Anton Georgiou on his personal reasons for resigning as a Brent councillor

 

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

 

Muhammed Butt tells the PM that Brent is keen to roll up its sleeves and do its bit for change

 

Brent Tories: Disrespectful to site children's home in a conservation area - call-in meeting tonight

A special Scrutiny Committee tonight will discuss the call-in by Brent Conservatives of the Cabinet decision to site a children's home in the Barn Hill Conservation area. In their call-in the group say:

This area is in the Barn Hill Conservation area. It should be treated with respect.

Alternative course of action recommended.. To refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration in order to find a cheaper alternative property in a different area

The call-in is unfortunately timed when the Liberal Democrat group are opposing, with a petition, a potential proposal to double the number of councillors needed to request a call in from 5 to 10. At present there are 5 Tories and 3 Liberal Democrats. A requirement for 10 signatures means that neither Tories on their own nor the combined opposition could request a call-in without support from at least two Labour councillors.

Cllr Butt's argument would probably be that the increase would save money on meetings as   politically motivated call-ins would no longer take place.

Certainly Brent Labour moved speedily on social media to denounce the call-in.

 The call-in will be heard at 6pm tonight. Livestream HERE

Brent Tories do not exist on social media so I cannot post a response.

THE CABINET DECISON CALLED-IN

 

Cabinet (15 January 2024) received a report from the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources and Corporate Director of Children and Young People which, in line with the Brent Children’s Residential Home Business Case that had been approved by Cabinet in May 2023, sought approval for the acquisition of a property for renovation to deliver a four bedded children’s care home for young people by March 2025 which would provide four placements, three permanent and one emergency for the Council to deliver and operate a children’s residential home.

 

Having considered the report, Cabinet agreed to approve the acquisition with the minute recording the decision as follows:

 

Councillor Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools) introduced the report, which set out the Council’s plans to acquire a property as part of the Children’s Residential Home Project.

 

In considering the report Cabinet noted the way in which the proposed acquisition aligned with the objectives within the Brent Children’s Residential Home Business Case approved by Cabinet in May 2023. This included not only supporting the Council in seeking to address the increasing cost of child residential placements for looked after children, with the scheme projected to save the Council approx. £290,000 on an annual basis once operational, but also in delivering the benefits associated with the additional capacity to reduce the need for out of borough placements and enabling more children and young people to receive care closer to home with access to local services and support.

 

Members welcomed the way in which the insourcing of this scheme would enhance service delivery and in recognising the benefits that the proposal would bring to both young people and the Council, Cabinet RESOLVED:

 

(1) To approve the acquisition of the property (address detailed in the exempt appendix of the report) in Wembley HA9 with vacant possession to meet the needs of young people as outlined in the Brent Residential Home Business Case approved by Cabinet in May 2023.

 

(2) To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Children and Young People, to agree the terms of the purchase and acquire the property subject to financial and legal due diligence, vacant possession and contract.

 

(3) To note that the completion of the property needs to take place by the end of January 2024 in order to allow sufficient time to renovate the property within the timescales permitted in the grant agreement with the Department for Education (DfE).

 

THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP CALL-IN

 

a) We are very concerned at the price being paid for this property which is over £1M. We feel that this is not the best use of the limited Council funds.

 

(b) This area is in the Barn Hill Conservation area. It should be treated with respect.

 

(c) There has been no consultation with the residents living in and around the site of the property or the Residents Association. This is preventing residents from voicing their opinions and objections. There has been absolutely no democracy or transparency in the matter, residents feel they have been railroaded into accepting any decision the Council makes.

 

(d) Neither of the two local ward councillors (Cllr Robert Johnson & Cllr Kathleen Fraser) received any notification of this until immediately prior to the Cabinet meeting on 15th January.

 

(e) It appears that no Planning Permission was applied for or granted. If this is the case, then what is the rationale taken as to why Planning Permission was not applied for? No statement appears to have been given.

