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| Lorber cutting celebration cake at Barham Community Library |
Lorber was a councillor for 32 years and was leader of a Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition that ran the Council from 2006 to 2010. This required him to work with Bob Blackman, Tory group leader, who is now the MP for Harrow East.
He came to Brent in 1969 and attended a Brent secondary school. He lives in the Brent North constituency.
Lorber was an energetic campaigner against the Labour Council's library closures as a councillor and is involved in the community campaign which opposed the closure of Barham Library and set up two community libraries to provide a service to local people, especially children. The campaign continues and is fighting to set up a volunteer library in the Barham Park buildings.
The expenses scandal that engulfed both Dawn Butler and Barry Gardiner particularly incensed Lorber, who says it was wrong for them to claim expenses for second homes when their constituencies were less than 30 minutes away from Parliament. A major thrust of his campaign is a demand that they repay the expenses they claimed for their second homes before standing again.
Sarah Teather's distancing from the Liberal Democrats role in the Coalition, her sacking and decision not to stand again, and the wiping out of Liberal Democrat representation on Brent Council in May 2014 (except for one seat) as well as what many see as the Lib Dem 'betrayal' by working with the Conservatives on polices that have impacted so much on the poor, are likely to be major issues in the campaign.
Lorber has pledged that if elected he would continue to live in Brent and would open up a Brent North Constituency Office. He will refuse to take an 11% rise demanded recently by some MPs.
His key issues are investment in training and apprenticeships for young people, investment in early years education and support for pensioners through fair pensions and access to activities and facilities.
General Election result 2010
 Barry Gardiner |
Labour | 24514 | 47% | Elected |
| Harshadbhai Patel |
Conservative | 16486 | 32% | Not elected |
| James Allie |
Liberal Democrats | 8879 | 17% | Not elected |
James Allie defected to Labour in July 2012 accusing his party of being hypocritical and having neither the will nor ability to make Britain fairer, greener and more equal.
Candidates so far announced are (in alphabetical order)
Scott Bartle (Green Party)
Mark Ferguson (UKIP)
Barry Gardiner (Labour)
Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat)
Luke Parker (Conservative)
Ah yes. I think a man who oversaw the wipe-out of the Brent Lib Dems is probably best-placed to overturn Barry Gardiner MP's massive majority.
ReplyDeleteThey might as well let James Allie run for them again.
Brilliant:
ReplyDeleteIt was Lorbers interview with the Brent and Kilburn Times where he defended Brent Lib Dems not going to work (despite being elected 'democrats') that tipped me over the balance to join the Green Party.
If I was in Brent LD, i would have picked a female! But they are missing a trick!
Was Alison Hopkins or Lauren Keith not available?
I also wonder if the wage / gender disparity at Brent Council reported on Wembleymatters was a hangover of Lorber being in charge.
http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/pavey-review-wont-lance-brents-boil-but.html
Bw,
Scott Bartle
@mapesburygreen
"We need a futile gesture at this stage. It will raise the whole tone of the war."
ReplyDeletePeter Cook
I normally respect what Scott says, but not in this instance, this is ad hominem to both me and Lauren - who is a good friend and someone I respect enormously.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I did not and would not stand to be selected in Brent North - I did think about it in Brent Central, but decided not to. That was because trying to stay a councillor in Dollis Hill I saw as more crucial and still do.
I also respect Paul Lorber. The comment about wage and gender disparity is disgrace and an insult to him and to Gareth Daniel. I am very surprised indeed that Scott has stooped to this, it's not what I'd expect from him. We've managed to have campaigns in Brent that have not had personal attacks by Brent Greens on Lib Dems and vice versa and I'd like to see that continue.
That report in the B&K about "going to work" was massively full of errors, but I don't propose to chew it over. It followed from one that accused Dollis Hill councillors of not attending SNT meetings: if the paper had bothered to check, they'd have found that we weren't allowed to do so by the constitution of the panel. But they didn't bother to ask, nor did they ever print the correction I, and others, asked them to. I wonder if Scott actually tried talking to any of us.
You really need to calm down.
Delete3 points in response
Delete1) On gender inequity: Generally (if you are not a mate of a mate as appears to be happening with those at the top in Brent currently) it takes many years to climb the public sector payscales. This suggests a lack of opportunities were given to women and people from BME backgrounds in the past, hence falling within Lorbers watch.
