Alpha House, South Kilburn
Dear Editor,
The Brent and Kilburn Times recently splashed an article about conditions at Alpha House in South Kilburn LINK. I wrote a letter to them about the way Brent Council treats its residents but unfortunately it was not published.
This is what I wrote:
Thank you for highlighting the scandal of how Brent Council treats residents of our flats. The fact that Council leader Mohammed Butt can say that grass and bushes have now been - badly - cut does not alter the fact that residents were given several different dates when it would happen and it didn't. On other occasions we got no response at all to queries, as was the case when we asked about the scaffolding on Alpha House. Numerous enquiries by TRA officers and residents simply went unanswered.
Councillor Butt's comment that we should make a complaint is ridiculous when we have already made known our concern to numerous council officers, councillors and our new MP with no substantive response. Indeed, when I saw Cllr Butt recently and raised the issue with him, he just laughed.
Such is the contempt with which Brent Council holds residents of its properties.
Pete Firmin, chair, Alpha, Gorefield and Canterbury Tenants and Residents Association.
Butt has been Leader of Brent Council for more than 12 years, and the power has gone to his head.
ReplyDeleteToo much power, so that he thinks he is invincible and can treat the mere citizens of Brent with contempt.
Remember that when the next Council elections come round in 2026, and use your vote for change.
Hopefully people will see Labour for what they are!
ReplyDeleteThe new Labour government started with taking away the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, people who have spent their lives contributing to this country by paying tax and national insurance - on the other hand Sir Keir Starmer who apparently has a net fortune of over £7 million, as both Labour Leader in opposition and now as our PM regularly accepts many thousands of pounds worth of freebie tickets to football matches and concerts paying no tax at all on these 'benefits in kind', just the same as Labour Leader Cllr Butt does here in Brent.
How many hard working residents and pensioners can afford such luxuries? Many will struggle to pay their heating bills thus year but will be too proud to ask for help.
And you think plugging the big black hole the tories have left will magically resolve without clawing back where possible? You’re deluded to think this is what labour want to do rather than need to do. Whatever they did to get the economy on a good footing would garner complaints from certain people who know how to do nothing else. And of course freebies are part and parcel. Could they be donated? Sure. Let’s stop hating on people who earn through graft.
ReplyDeleteLabour should be getting after the rich, as in ‘Sir’ Keir Starmer himself rather than pensioners - how many more pensioners will be admitted to hospital this winter because they scared to put the heating on and are too proud to ask for help in getting benefits???
DeleteIt’ll never happen for fear of stunting growth and the economy
DeleteYou don't think all the negative comments by the current government will stunt the economy??? They are saying the same as the Tories - we need a boost not more depression- picking on the pensioners is petty.
DeleteA boost from where - an imaginary money tree? It’s not all sunshine and rainbows and labour need to be realistic. The tories left an even bigger black hole than the OBR knew about for starters! I don’t see why boomers need handouts. If you had it your way I’m sure all benefits would be scrapped altogether.
DeleteWhy do you assume all 'baby boomers are rich???
DeleteSee piece here today...
"Pension pot amount needed for ‘basic’ retirement rises 60% in three years.
Research shows ‘alarming’ rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affected"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/04/pension-pot-amount-needed-for-basic-retirement-rises-60-in-three-years
Who said I assume they’re rich? Read without putting words into people’s mouths.
DeleteYou don’t need to be “rich” to get by
DeleteYou need to stop bleating on about paying tax on gifts. It’s never going to and shouldn’t happen.
ReplyDeletePaying tax on gifts should happen if those ‘gifts’ are worth thousands of pounds and regularly accepted!!!
DeleteAnonymous31 August 2024 at 14:06 says "Let’s stop hating on people who earn through graft." - what about the pensioners who've grafted all their lives without all the support working families get today.
DeletePerhaps they should be given the money instead
DeleteWithout all the support working families get today - lol, you do realise things are MUCH more expensive now?
DeleteWho?
DeleteTo Anonymous3 September 2024 at 19:21 - Do you realise how little some older pensioners were paid when they were working? They had no excess money for treats.
ReplyDeleteDo you realise how much more tax they paid when they were working?
And how much higher the interest rates were on mortgages??? 10% or up to 15% at some stages.
Also a lot of older pensioners had to pay so many more years of national insurance contributions to get a state pension - my grandad had to pay to 45 years of contributions rather than the 30 years people pay now.
"Pension pot amount needed for ‘basic’ retirement rises 60% in three years
ReplyDeleteResearch shows ‘alarming’ rise in essential living costs during retirement, with low-paid workers worst affected"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/sep/04/pension-pot-amount-needed-for-basic-retirement-rises-60-in-three-years
To Anonymous3 September 2024 at 19:21 - lots of older pensioners didn't get the support families get today plus they also had to pay national insurance for much longer to get their
ReplyDeletestate pensions, some up to 45 years of NI contributions!
"In an embarrasment for Sir Keir, it emerged that Labour had warned in 2017 that Theresa May’s manifesto pledge to make the same cut would cause 3,850 excess deaths."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/winter-fuel-payment-cut-starmer-uk-politics-latest-b2609326.html
So Labour were once against this but they've done a u-turn - why aren't they going after the rich who are avoiding paying tax???