A tribute to Alf Filer - Brent activist

I am sorry to have to record that Alf Filer, a  Brent socialist activist, died last night in a car crash. Alf had recently taken early retirement from his job as an FE lecturer in Harrow and moved to Worthing. He apparently  died when a another car crashed into his broken down vehicle on the Brighton-Worthing road.

Alf, a member of Socialist Resistance was active in the Coalition of Resistance and a supporter of the Palestinian cause. He had a long history in Brent going back to the Grunwick strike and was a supporter of Brent Fightback until he moved to Worthing, where by all accounts he shook the place up!  On a personal level he had undertaken the challenging task of bringing up his two sons on his own.

Alf played a leading role in the defence of the Harrow Mosque when it was threatened by the English Defence League and Stop the Islamisation of Europe. He referred back to the Battle of Cable Street to emphasis the importance of mass community mobilisation against the extreme right.

Alf invited me as a Green Party representative  to a student hustings at his college at the General Election and I was able to see at first-hand the regard in which he was held by his students. Students were polled beforehand on their voting intentions and then afterwards when they had heard contributions from the candidates. This very practically demonstrated his conviction  that debate and education could change ideas and change minds.

Alf will be much missed and my thoughts are with his sons Leon and Lawrence at this difficult time.

LINK to Tony Greenstein's tribute

Never mind climate change, let's save some money....

Environmental groups across Brent angered at Brent Council’s decision to cut key Environment posts will be holding a protest outside Brent Town Hall on Monday 12^th July.   They have requested speaking rights at the Council Executive meeting to voice their concerns.

 

Brent Campaign against Climate Change, made up of environmental, trade union, political and community groups across the Borough are infuriated that Brent Council have cut two posts in Environment and Culture, including a new Climate Change Officer post.  The campaigners believe the post, which would have would oversee and deliver the Borough’s Climate Change strategy, should be exempt from the cuts which will otherwise seriously impede the Council’s work to deliver a sustainable agenda.

 

Brent’s Climate Change strategy was launched at an event in Wembley in December last year.  A strategy steering group was due to be set up comprising public services, businesses, voluntary sector and community group representatives, but this new post was the only paid one on the committee.  The other places are entirely voluntary, non-expert and do not carry any authority.  The steering group is yet to be set up and the officer post, due to be recruited last year, was put on hold due to a recruitment freeze across the Council this Spring, and has now been axed.  This work is instead being designated to existing staff, which campaigners believe will compromise what can be achieved.

 

Ken Montague, Chair of Brent Campaign against Climate Change said:

Brent Council really need to get their heads round the seriousness and urgency of the problem facing us. Climate change is happening now and it won't wait till they've balanced their budgets.  This is a short sighted decision which shows that Brent is not planning for the future.

 

We should save the planet not the bankers.  Brent Council must lead the way and not give way to Con Dem budget cuts.

Brent Councillors don't have to answer to us. They will have to answer to their grandchildren.

Steffi Gray, of Brent Friends of the Earth (FoE), who is hoping to address the Council meeting said:

This is outrageous.  Brent have spent forty thousand pounds of our council tax hiring consultants to come up with this strategy, but have now pulled the plug on any further money to actually deliver the scheme.  What’s more they have made a big deal of signing up to the 10:10 campaign to reduce emissions by 10% in 2010, but this target is actually LESS than the amount they agreed to previously.

We want Brent Council to get serious about climate change, but we fear these cuts will put a sustainable agenda at risk.  Given the urgency of climate change, this post should be a priority and be made exempt from the cuts.

 

Shahrar Ali, Brent Green party spokesperson for planning and environment added:

We need to take urgent action on climate change mitigation locally. The Brent climate change strategy called for a full-time officer to work with other agencies and the public - today, not the day after tomorrow. Failure to recruit the post is environmentally irresponsible. We are calling for all newly elected councillors to see sense, for the sake of current and future generations.

 

Brent Council faces two hundred staff cuts in September, whilst Council tax has been frozen for the coming year.  The decision was made without consultation with community groups who had previously been involved in shaping the Borough’s climate change strategy.

 

Members of Brent FoE, Brent Green Party, Brent Red-Green Forum, Brent and Harrow Socialist Workers Party, Brent Socialist Resistance, and  Transition Kensal to Kilburn will be outside Brent Town Hall in Wembley from 6.30pm on Monday 12^th July.  The Council executive meeting starts at 7.15pm.