Monday, 25 April 2016

Should Brent Labour have a council funded premises as its election campaign HQ?


A message has gone out to members from the Labour Party asking, 'If you're free to volunteer on polling day, let us know which campaign centre you will join.'

One of the centres listed is:

Campaign Centre - Brent (Peel Precinct)
21-23 Peel Precinct,
NW6 5BS

This address, on the South Kilburn estate, is in fact that of the South Kilburn Community Alliance which is part funded by Brent Council.

Surely it is wrong for a premises associated with the Council to be used for party political purposes. The call to Labour Party members says the campaign centre will be open from 9am to 10pm.

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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous25 April 2016 at 15:34

    No.

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  2. Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group25 April 2016 at 17:25

    How about making this question the subject of an online poll on Wembley Matters?

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  3. Alison Hopkins26 April 2016 at 18:39

    This is pretty standard for Brent Labour. Doesn't make it right.

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  4. Unknown26 April 2016 at 22:11

    Must be some policy they are breaking somewhere they can be pulled up on.
    Misappropriation of council funds?

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  5. Martin Francis26 April 2016 at 22:29

    May be ok on paper if they are paying the proper rate for the premises which election expenses return should show. However I feel unhappy about what should be a non-political community centre, open to all, being associated with one political party during a by-election in the area which the centre serves. Will the centre be associated with the Labour Party by locals in future?

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  6. Alison Hopkins27 April 2016 at 10:51

    The same issue applies to the use of the Pakistan Community Centre as a polling place. There are strong links between the PCC and Brent Labour.

    Anyone ever find out how come their 2015 expenses were so low?

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  7. Anonymous27 April 2016 at 13:03

    That resource centre is normally open to the public. Will it be on May 5th? In which case the public will be "in the way" of the LP conducting its campaign. Or will it be closed to the public so the Labour Party can use it. Is that permissable? What would be the cost of renting such an office for election day? Further to which these premises are directly opposite a polling station. Isn't there a rule about how close to a polling station campaigning can be conducted? maybe one of the other parties should raise these matters with the Monitoring Officer......

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