Brent Momentum debuts with frank open debate & a little political torsion

Interestingly it was not criticism of his attitude to cuts that made Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt fly into a rage at yesterday's Brent Momentum meeting but a challenge on the implementation of the Prevent Strategy in the borough.

Butt had been asked to make a public statement on Prevent to the people of Brent by Humera Khan of the long-established An Nisa Society.  Butt stood up and visibly shaking, shouted over Humera and jabbed his fingers at her yelling, 'You always do this..'   Eventually, when he had been forced to stop and calm down by the chair of the session, Faduma Hassan, Humera was able to complete her question. She recognised that there were statutory constraints on the Council about their duty to implement the Strategy but wanted a clear statement from Butt about its shortcomings. In particular she wanted the Council to commit to tackling Islamophobia and inequalities that impacted on the Muslim community.

Cllr Butt said that he had been critical of Prevent in a Channel 4 programme but that the Council was taking a different approach to the Strategy by working with communities and placing it in a broader safeguarding context which would not stigmatise the Muslim community. He would be speaking in Cambridge about his criticisms of the Strategy. He confirmed  'I don't like Prevent' and thought the current strategy was 'pernicious'.

Humera said that she wanted a statement made to the community in Brent - not in Cambridge or on Channel 4. The question of which community groups Brent Council was engaging with and how they had been selected remained in the air.

On the issue of cuts Michael Calderbank called on Cllr Butt to show more political  leadership, 'all we hear from you is managerialism.' Asked to join with other councils in funding an attempt to get a Judicial Review of the 'Shaping a Healthier Future' proposals on local health services, based on the findings of the Mansfield Report, Butt would make no commitment pending legal advice.

The day had begun with an emollient address by Cllr Michael Pavey where he admitted that the Council had made mistakes in the way they engaged with people and presented cuts. The library closures and Stonebridge Adventure Playground were such cases. He claimed that having a Labour Council had lessened the impact of austerity on local people.  He wanted to move away from a 'stale debate' with the left over not implementing cuts, needs budgets etc and work with them in challenging austerity and  government cuts to local authority funding.  He cited 'Red Lines' LINK where Labour councillors were standing up to defend Londoners.  He wanted to work with council trade unions on these issues.

In earlier commentary I had raised the issue of inviting Butt and Pavey to a 'Brent Uncut' event when they had implemented cuts in Brent but organisers justified on the basis that it would open the dialogue between the community and Labour councils that Jeremy Corbyn had advocated. This was bound to result in some friction but there was much constructive work, especially in the workshops on issues such as health, education, welfare, environment and housing where I hope some of the proposals will be published by Brent Momentum. Framed as helping to build a 'Better Brent' (an old slogan) they could produce a unity beyond the normal activists.

Kilburn Labour Party member and Brent TUC Secretary Pete Firmin said in his introduction that we all know what the government is doing but the question for the day was how to oppose these measures and in some cases, work from against them from within. It was no use just shouting at councillors for implementing cuts but adopting alternative policies, learning from other councils, (such as Islington on housing) and admitting that the council had failed to win the hearts and minds of local people.

A number of themes emerged from the workshops which didn't always avoid reiterating the awful things that are going on rather than suggesting ways to oppose and transform:

• councillors managing cuts rather than adopting a political response
• privatisation in health, education and council services
• council's attitude to free schools & academies when they are not allowed to build new schools
• protecting paid jobs  but at the same time need volunteers to keep services going
• need to train volunteers in order to recognise that jobs can't be done by just anyone
• unpicking language around benefits so as not to reinforce stereotypes
• address the issue of digital inclusion by improving Council and CCG websites and catering for those without access
• use Goverment Accessible Information Standard  in publications and communications
• in council reports include the impact of policies on the 30,000 people with disabilities alongside that on other groups
• the need for some form of Basic Income
• proactive measures council could take on environment including insulation, microgeneration, climate jobs 
• school funding changes impact on local authority education services including school improvement and special educational needs
• need for key worker housing if we are to stem loss of teachers, nurses and other public service workers
• challenge developers on amount of affordable social  housing in regeneration schemes
• support community unionism on the model of the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group
• develop a culture of passion to help service users in council  officers when they are bound by an inflexible scripted response
• linked with that build links between councillors, activists and the community for a united response to government policies

About 40 people attended the conference including in addition to Cllrs Butt and Pavey, Cllr Perrin and Southwood. Cllr Margaret McLennan, lead member for Housing and Development, was due to take part in the housing workshop but did not turn up.