 

(f) The Council is not acting in the interests of the residents in this matter. A similar care home was opened in Barn Hill which caused untold problems for those living in the area. It was only shut down when the local MP (Barry Gardiner) intervened. The residents do not want to have to deal with a similar occurrence.

 

Action Requested:

 

To refer the decision back to Cabinet for reconsideration in order to find a cheaper alternative property in a different area.

UPDATE: Eleven Brent Labour councillors have now signed the Muslim councillors' letter to the Labour leadership requesting the Labour Party call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Eleven  Brent Labour Councillors have now signed the letter from more than 250 Muslim Labour councillors formally calling on the Labour leadership to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the humanitarian crisis. The signatories include Council leader Muhammed Butt's brother, the deputy mayor and a former whip of the Labour Group.

It was signed by:

Cllr Tariq Dar MBE – Brent Council

Cllr Sandra Kabir – Brent Council

Cllr Saqlain Choudry – Brent Council

Cllr Rita Begum – Brent Council

Cllr Saqib Butt, Vice Chair Planning Committee – Brent Council

Cllr Ishma Moeen – Brent Council

 Cllr Parvez Ahmed (Chair Licensing Committee) - Brent Council

 Cllr Ajmal Akram - Brent Council

 Cllr Amer Agha - Brent Council

Cllr Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam - Brent Council

Cllr Harbi Farah (Cabinet Member for Safer Communities & Public Safety) - Brent Council

Dear Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner,

We the undersigned write to you as Muslim Labour Party councillors, formally calling  on the Labour Party to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the  humanitarian disaster.

5,791 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7th October. Of  those killed 2,360 of them have been children. It has also been reported that 704  Palestinians had been killed in the previous 24 hours alone. This is in addition to 1400 Israelis who lost their lives in the shocking terror attacks of October 7th.

Everyday we fail to call on the government and the international community to push  for cessation of hostilities, Gazan children and hundreds of innocent men and women  pay the price. As a party that bases its principles on fairness and justice, we can not sit  idly by as Palestinian’s face collective punishment.

This week five UN agencies, including The World Food Programme (WFP) and the  World Health Organization (WHO) have called for a humanitarian ceasefire as they  described the conditions in Gaza as “catastrophic”. Leaders across all faiths, including  the Archbishop of Canterbury, have also called for a ceasefire and polling shows the  vast majority of Britons and Labour voters support this position (YouGov poll: 76% of  the British public support a ceasefire).

The humanitarian aid that has passed through into Gaza through the Rafah crossing is  a ‘drop in the ocean’ compared to the humanitarian crisis at large in the region.  Without an immediate ceasefire, UN agencies, NGO’s and charities have made it clear  that much needed aid will not reach pregnant women, children, critically ill patients  and those others that will simply be left to die.

Gaza is home to 2.2 million people, over half of whom are children. Before this crisis  began, over 80% of the population relied on aid, now this crisis has turned to  catastrophe. The innocent civilians in Gaza have had nothing to do with this crisis and  bear no responsibility to its outcome.

As Labour councillors elected to serve our constituents, the message we have been  hearing repeatedly over the past 2 weeks is simple, people just want an end to the  bloodshed and the loss of innocent life. No nation, no people or community should  have to endure collective punishment and the same should be the case for the  Palestinian people. We are also clear that hostages held captive must also be returned  to their families safely.

Therefore, as Labour Party councillors, as members, and as members of the Muslim  community we urge the Labour Party to urgently adopt a position of calling for an  immediate ceasefire, calling on the UK government and the international community  to act upon this proposal to save innocent human lives.

LETTER: Kilburn Square Housing: Brent Labour vs Barnet Labour…

 The Kilburn Square Development (Photo: Brent Council)

Dear Editor,

  

Remember Alice through the Looking Glass…? Here’s an Open Question to the Brent Housing team, as they press on to an imminent Planning Application with a scheme the local community strongly believes is still too big…

 

PRE-ELECTION

https://www.times-series.co.uk/news/19937298.residents-lose-latest-fight-save-east-finchley-green-spaces/

• Conservative Barnet council wants to build houses on green space
• Labour opposition backs residents’ objections

 

POST-ELECTION 

https://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/east-finchley-green-space-saved-from-development-9241434

• Labour gains control
• The scheme is cut back to preserve the green space

 

IF BARNET LABOUR CAN DO THIS… WHY CAN’T BRENT LABOUR DROP BLOCK C-D ON KILBURN SQUARE? 

