Cllr Anton Georgiou (Centre) speaking to residents in Alperton
From Cllr Anton Georgiou
Personal news from Anton Georgiou
Being the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton has truly been the honour of my life. I became a campaigner locally in 2013 when I was 18 years old and have spent over a decade doing what I can to better the borough I love so much. For the last 5 years I have had the privilege to represent residents in Alperton on the Council - initially as the only elected Liberal Democrat and for the past two and a half years as the Leader of our small, but effective opposition group.
It has been quite a ride, with many highs and some lows, but I look back at this time with one overriding feeling - gratitude, for having been given the opportunity to do the role.
It is with sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to resign from Brent Council. This is a personal decision, that has not been easy and in part due to a very traumatic experience that I have previously spoken out about.
Since my initial election in January 2020, I have been a strong opposition voice against a Labour Council in Brent that I continue to believe is failing local people and not delivering the level of service our community deserves.
I have stood up to the Brent Council leadership time and time again, and have regularly faced attacks, some personal, that no one in public life should have to endure. The job of elected officials is to find the best solutions for residents and different views and opinions should be debated in an open and transparent way - there should be no place for these sorts of attacks, particularly from the leadership of the Council.
The Leader/ Cabinet model of Brent governance puts power in too few hands and stifles genuine open debate. This is leading to bad decision making in all areas.
But the opposition has not been for oppositions sake. I believe that mistakes continue to be made by the Labour Council that are having a detrimental impact on the lives of local people.
I have consistently opposed what seems to be never-ending development of monster tower blocks in Alperton and in the Wembley area. They are not delivering the type of housing local people desperately need and are causing misery for residents both newly moved into blocks and others in residential streets close by. Ongoing construction works cause traffic havoc in the area, parking chaos and persistent noise and othernuisance.
But above all, as I have said over and over – these new units are broadly not genuinely affordable to local people or in my view what Brent should be buildingwhich is - Council homes for Council tenants. Brent like every other local authority in London and across the UK is having to deal with record numbers of families on housing waiting lists and hundreds presenting at the Civic Centre every month as homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Brent Council is far too weak in their dealings with developers. Both in terms of demanding a larger number of genuinely affordable units, this does not include Shared Ownership – which is not and should not be deemed as affordable, and also when holding them to account for poor quality build in new developments.
I commend the work Martin Francis (Wembley Matters) and others do in seeking to highlight Brent Council’s failings when it comes to bad and the wrong type of development. It is sad that many Labour members feel unable to stand up for their residents on this issue. Alperton has endured more than its fair share of large development, perhaps when the Council starts looking at development in other parts of the borough, members will feel obliged to speak out too.
The Labour administration is also failing to deal with the bread-and-butter issues. Our streets are dirtier than ever, a record confirmed by the BBC just last year, roads are riddled with potholes and pavements are broken and dangerous. I am not naïve to the financial situation local authorities face. But the promise of change that swept Labour into power in July has so far delivered very little for Brent Council or indeed local government generally. Keir Starmer’s government need to urgently address the crippling underfunding of local government and agree on a long-term financial settlement so that Brent and other Councils can better plan and manage finances.
One way the Labour government could immediately make the situation for Council’s better, is by easing restrictions on the use of Community Infrastructure Levy. In Brent, this could unlock tens of millions currently in the CIL pot that could be spent on dealing with local issues. I hope that the government will respond favourably to our suggestion that these changes should be made.
I want to commend the voluntary sector in Brent for everything they do. Picking up where local and national government is failing. Whether that is in delivering youth provision, providing care and support to the elderly, making community spaces available for all. It has been a pleasure to work with so many local groups and organisations – and I will miss this. The latest attack on the voluntary community sector from the Labour leadership in hiking up rents to un-affordable levels is a disgrace. I just hope the Council will better recognise the value and importance of volunteers and the voluntary sector and give it the genuine recognition and support it deserves.
I want to thank residents in Alperton. I have always given my all to the role of Councillor. It is a privilege to be elected and to represent local people. I have loved being able to help people, and proud of the work I have done to support some of the most vulnerable in the area. I have always tried my best and always given 100%. I am hopeful that residents in Alperton will lend their support to the prospective Liberal Democrat candidate, Charlie Clinton, to succeed me. I know he will be the type of Councillor Alperton needs and deserves.
