him hospitalised. He launched his talk by slamming a stapled 60-page paper mountain on the table in front of him. He reassured us that it was not the script for his speech, but what I know to be known as the 'submission' from DWP relating to the claimant's appeal against a dodgy Atos/DWP decision. He had realised upon leaving the 'Work Capability Assessment' with his care worker that the Atos 'doctor' was not properly qualified and showed true ignorance regarding the name of Patrick's medically diagnosed condition.

Atos twist the language so that if a claimant states that they cannot do something they are instructed/requested to do at the 'medical', it is regarded as a refusal to co-operate. After very detailed attention to his reply and getting his MP involved, Patrick won his appeal and got an apology from the DWP. He did not need to go to tribunal.

David from Islington Poverty Action Group reported that under the Work Capability Assessment, all claimants are treated like shit and Labour started it and made it even worse. He emphasised that there is excellent self-help information available to claimants on the website of Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty[4] but was keen to hear the experiences of claimants who were present.

One youngish single mother who has fibriomyalgia[5] reported that she had felt extremely intimidated by the tribunal panel of her first ESA tribunal that had included the presence of someone from the DWP. She lost her first tribunal. Then she developed a secondary condition that resulted from the first condition. With the support of Disabled in Camden[6] she eventually managed to get ESA for a worsened condition than that for which she originally applied. I noted that when I had my ESA tribunal in December 2009 there was no DWP representative on the tribunal panel, and my tribunal advocate had told me the DWP did not have the staff to send people to tribunals. My tribunal judge and doctor seemed more affable than hers, too.

While KUWG is sponsored by Brent Trades Council, its openness to people from outside LB Brent helped to highlight a postcode lottery regarding tribunal support. Another person had had support from Hillingdon CAB in launching his appeal from 2009, but for some mysterious reason was still waiting for his tribunal over a year later. (Note that in LB Camden, the CAB finds preparing for ESA tribunals so time consuming and stressful on the limited funding LB Camden give them, that Disabled in Camden are the only organisation giving such support in the borough.)

The IDPAC speakers left at about 8:15pm, but those remaining continued in discussion before some adjourned to the pub after 8:30pm. At that point, I left after having been made to feel welcome and especially appreciated for my knowledge and input regarding ESA matters.

NOTES
[1] Compare with accessibility of Atos Medical Examination Centres.
There is a page on the Atos website with link to details of their 'Medical Examination Centres'.
http://www.atoshealthcare.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=62&Itemid=253
Check out the further information links at the bottom of that page.
For an analysis review of that spreadsheet data, go to Benefits and Work Publishing website -
http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/blogs/2011/04/26/scandal-of-atos-medical-assessment-centres/

[2] Andy Green referred to the Black Triangle or Disabled People Against Cuts website.
http://www.dpac.uk.net/2011/03/bob-williams-findlaylifting-the-lid-on-disabled-people-against-cuts/

[3] For reports of demonstrations directed at Atos, go to
http://www.dpac.uk.net/2011/05/national-week-of-action-against-atos-origin-some-reports/

[4] Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty website
http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/

[5] See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgia

[6] Disabled in Camden's quarterly newsletter uses the word 'disabled', whereas the website still uses the word 'disability' in its organisation name.
http://www.discnwl.org.uk/advice.html

BRENT FIGHTBACK NHS MEETING 12 May 2011

2011-05-14T09:46:00.008+01:00

Introduction: Pete Firmin of Brent Fightback (Pete reads a statement from Caroline Lucas MP on the NHS)

Matt Grabham, Student Nurse

Dr Ishani Salpadoru, GP in South Kilburn

Jim Fagan, Keep Our NHS Public

Questions and discussion 1

Navin Shah, Labour Greater London Authority member for NW London

Questions and discussion 2

Summing up

Banner to Save Kensal Rise Library

2011-04-18T14:38:00.006+01:00

Banner, with Mark Twain pictured, did once read: "Kensal Rise Library [with Brent Council logo] Celebrating 100 years September 2000".

