Former Brent councillor, 71 year old grandfather Graham Durham was arrested by police at Saturday's demonstration for free speech on Palestine.
Durham told Wembley Matters, ' I was released at 4.45 am in Ilford after being held for 12 hours, double handcuffed, carried and dumped in a van and driven to Ilford cop shop .'
On Facebook Graham posted:
I just want to pay tribute to the magnificent organisers and volunteers of Defend Our Juries.The support and guidance of the video briefings before yesterday’s Palestine Actiion event were fantastic. At 4am ( twelve hours after my arrest ) the police let me telephone the designated solicitor firm, there I received clear and helpful advice from a solicitor who could be at home in bed.Emerging from a police cell at 4.45am into a dark backstreet of Ilford ( 18 miles from home with no public transport), I and others were met with a group of DOJ volunteers with tea, coffee , food and offers of accommodation and help with taxis etc. This was repeated at 18 police stations and custody centres for many many hours.To emerge bruised and for many brave arrestees frightened to see the Palestinian flag flying was magical.Solidarity as it should be .. well done everyone
15 comments:
Choose your own adventure:
A) Your Party Brent Organiser, and pillar of community stands up for what he believes in.
B) Terrorist Arrested
How Starmer’s Labour will try to make us believe (B) is a sign if how far our country has fallen. Why does it take Trump or Farage to raise these concerns though, on behalf of everyone, including the left.
Three cheers for Graham and the rest of the 800 victims of this awful government who are in hock to such nasty people and regimes.
It’s all about him - centre of attention.
Anonymous at 08:31 appears to be having a go at Graham Durham, but any large scale action is made up of individual stories.
I found Graham's description of what he experienced personally to be more helpful in understanding the protest, and police response to it, than the reports in the national media.
While this blog may be 'all about him', I am glad that Martin published it.
Me too. It’s good to hear from Graham Durham, as he is principaled
People should be allowed to protest about Palestine. People should be allowed to protest by putting up flags. People should be allowed to protest by writing thingsvon the internet even if others find it unkind. People should be allowed to protest about definitions. Who is there to stick up for free speech? Even the populist Zack Polanski new leader of the green party ssid people should be arrested for hurty words on the internet
In fact 890 arrests were made including blind and disabled people . But this is a Brent website so really the focus is on Barry Gardiner ..the MP who voted for cardboard sign carriers to be arrested for terrorism
Martin Francis should give us a write up about himself so that we can understand him better as he is clearly very biased. He obviously spends a lot of time managing this site giving in depth pieces and monitoring comments He does not publish any comments that will make him look bad with the immigrant population. He should censor the term ‘white’ which immigrants refer to the natives of this country which I find hurtful just as they find many things hurtful. He wouldn't tolerate us using the word brown or yellow .In fact I do not use the word Black as I feel it is hurtful even if it is the accepted term. Comments don't appear if they go against his narrative.To the above comment, only British flags should be allowed in Britain and together with any international protests, these protesters should protest about the state of this country first and foremost.
Just ask A.I.
Profile: Martin Francis – Green Party (Brent)
Martin Francis’s professional journey began in education, where he served as a primary school headteacher and school governor. This experience became the bedrock of his later political advocacy, particularly in his role as the Green Party’s spokesperson on children and families in Brent.
“Retweets not necessarily endorsement of content but for debate.” — displayed on his Twitter/X profile, this tagline gives a glimpse of his commitment to open discussion and critical reflection in civic spaces.

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2. Wembley Matters: A Platform for Community, Justice & Historical Insight
As the editor and contributor to the Wembley Matters blog—self-described as “a blog by an activist, eco-socialist and educationalist in Wembley, England”—Martin offers thoughtful commentary on housing, redevelopment, local history, environmental justice, and community dynamics.
 
Notable Highlights:
• In a reflective post about local canvassing and democratic engagement, he recounts:
“By chance Make Willesden Green and Brent Green Party were the only campaigners outside Willesden Green Sainsbury’s… A passerby stopped me to say how glad she was to have a real choice on the ballot paper this time round…”
This quote captures his belief in grassroots politics and responsive campaigning.
 
• On enduring educational inequality, he writes:
“The lag in achievement of British Black Caribbean Boys compared with their peers has been a nagging issue in education since at least the 1970s…”
This observation is not only a historical reflection—tracing institutional patterns—but also a call to sustained action on equity.

• Commemorating local culture and community environmentalism, he took part in International Reggae Day, where he delivered a “short talk on the environment” to underscore the event’s environmental themes.