Butt to be rebuffed by Labour Group on Monday?

The Brrent Council Labour Group on Monday will be discussing proposals for the Labour leader (and thus at present the Council leader)  and Cabinet to be elected on a basis other than an automatic annual election.

Muhammed Butt after the May elections said that a four year cycle would end the problem of him having to 'look over his shoulder' all the time.

Brent Central Labour Party recently passed the following motion unopposed:

Brent Central CLP believes that because of the benefits in terms of accountability the Leader of the Labour Group and the Cabinet should remain as annually elected positions.

The potential loss of democratic accountability and the loss of ability to exercise some power on an annual basis has been too much for some councillors although there had been talk of introducing some compromise process which would require a certain number of signatories to trigger an election.

Meanwhile disquiet is mounting over the reputational damage the Council and Labour Party is suffering due to the Cabinet's failure to grasp the nettle of the current scandal regarding the Human Resources Department and the personal, business and career relationships between senior council officers.

There has been one Cabinet resignation recently with Cllr Perrin unwilling to explain the reasons for his resignation beyond the usual 'personal reasons' statement.  It would be to his credit if he had taken a principled stand on the Cavani-Corporate Management Team issue and had opposed the decision to spend council tax payers' money on an appeal over the Employment Tribunal's Judgment.

James Powney's concerns expressed on his blog may be dismissed by some as sour grapes from a member of the deposed Ann John team but his concerns are shared by Labour Party members on the Brent Trades Union Council and members of the Brent Labour Representatation Committee who were never Johnites.

Brent TUC and ex-Labour councillor join call for independent investigation into Brent Council following racism judgment

Brent Trades Union Council (Brent TUC) has followed Brent Green Party in calling for an independent investigation into Brent Council and their Corporate Management Team:

This is the resolution passed at their meeting yesterday:

DEMAND FOR AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO BRENT COUNCIL AND THEIR CORPORATE MANAGEMENT TEAM

Brent Trades Union Council considers that the Employment Tribunal judgement that Brent Council has been guilty of racial discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal brings shame on the Council, especially in a borough that rightly prides itself on its diversity.

We call for the dismissal of Cara Davani, whose position is now clearly untenable, using the Council’s disciplinary procedures.  

In the light of the tribunal findings, we call for an investigation headed by an independent expert in race relations acceptable to both Councillors and Council Unions of:

1. The extent of racism and discriminatory practices within the Council;

2.  The working culture of the Human Resources department;
3.  Brent Council's Whistle Blowing Policy to ensure that it adequately protects whistle-blowers from harassment and retribution;

4. Corporate Management Team officers being paid through their private companies rather than normal payroll;
5. The contractual arrangements for CMT officers and interim appointments;
6. Previous employment and business connections between senior offices appointed by Brent Council on an interim basis.

In addition former Labour councillor and member of the Labour Representation Committee, Graham Durham has written to all the current Labour councillors:

I trust you have read of the finding of race discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal against Brent Council.

I recommend that you find time to read the full report of the case ( Employment Tribunal Case Number 3302741/2013.)

I  am sure you will agree that this is a shocking indictment  of an  individual senior manager but also  of the apparent culture which was allowed to flourish in Brent Council management. It is a disgrace to all of us in Brent and especially to the Labour Party which was in control of the Council throughout the period referred.