2) At the local elections I did an analysis and it was more than just one or two lib dem councillors who were not bothering to go to work. It was the majority and this showed a complete lack of respect for the electorate. Paul Lorber just did not get it and the article in the Brent and Kilburn Times contained direct quotes which showed he felt participating in democracy was 'pointless'. The fact that a Cllr had to be tracked down in Brighton was the epitomy of this all really.
3) Am unclear why you would consider it insulting to query why yourself or Lauren were not selected. I was being sincere.
Bw,
Scott Bartle
@mapesburygreen
"trying to stay a councillor in Dollis Hill I saw as more crucial and still do" - you lost FYI
Delete09:43 - yes, I did. But it has not and will not stop me working for people here, as I have for decades. Nor will it stop me standing again if I get the chance. Judging by the volume of emails, casework, meetings and people coming to see me, there's obviously a "market need", hm?
DeleteNow, do feel free to do a little more anonymous trolling, my little Brent Labour councillor friend. You're as cowardly as those you support who won't fight for real people, but only value their allowances.
Scott, I'd be wary of some of the very dirty tricks going on at the moment. They seem to be endemic in Bent Brent, from the very bottom to the top - although, luckily, some get sabotaged by residents!
Scott, your defintion of going to work obviously differs from mine. If it means those who show at full council meetings and then simply doze off, or read a book, or spout a pre prepared question to the Glorious Leader, then in my book, that means nothing. It's what is done in the ward that matters most, and I know very well what people were or were not doing, across all parties. I also know what the current crop are not doing!
ReplyDeleteAs to the gender/BAME issue, I was not a councillor whilst Paul was council leader. But I can say that I have witnessed him fight officers at a senior level continually, who tried to block any challenge to their precious status quo. I can also state that whilst he can be rather.... forceful, to say the least, I have never once heard him be secist or racist or homphobic. I have, however, heard Labour councillors, still in post, be all of those things. Paul cares about competence, and gets very angered by a lack of it - things were changing to some extent under Gareth Daniel, but went backwards massively when Butt's cronies were pulled in.
It isn't, by the way, the case that it can take years to climb payscales. I worked with around 150 councils over may years, plus other public sector bodies and saw people jump and leapfrog up. What Brent has reverted to though is the crony culture: you've only to look at Streetcare to see that.
Which Labour Councillors are racist and / or homophobic?
DeleteStop spouting bile.
Someone who constantly pounces on anything that one particular poster says and then bitchily (is that ok?) attacks her for daring to open her mouth is hardly the one to refer to bile. And I would imagine the 'calm down' is not without its little sexist undertones, even without the 'dear' which Cameron would love you more for using.
DeleteWorth having a look at this - http://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=67&V=2&RPID=0
ReplyDeleteRe the above thread ending at 13.50, could I ask comment posters to stick to the factual/policy issyes and avoid the personal. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a grumpy little ass! Wasn't he told by Butt not to read Wembley Matters? Whilst Paul Lorber was Leader he had many a grand ideas about cost cutting, the difference between him and Butt is that there was mutual respect between him and the officers. When he did not agree with a lot of the ways things were done he had the decency to listen whereas once Butt gets told no he replaces people with his little cronies. Under Gareth Daniel there is no way these greedy councillors would have seen a 25% pay rise. This is what residents need to pay attention to, they are not getting the help they need but the greedy bastards they voted in are only too willing to put public money in their pockets.
ReplyDeleteMartin - I think it would help if you did not accept anonymous comments. If people have something to say they should, and by all means be as robust as you wish, have the decency to put their name to their argument. I will just say two things to add to this debate:
ReplyDelete1. When I became Leader the Senior Management Team had been around for a while and it is a fact that it was made up of middle aged white men. Until someone decided to leave Brent there were no vacancies. In the interim the Senior Management Team was broadened to include other officers including the Solicitor to the Council and the Head of PR who at the time were both women. Later on when vacancies at Departmental Director level arose the Council appointed (all party appointments panel) two women (one asian and one white) to these positions. They were the best candidates for the job.
2. I cannot speak for other Councillors but throughout my many years on the Council aroud 10% of my time was spent attending meetings at Brent Town Hall and the other 90% was spent visiting constituents, walking my ward, dealing with cases work or campaigning on a local issues. In my capacity as Leader of my Grouyp I always advised all my Councillors to put dealing with their constituents first and as long as that was done I was not fussed if they did not attend every Council Meeting especially as, following changes under a Tony Blair Government, 95% of Council decsion making passed to the Cabinet (or Executive) which is currently under one party control.