 

Feel free to comment on here!

 

Details of the scheme heading towards a Planning Application:  https://legacy.brent.gov.uk/media/16420412/kilburn-square-final-exhibition.pdf

 

For more background see https://wembleymatters.blogspot.com/2022/05/letter-brent-is-prioritisng-housing.html  . To join our campaign please email savekilburnsquare@gmail.com

 

Keith Anderson.

NW6 6QA

How Stonebridge ward nearly got a non-Labour councillor!

 

Cllr Ezeajughi in his Mayoral robes

 

It was announced on March 21st that the Governor of Anambra State, Nigeria, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo. had appointed Stonebridge councillor and former Brent Mayor  Ernest Ezeajughi, as the Chief of Staff of his administration and that Ernest would be relocating to Nigeria. LINK

 

The news took Brent Labour by surprise, only hearing about it from a magazine article, and they spent some time trying to contact him.  With the April 5th deadline looming for signed nomination papers to be submitted to the Civic Centre, there was a flurry of activity on March 31st, three working days before the deadline, and Labour's London Region got involved. They arranged to re-interview him for the nomination that evening.

He was late for the re-interview and it took place without him.  The panel decided that following his appointment he would not be able to carry out his role as councillor if re-elected and that it was against the rules not to live in the borough he serves.

Additionally Labour was worried that when it was revealed that he was not living in the borough an embarassing by-election would result - not for the first time.

 

Fearing that they would not be able to field an alternative candidate, thus conceding the seat to another party, a new panel was hastily convened on April 1st and the current Brondesbury Park councillor,  Tony Ethapemi was selected and duly signed the nomination papers.

As a former local party agent I have to sympathise with the plight the agent and colleagues found themselves in. I hope their blood pressure is back to normal!

 

 

BREAKING: Cllr Abdirazak Abdi resigns from Brent Labour Group

 

 

As the above screengrab from the Brent Council website shows Cllr Abdirazak Abdi is no longer a member of the Labour Group after his resignation.  He follows in the footsteps of Kilburn councillor John Duffy, who also became independent, and more recently Cllr Kieron Gill who was suspended from the group for 6 months after he abstained on the budget.

 

The resignation comes just under a week before the GLA election and the Brondesbury Park by-election caused by Gill’s resignation. It is a year before the Brent Council elections which will be fought on revised ward boundaries with a smaller number of seats.

 

Cllr Abdi, a socialist, lost his position on Brent Planning Committee after allegedly voting the ‘wrong way’ despite that Committee being statutorily non-political and therefore not whipped LINK. LI

 

He clearly has not been happy with the direction that Brent Council has taken under the leadership of Cllr Muhammed Butt and previously challenged him for the leadership. Like many on the left of Brent Labour he was attracted to the party by Jeremy Corbyn and distrustful of what many call ‘managerial Labour.’

 

More generally I understand there is disquiet in the party over what appears to be attempts to put pressure on the two Scrutiny committees over what reaches their agendas. This follows the calling in by a group of Labour members of the 1 Morland Gardens development for scrutiny LINK , the special meeting on the  the implementation of Healthy Neighbourhoods   (LTNs) LINK  and a skirmish over the possible calling in of AT Medics over the Centene takeover of GP surgeries in Brent LINK.

 

 

As said many times on Wembley Matters, the role of scrutiny in a mainly one-party council is absolutely crucial and it will be a sad day for democratic accountability if the leader’s control is extended to the Scrutiny Committees, as well as his more subtle influence on the Planning Committee.

 

Brent Momentum: 'Dismay' over Labour Council's failure to implement national policy

Brent Momentum's first bulletin issued today hits the nail on the head as far as a critique of the  Labour Council goes - I would have added more on planning and the Council's failure to secure sufficient truly affordable housing in new developments and the Council's proposal for a further reduction in Council Tax Support.