Finally, to Brent – this is a very special borough. I was born here and have lived here my whole life. My family initially moved to Kilburn from Cyprus in the 1950’s. There is so much history and culture here – but I fear it is being lost and under attack by a Labour Council pursuing a gentrification agenda that does not take into account the communities that have called this part of London our home for decades. Many young people, like me, are being forced to consider moving out of the borough, we are being priced out. This is tragic and wrong. It is why we need elected Councillors in Brent who are willing to speak out, challenge and stand up for residents. We do not need more of the same, members whose loyalty is to the Labour Party, the leadership, rather than the people who elect them.
It is my sincere hope that at the next set of Council elections in 2026 a wide range of people are elected in Brent who feel able and are willing to be strong voices for their communities. The role of a local Councillor is to serve and represent everyone in the ward they are elected to and always put residents first. I have done my best to fulfil this responsibility.
I wish the readers of Wembley Matters and everyone in Brent all the very best.
Anton Georgiou
65 comments:
Anton has been a fearless councillor taken on the bullies who have sought to silence and marginalise him. We need more courageous voices like him to take on the complacency of the Labour dominated council in Brent that just does what it pleases. Thanks Cllr Georgiou for all your great work. Good luck for the future.
Any effective democracy requires a strong and able level of scrutiny. Anton did the best he could in a model that stifles debate and discussion. As a Labour Party member in Brent, I wish we had councillors who were as competent and passionate as Anton. Instead, we have a bunch of yes-men and women who will dance to the Butt tune.
As we end 2024 and enter 2025, I hope that the rest of the party wakes up and removes Butt from power and realises that better decisions can be made with scrutiny.
Anton - Brent will be poorer for losing you as a councillor.
Having been elected in 2022 I found the advice, help and guidance from Anton on Council matters to be extremely helpful and supportive. He leads by example in challenging this Labour Administration in Brent and he is going to be sorely missed. Thank you Anton and I hope you can return as a Councillor someday soon.
The best Councillor we could ever have. He truly cared about the area, its people and the quality of their lives. The way he was treated by the Council leader was appalling and should have been dealt with severely. Thank you for five years of TRUE public service, Anton.
The Liberal Democrats in Brent have a consistent track record of councillors stepping down, either by resigning or moving away. Notable examples since 2010 include David Clues, who resigned from his Dudden Hill seat after relocating to Brighton; James Allie, who defected to the Labour Party in 2012; and Carol Shaw, who returned to the Conservatives in 2013 after briefly representing the Liberal Democrats. This repeated pattern raises serious questions about the party’s ability to maintain committed representation. Why do people continue to vote for a party whose councillors often fail to follow through on their responsibilities?
What is the “ very traumatic experience that I have previously spoken out about” ?? Good luck Anton for the future - you have done a great job holding labour to account
Anton reports that a traumatic experience led to his resignation, specifically an incident he previously described involving being stalked (https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/23490163.brent-councillors-terror-stalker-released-prison/)
The question for the public is: who in the council is accountable for ensuring the duty of care towards councillors like Anton? While the administration is Labour, shouldn’t they bear some responsibility for his wellbeing?
I also wonder whether this situation could amount to constructive dismissal. If Anton happens to read this, thank you for your hard work and consider seeking legal advice. A payout might be warranted, which would be a form of political action in itself.
I am also sorry to see you go, Anton.
Firstly, why hide behind your keyboard. Who are you? Secondly, my record speaks for itself. I am proud that I gave my all to the role of Councillor for the 5 years I was privileged to be elected. The same cannot be said for most Labour members who collect an allowance and do not do the work.
In response to the sneering comment by Anonymous (31 December at 10:38), I would ask:
Why do people in Brent countinue to vote for Labour councillors who are unwilling to stand up for the views of the constituents they are meant to represent, if that would mean questioning the increasingly erratic judgment of a Leader who has had too much power for too long?
