Muhammed Butt to be challenged for Labour Group leadership

In 2012 I got into trouble with then councillor Jim Moher in quoting a report about his part in the ousting of Ann John, then leader of Brent Council, and her replacement by her deputy, Muhammed Butt. LINK Moher said that he and his wife Ruth Moher, who became deputy leader, were engaged  openly in a democratic process.  Butt won the leadership by a narrow margin.

I am sure that Cllr Butt then will welcome the democratic process that will happen at the 2 stage virtual AGM. The first stage is on September 2nd and the second on September 5th   The AGM takes place after the publication of a report aimed at improving democracy in the Labour Group and more widely. LINK

Councillor Abdirazak Abdi (Kilburn) in an apparent attempt to reinforce the principle that democratic challenge is legitimate, is standing for many of the  positions, including the leadership,  according to the nomination list circulated recently.

Cllr Liz Dixon (Dollis Hill) is bidding to continue as Chair while Cllr Ihtesham Afzal  (Preston) challenges incumbent Vice Chair  Cllr Abdi Aden (Stonebridge).  Cllr Neil Nerva (Queens Park) is not standing again as Treasurer and the post will be contested by  Abdirazak Abdi, Cllr Shafique Choudhary (Barnhill) and Cllr  Keiron Gill (Brondesbury Park) a critic of the democracy report. Cllr Promise Knight (Stonebridge) is not continuing as Secretary and Councillor Sonia Shah (Wembley Central) has thrown her hat into the ring.

Cllr Sandra Kabir (Queensbury)wishes to remain Chief Whip but is challenged by Cllr Abdi.

Cllr Thomas Stephens (Sudbury) author of the democracy report, Cllr Promise Knight, Cllr Robert Johnson (Northwick Park),  and Nerva (a former leadership challenger to Butt) have all submitted an interest in joining the Cabinet.

One of the more interesting contests will be for the chairs of the two Scrutiny Committees. The group has recently agreed that one of the committees should be chaired by a  woman. Currently they are both chaired by men, Matt Kelcher and Cllr Ketan Sheth (Tokyngton).  They are standing again  and Cllr Roxanne Mashari (Welsh Harp and a former leadership challenger LINK), Cllr Fleur Donnelly-Jackson (Willesden Green) and Cllr Robert Johnson  are all candidates. It will be interesting, as I tweeted yesterday, to see if the positions are filled by people with the essential independence and integrity when the council is dominated by a single party and much power is concentrated in the Cabinet.

Sources suggest that Cllr James Denselow (Queens Park) is currently out of favour. He voted against the 1 Morland Gardens planning application recently, although it appears that falling out of favour pre-dated this.  Clearly his position as Chair of Planning Committee is a key one and given Cllr Butt's great interest in planning, a loyalist is likely to be appointed.  Kelcher and Johnson have been suggested as possibilities.

One issue that rankles with some is an unanswered question about how many councillors are members of Councillor Butt's extended family. On the one hand that should not matter as anyone is entitled to stand and if someone is a brother, brother-in-law or uncle, the relationship does not denote shared views. On the other hand, is this a matter of public interest when several of them (it has been suggested there are five altogether) could be on the same committee as members or substitutes?

Some Labour Group members are concerned that an election for Deputy Mayor will not take place at the AGM.

Butt rounds up candidates for Saturday's election

Things were hotting up tonight in the Labour battle ahead of the AGM to be held on Saturday.  Muhammed Butt is said to be rounding up a field of candidates and it is alleged that one of the group said the nominees would exclude the 'old white men' of Brent Labour.

Cllr Butt is claimed to have approached Cllr Margaret McLennan as deputy leader and Cllr Amer Agha as chair of the Planning Committee.

The number of people on his list exceeds the number of posts available so there may have been some double offers. The names I have heard tonight may include some who would rather be on the other side but include Shama Tatler, Aslam Choudry, Sabina Khan, Krupesh Hirani, Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray, Ahmad Shahzad and Arshad Mahmood.

