ELECTION QUIZ: Match Brent Central candidates to their hustings statements

The Kilburn Times held an on-line hustings for the Brent Central candidates this evening. Shahrar Ali (Green), John Boyle (TUSC), Dawn Butler (Labour), Lauren Keith (Lib Dem), Alan Mendoza (Conservative) and Stephen Priestly (UKIP) took part.

Below you will find 12 responses to some of the questions. Can you match answers to the appropriate candidate?
 

1. As a representative of one of the smaller political parties, I can state that I would do everything in my power if elected as your MP in Brent Central to defend against further cuts, and to protect vital services to all the community. I would campaign fiercely to represent the needs of my constituents - in this way, I would hope to mitigate against the wider effects of national forces, to protect those that I am seeking to represent. I would campaign in the House of Commons for further resources

In response to: ‘Nationalise the big developers. Build housing and communities for people rather than profit.’

2. I am inclined to agree with the above statement. Development in itself should be encouraged, providing there is an ethical dimension to it . I feel the NHS should also be protected from private profit too - and while we are at it, the rail network should be re-nationalized to make it more affordable for all!

3. Youth resources are absolutely vital for young people, in terms of providing hope, structure, educational and vocational opportunity, and I would be fighting to defend existing resources and also campaign for much needed new resources!

In response to: Black people in Brent are 2.6 x more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. What will you do to end police discrimination?

4. This needs concerted joint-working a training with the police: this statistic is totally unacceptable and must be challenged. The police should not be allowed to arrest anyone, of any ethnicity, unless they have clear grounds to do so!

5. Denying benefits to migrants as a 'wholesale strategy' is not a compassionate way to approach this matter. I believe that our society should always adopt a compassionate approach, and to take into account the fact that many migrants are fleeing desperate circumstances. The United Kingdom has a very long tradition of tolerance and of assisting people that are in difficult circumstances and it is important that this continues. It is the unscrupulous people traffickers, that should be tackled.

6. The UK has a longstanding tradition of helping people in distress, and this must continue. Huge efforts need to be made to tackle all those that seek to exploit migrants, e.g. people smugglers, those that sexually exploit migrants, and also those that seek to enslave migrants in very low paid work - all these things need to be addressed.

7. All institutions should have clear policies to deal with racism in whichever form this appears

On recall of MPs by the electorate: 

8. Absolutely! This is also our stated policy to make MPs more accountable. I am totally committed to this measure. All other professions are bound by strict codes of practice and MPs should be no different!

9. I feel that all the parties need to be honest with the electorate on the issue of any cuts that they propose to make. For nearly everyone that I have spoken to, the NHS appears to be one of the highest priorities, as many are worried that community and hospital services will seriously suffer should further cuts take place. Greater transparency is needed by all parties on the NHS.

10. I feel the British Pub is a national institution which needs to be robustly defended, as the pub is a place where so many people meet: it is an important part of every community. I have endorsed my support for the Campaign for Real Ale, and would be doing everything in my power to support pubs, brewers and also the customers.

11. Education is absolutely crucial for this economy. A diversity of educational opportunities is required, including academic and vocational training courses. Funding needs to be increased to develop education facilities, and teaching and university education needs to attract the best possible candidates.

In response to: Who is the politician, living or dead, you admire the most and why? please do not say your own party leader. 

12. I would have to say Mahatma Gandhi. He was able to overcome so many obstacles for India to gain its independence and self-governance, via his philosophy of 'non-violent non-cooperation' at great personal cost to himself. His ideas have shaped great thinkers across the globe!

Quiz answers HERE

Brent and Kilburn Times On-line hustings HERE

Brent Central candidates talking green at the Learie Constantine Centre

From Brent Friends of the Earth

Photo: Jonathan Goldberg      

Parliamentary candidates for Brent Central were questioned on their green credentials at Brent Friends of the Earth's Eco Hustings last Thursday in Willesden.