Edited comment: As ridiculous comments go, this is right up there. Do the names Coughlin and Joseph ring any bells? And early resignations: https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=193&RPID=0
When I was experiencing a heinious level of trauma and negligence inflicted on my family by brent council due to housing Anton is the only person that spoke up for me. i had tried with my local councillors who did absolutley nothing. now i know why. they are scripted and under the thumb. I'm sure he put his neck on the line and i started to realise just how entrenched in capitalist bias the admin is. it's very telling that Anton has left because clearly it seems this borough has been stitched up with a group of poorly equipped and ill minded illiterate unconscious brain-dead actors who just want their PR photos taken like they are mother teresa, when in reality they are not serving the local communities that enrich this culturally diverse part of London in England . Im really sad that Anton is leaving but completly glad he will not have to endure this phoney democracy he was having to bang his head against. He was the only person who genuinely held the mirror up. I used to enjoy watching him Speak truth to the deception being spouted in cabinet meetings. What a loss to Brent thank you Anton for your time you've been amazing, and we wish you continued success!
Mr Grant, the majority of Brent residents see Labour as our family who’ve been there through thick and thin, whilst everyone else is spectators.
You will be greatly missed, one of the few voices on the council who spoke up against the dreadful planning decisions that have been taken by this council against Brent residents interests. Policies changing our localities, the lost of our green spaces mature trees and the unwanted high density and all the problems this creates. Thank you for trying.
Who are Coughlin and Joseph?
Extremely grateful for all your efforts brother wishing you and your loved ones a happy future .
Anon at 15.21 Here is info re Bertha Joseph: https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/councillor-who-spent-charity-cash-on-ballgowns-is-suspended-6774256.html
A great councillor who was a voice for Alperton ward residents and he will be missed. It was always fun to see him put labour members on the defensive
One of the best councilors we have had in Alperton/Wembley who cares about the community and gets things done! Anton is extremely helpful and supportive on any issues or concerns people have and guides them to the right channels. No matter if its a phone call or a email you always get a response from Anton. I had such a privilege on meeting Anton to discuss ongoing issues in the area which the council are failing on and which is impacting the community, his support was astonishing on getting things actioned.
Anton and his work for the community will surely be missed. We need more people like him to make a difference to Brent!
Always a great help when dealing with issues to do with the local area
I am very saddened to hear Brent is losing councillor Anton. Having reached out to him concerning various local issues, he has been the only councillor that has always been there, listening and helping. He doesn’t give standard replies nor he shrugs his shoulders citing lack of funds, he makes a genuine effort to do whatever he can to support us residents. I don’t have faith in the council administration to sort out the many issues we are facing, mainly because they don’t listen and don’t seem to care. Anton was the only person I knew I could count on and I sincerely hope he will continue to serve our community again the future. I’d surely vote for him.
Anonymous at 10.38 - you brought up the name James Allie who defected to Labour. Now there’s a name that was subsequently swept under the carpet by Brent Labour Council 🤔 whatever happened to him ? Would you mind enlightening us ?
As for Councillor Georgiou - good luck Anton in whatever you do! There are many of us who appreciate and know you’ve worked very hard and deserve far better than what you’ve had to put up with at the Council.
A great loss to local politics. Anton is an exceptional councillor who has served with integrity and compassion. He will move on to other things but Brent and particularly Alperton will be the poorer for his departure.
Deeply saddened by Anton's resignation from the council. His oversight was invaluable in holding the Leader and Labour councillors accountable. The current makeup of Labour councillors - many there through nepotism and personal connections rather than merit - desperately needed his scrutiny. Too many seem content merely collecting allowances whilst achieving little for Brent residents. His departure is a significant loss for local democracy and our community.
Thank you Cllr Georgiou for all your help and support - every best wish for the future.
To "Anonymous31 December 2024 at 13:42" aka Cllr Mo Butt - don't forget that power corrupts whilst absolute power corrupts absolutely!