Wembley Observer series: "Library campaigners will fight on" (14 April)

Budgets and Boundaries: Brent StreetCare, Brent Parks and Community Payback

2011-04-18T13:42:00.007+01:00

Unfortunately, this fly-tip is still where it was two weeks ago (new picture above taken 17 April). This is not to excuse the initial act of dumping, but why should it take the Council two weeks to finally promise to clear it? I have been advised that there was "confusion" about whether the internal responsibility lay with the StreetCare department or the Parks department. It has now been classified as a job for the Parks department, to be clerared by the end of the day.

More concerning is the admission of a manager I have had correspondence with at the Council regarding another ongoing request of mine to have an alleyway (public right of way, PROW26) which backs St Andrews Church cleaned up. He has requested assistance from the local Community Payback scheme because of "reduced funding". However, does this not risk endangering the rationale for the scheme - firstly that offenders were to be nominated for special projects by their local community, not to receive requests directly from the Council? Secondly, that the general upkeep of a public right of way is not a special project but an ordinary duty, that should be in the jurisdiction of our Council streetcare department.

Here is a quote from the Community Payback website on nominating projects:

"Local projects can be community based or for the good of a charity or charitable organisation. Street clean ups, graffiti removal, and even painting of derelict or run down buildings can benefit the community as a whole as well as specific regions or even individual buildings and residents. As a member of your local community you now have the power to nominate or vote for the project that you believe would gain the greatest benefit and offer the most to you and your neighbours and other community members."

Saci Lloyd

2011-04-14T10:28:00.004+01:00

Saci Lloyd introduction

Saci Lloyd reading

Saci Lloyd questions and discussion 1

Saci Lloyd questions and discussion 2

Evening Standard Letter on Brent's Libraries

2011-04-13T18:21:00.006+01:00

'Give us the libraries we want', Evening Standard, 13 Apr 2011, p. 41

I was at the meeting at which Brent council steamrollered their plans to axe half the borough's libraries, despite eloquent representations against. Just one of the myths being peddled by the Council is that a saving of £1m over two years will somehow fill the funding gap made worse by its irresponsible decision to press ahead with a £100m civic centre which nobody wants or can afford. Brent is now giving us less for more.

Dr Shahrar Ali
Green Party candidate for the London Assembly

Photo: Shahrar Ali outside Town Hall on 11 April, taken by Pete Murry.

Article in 12 April 2011 Evening Standard: 'Brent axes six libraries to save £1m'

Brent's Libraries Decimation Smokescreen

2011-04-12T12:36:00.007+01:00

Last night, on 11 April 2011, the Brent Executive steamrollered their plans to axe half of the borough’s libraries (pictured from public gallery). This despite fierce opposition from residents both inside and outside the chamber who had been campaigning to save our libraries for months, first from the threat then from the promise of closure.

I was asked by a journalist on the way in what I thought would happen. The people of Brent will make their case, they will win every argument, they will contain their anger and seek a reversal of this reckless plan for the sake of some of the most vulnerable and deprived members of our community. Sadly, they will then be ignored. Unfortunately I was right on nearly every count. They did not all contain their anger. Everybody left feeling betrayed.

Leader Ann John facilitated the speaking rights of no less than sixteen (fact check) petitioners, all of whom were against the plans. We heard young, we heard old - invariably eloquent and impassioned - we heard from locals affected by plans to axe Kensal Rise, Neasden and Preston libraries, to name but three. A small number of councillors added their voices, but these rung hollow to most of those in the public gallery, perhaps with the notable exception of Cllr Harshadbhai Patel (Preston Conservative) – who sounded like he wasn’t just trying to cover his rear at the next election.

Public addresses went on for over two hours, with almost half an hour given over to a presentation of a “Libraries Transformation Project” – read Libraries Decimation Smokescreen – by Cllr James Powney, who was subjected to sustained heckling. Unfortunately, no right of reply was given to this presentation, which contained many bad assumptions and falacious arguments likely to stir even the most dispassionate observer. For example, we were asked to refer to maps in which population densities for young and old were given across the borough. These diagrams were used as a pretext to prioritise some libraries for closure ahead of others, on the assumption that less of the target groups would be adversely affected. But, by parity of reasoning, why not just provide us with a map of population density per se, and target lower density neighbourhoods – since that would be the combined effect?

