Watch the videos to hear from some of the candidates for Brent East on a range of General Election topics

 There has been only one General Election Hustings in Brent East so far in the campaign. St Raphael's Voice invited all candidates to attend but Labour, Conservatives and Reform did not accept. Martin Francis substituted for Nida Al-Fulaij the Green Party candidate.

St Raphael's Voice recorded the event on video so that answers could be shared with the wider community.

 There are 9 videos in all on different topics.

Candidates/Participants in attendance:

 

James Mutimer - Workers Party GB 

Aadil Shaikh - Independent

Jonny Singh - Liberal Democrats 

Martin Francis - representing Nida Al Fulaj the  Green Party candidate

 

Candidates not in attendance but invited to attend:

 

Dawn Butler - Labour Party 

Jamila Robertson - Conservative 

Amin Moafi - Independent 

Zbigniew Kowalcyzk - Reform UK 

Jenner Folwell - Independent

Nida Al- Fulaij - Green Party 

 

You can see the full playlist by topic on the link below.

 

Brent East Hustings

St Raph's are holding a General Election hustings for Brent East on Friday at 6pm

 

Full General Election candidate list for Queen's Park and Maida Vale consituency

This new constituency includes the Brent wards of Kilburn, Queen's Park and Harlesden and Kensal Green.

Helen Baxter, Liberal Democrat

Angela Carter-Begbie, Reform UK

Abdulla Dharami, Independent

Georgia Gould, Labour

Samia Hersi, Conservative Party candidate

Vivien Lichtenstein, Green Party

Irakli Menabde, Workers Party

Final list of candidates in Brent East and Brent West plus Queens Park by-election

BRENT EAST

Nida Alfulaij, Green Party candidate

Dawn Butler, Labour Party

Jenner Folwell, Independent

Zbigniew Kowalczyk, Reform UK

Amin Moafi, Independent

James Mutimer, Workers Party

Jamila Robertson, Conservative Party candidate

Aadil Shaikh, Independent

Jonny Singh, Liberal Democrat

 

BRENT WEST 

Ian Collier, Reform UK

Baston De'Medici Jaguar, Green Party candidate

Barry Gardiner, Labour

Nadia Klok, Workers Party

Paul Lorber, Liberal Democrat

Sushil Rapatwar, Conservative Party candidate

 

QUEEN'S PARK COUNCIL BY-ELECTION

Virginia Bonham Carter, Liberal Democrat

Ricardo Davies, Green Party

Emily Sheffield, Conservative Party

Lesley Smith, Labour Party

 

Queens Park & Maida Vale General Election Hustings June 17th 7pm St Lukes, Fernhead Road

 

Queens Park & Maida Vale Election Hustings Kensal and Kilburn Better 2024 presents a traditional election hustings featuring all of the candidates for the new parliamentary constituency of Queens Park & Maida Vale. Come along to meet and hear from all the candidates, and ask them anything! Queens Park & Maida Vale constituency comprises the Brent wards of Harlesden & Kensal Green, Queens Park and Kilburn, plus much of the former Westminster North constituency. The candidates are:  Vivien Lichtenstein - Green Party; Helen Baxter - Liberal Democrats ; Samia Hersi - Conservative Party; Irakli Menabde - Workers Party of Britain; Abby Dharamsey - Social Democratic Party; Georgia Gould - Labour Party; Angela Carter-Begbie - Reform UK Monday, 17 June 2024 19:00 Queens Park & Maida Vale General Election Hustings Register  St Lukes West Kilburn

General Election 2019: Did the Greens sell their souls for a few scraps from the Lib Dems?

It is just not the Labour Party that has to undertake a review  of their performance in the General Election. The forthcoming Spring Conference of the Green Party will have to seriously consider its election strategy, including the formulation process, and draw out lessons for the future.

Green Left, the eco-socialist group within the Green Party has today published the following statement on the 2019 UK general election.

The defeat for Labour in the General Election was disappointing, because it happened in spite of Labour supporting countering Climate Change,

The Green Party should welcome the many in the Labour Party and Trade Union movement who now want a green transformation of the economy.

Unfortunately, the Green Party made the mistake of linking up with the discredited Lib Dems over the Brexit issue and, even on this, serious differences emerged over the Lib Dems’ proposal to remain without a referendum. The pact was not based on other shared policies with the Lib Dems.

Many members of the Green Party were surprised that it endorsed Lib Dems in some 20 seats with sitting Labour MPs and candidates near to its policies on austerity, Brexit and the Green New Deal. Why were the Lib Dems allowed to use our good name to fight Labour?