I am sure that you will want to ensure appropriate disciplinary action commences promptly. Perhaps more importantly I hope you will support the demand of Brent Trades Council that an independent enquiry is established headed by an independent expert in diversity practice and with membership agreed by Council trade unions and the Council members. The enquiry should cover diversity policy, management behaviour and culture and the rights of staff to be  protected  from victimisation.

Many of you will know that Brent Council once had an international reputation for challenging racism and promoting equalities. In the 1980’s the Tory press attacked the Labour Council ,of which I was proud to be a member, for our determination to challenge decades of racist behaviour. Journalists from The Sun and other papers harassed us but we stood firm. Our stand then led to a proud history of record numbers of black councillors and MPs in Brent and for Brent having a reputation as the equality Council.

This proud reputation is now in tatters. It will be important for us to debate in the party how the Council leadership allowed this to occur.

I urge you to take immediate action to try to restore our reputation

Brent TUC defends union representatives

Brent Trade Union Council (TUC) held a protest at Willesden Bus Garage yesterday in defence of Robert Chung, union representative, who is facing disciplinary action.

The protesters reported a mostly favourable reaction from bus drivers.

Brent united against racist estate agents

Following the revelations by the BBC that two Brent estates agents were amongst those who operated a colour bar on lettings to Black people, there was a demonstration at short-notice in Willesden Green today.

There was a picket outside National Estate Agents and then a march  along the High Road to A-Z Estate Agents,  The demonstration was joined by some Labour councillors, several of the parliamentary hopefuls for the Brent Central nomination, the Socialist Workers Party, the Green Party, Brent Housing Action, the Counihan Campaign, Unit the Community, Brent TUC, Brent Fightback and many independent activists including Alex Colas who has launched an independent Make Willesden Green campaign for the local elections.

Khuran Siab and Kevin Smith

The protest was joined by Khuran Siab and Kevin Smith of the Willesden Green branch of Harts. They said that they were disgusted when they heard about the racial discrimination, which they had thought was a thing of the past, and had decided to make a stand.

Protesters and the public were reminded by Sarah Cox that such discrimination had been outlawed since 1975. There were chants of 'United we stand, divided we fall; an injustice against one, is an injustice against all'  and 'No colour bat - shut them down'.

Robin Sivapalan of Brent Housing Action, told the protesters that Cllr Butt, leader of the Brent Council, had said he would be talking to Brent Council Trading Standards about possible action against the offending estate agents.

The demonstration drew immediate warm support from local people and cars slowed down so that the drivers could take a leaflet.  It was heartening to see the community once again united against racism.

Although action  must be taken against such letting agents and landlords it is really the housing shortage that needs to be tackled so that people aren't left dependent on the private sector. We need new social housing  with affordable rents - not luxury developments such as that at Willesden Green Library on the market to foreign investors.

BBC London News Report HERE

Gardiner admits opposition stopped Modi's visit

The India News today quotes Barry Gardiner MP on the Modi visit  following the protest at the Brent Civic Centre on Monday LINK

Following the protest, Gardiner said that Modi is unable to come to the UK in the next few weeks in the face of so much of opposition.

This is contrary to previous statements that merely said Modi was too busy to come at present.

The same report quotes Pete Firmin, Chair of Brent TradesUnion Council:

It is a terrible idea to invite Modi given his involvement in the massacres in Gujarat. Barry Gardiner should withdraw the invitation right away,

 

A new thorn in the side for the Brent Council Executive?

A Brent branch of the LRC (Labour Representation Committee) is to be launched tomorrow.

The LRC takes its name from the 1900 committee which was the forerunner of the Labour Party. Its chair is John McDonnell MP and its group in the Commons are known as the Socialist Campaign Group. Jeremy Corbyn MP is a prominent member. The journal Labour Briefing is associated with the group.
 
The LRC which is said to have about 1,000 members is open to Labour Party members and socialists who do not stand against the Labour Party in elections. It is supported by several unions including ASLEF, CWU, FBU and the RMT.

Brent connections currently include the affiliated Kensal Green Labour Party and Pete Firmin, chair of Brent TUC who is joint secretary of LRC nationally..

