Muhammed Butt Q&A with Brent TUC on Wednesday

A message from Pete Firm, chair of Brent Trades Union Council

Muhammed Butt, the Labour Leader of Brent Council is coming to the meeting of Brent Trades Union Council this Wednesday evening, 26th September.

This part of the meeting will be a question and answer session with Councillor Butt, in which people may wish to ask him about the Council’s budget strategy and cuts, its relationship (or not) with chief officers, its involvement in the campaign to defend the NHS among other issues.

The meeting is open to all interested people, though preference in discussion will be given to Trades Council delegates, and is at the discretion of the chair. You are also welcome to stay for the rest of the meeting after Muhammed Butt has left.

Please try and arrive on time to avoid disrupting the meeting.

The meeting is at 7.30 p.m. at the Trades Hall, 375 High Road, NW10 2JR, near Willesden bus garage.
Map is here: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=522053&Y=184734&A=Y&Z=110

Key questions for the anti-cuts movement as councils start budget setting process

Brent Council, along with all other local councils and public sector bodies, are beginning the process of formulating its budget this month.   The anti-cuts movement is faced with what to say to councils as they review their policy in the face of reduced central government funding.

I outline some of the issues below. In the last two Brent by-elections Brent Green Party has stood anti-cuts candidates and the party as a whole has opposed the austerity agenda. However it is no secret that there has been disagreement over the minority Green council in Brighton and Hove, where a 'Purple Coalition' of Labour and Conservative councillors defeated the Green budget. The Greens rather than resigning, decided (with one dissenter) to work with the budget, which has led to the implementation of cuts.

Green Left, of which I am a member, organised a public debate on the situation which was reported in Red Pepper.LINK Romayne Phoenix, a supporter of Green Left, who is Chair of the Coalition of Resistance, stood in the recent leadership election which was won by Natalie Bennett. However, Will Duckworth,  her running mate, won the deputy leadership contest - not on the highest number of votes but because of our rules which require the deputy should be male if the leader is female and vice versa.

I think the main issues are:

1. Probably fundamental - whether local authorities have any real power when most of their funding comes from central government and that has been cut and is to be cut further.  LAs of whatever political complexion end up delivering central government cuts locally and have little room for manoeuvre once statutory services have been provided.
2. Whether devising a 'needs based' budget - either to shape an actual over-spend budget or as a campaigning tool to show the area needs more money than government.funding provides, is a demand we should make.
3.  If it is, how should we go about campaigning for such budgets and what form should consultations with the local community take?
4. Where do we stand on the raising of council taxes when local councils argue that this is the only way to protect vital services. Aren't  council tax rises,  particularly with the changes in council tax benefits, going to cut the disposable income of the poor even more?
5. If we decide that such rises are needed should we be triggering a local referendum on them to bring the cuts right out into open democratic debate?
6. The Brighton Question - the Socialist Party/TUSC are busy 'exposing' Labour (and probably Green) councils who implement cuts and advocating old Militant/Liverpool solutions of setting deficit budgets to defy the Coalition and being taken over by commissioners etc. They are planning to stand TUSC candidates in the local elections and re are busy building their platform now. (See Fightback Facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/151133068251358/)
7. Recognise that cuts are being passed down the line and that soon school governing bodies will be facing making cuts in staffing (if they have not already done so). What should Green and anti-cuts governors do? (In answer to the question 'Are schools allowed to submit a deficit budget?' Brent Council  has responded 'No. A school that identifies a potential deficit must submit a deficit recovery plan, and work with [the council's] Children and Families Finance department to get formal approval for the deficit and recovery plan'.)
8. How do we build an anti-cuts movement across local authorities involving trade unions, political organisations, voluntary groups,  single issue local campaigns, patient groups, parents, etc?

Schools in turmoil - debate the changes on Thursday

Changes in education are coming thick and fast and it is hard to keep up, let alone work out what they mean for children, parents, teachers, headteachers and governors in our schools.

There is an urgent need for a discussion about the changes that are taking place. Brent teacher unions, supported by Brent Fightback, have organised a debate open to everyone in Brent who is concerned about the future of our education system, both nationally and locally.

Academies and free schools, changes in the curriculum, the crisis in the exam system, increases in the size of primary schools, the shortage of primary school places which will soon extend to secondary schools, the role of school governors, changes in the way schools are supported by the local authoirty and privatisation are all issues which cry out for debate.

The debate that will take place on Thursday 20th September at Copland Community School from 7-9pm.