I have never posted before on here but am truly sad to hear that you’re resigning Anton. I feel you were one of the true councillors standing up for residents. Hope all the best for your future
there’s a lot to unpack in Anton Georgiou’s resignation statement. While it’s clear he feels strongly about his role, it’s hard not to see this as yet another Lib Dem cop-out masquerading as virtue signalling. Let’s break it down:
1. Criticism of Labour governance: It’s easy to throw stones at Labour from the sidelines, but where’s the acknowledgment of the root cause of many of these issues: Tory austerity? Councils like Brent have been gutted by years of Conservative cuts. Instead of focusing on solidarity against the real enemy, Georgiou punches sideways, blaming Labour for not working miracles in impossible conditions. If the Lib Dems hadn’t propped up austerity in coalition, Brent might not be struggling with underfunding for housing, infrastructure, and basic services.
2. "Monster tower blocks": This reeks of NIMBYism dressed up as concern for affordability. Yes, local residents need council homes, but blocking development outright isn’t the answer. The real issue lies in structural underfunding and lack of central government support for genuinely affordable housing—not the Labour council trying to build something with the scraps it’s given. Georgiou is right that developers shouldn’t get free rein, but where’s his critique of the broken planning system or the central government policies that make councils dependent on private developers?
3. Personal attacks: It’s unfortunate if he faced personal attacks, but framing it as a defining reason for his resignation risks sounding thin-skinned. Politics isn’t a playground; it’s a battle for justice. If you’re unwilling to face challenges, how can you claim to represent the people who experience systemic injustice daily? Being “sad” about attacks from Labour councillors feels like a deflection when the stakes for ordinary Brent residents are so high.
4. Weak solutions and CIL funding: Georgiou’s suggestion to "ease restrictions on Community Infrastructure Levy" smacks of technical tinkering without addressing systemic inequality. While unlocking funds might help, it’s hardly a transformative solution. What about campaigning for a wealth tax to fund councils properly? What about pushing for rent caps and real tenant protections? His "solutions" are surface-level, failing to grapple with the wider economic structures hurting Brent residents.
5. Gentrification narrative: His concerns about gentrification are valid but conveniently one-sided. The Lib Dems’ historical support for deregulation and market-led approaches is a big reason areas like Brent are now unaffordable. It’s rich to complain about the consequences of policies his party helped shape while blaming Labour for trying to clean up the mess. Where’s the fight for rent control, better social housing, or local employment schemes that uplift communities?
6. Token support for the voluntary sector: Applauding the voluntary sector for “picking up where government is failing” highlights the real issue.., why should they have to? This framing normalises state failure instead of demanding systemic change. It’s a deeply neoliberal mindset to champion charity over a functioning public sector.
7. Political opportunism: Let’s not ignore the subtext: this is a Lib Dem positioning piece ahead of future elections. His resignation seems more about political manoeuvring than genuine accountability. He’s spent more time bashing Labour than addressing the systemic underpinnings of Brent’s challenges, making it clear this is less about residents and more about shoring up Lib Dem support.
In short, this statement reads like a mix of self-pity, surface-level solutions, and political grandstanding. Instead of resigning and writing long-winded posts, Georgiou could have used his position to build coalitions, particularly with the greens, as well as with independents, advocate for deeper systemic change, and stand in solidarity with Brent’s residents against Tory austerity.
Excerpt:
“The Leader/ Cabinet model of Brent governance puts power in too few hands and stifles genuine open debate. This is leading to bad decision making in all areas.”
A view shared by many local local residents.
Having worked with Cllr Georgiou during the pandemic, I can say that he is one of the most wonderful, caring and genuine people that I have come across in a long time, when calling out to labour leader and labour councillors at the time who brushed the most pressing issues at the time, under the carpet, Cllr Georgiou who I'd never heard of at the time, stepped up and did what I call an absolute tremendous job helping the community in EVERY WAY POSSIBLE, whilst Cllr Giorgiou was busy helping the local community including our NHS staff get through the most trying tests of our time, many of those who apparently Brent consider as "family" were taking every chance at taking the credit for work others were doing, as well as posing for every photo opportunity possible. As lockdown eased many of us shared our experiences, sorrows and stories, and little did I know that the cracks within Brent leadership are way deeper, and well known to many people far beyond the boundaries of Brent. It's deeply disappointing to know that so much desire to bring others down in order to stay at the top exists in Brent, if only they supported fellow party members overcome, the issues faced, together in the borough during COVID instead of trying to belittle them, Brent could have been a solid strong community. As someone who was born in Brent raised in Brent and spent a large portion of my life in Brent, I'm sorry to say that it's lead by toxic, power hungry, racist and unfair people, which has led me and several others out of Brent, I'm not surprised that people are leaving. All I can say is that I'm very grateful that I met Cllr Georgiou at the right time and through him was able to help so many people throughout London, he has assisted the most vulnerable families in Brent throughout the pandemic and also been a strong voice around London against domestic violence. Many many people are indebted to you Cllr Giorgiou for what you have done behind closed doors,and that without wanting to publicise your good work, which shows you are not in it for the publicity but a true peoples person. I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all the best in the future and we know you'll be going places in a better environment and around better people, we are grateful for everything that you have done, you'll be remembered as an exemplary councillor and you will be leaving big boots behind you to fill. Wishing you all the success Sir.