The LRC has a website HERE  which is not as dynamic as I expected it to be, Only one of the policy statements has received any comments and as far as I can see the blog postings have received no comments at all. Things will need to be a little livelier in Brent if it is to make any impact and it will be interesting to see how relationships develop with the recently formed Brent TUSC (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) LINK  as well as Brent Fightback, which includes independent, Labour, SWP, Socialist and Green Party members.  A major issue is likely to be the position Labour councillors should take on the forthcoming budget, a possible rise in Council Tax and the iimplementation of cuts.

Will the Brent LRC have the Brent Executive trembling in their boots? Will the Brent LRC persuade those of us who have long given up on Labour to join them? Answers in the comment box below, please.

NO TO AUSTERITY-BUILD THE FIGHTBACK
Tuesday 30th October, Learie Constantine Centre, NW2 7pm

(the Centre is at the junction of Dudden Hill Lane and Villiers Road – 2mins walk from Dollis Hill tube on the Jubilee Line)

Activists and left wing Labour Party members in the Brent area have agreed to come together to organise a local section of the Labour Representation Committee (LRC) - the organisation that aims to make the Labour Party represent the working class and fight for its interests.

All are welcome - Labour Party and non-Labour members.

SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

John McDonnell, MP for Hayes & Harlington
- Chair, Labour Representation Committee, speaking on the fight against austerity

Speaker from the Counihan Family Campaign
- This family of 6 has been made homeless by Brent Council and are leading an inspiring local campaign for housing rights

Speaker from the NW London NHS Campaign

Local trade unionists

About the LRC

The original Labour Representation Committee was formed in 1900 to fight for political representation for the Labour Movement. In Britain today we face a similar crisis of representation. The LRC has been re-formed to secure a voice for socialists within the Labour Party, the unions, and Parliament.

Never in the history of the Labour Party has the need been so great to make the case for peace and socialism. The advocates of global capitalism and war have taken control of the political agenda. The task for today's LRC, founded in 2004, is to fight for power within the Labour Party and trade unions and to appeal to the tens of thousands who have turned away from Labour in disillusion and despair. Therefore we are calling upon all socialists, Labour Party and trade union members, constituency Labour parties and union branches to join our campaign and join or affiliate to the LRC.

The LRC is a democratic organisation committed to fighting for a socialist future:

- We need a foreign policy based upon peace, justice and solidarity
- Britain is a more unequal society than at any time since the Second World War. The LRC is fighting for a living wage, a decent state pension, council housing and public services run to meet our needs not sold off for private profit
- All people are equal. We believe in fighting all forms of prejudice and discrimination
- With global capitalism in control of the political agenda, there is an urgent need for a major shift of wealth and power in favour of ordinary people
- The LRC was setup to fight for workers’ rights, civil liberties and political representation
- With the planet on the brink of environmental catastrophe New Labour’s answer is more nuclear power and an expansion of aviation. We need a green energy policy based on renewable and the development of public transport

This is an exciting time to join the LRC – we are continuing to grow rapidly as Labour supporters, trade unionists and other socialists look to develop a radical agenda around which the movement can unite in the face of the resurgent Tory threat.

We have local LRC groups right across the country bringing together socialists and trade unionists to fight local campaigns.

 

Butt on the rack says "We want to go back to what Labour stands for"

Speaking at an open meeting of Brent Trades Union Council yesterday evening, Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt admitted that some of the decisions the  council had made could have been made more wisely and that things could have been done differently. He said that he wants to take residents' views into account more in the future and that desire had caused some 'push back', which had culminated in the argument with Gareth Daniel.

He said that he wanted to take a detailed look at the council's budget, "How we provide services and why, reviewing every service."  He said that all directly employed council workers would receive the London Living Wage from October 1st  and that the council would be writing to schools to urge them to pay the LLW. He would be meeting with the London Living Wage Foundation to find ways of ensuring all the council's suppliers were London Living Wage compliant. He said that given the current difficult times the council had to do something positive to put money in people's pockets.