Roxanna Mashari seems to have aroused opposition from some of Butt's group who are alleged to have  described her as 'toxic'. Aslam Choudry and Muhammed Butt found themselves  mired in controversy last week over Facebook posts.  Cllr McLennan's failure to support residents over the  Byron Court school expansion and her lack of visibility has made her unpopular in her ward.  Cllr Agha is currently vice chair of Planning Committee and voted for the unpopular Twin Towers development which Sarah Marquis, the chair, opposed.

Cllr James Denselow as far as I have been able to ascertain is not one of Butt's choices.

On the wilder side I have heard suggestions that Butt may seek support from the Kenton Conservatives if he is unsure of a majority when the positions go to Full Council.

Victory for BDS campaigners as G4S sells Israeli subsidiary

G4S has announced that it will be selling its subsidiary, G4S Israel, “in the next 12 to 24 months”.

For the last four years, G4S has been the target of a sustained campaign by Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement because of its connection with the Israeli occupation.

Campaigners have attended the company’s Annual General Meeting in London every year for the last three years, dominating the AGM proceedings with questions to the board about G4S’s involvement in Israeli prisons.

Universities across the UK, and globally, as well as local councils have made decisions not to renew security contracts with G4S and not to consider new tenders from the company while it continued to do business with Israel. 

Sara Apps, interim Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said:

We welcome the decision by the G4S board to sell G4S Israel, and hope that the company will fulfil this pledge in the timescale given.

This decision is a vindication of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and its tactics of peacefully putting pressure on companies to divest from the Israeli occupation.

G4S was one of the biggest targets of the BDS movement, and its decision to disinvest from Israel is a landmark victory in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian freedom and self-determination.

G4S follows other BDS targets, including Veolia and Orange, in announcing its decision to sell its Israeli subsidiaries in the last 12 month

G4S has announced that it will be selling its subsidiary, G4S Israel, “in the next 12 to 24 months”.
For the last four years, G4S has been the target of a sustained campaign by Palestine Solidarity Campaign and other groups involved in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement because of its connection with the Israeli occupation.
Campaigners have attended the company’s Annual General Meeting in London every year for the last three years, dominating the AGM proceedings with questions to the board about G4S’s involvement in Israeli prisons.
Universities across the UK, and globally, as well as local councils have made decisions not to renew security contracts with G4S and not to consider new tenders from the company while it continued to do business with Israel.
Sara Apps, interim Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: “We welcome the decision by the G4S board to sell G4S Israel, and hope that the company will fulfil this pledge in the timescale given.
“This decision is a vindication of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement and its tactics of peacefully putting pressure on companies to divest from the Israeli occupation.
“G4S was one of the biggest targets of the BDS movement, and its decision to disinvest from Israel is a landmark victory in the ongoing struggle for Palestinian freedom and self-determination.”
G4S follows other BDS targets, including Veolia and Orange, in announcing its decision to sell its Israeli subsidiaries in the last 12 month
- See more at: http://www.palestinecampaign.org/13160-2/#sthash.W7oXzE7e.dpuf

Where does the power lie in Brent Council?

Muhammed Butt and Cara Davani

The Brent Labour Group will be meeting on Saturday for its Annual General Meeting ahead of the Council AGM LINK on Wednesday 20th May.

The meeting comes at a time when some Labour backbenchers are still angered at the failure to deal effectively with the Employment Tribunal case and the personnel involved, as well as concerns about who will be the next Chief Executive.

There have been mutterings about Brent CMT 's connections with Tower Hamlets and similarities in ethos, in the light of the Lutfur Rahman Inquiry findings.

It is unclear whether the vacant Lead Member for Environment post will be filled at the AGM or incorporated into an existing portfolio, plus reducing the size of the Cabinet.

The Council AGM will again decide which of the rival Conservative groups will be designated the official opposition, unbless the groups come up with their own agreed solution beforehand. The composition of Committees will also be decided at the two AGMs with Scrutiny the most important. The committee has been severely criticised for its failure to scrutinise effectively but 7 out of its 8 members will remain Labour councillors. The General Purposes Committee is effectively the Cabinet plus one opposition member.