As Martin knows, as he attends many Cabinet meetings, by the time the Cabinet meets the decisions have already been made at a pre Cabinet 'Leadres Briefing' held in secret between the Cabinet Members and Senior Council officers. The public Cabinet meeting is just a showcase to satisfy the open Government requirements.
Needless to say when the Local Newspaper were intent a story my comments about instructing my Councillors to prioritise serving local people and dealing with local issues over attending meetings where they was a lot of talk (and political points scoring) but no meaningful decisions did not appear in the article.
It is true that a number of my Councillors were attacked for missing meetings (usually by political apponents) but I cannot recall them being attacked on the grounds that residents casework was not being dealt with. We made sure that we supported our colleagues who because of work reasons or because they had to care for a dying relative were not able to devote as much time to Council work as before.
Paul Lorber
You seem to have forgotten about David Clues, who was indeed attacked for not dealing with casework or even acknowledging emails for almost 2 years after he moved to Brighton but remained a councillor. Your response please Mr Lorber?
DeleteWho represents the interests of residents if Councillor's are not at meetings?
Delete14:35 - with the way that council meetings have been organised over the past several years, there is actually little or no way of representing residents' interests. Decision are made by a tiny cabal of the unelected leader and a handful of officers, then presented to the executive for rubber stamping. Full council meetings supposedly get to debate and vote, but the latest rules mean there's little chance of either, especially as Labour councillors are whipped and willnot vote other than they are told.
DeleteAs an example, we tried to get a debate on why Veolia should not get the Public Realm contract. Even before the full council meeting, Brent's Legal had decided the question could not be asked. (We did find a few ways of asking it anyway, but that got shouted down - and wasn't even minuted!)
I do think there's a false impression of what actually gets done at full council meetings - the real work is done in the community. The best way of representing residents'interests can be to establish what the issues are and then go directly to officers who you know will be helpful. Community campaigning and shaming can also be effective when initiated by councillors - and of course, it can also be stunningly effective when residents do it!
Examples? The traffic lights on the Edgware Road, which I'm very proud of. I'd known there was a problem for years and made it the first priority after being elected. It's made a hell of a difference to a lot of peoples lives. (I bet my tame troll has a go about that, but hey. ;) ) And, the 20 mph speed limit in Dollis Hill is happening because assorted local residents came to us, and we then pushed it through Highways.
There are some meetings, of course, that are useful. When I chaired Budget and Finance, I met with the then FD and officers to discuss issues and priorities in detail. We'd also meet up to follow up actions, and prepare the reports we put out. Meetings with operational officers, walkabouts, SNT officer meetings, problem fixes with officers, meeting residents: all of those are vital. None of them actually gets recorded on those spurious attendance stats on Brent's website. What does happen though, is that if a councillor shows for a meeting that's on the calendar, even if only for five minutes, sleeps through it, reads, or giggles with a side kick, that counts as attendance. There's a fair few play the game of showing to any meeting to get numbers.
This sounds informed and quite persuasive. It would be interesting to hear from a member of the current ruling group (even that one if he supplies some supporting evidence) whether current council practice is misrepresented by what has been said above and, if so, in what ways.
Delete(For the purposes of keeping the Brent electorate informed maybe we could temporarily drop the pretence that current councillors from the ruling group never read this blog).
Mike Hine
Alison is saying that they were just totally ineffective against us.
DeleteAlison - do you think the Lib Dems have made any mistakes as part of the coalition government?
Delete09:17. Yes, I do. And one of the reasons I'm so keen on Ibrahim is that he has and will say exactly the same thing.
DeleteI also believe that the Tories would have been a damn sight worse without someone restraining the worst of their excesses. Any one party state, whatever it's persuasion, is a disaster.Which brings us neatly back to Brent.
22:08. I don't think we were ineffective- we tried as hard as we could within the barriers and constraints that were increasingly imposed by Butt, Gilbert and Ledden. I do believe that Butt and Brent Labour has consistently manipulated and finagled to ensure they run Brent as Butt's personal fiefdom. I also believe that some Brent Labour practices are as corrupt as what has happened in Tower Hamlets. That's especially with regard to electoral games and past and present intimidation. I do respect the fact that the Greens don't do that - but they need to be wary as hell.