Other initiatives were to look at tenancies and how the council could improve standards without increasing rents, extend collective  energy procurement to include residents as well as council buildings and schools, and find ways of strengthening voluntary organisations such as the Credit Union, Private Tenants Group and the Law Centre.

He said, "We want to go back to what Labour stands for and why we are here."

In the discussion Butt was urged to recognise that the Labour Party was much more than just a council, it was part of the labour movement, and thus should be a campaigning  organisation against the capitalist system. He was asked how he was planning to organise a fightback alongside trades unions and the community.

Butt responded, "Me being here is just a start. I am willing to go anywhere, whether to a warm reception or a hostile one, to have a dialogue."

 He said that the Labour Group had appointed a new local organiser who would help get their message across and have a dialogue to move things forward, "We are starting campaigning and need to raise awareness. We want to make that change and if we don't our residents will suffer."

Asked about the budget process and council tax increases and urged to construct a needs budget as a campaigning tool,  he said that with the changes in the consultation system (The Area Consultation Forums have been replaced by Brent Connects) with a member/officer Any Questions type panel there would be more of a dialogue. Council Tax rises of 2.5% and 3.5% had been factored into budget planning but the council were waiting to see what other London councils were doing. The government's announcement of the settlement had been delayed until December but the council wanted an  indication before then. The council were also lobbying the government over the additional 60,000-70,000 extra residents indicated by the latest census which could be worth an additional £4m . This could negate the need for a rise in council tax because the council would only get 65% of the money raised by an increase He indicated that because of the delays the statutory consultation may run out of time.  He invited people to feed specific suggestions and questions into the budget making process.

When others present pursued the issue of making a needs based budget (ie deficit budget)  Cllr Butt said they were looking at campaigning  against the cuts. However, "We can oppose the cuts but budgets have to be set. We wouldn't be doing anyone any favours if the commissioners came in. They would keep only statutory services such as schools and adult social care. We would lose Sports Centres for example. We would land ourselves in more problems by taking that route. Instead we will have a dialogue which may mean working with other London boroughs. If you are asking us to take a lead, we will take a lead."

Outlining the sums the council needed to run services he said that government funding to Brent  was now £152m, was £192m, and by 2016 would be £110m.  Schools and Adult Social Care took £140m of this. The council needed £250m to run services so this total had to be made up from Council Tax and fees and charges.

Another speaker told Butt that a needs budget could not be set in the Town Hall, the council need to go out to voluntary organisations, trades unions and community groups - that was real democracy. He claimed that Labour had "forgotten what democracy looks like". In the absence of a fightback all sorts of rightwing nastiness and racism could arise.

Another speaker returned to the issue asking, "Are you considering a needs budget. It is a good propaganda tool showing what is needed and where the gaps are. Are you considering this or just administering cuts? We can't wait for the next Labour government. We need concrete exmaples of how you are going to fight."

Butt said that he was not ruling out a needs budget which would "show how much we have lost and how much we need". . Muhammed's new political advisor  he would be lobbying the Labour Party over how much cash needs to be put back into local government after the disproportionate cuts it had suffered.

On the issue of Willesden Green Library, raised by three members of the audience, Cllr Butt  said that he had met with Keep Willesden Green campaigners and had passed on their concerns to Galliford Try, planners and the Regeneration Team, and their points will be taken into consideration for the new plans being presented in December.. He said that the old Willesen Library was now being retained and this meant internal redesigns. The council were still looking at 92 private units at the back of the site and this was the only way to fund it.

He was challenged with  the alternative of a small amount of building and refurbishment and the loss of the cinema,  bookshop and car park in the current plans.   The questioner said, "It's like saying I need a new boiler so I will knock my house down! I've heard it called asset stripping."  Butt responded that a lot of the 'stuff' in the 80s building had come to the end of its natural life and the building was unfinished. The cafe and cinema  had closed as a result of not being used. "We need a mini Civic Centre in Willesden so people from this area don't have to travel all the way to Wembley and we need it an no cost to us."