If any councilor digs deep enough they may also be concerned about proposals to extend the powers of the Chief Executive in proposed constitional changes. Particularly 2.3.2 below:

“2.3.1 The Chief Executive shall also have the authority to carry out all executive functions in the interim in the event of there being no Leader, or Deputy Leader appointed and insufficient members of the Cabinet appointed to achieve a quorum.

2.3.2    Exceptionally, notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the Chief Executive shall be authorised to exercise either executive or non-executive functions where the matter is urgent unless this is prohibited by law.

2.3.3    If the Chief Executive acts in the circumstances set out in paragraphs 2.3.1 and 2.3.2 above, the Chief Executive shall notify, as appropriate, the Leader or Deputy Leader of the Council, the Lead Member with portfolio responsibility for the matter to which the decision relates and the Leader of the Principal Opposition Group of any such action.“

Brent Labour to discuss leadership election changes

Following controversy over Muhammed Butt's bid to restrict Labour leadership elections  to every four years, Brent Labour is to hold a special meeting on amendments to Standing Orders on Tuesday 16th September.

Among the proposals, which also includes elections/appointment by the leader to council positions, is this:

The group leadership is not proposing that leadership elections shouldn’t be held at AGMs other than the first of the council term if substantial number of members (a third or more) feel there is a need for this to occur- see paragraph 2 of this section, discussed below. Rather, the suggestion is that a leadership election shouldn’t be held rigidly every year if members see no need for one. Following the recent AGM, it is clear that a number of members wish for this matter to be reviewed, and a full report on it will follow in the coming weeks. 

2. ‘An election for the post of Leader may be called at any AGM if a third or more of the group’s members write to the group Secretary to request that this occur not less than seven days in advance of the meeting. Any election resulting from this trigger mechanism will be conducted by secret ballot. Under no circumstances will the Secretary reveal the name of any member requesting that a contest take place until the threshold of 50% is reached. If this occurs, the Secretary will verify with the Chairs of both the group and the LCF that an election should be called and proceed accordingly.’ 

This paragraph has been substantially altered from that included in the group standing orderscirculated prior to the recent AGM. It was inserted in order to compliment paragraph 1 of this section, ensuring that leadership elections at AGMs will go ahead if a sizable number of members feel this should occur, and that members will feel confident expressing their preference for such an election.

As  I read it, rather than the election of leader being routinely on the agenda of the AGM a group of members will have to ask for such an election. This could be a disincentive as it might be seen as disloyalty or splitting to make such a request.

Labour 'Young Turks' may challenge for Brent Executive positions

The challengers are probably too young to remember this!

The Brent Executive may have a more youthful profile following Labour's Annual General Meeting in May. AGMs of any organisation are an occasion for elected positions to be open to challenge and part of that process is for members to assess the performance of the incumbents and consider alternatives.

According to my sources among the incumbents under particular scrutiny this time round are Cllr Lesley Jones, Cllr Mary Arnold and Cllr James Powney. 'Alternatives' that have been mentioned include the very able Cllr James Denselow who has a background in journalism; Cllr Michael Pavey, energetic Barnhill by-election winner, who is  a school governor and has launched a high profile campaign to safeguard Children's Centres; and Cllr Roxanne Mashari who yesterday announced she was not standing for the Brent Central parliamentary selection. Presumably experience as a member of the Brent Executive would stand her in good stead in any future parliamentary bid. I have heard that Cllr Lincoln Beswick is not expected to carry on but Jim Moher, contrary to weekend reports, is to stand again.

Meanwhile Cllr Butt himself has contributed a new blog on the Council website which calls on residents to campaign on cuts to the fire service and on the A&E closures. This adopts a slightly harder line than previously.  LINK

Following my posting yesterday on the front runners for the Brent Central selection I have had somewhat conflicting information. There has been a suggestion that Cllr Ann John has joined James Powney in backing Catherine West but others claim that West is seeking nomination in another constituency.

Apparently there has been some disquiet that members of the short-listing panel, who it is claimed should remain neutral, have been involved in backing particular candidates. Meanwhile I have let all the  prospective candidates I am aware of  that in the interests of an informed public I am happy to carry their Guest Blogs on this site.