While his colleague Muhammed Butt was being grilled at Brent Town Hall James Powney faced a roasting at Kilburn Library. LINK
The occasion was the launch of veteran feminist and anti-racist Selma James' new publication, Sex, Race and Class: The perspective of winning. Cllr Powney was adopting a low profile in the audience. He might have been warned of what was to come if he had read Brent Council's press release on the event which included this quote from Selma James:
The audience rose up up against the slight figure and angrily denounced Brent Council, library closures and capitulation to the cuts. Powney sarcastically said, 'Yes I am the evil architect of these library closures. I am going to defend myself' and gesturing to the refurbished library, boasted of IT resources, new books and increased borrowing.
Needless to say the audience was not convinced.
The occasion was the launch of veteran feminist and anti-racist Selma James' new publication, Sex, Race and Class: The perspective of winning. Cllr Powney was adopting a low profile in the audience. He might have been warned of what was to come if he had read Brent Council's press release on the event which included this quote from Selma James:
I’m pleased to be talking with my community in our library and to support libraries as centres of learning and culture in every community. We need the libraries for our ongoing education to which we are all entitled.When Selma started by stressing the importance of libraries and condemned Brent Council's closures of half the borough's libraries a member of the audience stood up and pointing to James Powney said, 'We have the architect of the library closures in the audience here, Councillor James Powney, I hope he will listen and take note of some of the anger and outrage that residents feel about these library closures.'
The audience rose up up against the slight figure and angrily denounced Brent Council, library closures and capitulation to the cuts. Powney sarcastically said, 'Yes I am the evil architect of these library closures. I am going to defend myself' and gesturing to the refurbished library, boasted of IT resources, new books and increased borrowing.
Needless to say the audience was not convinced.
The council bang on about how wonderful the new Kilburn Library is, but in spite of its face-lift it is a dreadfully soul-less and sterile place. I hate going there now. Sad.
ReplyDeleteI was at this meeting and I was the person who performed the public service in identifying Councillor James Powney's presence to the audience. No doubt Powney hoped that he could hide at the back of the meeting unnoticed and then go on to proclaim it as an example of the success of Brent's shiny-but-tiny new library service. Given that there are very few public opportunities for residents to express their disgust at the council's library closures we must thank Selma James for allowing her book meeting to become such a forum. Powney's sarcastic response in describing himself as the 'evil architect' only served to clearly highlight that he had no intention of listening to the anger and outrage that I referred to. Indeed, his arrogance only served to inflame the audience.
ReplyDeleteLast night's meeting showed clearly that, despite Brent Labour's hope that people will forget all about library closures by the time of the next local election, the issue is still very much alive and people still feel palpable disgust at the actions of the council. When even the Tories in neighbouring Barnet have shown greater willingness to negotiate over library closures the question "what are you going to do about it?" still hangs in the air for Brent Labour.
Any ideas of how to save over £100m Sujata? Powney may be a terrible local politician but cuts are not the fault of the council
ReplyDeleteThe council may not have chosen these cuts but in implementing them they must take their share of the responsibility. They have a very clear political choice in front of them - acquiese and give in, or stand up for residents and fight them. It's clear at the moment which path they are choosing.
ReplyDeleteSujata,
DeleteI truly believe that we the public are being taken advantage of by the council.
they try in vain to sweeten the bitter pills we are forced to swallow,
and so they come up with their laughable "plan for the future" we of course is meant to be like a ray of sunshine in a darkened room.
who doesn't want to live in a clean attractive pleasant area?
who doesn't want to live in a borough that supports local enterprise etc?
who doesn't want their opinion's and ideas to be taken seriously?
but can those things become a reality with a reduced budget?
streets will only be clean if the people dispose of litter properly.
Lives will only be improved if the government accepts that people cannot live on low wages.
Fight how? Do you honestly think a Tory government will give more money to Labour councils?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of the concept of political pressure?
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of this resulting in changes to central government funding to local government? Even Tory councils are complaining but no dice. You're in cloud cukoko land if you think Eric Pickles cares about 'political pressure' from a Council like Brent which only has a handful of Tory concillors
ReplyDeleteThe defiance in Liverpool in the 1980s did succeed in winning additional funds from central government, whether you agree with their tactics or not, that is a fact. The rebellion of Clay Cross councillors before that in the 1970s created the political space for reforms to local government finance by the incoming 1974 Labour government. Imagine what could be achieved if all the Labour councils across the country (and the Greens in Brighton) got together and mounted a real campaign against cuts to local authority funding. It's a shame you seem to have given up, but I am not prepared to simply lie in the road and prepare to die.
ReplyDeleteSo what are you going to do?
ReplyDeleteSounds like we have one of the Brent Labour propaganda team churning out the same old sound bites they do every time someone mentions the Library Closures -
ReplyDelete"It wasn't us - It is the nasty Government, honest" - Well why then were Brent Labour planning to implement the closures of our Libraries long before Labour lost the election in 2010?
Well done Sujata and thank you for your great replys here.
Ignore you
ReplyDeleteThat will help, good bit of ignoring will reverse the cuts, good luck!
ReplyDeleteDid anyone notice Michael Gove abandoning his plans to cut Mary Seacole out of the curriculum and revising his mess with the examination system? Do you dare to think that it was people power which steam rollered him? Was it our grassroots pressure combined with the "professionals" refusing to collaborate with him. Governments and councils rely on our complicity - they fall if we take they away? Please take note - they cannot implement anything if 'everyone' refuses - the London Fire Brigade is showing us this!
ReplyDelete