On the plight of the disabled he said that he took the point about how they were being hit and that he was looking at helping them through the Council Tax Support Scheme: "If we have to lobby the government we will do so."

In answer to another questioner about the council's ambivalent attitude to free schools and academies and a possible forced academy in the borough, Butt said that they were a last resort to address the shortage of school places. He said that for free schools the council had set out criteria for partners that would keep the essential principles in terms of admissions, ethos and teachers conditions of service. He was urged to consider federation of schools and extending schools as an alternative.

Asked about the Counihan family, Muhammed Butt said that it was a difficult case. Brent had 18,000 families on the waiting list and only 900 properties available. The council hoped to provide 1,700 affordable properties by 2014. He said the only way  to tackle the problem was through regeneration and Section 106 funds  and the council needed to find developer partners. The situation would be exacerbated by the new Right to Buy scheme which would take out larger properties.

Clr Butt concluded by saying that the council had been rubbished by the press and had to admit it had got its messages wrong: "We need to get better, even if it means starting from scratch."

Pete Firm, chair of Brent TUC said that he felt the council were rolling over in front of developers. Labour seemed to be assuming it was going to win the next election, However, it should not be a matter of voting Labour because the alternatives were worse but Labour putting forward policies that people would be enthusiastic about.

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

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.

June 13th: NHS under the knife

Enormous changes to our local health services are being proposed. They include the merger of Ealing Hospital with Central Middlesex and Northwick Park, permanent closure of A & E at Ealing or CMH, or both, and moving many services out of hospitals into the community.

Unless we campaign to oppose them, these changes will open up even more services to the private sector to be run for profit. The population is growing and health needs are increasing, while NHS budgets are being cut.

Community health services are already understaffed and overstretched. If new services are not put in place before hospital services are withdrawn, the most vulnerable patients will suffer

Fears over NHS services if hospital trusts merge

I have received this public statement on behalf of Brent, Ealing and Harrow Trades Union Councils

Your readers may be aware that a consultation is currently underway over the proposed merger of the NW London and Ealing Hospital trusts. The proposal is that this merger should be agreed by July of this year.

We are seriously concerned that this merger of the trusts, supposedly on financial grounds, will lead to a reduction in NHS services in Brent, Ealing and Harrow. Despite stressing that the consultation is about the merger of the trusts and not about the re-organisation of services, the consultation meetings have been told that this could lead to a “rationalisation” of services, particularly in the light of the government’s insistence that the NHS is required to make £20 billion of cuts.

We believe this merger would lead to a reduction of local services and people having to make often long and difficult journeys across West and North-West London. Already the consultation process seems more a P.R. exercise for a decision that has already been made.The bigger merged trust will be even less accountable and responsive to the needs of local people than the services are now.

We have already seen the closure of the Accident and Emergency Department at Central Middlesex Hospital at night, with growing expectation that this “temporary” closure will become permanent. There are fears that one of the 3 district general hospitals involved (Ealing, Central Middlesex and Northwick Park) will close. Such moves transfer services from where they are needed to where it is financially most convenient.

As secretaries of the Trades Union Councils in the 3 boroughs involved, we intend to closely monitor what is happening, and to campaign vigorously to defend our health service in all its aspects.

To this end we will shortly be convening co-ordinated meetings in all 3 boroughs to which we will invite health campaigners, NHS trades unionists and everyone who relies on the NHS to establish such a campaign.

Any readers wishing to be involved or to know more, can contact:

Brent: Ben Rickman ben.rickman@gmail.com

Ealing: Eve Turner eveturner@btopenworld.com

Harrow: John Rattray johnprattray@btinternet.com

Brent Fightback Protest at Tory Conference

With the Tories digging their heels in and insisting 'there is no alternative' despite rising criticism from economists and some of their own business supporters, the TUC March for the Alternative in Manchester could not have been better timed. 35,000 trades unionists and activists turned up to insist that there was an alternative to the imposition of austerity on ordinary people while casino capitalism carries on regardless.  Brent Fightback supporters were there along with a wide range of other groups:

Still time to Rise Up (out of bed) and come to Manchester tomorrow

Cllr Jim Moher in his defence of his decision to reduce Brent's street sweepers by 50 posts in the Willesden and Kilburn Times this week,  invited me to focus on the 'real culprits' regarding cuts. I'll be doing just that tomorrow when I join Brent Fightback and thousands of others at the TUC demonstration at the Tory Conference in Manchester.