Speakers will include

Melissa Benn, a local parent, writer and journalist who recently published 'School Wars - the battle for Britain's Education'

 Jon O'Connor, regional manager of the Cooperative College which supports schools setting up as cooperatives, cooperative federations or cooperative academies

Mary Arnold, Brent Council's lead member for Children and Families

Martin Francis, Brent Green Party spokesperson on Children and Families

Hank Roberts, ATL President and a Brent teacher

The meeting will be chaired by Gill Wood, local parent and school governor

Harlesden leads the march to Save Central Middlesex Hospital

More than 200 people joined yesterday's march to Save the NHS and Save Central Middlesex Accident and Emergency ward. They marched from Harlesden's Jubilee Clock to Central Middlesex Hospital where a rally was held which included speeches from trade unionists, patients, community activists, Navin Shah AM; Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council; and Cllr Krupesh Hirani, lead member of Brent Council for health and adult care.

Join Save Central Middlesex A&E March on Saturday

Brent Labour backs Central Middlesex campaign

Following a meeting between Cllr Krupesh Hirani and Cllr Muhammed Butt last weekend  three Brent NHS campaigners last week, Cllr James Denselow, Brent Labour Party's Communications Officer, has published the following statement:

Brent Labour fighting against the closure of Central Middlesex Accident and Emergency (A&E) services

Brent Labour Party has given its full support to the campaign against the Coalitions disgraceful plans. Labour Cllrs condemned the plans in the Council Chamber and have been working with campaigners to raise awareness of the issue. Both Cllr Butt and Cllr Hirani will address the march against the closures on 15^th September.

However, the reason Brent has been unable to run a Council backed campaign against the closures is because unlike in Ealing, there is not cross party support for the campaign. Both the Lib Dems and Conservatives in Brent have refused to criticise the plans put forward by their own Government.

Cllrs from both parties should get behind the campaign so we can fight the plans as a united Borough.

List of action being taken:

1.       Motion passed but only with support from Brent Labour

2.       Letter to Secretary of State Andrew Lansley MP to come

3.       We are out on the doorstep every single weekend in Brent talking to residents on this issue

4.       Online poll has been set up http://krupesh4brent.com/2012/08/20/poll-on-central-middlesex-hospital-ae/

5.       We are meeting with campaigners

6.       Council will be responding to the consultation through scrutiny

7.       Brent Labour will be at the march

8.       Difficult case to use taxpayer resources for a campaign in cases where we do not have cross party agreement – that is why we the Brent Labour Party will be campaigning on this issue without taxpayer resources

Alf Filer's killer jailed for drunk driving

Alf with  students defending  the Harrow Mosque from the EDL in 2009

 The man responsible for the death of Alf Filer,  local activist in Brent, member of Brent Fightback and a lecturer at Harrow College before he moved to Worthing, has been jailed for drunk driving. Alf is greatly missed and often crops up in our conversations. If he was still alive he would be in the forefront of the current battles against cuts and austerity.

Here is the item as carried by the BBC:

A drink-driver has been jailed for six years for killing a man who was standing by his broken down car in East Sussex.

Joseph Lavelle, 36, of Worthing, West Sussex was two-and-a-half times over the drink-drive limit when he hit Alf Filer, 58, on the A27 in Hangleton. 

He was jailed at Lewes Crown Court having admitted death by careless driving under the influence of alcohol.

The painter was also banned from driving for five years, police said. 

Mr Filer, also from Worthing, died at the scene on 23 June last year.

The political activist and former lecturer had only moved into the area from London in the past year.

Sgt Neil Walker, from Sussex Police, said: "This is another tragic example of the way in which drink-driving wrecks lives. This terrible incident has robbed a family and the community of a well-respected and much-loved man."

Teather fails to support battle for Central Middlesex A&E

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Brent Executive member and lead member for Health and Social Care, has tweeted that he door-stepped Sarah Teather MP today with the petition to save Central Middlesex A&E.

He says she refused to sign.

Vital health elections underway in Brent

It was unfortunate that only three members of Brent LINk (Local Involvement Network) who were not candidates turned up for the Management Committee elections hustings on Friday.  Candidates out-numbered the rank and file by about 6 to 1.  LINk in Brent gives local people  a say in how health and social care services are commissioned, provided and improved. The organisation has about 750 members. Website HERE

Clearly the role is very important at a time of enormous upheaval in health and social care provision and the current plans in Shaping a Healthier Future which will see several Accident and Emergency facilities in North West London closing and other services down-graded or handed over to private providerss.