Green candidate Shahrar Ali, Labour’s Dawn Butler, Conservative Alan Mendoza and UKIP's Stephen Priestley, along with Ollie Hayes, Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, were on the panel. Friends of the Earth's Energy and Climate Change Campaigner, Rose Dickinson took the chair. The panel faced an audience of 60 local residents and party supporters at the Learie Constantine West Indian Association. John Boyle of TUSC, and the Liberal Democrats were also invited.

Climate change, fracking, fuel poverty, TTIP, industrial farming and air pollution were amongst the the issues discussed.

Viv Stein, Spokesperson for Brent Friends of the Earth says, “This election has come at a crucial time for our future. In order to avoid catastrophic climate change we need to leave 80% of fossil fuels in the ground, and invest in renewable energy instead. The current coalition promised to be 'the greenest Government ever' but have failed to live up to this. They've supported gas and oil companies with huge tax breaks, and have damaged investment in green energy in the UK by cutting incentives for renewables.”

“It was good to hear all the candidates talking green, but they and their parties will need to deliver robust, joined-up and sustainable policies to provide a secure future for us all.”

“We asked candidates to sign a pledge that they won't support fracking in Brent or elsewhere, but as yet only Labour,* the Green and UKIP candidates have signed up.”

You can check which candidates have signed the frack free pledge at HERE   Videos of the meeting available HERE

* Note from Martin Francis:  John Boyle, the TUSC candidiate has pointed out that Dawn Butler has NOT signed according to the  FOE website. He has signed on behalf of TUSC. In Brent North only Scott Bartle, the Green candidate, has signed.  LINK

Eco Hustings Public Meeting – Who is the “Greenest” Candidate in Brent Central?

Parliamentary candidates for Brent Central will be answering questions on local and national environmental issues at an Eco Hustings on Thursday 26^th March at Learie Constantine West Indian Association in Willesden.

The public meeting, organised by Brent Friends of the Earth, will put Labour’s Dawn Butler together with Green candidate Shahrar Ali, Conservative Alan Mendoza, UKIP's Stephen Priestley and John Boyle of TUSC, in the spotlight to see just whose policies are really the greenest. The Liberal Democrats have also been invited.

Ian Saville, Spokesperson for Brent Friends of the Earth says, “This election is crucial for our future. We need firm resolve in our elected representatives to tackle climate change by boosting our economy with green jobs and investing in renewable energy instead of dangerous fossil fuels.”

“This meeting will be a chance for voters to see what candidates have to say on local issues, such as proposals for fracking in Park Royal and the expansion of Heathrow airport, and national ones, such as climate change and energy policy. We invite local residents to come along and ask questions on these and other environmental issues. After all what is the point of politics if we haven’t got a habitable planet?”

The free event takes place on Thursday 26^th March at Learie Constantine West Indian Association, 43-47 Dudden Hill Lane in Willesden, NW10 2ET, starting at 7.30pm. The venue is 2 minutes from Dollis Hill tube station, Chapter Road exit. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be available.

Update: Dawn Butler  (Labour) has now confirmed attendance in addition to Shahrar Ali (Green), Alan Mendoza (Conservative)  and  Stephen Priestly (UKIP)

Next week's General Election Hustings in Brent

Hampstead & Kilburn hustings at Tricycle Theatre, Tuesday 24 March 2015 @ 7:30pm

Hampstead & Kilburn Hustings

hosted by the Tricycle Theatre and Age UK (Brent & Camden)

Tuesday 24 March 2015, 7.30pm

Parliamentary candidates for the Hampstead & Kilburn constituency debate issues and policy affecting children, young people and older people in the area and answer questions from constituents.

Questions must be submitted in advance to creativelearning@tricycle.co.uk, or in person on arrival at the event.

Chair: Geoff Martin, Editor in Chief, Ham & High

Confirmed candidates: Dr Rebecca Johnson (Green), Simon Marcus (Cons), Maajid Nawaz (Lib Dem), Tulip Siddiq (Lab), Magnus Nielsen (UKIP)

This hustings is free to attend, and it is primarily intended for residents in Hampstead & Kilburn constituency.

Tories step into Brent Labour's Council Tax Row

Brent Central Conservatives released the foloowing Press Release yesterday
 

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The Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Brent Central has called for the Labour controlled Brent Council to cease its internal argument over whether to raise the rate of Council Tax by 1.99%, and instead to work together to reach a decision which is best for the residents of Brent.