There are still places on the coach if Jim, James and other Labour councillors would like to join us, and of course anyone else in Brent who would like to tell the Conservatives exactly what they think of their policies.
  
Tickets are £20 waged, £10 unwaged. The coach leaves Kilburn Square at 6.30 am, Willesden Green station 6.45 am and Wembley Park station 7.00 am. Book your place by ringing / texting 07951 084 101  or turn up at the time stated. Bring banners, placards and flags.

Defending the NHS in Brent - May a Month of Action

The 'thinking space' on NHS 'reforms' (privatisation) has provided an opportunity for local campaigning organisations to call a public meeting to enable local people to hear the views of GP, health workers, service users and MPs on the proposals.

Brent Trades Union Council, Brent Fightback and the Campaign to Defend Brent's Health Services have combined to organise 'Defend Our Health Service' to be held on Thursday May 12th at Willesden Green Library, 95 High Road, NW10 2SF.

The following extract from a blog by Russell Razzaque on the Independent website LINK sets out the reality of the reforms:

Working within the NHS today, I have witnessed first hand the sheer confusion and, in some quarters, borderline panic, that has ensued as a result of the governments recent announcements. PCTs were established as the purchasers in the system. These are massive strategic planning decisions that involve many billions of pounds. Overnight, the government plan to remove all of them, and hand the totality of their powers over to GPs. They have not described how GPs – with no training in accounting or management – can take up this role. They have not provided guidance as to how GPs might pool together to achieve this. As the so called “GP consortia” can be as large or as small as anyone chooses, a chaotic bout of “run around” has ensued with GPs trying to partner up with each other across boroughs and local boundaries, unsure which way to go.

The PCTs have already started to dismantle and in London, staff with no future are haemorrhaging in droves, leaving a skeletal operation alone to determine the allocation of billions worth of spending. The Chair of The Royal College of GPs has described the proposed changes as the end of the NHS as we know it. The BMA, the Royal College of Nursing and several of the specialist medical Royal Colleges have spoken out against it. Calls to phase it in and start with a series of gradually building pilots have fallen on deaf ears. No one is sure how it will work or how adversely it will effect patient care. The very people who will be tasked with implementing such rapid change are already utterly perplexed by it. That is because they are supposed to be. It is an engineered shock. All the while, waiting in the wings, with a metaphorical defibrillator, will be the private sector. The large American insurance based corporations are eyeing the soon to explode UK healthcare market with salivating mouths. The vacuum that is being created, is being created for them. They will be hired to do the commissioning by and instead of GPs who are, through no fault of their own, clearly untrained and unable to do it. And it won’t be long thereafter before these same private organisations start hiring themselves as providers instead of NHS Trusts, many of which will ultimately go bust.