In addition Brent LINk is due to be replaced by an organisation with even more powers and responsibilities called Brent HealthWatch.  BHW will be a 'corporate body' with it own legal authority to carry out its functions and will be subject to legislative compliance.  It will be an independent organisation with a seat on the local health and well-being board and will be able to appoint its own staff.

Brent LINk could be transformed into Brent HealthWatch but other  voluntary organisations, social enterprises and charities would be able to make bids when the service was procured.

This raises a major issue in terms of the LINk election which is already one for governing bodies of schools. How do you balance the contribution of local people with in-depth experience as users of local services and that of professionals with the skills to frame a successful bid for the BrentWatch brief and the experience to appoint and manage staff, plans budgets and undertake research. Things are made more complicated by the fact that the budget for the new organisation which will come from HealthWatch England via Brent Council is not yet known.

The LINk Management Committee has 10 places, 5 for individuals and 5 for representatives of organisations. Five organisation put forward candidates so there will be no election for those posiitons. They are John Bryne of Brent MIND. Elcena Jeffers from the Elcena Jeffers Foundation, Prakash Mandalia from B.Heard, Anne O'Neil from Brent Mencap and Lola Osikoya from the Amazing Grace Women's Association.

There are 17 candidate for the five individual positions. New voting cards will be sent to LINk members to replace the green cards sent out last week which lacked clarity about voting method. There will be a further hustings on September 13th 7-9pm at Brent Asssociation for Disabled People, Main Hall, Robson Avenue, NW10 3RY. The voting dedline is 19th September 2012, Count 21st September, and first meeting of the new Management Committee on 27th September.

Brian Hoe Hunt, a consultant working on HealthWatch, was at pains to emphasise that the new organisation must be able to show that it truly represents the voice of the local community and that this requires carefull research and an evidence base.  It has to be able to demonstrate that the views it puts forward are actively backed up by the community.

With this in mind candidates were asked about the future of the Central Middlesex A&E and privatisation. I noted that many candidates has concentrated (quite rightly) on the needs of older people asked them what they thought the main priorities were for the health and well-being of Brent young people at a time of recession, benefit cuts and a housing crisis.

Emma Tait made clear her opposition to the Central Middlesex A&E closure and said that as a member of Brent Fightback she recognised the connections between all the various cuts and 'reforms' that would eventually impact on each other and  health in the community.  She emphasised her professional management experience in social work, and as the Executive Director of the National Back Pain Association, her ability to lead groups, write reports and speak publicly but she also stressed the need for independence and public campaigning.

Robert Esson said that he had first heard about the Central Middlesex A&E closure on TV which was clearly wrong, and told the audience that he has been assured 3 years ago by NW London NHS that it would remain open. He spoke about the waste of the £65m investment in the hospital and the iniquities of PFI.

Philemon  Sealy said that no way should Brent LINk be an advocate of government policy and regretted that the organisation hadn't stood up to the government more.

On the other hand Mansukh Raichura said that he ws involved in the NW London Hospitals merger programme.  He stressed the need to be 'realistic'. Samer Ahmedali told the audience that he was chair of Brent North Conservatives and lived in Harrow. He knew the local community because he worked for Wembley ASDA and wanted to give something back.

Loletta Cameron-Hayles on the issue of young people said that she was concerned about the opportunities that would be available to local children post-Olympics with no playing fields in the South of Brent, others being sold off, swimming lessons discontinued, and supervisors replacing teachers. She had grave concerns about the services they would get.

Maurice Hoffman said that 90% of Brent children were healthy (there were some dissension here) and it wasn't for Management Committee members to say what their needs are. They have to get out there and speak to them but also find out what provisions remains in terms of school nurses and particular projects.

Colin Babb, Brent LINk Coordinator said that the question of how they engage with young people was fundamental. There was a Young LINk organisation engaging with 16-19 year olds and a Young Advocacy Programme aimed at ensuring that young people were involved in articulating their own voice. However a younger LINk member voiced her frustration that funding for a youth development worker had been cut.  The LINk's work was useless without adequate resources. Prakash Mandalia added that however good strategies were they were no good without resources.

Cllr Sandra Kabir, Chair of the Health Partnerships Overview and Scrutiny Committee who introduced the meeting complimented the work of LINk's task groups but voiced her concern that the most vulnerable Brent groups will be most affected by the proposed health service changes.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani, Lead Member for Adults and Health, was not present but it is top be hoped that he will make the next hustings.

