Amid the Tory Party infighting last night at the Brent Council Annual General Meeting there was a protest from Cllr John Duffy (Labour, Kilburn) that Kilburn ward councillors had not been given one committee place on the Council.
He claimed that this meant Kilburn residents had been disenfranchised.
Muhammed Butt, Labour leader of Brent Council replied that 'previous conduct' of councillors had been taken into account when selecting committee members.
Duffy attempted to persuade the Council to raise Council Tax earlier this year in an effort to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground, the Welsh Harp Environment Education Centre and Energy Solutions from closure.
He claimed that this meant Kilburn residents had been disenfranchised.
Muhammed Butt, Labour leader of Brent Council replied that 'previous conduct' of councillors had been taken into account when selecting committee members.
Duffy attempted to persuade the Council to raise Council Tax earlier this year in an effort to save Stonebridge Adventure Playground, the Welsh Harp Environment Education Centre and Energy Solutions from closure.
What about the other 2 Kilburn councillors?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of invertebrate institution deems dissent to be 'previous' and a disqualification from office? Anyone got a Buttquote handy about 'openness, transparency, broad range of opinion, democracy' etc.
ReplyDeleteI can think of 2 organs which Butt might benefit from if there are any donors out there with a spare pair.
A brain and a heart?
DeleteI was thinking more spherically.
DeleteOh.
DeleteSome eyes so he can see what's coming to him?
Rita Conneely is also of an independent mind.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty appalling. :(
Rita Conneely receives "the dreaded vote of confidence"...
DeleteThis squashing of dissent is borderline tyrannical. It is no wonder that the scrutiny committee is looked on with dismay as people that are political career focussed won't dare to question too much.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I disagreed about the raising tax idea (as labour have proven themselves ineffective and grandiose in their spending of money so it would go to waste) i really respect the kilburn lot for thinking creatively and taking ideas to the table.
Remove the word borderline.
ReplyDeleteNot sure many Cabinet members even know where Kilburn is. One even refuses to reply to residents who wrote to her last July.
ReplyDeleteKilburn isn't relevant to them or their power base. Butt et al only care about Brent Central and North. Kilburn, no votes for Gardiner or Butler there. The pity of it is that all three Kilburn members are quite decent. Which means they won't get reselected for 2018, I suspect.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure you semi-endorsing these councillors as "decent" will help them get reselected Alison!
DeleteAre you suggesting that they are facing de-selection for daring to question the glorious leader?
DeleteAlison has spoken. She knows how Kilburn Labour Party works
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that turfing out residents from the South Kilburn Estate and subsequent banking on the loss of traditional 'core Labour voters' from South Kilburn accounts for both the non-involvement of Kilburn Ward councillors and a rightward drift in Brent Labour Party policy.
ReplyDeleteAs for past behaviour of Kilburn Ward councillors,
1. before being elected onto the Council, John Duffy spoke once to a Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group meeting and elicited a presence of homeless people at Labour's internal selection hustings that made Tulip Siddiq the Labour Parliamentary Candidate for the 2015 General Election; and
2. Cllr Rita Conneely actually works with disadvantaged youth and supported a Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group demo on Unite Community's 'No Sanctions' day.
Easy to see why their cards were marked, then. Old-fashioned ideas about supporting the vulnerable etc. Liz Kendall and the 'aspirational' mob would have them expelled.
DeleteI think this story shows its not just Liz Kendall and the "right wing" of Labour who are purging good people from their party, but also the "soft-left" like Butt et al.
DeleteThese two sound like good people but they are impotent in Brent Labour Party and those they might align with in the Labour Party nationally are also impotent.
Time for them to make a break.
Some people seem to be confusing things somewhat on the question of Councillor selection. While Kilburn Councillors may be down as naughty boys and girls with Mo Butt and other lead members, most members of Kilburn Labour Party would be supportive. If anything they would want more Councillors who kick up a fuss, not less.
ReplyDeleteBut don't candidates have to be approved by some sort of panel before they are voted on by the ward? So Kilburn might find its "troublesome" sitting councillors are vetoed next time before Kilburn Labour Party even gets a say.
DeleteCould happen, but nor would it be the first time that potential Councillors kept off the panel are reinstated after protests.
Deleteoh really? in Brent? when?
Delete