Muhammed Butt re-elected as Brent Leader

Muhammed Butt was re-elected leader of the Labour Group on Brent Council at their Annual General Meeting. As Labour have 57 out of 60 seats on the Council (three to come at the delayed Willesden Green ward election) this makes him Leader of Brent Council to be rubber-stamped at the first Full Council meeting.

Butt told the assembled councillors, including 19 or so new ones, 'The terrible decisions are yet to come.' Not terribly reassuring and it is a pity he didn't tell the electorate that.

Butt defeated Roxanne Mashari comfortably but there was praise for her speech on the importance of transparency and the need to allow debate.

The Standing Orders were adopted, but not after some objections and a promise to keep them under review. As I understand it this means that Muhammed Butt will nominate members of the Cabinet and the main committees himself, rather than allocate roles from a list elected by the whole group. There may be a hustings.

I have not yet heard whether their terms of office and that of the leader will be extended.

John Duffy stands in Kilburn against Labour & Polish Pride stand in Dollis Hill and Dudden Hill

Cllr John Duffy, who resigned the Labour whip earlier this year and was not selected to fight the May Council election for Labour is standing for election in Kilburn ward.

There is no party or independent description on his nomination and he is clearly relying on his name being known locally and his record of holding the Council to account over issues such as asbestos in Paddington Cemetery, the Kingdom Securities contract, and failures in Brent Council's waste strategy.

Neither the Liberal Democrats nor the Green Party are standing in every ward while UKIP is standing one candidate in Kensal Green and three in the Welsh Harp ward. The Women's Equality Party has a candidate in Queens Park.  Duma Polska (Polish Pride) are standing full slates in Dollis Hill and Dudden Hill. Apart from Duffy there are independents in Barnhill, Dudden Hill and Preston wards. FULL DETAILS

Duma Polska's website states:

Duma Polska aims to strengthen the position of the Polish community in Great Britain and to make its voice count. Poles are the largest national minority in London, and yet they do not have representatives in the local authorities. It is time to change this and appoint Polish councillors. All the more so because these are the last elections before Brexit and may affect how the further negotiations will take place regarding our status after the exit of Great Britain from the European Union.  Therefore, vote for our candidates, successful people, successful in business, who not only deal in the UK, but share their experience and help others. Others are born social workers, and still others are experts in many areas of everyday life. It is a symbol of our Polish solidity, reliability and credibility that we have been building on the Islands for over 70 years.

Duma Polska was founded by Jan (Prince) Zylinski, Ealing based Polish aristocrat and millionaire, who challenged Nigel Farage to a sword fight over Farage's stereotyping of Polish workers as benefit scroungers.

Where the parties are standing:

Ward	Lab	Con	Green	Lib Dem	W Eq	Polish Pr	Ukip	Ind
Alperton	3	3	1	3
Barnhill	3	3		3				1
Brondesbury Park	3	3		3
Dollis Hill	3	3		3		3
Dudden Hill	3	3	1	3		3		1
Fryent	3	3
Harlesden	3	3		2
Kensal Green	3	3	1	3			1
Kenton	3	3	1	3
Kilburn	3	3		3				1
Mapesbury	3	3	3	3
Northwick Park	3	3	1
Preston	3	3		3				1
Queensbury	3	3	1	3
Queeens Park	3	3	3	3	1
Stonebridge	3	3
Sudbury	3	3	1	3
Tokyngton	3	3	1	2
Welsh Harp	3	3		3			3
Wembley Central	3	3	1	3
Willesden Green	3	3	3	3

KUWG urge Brent Labour to reject DWP's justification for job centre closures

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group KUWG) are urging Brent councillors on the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee not to accept a DWP report tonight which reports on the closure of Kilburn and Neasden Job Centres. LINK

KUWG's case is set out in the leaflet below (Click on image to enlarge):

 The campaign group are organising a demonstration on March 2nd to mark the closure of the Kilburn Job Centre Plus.