End the Counihan family's stress. Demonstrate on Monday.

Message from campaigners for the Counihan family.  Their plight will be repeated many times across the borough as the Coalition's housing benefit cap hits more families.

 

 We are coming together to demand justice from Brent Council for the Counihan family, who have been victimised by the actions of our council support agencies. We will be demonstrating outside Brent Town Hall, Forty Lane, Wembley on Monday July 16th at 6pm ahead of the Brent Council Executive's Meeting. Your support will be appreciated.

Isabel and Anthony Counihan and their five children, Vinnie, Aidan, AJ, Orla and Sarah, have been shunted out of the Brent to temporary housing in Ealing where they have been left since April2011 waiting for the Council to even make a decision on their situation, let alone re-house them in Brent.

Their story is an extreme and devastating example of the way lives are being ruined by benefit cuts, and the refusal to build council housing and regulate the private housing sector.  We are living in times when the powers that be think they can get away with punishing working-class people for the fact of our being poor.

Across London poorer people, especially young people, are being pushed out of the city to make way for the better off. Glenda Jackson MP's response to the family's plight was “you can't afford to live in London”. This has been echoed by council officers: Brent Housing Advice advised the family “they could afford to live in Wales”.

We are saying to Brent Council that they must immediately find the family appropriate, secure and really affordable housing in the borough -and put an end to the unbearable stress and hardship that would have totally broken many people long before now.

The Counihans have nothing to justify -their need is clear and we support them unconditionally -but their story may help illustrate how the council is failing in their moral and legal responsibility to assist people in difficult circumstances, but instead mounting attack after attack to remove people from the area.

We ask you to join us in supporting the Counihans and invite other people facing similar injustices to come forward and challenge together the vicious policies and practices of the council.

For more information, to support the Counihan’s, or raise your own issue contact:

Lesley Ryan -London Irish Centre (personal capacity): 07894 348 610

Gerry Downing -Brent Trades Union Council and Brent Fightback: 07792 966 910

Clarence -Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group: 07752 574 943

Plans to close Central Middlesex Accident and Emergency confirmed - now organise!

The Brent and Kilburn Times website reports today that Central Middlesex A&E is 'certain to close' as part of the 'Shaping a Healthier Future (sic)' proposals which were launched today LINK:

Speaking at the launch, Dr Mark Spencer, medical director for the programme, said:

We looked at all the options but it is not possible to keep the A&E department open and running as it is now.

Unfortunately when the hospital was built, it was far too big and with too many departments for the people it served so it is not viable to keep it open.

The hospital still has an Urgent Care Centre which is open 24 hours a day and can treat patients within 4 hours of arrival and that will remain open.

The certainty of closure will be challenged by local residents and campaigners who are meeting tomorrow evening at The Trades Hall/Apollo Club 375 High Road, NW10 2JR (close to Willesden Bus Garage) to mobilise opposition.. The meeting will begin at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Damning report on hospital closure plans

Plans to drastically cut health services are exposed in a hard hitting Report “North West London’s NHS - Under the Knife”, written by John Lister, Director of London Health Emergency.

 

The Report, commissioned by Ealing, Brent and Harrow Trades Union Councils, shows that far from improving or modernising services, the outcome of the NWL NHS plans, “Shaping a Healthier Future” , would inevitably be a massive reduction in both hospital beds and services, without any corresponding increase in alternative provision.

  

Dr Lister states that the proposals “could result in the loss of 1750 NHS jobs in 12 months, and 5,600 jobs by 2015, along with the downgrading and downsizing of many local hospitals and services, and the closure of up to 4 of its 8 A&E units.”

 

Although NWL NHS try to avoid stating which hospitals and A&E Departments are under threat; Dr Lister’s analysis shows that the targets of the cuts are likely to be Ealing, Central Middlesex, Charing Cross and Hammersmith, leaving a massive area of London without A&E provision.

 

He goes on to say that “trendy arguments ... suggesting that new “settings” can deliver services more efficiently and effectively than hospitals: the only snag is that these “settings” and services exist only on paper, lacking the funds, facilities, staff and any political commitment to make them a reality.”

 

Dr Lister will be the headline speaker at the Ealing TUC public meeting on Tuesday 26th June at 7.30pm in Ealing Town Hall.  

The report is posted below:

Campaign launched to save Central Middlesex Hospital

The overnight closure of the Accident and Emergency service at Park Royal's Central Middlesex Hospital is likely to be the first step in running down the hospital and its eventual closure a Harlesden meeting was told last week.