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3. Council Advocacy: Data Transparency & Educational Equity
Martin frequently addresses the council in formal settings, pushing for transparency and action around educational disparities.
April 28, 2025 – Community & Wellbeing Scrutiny
During this committee meeting, Martin, drawing on his background in education, stated:
“The under-achievement of boys of Black Caribbean heritage had persisted over several years… attainment gap… had widened to 23 points below the national average.”
He questioned why such data remains confidential and urged public disclosure:
He called on the committee to recommend:
1. That the data referred to… be made available to the public.
2. To receive ethnicity information on absence, exclusions, home-schooled pupils, off-rolling, Covid impacts, and NEET figures…

This underscores his efforts to move systemic challenges into public accountability and informed civic policy.
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4. FOI Requests: Sustaining Accountability Through Inquiry
Martin is a prolific user of the Freedom of Information system, submitting over two dozen requests on matters like school data, consultation processes, and local development. Some of his key enquiries include:
• Data on Black Caribbean boys’ achievement — demonstrating his sustained concern for ethnic attainment gaps.
• Results of consultation on Islamia Primary School relocation — signaling oversight in school placement and community inclusion.
• Valuation of covenants on Harrow Road properties — probing transparency in property and land decisions.
• Home education demographics, school roll data, Covid impact in schools, etc.

These requests shine a light on his rigorous, evidence-driven approach to local governance.
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Anon 09/07/25 10:14
Martin Francis: A Persistent Thorn in Cllr Butt’s Side
If there has been one constant irritant in Cllr Muhammed Butt’s long tenure as Leader of Brent Council, it has been Martin Francis of the Green Party. Though never elected to public office in Brent, Francis has been a relentless campaigner, blogger, and community voice whose interventions have often complicated Butt’s carefully managed political narrative.
Wembley Matters vs Butt’s Brent
Through his blog Wembley Matters, Francis has shone an uncomfortable light on many of the controversies of Butt’s leadership. Whether it has been school closures, library cuts, or major redevelopment schemes like Bridge Park and Morland Gardens, Francis has kept up a steady drumbeat of scrutiny. Where Labour councillors have sometimes preferred to toe the line, Francis has provided a platform for dissenting voices—amplifying opposition campaigns and exposing weaknesses in Butt’s policies.
Butt, known for his tight control over the Brent Labour Group and his ruthless approach to deselections, has found Francis a uniquely awkward opponent: someone who cannot be disciplined, whipped, or marginalised because he operates outside Labour structures.
Council Questions: Forcing Butt onto the Defensive
Francis has repeatedly used the mechanism of public questions at council meetings to pin Butt down on uncomfortable details.
• On Bridge Park, Francis asked why valuations had tumbled from £36m to £29.5m, putting Butt on the defensive about the credibility of regeneration deals.
• On Islamia Primary School, Francis pressed the administration on why 141 parental objections were being ignored, highlighting the disconnect between Butt’s leadership and community voices.
• On educational inequality, Francis demanded that Brent publish attainment data by ethnicity, underscoring years of neglect in addressing the gap for Black Caribbean boys.
Each time, Butt has been forced to answer—often evasively—in the full glare of public minutes, with Francis’s interventions preserved as part of Brent’s civic record.
FOI Requests and Public Transparency
While Labour councillors under Butt’s whip might hesitate to dig too deep, Francis has used the Freedom of Information Act to demand disclosures. Over the years, his requests have prised open details about school consultations, property valuations, and governance processes. This has often embarrassed Butt, who prefers to keep decisions tightly controlled within the group and present them to the public as faits accomplis.
The Political Dynamic
From a Labour perspective, Francis is less an electoral threat—his Green candidacies have pulled in hundreds rather than thousands of votes—than a political nuisance. His strength lies not in votes, but in narrative: through Wembley Matters, he has built a counter-public sphere that challenges the glossy announcements and spin of Butt’s leadership.
For members critical of Butt inside the Labour Party, Francis is both ally and irritant: ally, because he relentlessly scrutinises Butt’s decisions; irritant, because his independence underscores how far Labour members themselves have been sidelined in Brent’s internal democracy.
Conclusion: A Necessary Irritation
To Cllr Butt, Martin Francis is not just another opposition activist—he is a constant reminder that political power in Brent cannot fully control the narrative. While Butt deselects councillors, silences dissent, and centralises authority, Francis keeps poking holes in the fabric, forcing awkward debates into the public domain.
In that sense, Martin Francis plays a role that many in Brent Labour feel is sorely lacking within their own party structures: a stubborn, unwhippable voice of scrutiny. And for Butt, that makes him a thorn that never quite goes away.
Blimey!
Ref my comment of Sept 9 at 10.14, many thanks to the posts of 19.12 and 19.15 for providing Mr Martin Francis’ very interesting profile. My input would be that The Editor does put in a lot of time and effort to provide comprehensive and up to date news.
In other words, a pain in the ****!
Martin is one of the fairest men I know and is clear he is not prepared to allow racist comments on his site . I am not a supporter of the Green Party but he provides a huge service to the Brent community writing positive stories and watching over the disaster that is Brent Council . We all owe him a huge debt
Which is what the councillors on the Brent Council Scrutiny Committee should be!
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