A resignation is an honourable thing to do - the individual resigning is saying they cannot give their 100% due to circumstances and as such they are giving way for someone else who can do so. They could just stay on as a councillor and do half a job, but they have made the honourable choice of not doing so. Therefore, the comment at 10:38 is ill thought.
Did the Liberal Democrat’s have a leader / cabinet model of governance when they ran the council prior to the Labour administration?
Oh Anton, bold hero of Alperton’s plight, With words so weighty, and virtue so bright! A Lib Dem crusader, so noble, so pure, Fighting Labour’s evils – or so you assure.
You stood on the battlements, shouting your truth, For “monster towers” that threaten the youth. You railed against dirt, the potholes, the grime, And blamed it on Labour every damn time.
“Oh woe!” you did cry, “This council has failed! Their leadership weak, their policies derailed!” But austerity’s shadow, cast long and cast wide, Somehow escaped your critical eye. What courage it took to stand up to power! (From a Lib Dem seat in the ivory tower). You championed the people, their homes, their cause, With some flair – but never the laws. For when Tory cuts bit, and funds disappeared, Where was your rage? It simply wasn’t steered. Instead, you applauded volunteers galore, “Do the government’s job – and maybe some more!” Oh Anton, you martyr, you fighter, you star, Resigning with grandeur to go oh-so-far. Will you save us again, on some future date? Or just post from the sidelines, pointing out hate?
So here’s to the speeches, the gratitude rife, The “honour of your life,” the dramatic knife. But while you move on, take heed of the past: Real change will come from labour – that you weren’t built to outlast.
Lots of love, Roses for Alperton 🌹
As a result of the 2006 Council Election, after quite a long interregnum when no party could form an administration and officers ran the Council, a coalition of Lib Dems and Conservatives was formed. Paul Lorber was Leader and Bob Blackman Deputy. Prior to that I do remember addressing the Education Committee (or perhaps is was called the Schools Committee). At the time there was an Executive rather than a Cabinet but I am not sure about other committees. In 2009 all three parties agreed a Leader/Cabinet model at a Special Council Meeting that came into force after the 2010 council election that Labour won. https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/s968/New%20Exec%20arrangements.pdf
I am sure ex-councillor readers of this blog may be able to enlighten us further.
Thank you for spending such time on this. It’s cute. Even on my way out you guys are obsessed. My parting advice - focus on the needs of residents and stop blaming everyone else for your mistakes and poor decision making locally.
P.S. I look forward to watching the Butt regime fall. And it will some day soon I’m sure.
Given the personal nature of the initial statement and the tenor of some of the comments I would much prefer people to give their names when commenting. Thank you.
Anton was absolutely brilliant and the best Councillor Alperton ever had. Anton has morals, decent, integrity, humanity and kindness - he listens, cares and is honest and candid in striving to do the best for you in the face of a Labour-run Council that has an agenda, which doesn’t serve the public interest.
Anton - you are the crème-de-la-crème and you are admired, valued and respected by all. You are held in very high regard by all.
Anton is the only decent politician I know - he will be dearly missed. I hope he runs as an MP in the 2029 election. Anton - you were right and Labour was wrong.
The hollowing out of democracy in Brent Labour group and council has been systemic and relentless under Butt’s leadership.
That man would burn everything to the ground just to be king of the ashes.