North West London NHS is currently consulting on an amalgamation of Ealing, Central Middlesex and Northwick Park hospitals and it looks as if Harlesden and Stonebridge, the poorest areas in Brent may lose their local hospital and have to travel to A and E at Northwick Park, despite very poor public transport links. It is likely that A and E at Ealing, Charing Cross and Hammersmith may also close.

John Lister addresses the meeting

 John Lister, from the London Health Emergency has been commissioned by Ealing, Brent and Harrow Trade Union Councils, to write a report on the likely impact of the cost-cutting changes. The report will be available soon and a condensed version will be distributed as a tabloid newspaper.

Lister said that the pattern was one of a gradual reduction of different services, starting with A and E, eventually leaving the hospital as an nearly empty shell, which is then closed because people are not using it and nurses and doctors are reluctant to apply for jobs there,

With £314m cuts to be made by NW London NHS by 2015 the hospital closures are just the beginning. Stressing that decisions are being made in order to balance the books, and not on clinical grounds, Lister said that 1,750 jobs will go in the near future, of which 1,000 are clinical.

The aim is to direct patients to 'lower cost' settings, including the setting in which you die. That setting may be your front room and the carer yourself. Jargon such as 'pathway redesign' and 'corporate efficiency' conceal an overall strategy to reduce the number of patients seeking treatment and to restrict access to expensive treatments. The target is to reduce emergency cases annually to a level equivalent to 391 hospital beds and a 22% cut in out-patient appointments.

A further aim is to introduce private providers into the service so that the NHS, the largest public sector organisation, is open to exploitation for profit. The NHS will be left with A & E and maternity services, which are 'too dangerous' for private companies but 'any qualified provider' will offer other services (Virgin, Sainsbury's) undermining pay structures and qualification systems. Lister stressed that with PCTs due to go,GP commissioners will be left holding the baby, but wouldn't have been responsible for the changes that have been made.

John Lister urged local people to use the consultation period to build a movement against the local changes AND against the privatisation of the NHS, lobbying GPs, MPs and local councillors.

Candy Unwin urges broad-based campaigning

 Candy Unwin from Camden Keep Our NHS Public recounted campaign success in saving Whittington Hospital . Different hospitals, cross party and non-party political groups, trades unions, tenants and unions had come together in a united campaign. She said that 1 in 6 Labour members of the house of Lords and 1 in 4 Tories get money from private companies and that 30 MPs get funding from Virgin, one of the main bidders.

Phil Rose, a regional official from UNITE, said that the changes would result in high quality provision for private patients and low quality for the rest of us. He said that one thing standing in the way of privatisation was NHS workers' terms and conditions which the private sector cannot match. The pensions changes was an attempt to reduce these conditions to make the sector attractive to the private sector. He urged support for the '68 is too late' campaign on retirement age and drew parallels with the creeping  privatisation of schools. Job cuts, down-grading of jobs and pay cuts were all in the offing.

In a powerful speech a member of the Methodist Church spoke about Harlesden being a poor area and needing and valuing its local hospital and pledged herself to make people aware of the situation. She said 'Some people are going to die because of these changes'.

 I spoke about the link between health and schools as not being just in terms of the privatisation issue, but also that schools were frequent users of A and E when children have accidents and reliant on accessible emergency treatment in incidents such as that at Chalkhill Primary (see below). With its many railway lines, the North Circular Road, Wembley Stadium, industry at Park Royal and Neasden, there was a risk of a major incident and we needed accessible emergency services to cope. Added to that, although things were quieter at present, there was the possibility of violence and the need for a hospital experiences, as Central Middlesex is, in the treatment of gun shot and knife injuries.

Graham Durham's suggestion of a march in September from Harlesden to Central Middlesex Hospital under the banner of Save Central Middlesex Hospital, Save North West London Health Services, was enthusiastically endorsed by the meeting as was a message of solidarity to doctors taking action on Thursday.

Let local people decide our health needs - not accountants

Guest blog by Pete Firmin, Chair Brent Trades Union Council

Central Middlesex - soon to be down-graded despite recent investment?

Sarah Cox wrote last week in the Brent and Kilburn Times about the consultation which NHS North West London is carrying out into the future of health services across the area. As she says, there is a strong feeling that this “consultation” is merely window dressing for decisions which have already been taken, such as the downgrading of several hospitals in the region, including Central Middlesex. Central Middlesex has already lost its night-time Accident and Emergency service, an indication of things to come.