Powney instead tried to cast himself as a champion of equalities! You starve communities of their local libraries, deprive some of the most vulnerable yet determined in our society from gaining access to a front line service – and you are really helping them in the end? Go figure. This kind of double speak was matched only by the timidity of other Executive members. Cllr Muhammed Butt asked a question about petitioners’ concerns about consultation and legality. We were then treated to stage-managed answers from officers which gave him the required result so he could vote with a clear conscience.

There are several candidates for what makes for the biggest sham of our Council. Is it that the "consultation document" was not a consultation document? – comparisons with the Camden consultation document entirely to the point. Is it that the 83% who opposed the closures, even on the document’s own terms, were ignored? Is it that Brent is building a £100m behemoth that nobody wants or can afford, and has the gall to pretend that this is a way of saving money and avoiding redundancies? As my FOI request showed, Brent’s own feasibility study proved that the project would cost more than the status quo for at least 25 years (see appendix here).

OR is it that the ten members of the Executive could not even bring themselves to raise their arms when it came to the actual decision-making? In fact it was so easy to miss the decision that clarification was sought from the Chair, who confirmed “unanimous”. What this moment betrays is the inability of the Exec to even stand up and be counted when it is their job to be counted, if nothing else. Not even this could be got right.

Petitioners came and went and were not even dignified with the material sign that their Exec members were going to ignore their pleas and appeals. No, this was diminished responsibility of a high order, an act of commission masquerading as an act of omission, as if their hands had been tied by unelected bureaucrats peddling legalese and experiments in social science. Powney at least had the chutzpah to speak what he believed.

Nay, the biggest sham is the absence of local democracy itself. For the people of Brent not only to be ignored but to be told that they have been listened to first.

Local and regional news reports: Council Cut Libraries (ITV London Tonight, 11 Apr 2011), Half of Brent’s Libraries to Close as Residents Protest (Brent Times, 12 Apr 2011), Libraries are Essential (Wembley Observer, 26 Nov 2010).

Comeback Libraries: Lobby Brent Exec

2011-04-11T15:51:00.004+01:00

Brent Greens will be joining Brent Fightback and library campaigners in a lobby of Brent Council Executive on the steps of Town Hall tonight, Monday 11 April, 6pm onwards. The picture shows users of one of the borough's local libraries, at Town Hall itself before opening hours the same day. People are literally queuing up to use Brent's libraries - and will be asked to leave Town Hall library early to avoid unwanted "gate crashers" using it as an access to the meeting tonight. Desperate methods.

Here Today ... Here Tomorrow

2011-04-11T15:37:00.006+01:00

Above taken 3 April 2011.

Above taken 10 April 2011. Spot the difference?

As the annual round of monthly council tax payments begin afresh in April, residents will be rightly concerned to see mountains of garbage in their neighbourhood not being dealt with. This is not to excuse the initial flytipper, but Brent has been made officially aware of this particular heap (at the junction of Birchen Grove and Old Church Lane) since 4 April. Reference 752069, complete with a picture I submitted on-line.

Climate Change Children's Author Reads “Carbon Diaries” at Willesden Green Library

2011-03-25T09:31:00.002Z

Brent Campaign Against Climate Change Press Release
For immediate release: xxxxxxxxxx March 2011

Climate Change Children's Author Reads “Carbon Diaries” at Willesden Green Library

Author Saci Lloyd will visit the Willesden Green Library Centre on Saturday 9th April to read from her acclaimed teenage novels “The Carbon Diaries 2015” and “The Carbon Diaries 2017”. Following the readings there will be discussion with a teenage audience about the prospect of carbon rationing in the UK and feelings about the threat of Climate Change.

This event is the first in a series of “Green Writers” at the Willesden Green Library Centre, where authors will read from their books about an environmental aspect and discuss them with the audience. The series is organised by the Brent Campaign against Climate Change in liaison with the Willesden Green Library.