He’s completely warped the entire democratic system within the labour group and they’ve all allowed him to do it.
Well done to Anton for taking a stand against the toxic environment at the council and being one of the few lone voices over the years who has actually spoken out about just how bad things really are there. It says everything about the state of Brent Council that there is no space for people with integrity. How sad for all us residents.
To "Anonymous31 December 2024 at 18:03" - the truth from Anton clearly hurts you - as they say "me thinks thou dost protest too much" 😉
Thank you for clarifying that the Liberal Democrat’s supported the cabinet / leader model Martin
For those who don't know the story re ex Alperton Labour Councillor James Allie, see here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7769927/Labour-councillor-plundered-1-6m-buy-house-court-hears.html
James Allie was allowed to quietly resign as a Labour councillor rather than being sacked and was then seen openly canvassing with the Labour group at the next local election - shows how much Labour care about us voters!!!
Well said Doctor! Anton was an invaluable councillor. I doubt many of the Labour councillors would attract such great appreciation and gratitude as is being shown for Anton. Unlike Anton, most of the Labour councillors are incompetent and in it for themselves, still bleating out even when in power that it’s the Tory’s fault. It’s time these incompetents, who are just there to prop up despotic Butt, were weeded out as Brent residents deserve better.
Anonymous31 December 2024 at 19:24 says "You stood on the battlements, shouting your truth, For “monster towers” that threaten the youth. You railed against dirt, the potholes, the grime, And blamed it on Labour every damn time." - when exactly will Brent Labour accept that if they are running the council it is they who are responsible for the mis-management that has created "dirt, the potholes, the grime"??? Tory cuts are no excuse! Other boroughs are not like Brent, they are cleaner because they are better run.
Anton is right. Labour have absolutely destroyed Brent, which is filthy and full of litter, dangerous with cracked uneven paving everywhere that will cause the elderly to trip and break their hips, full of crime and drug dealers, and overpopulated with appalling public services. Labour-run Brent Council do absolutely nothing to
Clean Brent up, fix the potholes and paving or police the streets and instead turn a blind eye to it choosing to wine and dine corporate big business. Brent Council are very good at getting traffic wardens to put PCNs on your car on Boxing Day when you’re visiting family because it raises revenue but they can’t get a street cleaner to clean up the mess or fix the damaged paving- Labour-run Brent council take your money and give you nothing in return.
I agree with Anton that Labour are awful and are failing Brent and its residents. If it was your elderly mother who tripped on broken paving and broke her hip and waiting 7 days at Northwick Park for a hip replacement, would you be happy? This is why we need to call out Labour for just how awful and terrible they are. I really hope Anton comes back and Butt and Labour are ousted at the next election because they are terrible.
As soon as I heard the news (through Wembley Matters) yesterday morning, I wrote to Anton to express my personal thanks to him, both for his tireless work for the residents of Alperton and for his efforts to hold Brent Council and its Labour Leadership to account.
A few anonymous commentors have sought to use his resignation to poke digs at the LibDems. They clearly have their own political agenda, and don't know him as a person, or choose to ignore his tremendous contribution to Brent over the past five years.
As the vast majority of comments so far show, there are many in our community who do appreciate Anton's efforts on our behalf. I'm glad that quite a few of these have not hidden their identity (although I suspect that some who have remained anonymous did so as they feared possible retribution from the Council Leader and the clique of sycophants who help to keep him in power).
I know, from personal experience in raising particular issues with Brent Council over the past ten years, how hard it can be to try and hold them to account, or even get them to consider sensible suggestions made in good faith. Trying to do so can prove to be very stressful, and have an adverse effect on your health.
So, I will take this opportunity to thank Anton publicly, and wish him all the best for the future.
Where do you think local government funding comes from
Well done Anton, and happy 2025.
Anton has been very supportive to me and my late elderly father. Anton made time to come see him, called him on his birthday.
When their have been issues, Anton has been easily contactable, personally took action and keep good communication.
Will certainly miss Anton being our local Cllr and wish him the best for the future.
All boroughs get 'local government funding' - it's how they choose to spend it and the policies they implement to get things working that make all the difference.