Although the Health Authority claims its proposals will improve services, much of what they say is purely speculative – relying on new forms of health services which are not yet in place without proposals (including financial) as to how this will change.

Because of these serious worries about the future of the health service across the region, the Trades Union Councils in the boroughs of Brent, Ealing and Harrow are working together to build a campaign to ensure we have the health services the people of the area need and not ones which managers and accountants – let alone private health companies – think are appropriate.

We have commissioned a report from Dr John Lister of Health Emergency, looking at the effects of the NHS’s proposals in detail, both in terms of the loss of services and the effect on jobs in the NHS. This report will be launched early in June, and Brent Trades Union Council is holding a public meeting on the issues involved on Wednesday 13th June at Harlesden Methodist Church, 25 High Street, NW10 4NE. As well as John Lister, speakers will be from the campaign Keep Our NHS Public and the unions organising health workers. All are welcome, and there will be plenty of time for discussion.

Open letter to new leader from a Labour Party member

Graham Durham has written this open letter to Cllr Muhammed Butt, the new leader of Brent Council.

Dear Mo,

Thank you for your telephone call of 9 May 2012 in which you invited me to vote for you as Leader of the Council at the Brent Labour Party hustings on 10 May.

As you know I am opposed to the Brent  Labour Group record over the last two years of implementing the Tory /Lib Dem government cuts and thus severely damaging the life prospects of many of the most vulnerable people in Brent. Naturally I was anxious to know how you would change matters and specifically how you would propose to make the Tory/Lib Dem cuts you made clear you are committed to over the next two years 

I was pleased  to hear your response on the question of libraries which I recorded.You said

'I feel we handled libraries very badly.I always wanted to consider partnership with community groups as Camden Council has done and was blocked by Ann John who  insisted we had to be seen to be backing officers and closing the six libraries.This will change if I am Leader.'

On future budget cuts you said

'We have far too many senior officers in Brent ,a record number of Directors on very high pay and they all build empires of Assistant Directors.I think we could save £3 million a  year  on these costs by 2015 '

Whilst I do not wholly agree with these two proposals I did concede that they represented progress from the intransigence and hostility to community groups displayed by Ann John and senior officers over the last two years .As promised  I advised Labour Party members I know of your views and asked them to consider if the changes you promised were sufficient to enable them to vote for you as Leader.

You have become Leader of Brent Council  at a time when working  people across  Europe  are realising that the disastrous policy of austerity is leading to impoverishment and misery everywhere.Voters in France and Greece have realised that the solutions of  cuts in services and basic benefits and pensions are incapable of creating jobs and protecting a reasonable standard of living for working people.

In Brent we have seen the extraordinary GLA vote in which Labour heavily  defeated the Lib Dems in every single ward of Brent Central - a great opportunity exists for us to remove Sarah Teather and cuts agenda at the next General Election.

You will need to be resolute in challenging Brent Council officers on every aspect of their work.In particular Gareth Daniel,Chief Executive, must be reigned in and told to stop spreading government cuts propaganda to Brent Council staff.

I am sure that the local newspaper, the Brent and Kilburn Times, has misquoted you in stating that you now support library closures and the matter is closed. I do not believe that you would have completely reversed the promises you made to Party members during your leadership campaign nine days ago.

I know that Brent SOS Libraries Campaign have written to you asking for  an urgent meeting and I look forward to discussing this issue with you then.Labour should be embracing local campaigners not treating them with disdain.

On a wider programme Brent Fightback want to work with Brent Labour Council in opposing Tory/Lib Dem cuts.We have also requested a meeting to discuss how to work together to resist  NHS Cuts such as the closure of Central Middlesex hospital  as well as local government cuts.

I look forward to meeting you to discuss further co-operation 

Best wishes 

Graham Durham

Lib Dems request Call In of Leaflet Licensing Plans

Alison Hopkins, new elected Liberal Democrat councillor for Dollis Hill and several other Lib Dem councillors have requested a Call In of the proposals to license the distribution of leaflets and flyers in designation streets in the borough.

If successful the Call In would be heard at the Call In, Overview and Scrutiny Committee scheduled for Wednesday May 9th.

Brent Fightback campaigns for free distribution of literature

Brent Fightback will be meeting on Monday April 30th 7.30pm at the Trades Hall, 375 Willesden High Road, NW1O 2JR (nearest tube Dollis Hill)  Among the items for discussion is the Council's scheme to license the distribution of free literature in designated areas of the borough.