Saci Lloyd's first novel “The Carbon Diaries 2015” was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards in 2008. Its heroine is Laura Brown, a teenager who struggles to cope with her family, dreams of a breakthrough with her punk band and fancies the boy next door. When on 1st January 2015, the UK is the first nation to introduce carbon dioxide rationing, Laura chronicles the events of this drastic bid to combat climate change and illustrates how carbon rationing is threatening to turn her family, her local environment and the whole country out of control. Praising reviews include:
 “This is a charming tale full of laughs and angst, with a message both accessible and relevant to today's teenagers.' -Bookseller's Choice, New Publishing
 'An uproarious, scathing and pathos-filled romp - Adrian Mole does the apocalypse.'
– Financial Times

In the sequel “The Carbon Diaries 2017” Laura tours Europe with her punk band and becomes involved with an increasingly dramatic sequence of climate change-related events that include drought in Europe and Africa, a tidal-wave of desperate immigrants, a water war in the Middle East and clashes between Londoners and the army in the town centre.

Ken Montague, Secretary of the Brent Campaign against Climate Change says, “After the failure of the Copenhagen Climate Summit and the limited outcome of the recent climate talks it is easy to forget that if we don’t act now climate change will be a far worse threat to our future than the economic crisis. It will be the generation of Laura Brown's children who will see the fight over natural resources. ”

The reading and discussion is from 2- 4pm on Saturday, 9th April 2011 at the Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2SF. All are welcome. Please bring your copy of the “Carbon Diaries” along if you would like it to be signed by the author.

Ends.

Notes for Editors
1. Two photos of the author and book covers, attached.
2. See author's website www.sacilloyd.com and publisher's website with summary of content www.hodderchildrens.co.uk
3. The organiser of the “Green Writer” series is the Brent Campaign against Climate Change, the local group of the national Campaign against Climate Change . It is a non-profit making network and information exchange for participating environmental groups, trade union organisations, tenants’ and residents’ associations, and individual climate activists within the London Borough of Brent. For more information see http://www.brentcacc.com/

Contact: Brent Campaign against Climate Change – Stefanie Gray 07882 175240

"State Multiculturalism" and Failed State Fanaticism: Green Speech

2011-03-11T10:49:00.007Z

On 9 March 2011, I represented the Greens at the London Rally organised by UAF and One Society Many Cultures. The line up was as packed as the hall and I particularly enjoyed the slam poets. Please sign the UAF statement. Here's my speech:

Asalamalakum.

Anybody here from the United Kingdom Independence Party? Thought not.

I'm from the Green Party of England and Wales. Also known as the Green Party for Peace and Justice on Planet Earth.

I want to talk briefly about solidarity and Failed State Fanaticism. I want to talk about how it is not “state multiculturalism” that fails us but leaders peddling racist stereotypes under the pretext of the politics of fear.

What exactly does Cameron know about “state multiculturalism”? In my own borough of Brent we enjoy the most ethnically diverse community in the country. I have neighbours from Poland, India, Italy, Russia, Lithuania, South Africa, Bulgaria, Somalia … the list goes on … and that’s just my street!

Across London some of the most hard working, yet disempowered workers, upon whom we rely for cleaning, catering, construction, transport, medical care, you name it, are not only struggling to make ends meet, but are having their life chances and those of their families squandered and diminished by the Coalition’s ill-conceived and aggressive cuts programme.

That’s what I call Failed State Fanaticism.

What does Islam mean? Well, literally S .. L .. M means Peace.

It is not Islam that is to be feared. It is fanaticism in all its forms. Whether based on a perverted interpretation of a religious text. Or racial hatred masquerading as interrogation of a religious text.

What does Failed State Fanaticism look like?

Geert Wilders should know. He and the far right do not wish to tolerate the veil. But WE do not tolerate the incarceration of 22 British citizens who received disproportionate sentences for public order offences during protests against the onslaught of Gaza.