Dr Alan Mendoza, a former Brent councillor who announced that he would run as the candidate for Brent Central in January, made his call for unity after an anonymous letter emerged on community blog site WembleyMatters.blogspot.co.uk, claiming to be written by a current Labour councillor.

The letter has revealed an internal argument in Brent Council’s Labour Group, over whether to raise the rate of Council Tax, with backbench Labour councillors accusing the Council Leader Cllr Muhammed Butt and Deputy Leader Cllr Michael Pavey of refusing to accept a vote to raise the rate in order to protect Brent from further proposed service cuts.

The letter, which likens Cllr Pavey’s actions to those in George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, claims that the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council refused “point blank” to allow the Council to vote on the Budget, and that, when members of the Labour Group did force a vote, the Leadership chose to “completely ignore it”. The letter also referred to the incident as “an affront to democracy” that will “will bring the council in disrepute.”

Dr Mendoza said: “This internal dispute is indicative of how the Labour controlled council is failing residents in Brent. Instead of working together to reach the best decision for Brent residents, it is focused on playing politics and squabbling amongst themselves.”

Speaking on the proposed increase in council tax, Dr Mendoza said: "The lie that Brent Council has no choice but to make massive cuts because of central government policy has been exposed by this rift in the Council's Labour Group. It turns out that this policy has been enforced by the Labour leadership against the will of backbench Labour councillors. I look forward to the 'nonaffiliated' anti-cuts group Brent Fightback organising its next march outside Cllr Butt's and Cllr Pavey's offices".

Sufra Foodbank Election Hustings, March 11th

From Sufra Foodbank and Kitchen

In the run up to the general election, we invite you to attend a hustings event for Brent Central on Wednesday 11 March 2015 from 6:45pm.

The event is hosted by Sufra NW London, in partnership with Mitchell Brook Primary School and St. Laurence’s Larder, and will provide an opportunity for local people, including those directly affected by food poverty, to challenge local candidates on policies affecting the future of the community.

Invited guests include:

Alan Mendoza (Conservatives)

Shahrar Ali (Green Party)

Dawn Butler (Labour Party)

Ibrahim Taguri (Liberal Democrats)

Venue: Mitchell Brook Primary School, Bridge Road, London, NW10 9BX

RSVP here.

Brent Central Tories select Mendoza and declare 'no confidence' in Muhammed Butt

Former Brent Conservative Councillor Alan Mendoza has been selected by the Tories to  fight Brent Central in the General Election. Mendoza topped the poll in a by-election in Preston ward in June 2005.

He was regarded as a 'Young Turk' who presented a challenge to the leadership of Bob Blackman, now MP for Harrow East.

Mendoza  is Executive Director of the neo-con Henry Jackson Society and a supporter of the Conservative Friends of Israel. He has affiliations with many other organisations and when a councillor declared that he was a Freemason.

He has a particular interest in the Middle East and in security issues and was commenting on TV over Charlie Hebdo on Friday LINK


Mendoza contributes to the Guardian's Comment is Free website.

Foreign policy could be come an issue in the General Election, as it was in 2010 over the Iraq war. The views of HJS are likely to be in conflict with those of the other candidates so far selected:

Henry Jackson Society:

1. Believes that modern liberal democracies set an example to which the rest of the world should aspire.
2. Supports a ‘forward strategy’ – involving diplomatic, economic, cultural, and/or political means — to assist those countries that are not yet liberal and democratic to become so.
3. Supports the maintenance of a strong military, by the United States, the countries of the European Union and other democratic powers, armed with expeditionary capabilities with a global reach, that can protect our homelands from strategic threats, forestall terrorist attacks, and prevent genocide or massive ethnic cleansing.
4. Supports the necessary furtherance of European military modernisation and integration under British leadership, preferably within NATO.
5. Stresses the importance of unity between the world’s great democracies, represented by institutions such as NATO, the European Union and the OECD, amongst many others.
6. Believes that only modern liberal democratic states are truly legitimate, and that the political or human rights pronouncements of any international or regional organisation which admits undemocratic states lack the legitimacy to which they would be entitled if all their members were democracies.
7. Gives two cheers for capitalism. There are limits to the market, which needs to serve the Democratic Community and should be reconciled to the environment.
8. Accepts that we have to set priorities and that sometimes we have to compromise, but insists that we should never lose sight of our fundamental values. This means that alliances with repressive regimes can only be temporary. It also means a strong commitment to individual and civil liberties in democratic states, even and especially when we are under attack