Fightback write:
 

Attached is the report that last Monday's Brent Council Executive rubber stamped. It would require anyone distributing free literature - leaflets or newspapers - to apply for a licence (costing £175 and £75 to renew) 14 days in advance and then pay £65 per distributor per day or either £100 or £110 according to which paragraph you read if leaflets are given out before 8.00 am or after 6.00 pm. Distributors would have to wear an ID badge obtained from the Council and a hi-viz jacket provided by the 'promoter'. There are exemptions for the distribution of printed matter:

(a) by or on behalf of a charity within the meaning of the Charities Act 1993, where the printed matter relates to or is intended for the benefit of the charity

(b) where the distribution is for political purposes or for the purposes of religion or belief

Two Fightback supporters spoke at the executive but the points we raised and the questions we asked were ignored and brushed aside. Councillors insisted that the regulations were purely and simply designed to cut down on litter, but we believe that they could have dangerous implications for free speech and civil rights and that they are far from clear and transparent. This article from the Guardian spells out some of the adverse effects regulations like this have had when imposed by other councils:

See overview of the issue in the Guardian HERE

This pamphlet from the Manifesto Club spells them out in even more detail HERE

We are asking the Council to spell out clearly whom the regulations are intended to target - are they just aimed at commercial firms employing people to give out large numbers of leaflets or free newspapers? If so, that should be made clear in the regulations, if not there will be really harmful effects for small businesses, arts organisations, community groups, jazz and comedy clubs and others who only want to distribute small numbers of leaflets and who could not possibly afford the massive fees proposed in these regulations.

What is included in 'political purposes'? This is the term used in the enabling legislation  http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/16/part/3, but it is extremely ambiguous. It probably includes anti-war, anti-cuts and anti-fascist campaigning and certainly includes leaflets given out by political parties, but would it include leaflets supporting the Palestinian cause, campaigns against library closures, privatisation or climate change, for fairtrade, Friends of the Earth, support for striking workers?

The exemptions spelled out in the regulations as passed on Monday would not apply to community groups organising say, coffee mornings, to parent teacher associations advertising school concerts, to someone drawing attention to a plant sale at the farmers' market, to a newly opened restaurant or hairdresser letting people know that they are there, to a window cleaner setting up in business, pop-up shops the organisers of art exhibitions, supplementary schools, comedy clubs, music gigs ....... None of these could afford the licence fees, so they would either be unable to advertise their events or be forced to defy the regulations and risk prosecution. 

It would also be very unfair on the Council officers or police who will be expected to enforce confusing regulations.

There are also inconsistencies and  mistakes in the drafting of these regulations, and an assertion that there are no diversity or equality implications, which is questionable - some minority groups will be prevented from advertising their activities and their free newspapers will be banned.

We believe that unless they are drastically revised and clarified, these regulations should be opposed. We think ALL voluntary small scale literature distribution even if it is not for charities, religious or political purposes, should be exempted from the regulations or they should be dropped altogether. 

If you are among the groups that could be affected by the regulations as they stand PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL COUNCILLORS OR ALL THE COUNCILLORS (their email addresses are on the Council website www.brent.gov.uk/councillors .

The Kilburn and Brent Times alerted us to the dangers posed by these regulations and will continue to carry the story. We are grateful to them, but please spread the word to anyone you know who is involved in groups or activities that could be affected. If they persist in bringing these regulations in unchanged, we need to launch objections but also to take united action to challenge them.

Come to the Fightback meeting to discuss how to continue the fight against these proposals.

Now it's time for James Powney to apologise

The Brent Executive approved plans to licence leafleting in designated areas, along with a hefty overall free and additional charges per leafleter, on Monday evening. Sarah Cox and I both spoke against the proposals pointing out the lack of clarity about exemptions, the impact on small businesses and those organising events, the absence of any substantial research on the success or otherwise of such schemes in the past, and the failure to give any information on how the policy would be enforced. Sarah even pointed out discrepancies within the document on charges.

Sarah Cox, speaking for Brent Fightback,  challenged Cllr James Powney's attack on the Brent and Kilburn Times in his blog LINK which implied that the campaign against the scheme  was an invention.  Sarah quite rightly pointed out that the BKT story was based on the Council's own statement to a journalist and said, 'It is absolutely right that the local press has been vigilant and brought this to the attention of the people of Brent".

However in his response to our speeches, Powney again had a go at the reporter about inaccuracy, despite her waving a copy of the Council's e-mail from her seat.