Cameron should know. He would tolerate the draconian use of kettling by the police. But WE do not tolerate the Honouring of Cressida Dick for giving the order to shoot to kill an innocent Brazilian man on the London Underground simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Cameron would tolerate the EDL’s presence in Luton on the same day he lectures us on multiculturalism in Munich (ahem sorry Dave, but I think you mean München – don’t think you’ll be gaining admittance to my dinner table). But WE do not tolerate the rise in hate crimes experienced by the Muslim and Jewish communities of Europe when racism and xenophobia goes unchallenged.

Obama should know. He would tolerate the breaking of his own pledge to shut down Guantanamo within one year of coming to office. But WE do not tolerate the ongoing detention without trial or charge of over 170 men for over nine years. [Hold up 21 Feb 2011 stonewalling letter from FCO in reply to London Guantanamo Campaign for release of Shaker Aamer.]

Which ultimate Failed State Fanaticist said the following? “Sorry, but with these people, it doesn’t work. If you want to beat them, you need draconian powers that can be wielded administratively and with instant effect. Hence the antisocial behavior laws, DNA database, ‘proceeds of crime’ legislation, anti-terror laws and so on. Now you may decide that this is too high a price to pay, in terms of traditional liberties. Fine, but – and this is what I learned – it is the price. If you don’t pay it, you don’t get the result.”

[Hold up Blair's A Journey]

But this is the man who would tolerate the shaking of Gadaffi’s hand, not to mastermind peace, but to secure arms deals in an already unstable region.

WE are with Rosa Parks of 1955 Alabama and her refusal to give in to the racist request of a fellow passenger.

WE are with the peace-loving Muslims and will confront the Failed State Fanatacists of the wider world.

WE are for truth, justice, and social INCLUSION.

Photos by C Kiss and S Ali

Council Rides Roughshod over Meeting Rights

2011-03-04T08:00:00.000Z

I was shocked and dismayed to learn that my political comrade, Martin Francis, and others, were prevented from attending a meeting of full Council on 28 February 2011.

By what authority may the Council exclude members of the public, nay, rate paying locals, from its proceedings? The Council recruited the police in its design under the pretext that admittance to the gallery was by ticket alone.

By what authority may the Council, exceptionally, institute ticketed entry? Who took this decision and why were seats left unoccupied?

Brent Council heaps injury upon its already injurious local cuts programme by this affront to the peaceable access to its Chamber by local residents. Or would the Council’s answer to criticisms of its impossible plan to spend £100m on a new civic centre, say, be to do away with the chamber altogether?

Transparency of decision-making and democratic accountability is non-negotiable, perhaps more especially when politically inconvenient for the Council. Brent’s misconduct must not go unchallenged or uncorrected.

Picture of Martin Francis prevented from entering the Chamber taken by Savva Papasavvas. More on Wembley Matters.

"Those who created the crisis should pay for it"

2011-02-27T10:32:00.000Z

Caroline Lucas spoke about the cuts and the Green New Deal at the Green Party Conference in Cardiff this weekend. Reinforce her message by turning up to Monday's anti-cuts protest outside Brent Town Hall.

Demonstrate against cuts on Monday

2011-02-25T16:55:00.000Z

NO CUTS! NO CLOSURES! NO REDUNDANCIES!

DEFEND OUR SERVICES!

Lobby Brent Council's budget fixing meeting

MONDAY 28th FEBRUARY

Bring your placards and banners, bring your friends and your neighbours.

Be on the steps of Brent Town Hall

Forty Lane, Wembley HA9 9HD

From 6 pm.

TELL BRENT COUNCIL TO RESIST THE CONDEM CUTS!

Spread the word.

Please forward this link to everyone who will be affected by cuts to libraries, the Law Centre, Charteris Sports Centre, Voluntary services, children's centres, services for children with special needs, services for the elderly, services for people with disabilities &/or learning difficulties, parks, council workers who will lose their jobs, council workers who will have their pay cut, council workers whose working conditions will get worse, people with mental health problems whose services are being cut and rents are going up, young people whose youth centres are being closed or cut, people with allotments, people who need to bury their relatives ..........