From Brent Green Party:
This evening the Green Group proposed an amendment to the constitution to adopt a new scrutiny committee in Brent.
Scrutiny is one of the vital checks and balances in local government, where Cllrs hold officers and cabinet members to account and work to get the best outcomes for residents.
London boroughs typically have three to five. Brent has two. This is not enough time to engage properly with all the important work that the Council does.
Housing is under scrutinised, and is an area where numerous external bodies have called for change. Brent spends £100K a day on temporary accommodation a day. The Regulator of Social Housing gave Brent a ‘serious failings’ grade, and complaints upheld by the local government and social care ombudsman have doubled.
This new housing scrutiny committee will give adequate time and attention to this vital area in Brent’s remint. It was a key item in our manifesto.
We are delighted to have received unanimous support from all parties in approving this amendment and we hope that this signals a desire for cross-party collaboration in the best interests of all our residents.
Despite the stich-up we saw this evening where the Conservatives did a deal with Labour to support their minority administration, multi-party politics in Brent is here to stay. Voters are moving away from the two-party system and all four parties in Brent are going to have to collaborate, seek consensus and work together for better outcomes for residents.
The proposal will be taken away by officers who will work on plans for its implementation to be brought back to the July Council for consideration,
This is very naive. Scrutiny does not make decisions it only makes recommendations which Cllr Butt and his Labour ONLY Cabinet members can ignore. The Tories handed Butt & Co total power for the 4 full years and have been bought off with a few meaningless money making positions. Anyone who voted Tory in this election has been conned and it is Brent residents who will pay the price of their stupidity.
ReplyDeleteIt was a ridiculous stitch-up that saw an inexplicable Labour / Tory Alliance which kept Mohammed Butt as leader of the Council tonight, despite a resounding signal from the public that they have had enough of his 14 year dictatorship ! Only the Greens and the Lib Dems offered any hope for residents to see the end of all these years of towering blocks, unaffordable for local people, unacceptable service charge hikes, rubbish strewn streets, fly tipping on street corners, overcrowded HMOs, decimated public services, and soaring crime statistics. Only the Greens and the Liberal Democrats stood up for effective scrutiny and denounced the blanket 'rubber stamping' in terms of planning, and other decisions made by the council that we have seen throughout the Borough for years now. A great spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Anton Georgiou came over as articulate, reasoned, and 'of the people' as did newly elected Green Councillor Mary Mitchell. Those two should definitely be in positions to give their services to the people of Brent, as they displayed character, common sense, and the ability to stand up for the rights of Brent citizens in ways that the Labour and Tory councillors seem completely unable to do.
ReplyDeleteWhy did the two Wembley Park Green Councillors leave half way through the meeting? I voted Green and too see two of the nine Councillors leave before all the voting had been completed was a real disappointment.
ReplyDeleteHedging their best. One of them was a Labour defector.
DeleteWembley Park will be negelected again for 4 years, Well done to all those that voted them in !!!
DeleteThey both almost puked a the stitch up between Labour and Conservative. I was sitting close to them. Ready to vomit too. The voting alliance between Labour/Conservative was nauseating.
ReplyDeleteThe two Wembley Park councillors had an urgent, time sensitive meeting with resident organisers who they represent. The appropriate council officer was told in advance that they would have to leave early.
ReplyDeleteThe Wembley Park candidates had to leave early for an urgent time sensitive meeting with residents they represent. Council officers were informed in advance of the meeting
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