Labour run Brent Council's highly paid executives and their poor decisions unchecked by Labour Councillors who sit back and take their allowances without questioning any of these poor decisions that has created the mess we are in.
Anton has been one of the few people who try to hold Brent Labour and its dodgy planning committee to account. Since the majority of the council is Labour they in effect can do whatever they like, but they still choose to attack anyone who dares speaks up; including residents. There are members of Brent Council (especially Muhammad Butt) who feel so enboldened that they make personal attacks on twitter etc. They are backed up by "activists" like Yimby Chris who in effect operates a troll farm.
I fully respect and understand Anton's reasons for resigning; Brent Labour is bad for the mental health of residents who have to live amongst littering and unswept streets, managed decline of parts of the less wealthy parts of the borough and yet we pay extortionate council tax for the privilege - but I expect it is ten times worse for the mental health for members of opposing parties.
The anonymous digs here are a clear example of what vile and sycophantic bullies Brent Labour are. I think Brent Labour should be reported to the Local Government Ombudsman and some of what they have written here including the completely sh*t poems be used as that as evidence. I still look forward to a day where Butt is removed from power.
Link to this yimby chris?
Rather than celebrating the work of Cllr Anton Georgiou, a young man of good manners, character and conviction, our Brent Council Leader, our Labour Councillors and our Labour MP Mr Gardiner have done nothing but attack him.
What example are they setting to others, particularly young people.
Anon Jan 2 14.54 This is the YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) Rally at the Labour Party Conference: 7:00pm – 9:00pm | Imagine, Hilton Hotel | Labour YIMBY: Rally for the Builders (Labour YIMBY and Homes for Britain supported by Britain Remade and LPDF).
Speakers:
Cllr Shama Tatler (London Borough of Brent) (Chair)
Shreya Nandy (Labour YIMBY)
Marc Harris (Labour YIMBY)
Chris Curtis MP
Dan Tomlinson MP
Yuan Yang MP
Eve McQuillan (LPDF)
Issy Waite (Labour Students)
Abdi Duale (Labour NEC)
Yimby Chris is https://x.com/yimbychris ; Labour Party member and ex Quintain employee
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Christopher Worrall
@yimbychris
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This must be a joke, Towerblock Tatler at the helm! Trying to turn her weakeness into a strength! Reclaiming her criticism against her
If the alleged "troll" is Chris Worrall, which may be doubtful if he has not posted anything on "X" since apparently joining three years ago, he is definitely heavily into Labour Party politics, and his website at chrisworrall.co.uk includes this information:
'Who is Chris Worrall?
Chris Worrall is a vociferous housing campaigner on tenant and resident issues and a local community activist in East London.
His background in real estate investment and finance for one of the UK's largest Build-to-Rent developers, Quintain, has seen him acutely involved with billions of pounds worth of real estate development of owner-operated residential housing. Prior to Quintain he has worked for New York based real estate private equity investor Thor Equities, which at the time was the second largest landlord on Fifth Avenue, where he led on a number of investments in Central London and Europe.'
His website contains this extract from the "redbrick" blog, headed "'A wink and a nudge to corruption in our planning system":
'What do bribery, conflicts of interest, opaque lobbying, weak oversight, curiously timed donations, excessive hospitality, and the revolving door all have in common? They are all corruption risks inherent within our discretionary planning system.
We should be worrying about the findings made by anti-corruption organisation Transparency International, who found many local authorities lack the necessary safeguards to prevent corruption in our planning system.'
With views like that, surely he would be a supporter of Anton?
Your accusations against Brent Labour are baseless and inflammatory. The challenges our community faces stem from over a decade of Tory austerity, which has slashed local government funding by 78% since 2010 (https://democracy.brent.gov.uk/documents/s139119/07.%20Budget%20and%20Council%20Tax%202024-25.pdf). This of course was helped by their coalition partners, the Lib Dems, who Anton represents, so is really shaking his fist in the mirror.
Despite these severe cuts, Brent Labour has worked tirelessly, as a dented shield to protect essential services and support residents. We can congratulate Sir Sadiq Khan on his knighthood out of recognition for the additional support for our communities. Your claims of "dodgy" dealings and personal attacks are unfounded and distract from the real issue: the Conservative government's systematic underfunding of local councils (https://www.ft.com/content/76c5fd20-04da-4651-8740-e52d21d04541, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/councils-in-crisis-one-in-four-go-bust-budget-rachel-reeves-n3c5w08r2).