If you want slightly better democracy in Brent, go back to a proper committee system and don't whip councillors on all votes.
By the way, where we were effective and still are is on the sheer volume of casework and problem solving and being on the ground. I've been to several Brent local residents meeting in the past few weeks - guess who weren't there? They were, however, pretty prominent in Dawn's photos and any other envelope opening!
It was only this morning that Liberal Democrat Jeremy Browne laid in to the Liberal Democrats for failing to make their voices heard saying that they had 'lost their way'. It then becomes apparent that locally we had a LibDem microcosm of the national party.
DeleteThe Hansard Society has shown that only a small proportion of people actually contact councillor's, so whilst the policy has been to 'casework' (any empirical measure of your peers efficacy at this?) those without a voice have been lost. A democrat that described democratic process as 'pointless' was really pushing it. Its beyond belief that elected representatives felt that providing scrutiny to council decisions was beneath them. it is due to this attitude that the Liberal Democrats have been pushed into 4th by the Greens locally and nationally which resulted in the Lib Dems that did go to work losing their seats. As you pointed out Martin (and other community activists) regularly attend these meetings - have you pondered why this might be?
I hope I don't have to answer this.
Not only do Greens punch above their weight at every level of elected office but the party provides a real alternative to varying shades of Tory. There's a choice.
bw,
Scott Bartle
@mapesburygreen.
Scott, some points. I, and others, actively sought out casework rather than waiting for it to come to us. I think that's what any good councillor ought to do. We spent many many hours knocking on doors and trying to network as much as possible, rather than just relying on monthly surgeries. Still do. ( I do find it quite funny how many problems get raised when I'm shopping in Lidl!)
DeleteAs to scrutiny, the problem is that the current structure really doesn't work. It isn't democracy that's pointless, it's the application and function of it in what amounts to a one party state. Brent's Executive and Leader effectively ignored every recommendation made by the Scrutiny committees - and that was despite the fact they had cross party representation.
As to making voices heard, I'm afraid that the media, as I'm sure you know, can have selective hearing.
There is huge value in activists talking to councillors, but only if those councillors understand the process and structure of local government, are prepared to kick backsides of both officers and Executive, and also don't delegate all their casework to the political aides.
Like I said, back to committee structures please and no whipping.
Alison I don't doubt that you were good at casework, but if, as you say, you undertook such a huge volume of it and were so effective how come you still lost your seat? Carol Shaw has proven that an effective caseworker can get reelected whatever the party (and I'm no fan of her politics - whatever they happen to be this week).
DeleteI notice you are also continuing to give the line about hard-working LibDems outside meetings (maybe true in some cases) but ignoring the questions about David Clues. If you did disagree with what David Clues did but won't speak out about it then you are no better than the Labour councillors you condemn for their blind loyalty
And Simon Green
ReplyDeleteStill no comment on David Clues failing to answer residents emails for 2 years. Maybe the reason the LibDems were so unbothered by it was because he was donating his entire allowance to their local party.
ReplyDeleteWhy has nobody commented on the fact that the picture above shows Mr Lorber symbolically cutting through the word, 'Libraries'?
ReplyDeleteDear Paul,
ReplyDeleteI reported on 26th June 2016, to council by my e-mail regarding overgrown tree in our Cecil avenue and council in return by e-mail told me that they will take reply in 5 days and after 15 days they will take action but 35 days has been passed and council neither any reply nor take any action. Even third country will reply or might take any action in 35 days but Brent Council of BRITAIN has so much live in slumber-land that they did not reply me nor take any action. Whats happening to Brent. Council employed TWO BOB employee?
Please do some the necessary action.
--- Moinuddin Maniar
mgmaniar@hotmail.com
Dear Paul,
ReplyDeleteI reported on 26th June 2016, to council by my e-mail regarding overgrown tree in our Cecil avenue and council in return by e-mail told me that they will take reply in 5 days and after 15 days they will take action but 35 days has been passed and council neither any reply nor take any action. Even third country will reply or might take any action in 35 days but Brent Council of BRITAIN has so much live in slumber-land that they did not reply me nor take any action. Whats happening to Brent. Council employed TWO BOB employee?
Please do some the necessary action.
--- Moinuddin Maniar
mgmaniar@hotmail.com