No stranger to controversy, Mendoza was lambasted for his activities in the Henry Jackson Society,and accused of mounting a putsch by Marko Attila Hoare LINK

I grew up with groups like the Socialist Workers Party, in which total power is held by one or two leaders, but the totalitarianism is disguised by window-dressing consisting of branch meetings, annual conferences, meetings of the Politburo and the like. Well, the HJS is like that, but without the window-dressing: there isn’t even the pretence of democracy or consultation. Instead, the organisation operates on the basis of cronyism and intrigue. Sole power is held by one individual – Executive Director Alan Mendoza. He was not elected to the post and is not subject even to formal or technical restraints, nor to performance review and renewal of contract.

Mendoza's views can be seen in this clip when he was up against Stop the War's John Rees:


Meanwhile the Brondesbury Park Conservatives have put forward a motion for the next Full Council meeting that should also attract controversy:

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Motion under Standing Order45 in the names of Cllrs.Warren,Shaw and Davidson.

"NO CONFIDENCE VOTE IN CLLR.BUTT..........BUT HOW DO WE DO IT???? "*
This Council recognises that Cllr.Butt is unfit to lead Brent Council,and notes his actions since taking this post......
1. On becoming Council leader falling out with the previous Chief Executive and costing Brent £200,702 in compensation for loss of office.
2. In May 2014 installing  himself for four years as "Brent's Prime Minister," instead of the usual annual election for leader.
3. Introducing a Kremlin - style Constitution  in May 2014,including a reduction in Council scrutiny from 8 to 1 committees.
4. Presiding over a humiliating Industrial Tribunal case,where Brent was found guilty of race discrimination and yet still continuing with futile appeals....costing thousands .
5.  Damaging dramatically Brent staff relations as a result of the aforementioned I.T.case.
6.  Surrounding himself with a " Mafia - style " group of members and officers at the expense of most Labour members.
7. Losing Cllr.Perrin from his Cabinet within days of the new Council and barring Cllr.Van Kalwala from the Civic Centre.
8. Appalling lack of judgement in the Tricycle furore that happened in the summer of 2014.
9. Wasting more Brent Council taxpayer monies in the so called "independent " Mansfield inquiry into Brent NHS issues.
10. Totally undermining the Mayor of Brent by hogging every conceivable photo- opportunity at Mayoral events.
11. Showing a total lack of leadership in the ongoing budget process with endless consultations,forums,working groups,focus groups instead of showing real leadership.
12. Including the amazing Standing Order 13 in the Council constitution,which eliminates the traditional method of moving a motion of no- confidence.
This Council notes how difficult it is to move a no- confidence vote in Cllr. Butt Standing Order 13 requires 40% of Council members to put forward such a motion to Council some 10 working days before the meeting.In the interests of democracy this Council calls upon Cllr. Butt to remove Standing Order at the Council AGM on 20 May 2015.

A bit odd as Cllr Butt doesn't have the power to remove Standings Orders on his own, surely removal  of SO13 itself should have been a motion that the Brondesbury Conservative 'Provisionals' put to the AGM?

I expect the Kenton Conservative 'Officials' to treat the motion with disdain as they seem comfortable in their role on the Council after being officially recognised by Labour as the official opposition.

Brent North Conservatives have selected Luke Parker who works for IBM. According to the Kilburn Times LINK he wants 'better' schools, will champion small businesses and supports the living wage.

It really does look like there are two distinct Conservative Parties in Brent.

* The printing of this motion does not indicate my support for any or all of the points or  belief in their accuracy.