Instead of spreading misinformation and engaging in divisive rhetoric, we should unite to demand fair funding for our community. Brent Labour remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the well-being of all residents, despite the financial constraints imposed by central government. Sir Starmer and his team can’t magic their way out of this.
That used to be his account; it is possible he deleted all posts and removed followers when he became a bit more high profile with his campaigning/being a developers shill. He now can be found as https://x.com/labourworrall
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/labour-loses-20-councillors-in-nottinghamshire-over-starmer-leadership/ar-AA1wRJfn?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=24dbc238bbef464ab0deb0cc03f29f84&ei=21
Looking forward to the day when some of the Brent Labour Councillors show some backbone and stand up to the "If we cannot beat them let's implement some Tory policies" Starmer approach to becoming Prime Minister. It has not taken long for all that hope of the Labour Party promising "change" imploding as the Labour Government ditches its socialist principles.
To answer Martin's question the system of Cabinet Government (Leader/Cabinet Model) was introduced by Tony Blair. When I was Leader of Brent Council between 2006 and 2010 we had no choice in the matter. It was only after the Localism Act came into being in 2011 (introduced by the Coalition Government) that the option to adopt a Committee System was possible. By this time Labour were out of Government but unfortunately back in control of Brent Council.
After the local Election in 2006 the Liberal Democrats had the largest number of seats but not a majority. We faced a 4 year term and no power to 'dissolve' the Council and call for new elections. There had to be an agreement to enable Brent to be governed and decisions being made. We reached out to both the Labour Party and the Conservatives to see if a triparty agreement could be reached. The Labour Party nationally would NOT allow the Labour Councillors in Brent to enter any form of power sharing. As soon as we took control the Council Budget started to unravel. The NHS made a demand for £4 million a year to be paid to them claiming that part of the cost of treating elderly people in hospitals was 'social care' and the Council should pay. It is for others to judge whether the 2006 to 2010 Administration did a good or bad job of running the Council. Brent was certainly impacted hard by the 2008 Banking Crash and the start of austerity (cuts in local government funding) imposed by the then Gordon Brown Labour Government and his Chancellor who warned that the "CUTS would be worse than under Thatcher".
That is all history.
Finally can I thank all (most actually) of the contributors for their kind words of support for Anton. The Liberal Democrat group has unfortunately lost an extremely dedicated and hard working Councillor who committed himself to do the absolute best for the people of Alperton and Brent irrespective of the personal sacrifices he had to make during his 5 years on Brent Council.
I am proud of having campaigned and worked with him for over 10 years on and off the Council.
Scroll down a bit and you can see a screenshot of one of his tweets; with this commentary: "YIMBY people have connections to unaccountable right-wing thinks tanks keen to see planning even further deregulated but also some have connections to the Labour Party and local Labour Councils who have been pushing massive regeneration agenda that have squarely landed us in this mess after years of seeing our areas socially cleansed...Anyhow, what seems to be the main way of the YIMBY cult is to just be plain aggressive towards anyone who takes a different point of view." https://southwarknotes.wordpress.com/tag/yimby/
That’s only 1 follower fewer than Brent Greens, but the same amount of posts.
Anon 20.46, unfortunately there is a story behind that. Twitter deleted the account posts and followers etc when we supplied the wrong date of birth for the party at a security check. Trying to reinstate it created a whole game of going round in circles. BlueSky beckons.
Anonymous2 January 2025 at 18:45 says "Despite these severe cuts, Brent Labour has worked tirelessly, as a dented shield to protect essential services and support residents." - is this the same Brent Labour that gave £17.8million of our vital CIL money to multi-billion pound developer Quintain for their vanity project steps outside Wembley Stadium??? That massive amount of CIL money should instead have been spent on local projects to help us local people!!!
Unlike Cllr Mo Butt with his £6,000 worth of freebie tickets most Brent residents will never be able to afford to attend events at Wembley Stadium???
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