The government are, in fact, proposing to rig the market in their favour by requiring every single contract to go for competitive tendering. This means that, even if there is a high performing Trust with which the local population is happy, they will still have to submit themselves for retendering to the commissioners on a regular basis who will then be legally obliged to consider private sector organisations as part of the process. Subjecting hospitals to the instability of a retendering process could be disastrous. I have seen it happen myself. Staff numbers will fluctuate wildly as doctors and nurses, unsure if their organisation will survive, start moving between providers – just as they do in, say, the banking sector. This will potentially destroy continuity of care, as well as in-patient and emergency service provision which relies on regular staff numbers round the clock. A hospital shutting down as a result of losing a bid to a private sector provider, who has undercut their costs as a way of breaking into the UK market – rather than failing to provide an adequate service – could be a potentially dangerous event resulting in the collapse of secondary health care provision for the entire local area. This is why unfettered free markets are a bad idea for health care, and why the US experience has led to a hard fought reversal away from marketization. This is also why, if they were asked to vote for it, the public never would. In fact, in the last election they clearly did not. The Conservative manifesto, with its “no major reorganisations” commitment gave exactly the opposite impression. The only way such drastic privatisation can ever be achieved is through a short sharp shock to the system. Nick Boles, the pro Cameron Conservative MP, laid it out starkly, “’Chaotic’ in our vocabulary is a good thing.” Friedman would be proud. As he himself said, “only a crisis – actual or perceived – produces real change”. This is clearly not chaos by incompetence. It is chaos by design.

Brent Fightback will be conducting a public survey about the proposals in Wembley in early May and are organising a contingent to take part in the 'March to Save the NHS' which takes place on Tuesday May 17th (Assemble 4.30pm at University College Hospital, Gower Street, WC1 to march to the Department of Health, Whitehall.

Further information on Keep Our NHS Public

Tribute to Jayaben Desai, Sunday April 17th

Click on image to enlarge

Trade Unions and Climate Change Meeting Tomorrow

REMINDER...

TRADE UNIONISTS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE

Thursday 10 February 7.30pm, Willesden Green Library Centre, 95 High Road, NW10 2SF

1. THE FIGHT FOR CLIMATE JOBS - Chris Baugh (PCS) Nick Grant (NUT)
2. THE FIGHT FOR GREEN WORKPLACES - Sarah Pearce (TUC Green Workplaces Project)

Chair: Pete Firmin (CWU, President Brent TUC)

Brent Fightback Meeting Tonight

Brent Fightback is meeting tonight at the Trades Hall/Apollo Club 375 High Road, NW10 at 7.30pm to plan forthcoming activities. ALL WELCOME

 

Fightback at Tory Conference

Romayne Phoenix, Green Party, speaking at Right to Work Demonstration

Report on the demonstration from Sara Cox: The Brent Fightback Campaign sent a contingent to the demonstration in Birmingham on Sunday October 3rd that marked the beginning of the Conservative Party Conference. Marching behind the banners of the Brent Trades Council and Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group were pensioners and students, employed and unemployed, trades unionists and service users including disability rights campaigners and people with learning disabilities. Trades Unions represented included the NUT and UCU teaching unions, the CWU postal workers' union, the RMT rail workers' union, bus drivers and others from UNITE. Together they braved the pouring rain to join a lively protest that brought together thousands united by their determination to resist the proposed cutbacks to jobs, services and the Welfare State that the Government is proposing to bring in to solve the bankers' crisis. 

For more information about Brent Fightback go to www.brenttuc.org.uk or email brentunited@gmail.com

Brent Campaign Against Cuts - Meeting August 25th 2010

 Gary Barker from Channel 4 competition

The extent of the cuts is clearly set out by the TUC in the post below. This is a message from Sarah Cox (Brent Trades Council) on a local meeting to organise against the cuts.

The first organising meeting of the Brent Campaign against the cuts launched from Brent Trades Council's July public meeting will be at 7.30 pm on Wednesday August 25th in Brent Trades Hall. This meeting is open to everyone who wants to organise against the cuts - Phil O'Reilly from Brent Unison told us that one in ten Council jobs will go, Brent Council is considering closing children's centres, moving to fortnightly rubbish collection, cutting school staff. Councillors and council officers will be spending another weekend at a country spa hotel to plan further cuts. The proposed cap on housing benefit will have devastating effects in the South of the borough where private rents are consistently higher than the cap. Families made homeless by these measures will have to be housed by the Council. The "Welfare to Work" disability assessments are harming people already. Please come to the meeting. The time to organise against the cuts is NOW.

The Trades Hall/Apollo Club is at 375 High Road, Willesden, NW10 2JR  (Dollis Hill tube - Jubilee line)