Now in today's Brent and Kilburn Times there is a letter from Michael Read, Assistant Director of Environment and Neighbourhood Services, which seeks to 'clarify any confusion about the powers the council has just agreed' and confirms that the exemption will cover campaigning for political purposes, such as local library campaigners'.

He does not admit that the 'confusion' arose from the council's own e-mail to the reporter, which followed the reporters request for clarification.

There is an Editor's note at the end of Michael Read's letter stating:

Brent Council's communication team has issued an apology to the Times for issuing an inaccurate statement on which our original report was based.

It is obviously up to the BKT to decide what to do but my personal view is that Cllr Powney also owes the paper,  and its senior reporter,  an apology.

Below are notes from the speech I made on Monday:

 Talking to people about these proposals over the weekend I was told both that they were a 'farce' and that they were 'fascist'. I think the truth lies somewhere between the two!


Cllr Powney will say we've got it all wrong - it always was meant to be 'political purposes' and not 'political parties' but the Brent and Kilburn Times reporter stands by her quote from the Council and is circulating the council's e-mail here tonight.

“Licensing will only apply to certain streets in Brent.  Charities would be exempt from these new rules and political parties would be exempt during election times."

This is not semantics. The danger is that the Council's interpretation is so narrow that it will affect campaigns. There needs to be precise definitions in the documentation.

Cllr Powney will also say that this is not new and is merely updating of powers but this is not stated in the report and there is no detail or assessment of effectiveness of previous policy.

Cllr John has said we've got it all wrong and it is only about commercial leafleting but again this is not stated  in the report.

Putting aside the political dimension what about small businesses?

Can you imagine the poor contestants of the Apprentice setting up a small shop on Wembley High Road and trying to drum up business?

Let's give out some leaflets... Oh, we have to give 14 days notice....and apply for  licence....and we have to wear a high visibility vest...oh, we have to have 'Authorised Distributor' printed on it...and a badge with our licence number...and pay £175 upfront plus £75 daily for each distributor...and check whether our distributor has been done for littering in the last year.

The Council is in danger of making itself a laughing stock. The Executive should send this poorly written report back to be properly researched and rewritten - they cannot vote for such an unclear policy.

Don't stop me now!

Warning: Strong language but it is about the Tories...

Have your say on Brent Council's budget 2012/13

Having called for the Council to have a public debate about its budget I thought it only right to reproduce the following item from the Council website.  Rather than tell them where to make cuts and the divide and rule this entails, I think we should call on them them to work with residents to devise a 'needs led budget' which would set out what services local residents need to maintain their quality of life. They can then use this budget as a campaigning tool to call on the government to reverse their cuts to local authority funding and work with other councils on directly challenging the Coalition's approach.


Have your say on the proposed budget for the 2012/13 financial year by joining the discussions at our Area Consultative Forums.

Residents and businesses are invited to take part in the Area Consultative Forums that are being held early 2012 as we want to hear all the views about our budget priorities.

Each of the five area forums will be discussing the budget proposals and will include a presentation by either Brent Council Leader Councillor Ann John OBE or Deputy Council Leader Councillor Muhammed Butt. There will also be a question and answer session to share views and to get answers first hand.

As well as setting the council's expenditure priorities, the budget process also sets the council tax rate which households must pay and the local authority's spending and provision of services.

The proposals for the 2012/13 budget recognise the difficult financial position faced by Brent Council because of the loss of central government grants and other funding, which will be equivalent to a 26 per cent loss in funding between April 2011 and March 2015 and which will continue through to 2017.

The Executive's proposals for the 2012/13 budget will be scrutinised by the Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee before going to the Executive on 13 February 2012. The final decision about the budget and council tax for 2012/13 will be made at the Full Council meeting on 27 February next year.

The dates for the next Area Consultative Forums are:

• Harlesden Area Consultative Forum, 7pm, on 10 January 2012 at All Souls Church, Station Road, Harlesden
• Kilburn and Kensal Area Consultative Forum, 7pm on 11 January 2012 at Granville Plus Community Centre, Granville Road, Kilburn
• Wembley Area Consultative Forum, 7pm on 17 January 2012 at Patidar House, 22 London Road, Wembley
• Willesden Area Consultative Forum, 7pm on 18 January 2012 at College of North West London Denzil Road NW10
• Kingsbury and Kenton Area Consultative Forum, 7pm on 8 February 2012 at Kingsbury High School, Princes Avenue, NW9.