The General Election strategy of the Green Party seemed to be fixated on gaining an extra MP by selling our soul for a few scraps from the Lib Dems; and in the event was of no benefit to Greens

Green Left has asked the Green Party what was the basis for this mistaken strategy? Were its political implications fully thought out?

Green Left believes the task of the GPEW is to encourage debate and discussion with those who share or are beginning to share our perspective on the need to fight climate change and the need for a Green New Deal to transform the economy.

Ban on election leafleting of Northwick Park University of Westminster students

The Harrow Halls of Residence

As a result of encouragement by the University a third of the 1,500 students accommodated at the Northwick Park University of Westminster  halls of residence have registered to vote.

Excellent work encouraging democratic participation of young people.

All the more perplexing then that a polite request to distribute election material to the student flats was, equally politely, turned down by the management of the accommodation.

I was told that this was a decision made at the highest level as the University did not want the students inundated with material and that modern students got all their information through internet searches rather than leaflets.

Apparently this ban applied to all political parties and bundles of leaflets delivered to the Campus by the Labour Party had been binned.

I wonder if the students have had any say in this decision that I was told was 'final'.

South Kilburn General Election Hustings December 4th

South Kilburn Hustings

Come to meet the  5 candidates for  Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency:

Johnny LUK (Conservatives)

James POINTON (Brexit)

Matt SANDERS (Liberal Democrats)

Tulip SIDDIQ (Labour)

David STANSELL (Green Party)

Bring your questions!

4 December 7-9pm

at Carlton Centre Rumi's Cave

Carlton Vale, NW6 5RA

Note: Brondesbury Park, Kilburn and Queens Park are Brent wards that are in the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency 

Hosted by

Brent General Election Results

Figures in brackets is for that party's candidate in 2015

HAMPSTEAD AND KILBURN

·      Siddiq, Tulip – Labour Party, 34,464 votes  (23977)

·      Leyland, Claire-Louise – The Conservative Party Candidate, 18,904 votes (22839)

·      Allan, Kirstie Roberta – Liberal Democrats, 4,100 votes (3039)

·      Mansook, John – The Green Party, 742 votes (2387)

·      Easterbrook, Hugh Laurence – Independent, 136 votes (-)

·      Weiss, Rainbow George – Independent, 61 votes (-)

Turnout for the election was 70.6 per cent which is 3 per cent up on the 2015 General Election.

BRENT CENTRAL

·      Butler, Dawn - Labour Party, 38,208 votes (29216)

·      Bhansali, Rahoul - The Conservative Party Candidate, 10,211 votes (9567)

·      Georgiou, Anton - Liberal Democrats, 2,519 votes (3937)

·      Lish, Shaka - Green Party, 802 votes (1912)

·      North, Janice Marion April - UK Independence Party (UKIP), 556 votes (1850)

Turnout for the election was 65.25 per cent which is 4 per cent up on the 2015 General Election.

BRENT NORTH

·      Gardiner, Barry - Labour Party, 35,496 votes (28351)

·      Jogia, Ameet - The Conservative Party Candidate, 18,435 votes (17517)

·      Lorber, Paul - Liberal Democrats, 1,614 votes (2607)

·      Lichten, Michaela Mary Constance - Green Party, 660 votes (1539)

·      Jeffers, Elcena - Independent, 239 votes (197)

Turnout for the election was 68.61 per cent which is 5 per cent up on the 2015 General Election.

'Liar Liar' by CaptainSKA has got to No.10 in download chart but...

From the People's Assembly Against Austerity

Captain Ska's 'Liar Liar' hit no.10 in the download chart today but the BigTop40 chart show on CapitalFM and Heart refused to play it. 

LISTEN to the moment the BigTop40 show refused to play the song

Performed and produced by the band Captain Ska and promoted by campaign organisation the People’s Assembly Against Austerity the song features various speeches and news interviews from Theresa May followed by a chorus of ‘She’s a Liar, Liar…you can’t trust her, no no no no'.  

The song attacks the Conservative Parties' record in office over the NHS crisis, education and levels of poverty. "When there's nurses going hungry and schools in decline I don't recognise this broken country of mine' goes one of the lyrics. 

The song has been available for download from last Friday 26th May and has been rising up in the iTunes charts, reaching no.10 today. 

The chart show, hosted by Marvin Humes & Kat Shoob, announced the track had reached no.10 but instead of playing it went straight onto playing no.9. 

Jake from Captain Ska said

“This can only be seen as an attempt by the media owners to undermine public opinion. Thousands of people have downloaded this track and we demand that it is aired as any other song would be."

TAKE ACTION

The People's Assembly is asking all supporters to complain to the BigTop40.

1. Email a complaint: click here for contact form
2. Tweet - demand the track is played! Make sure you tag @BigTop40
3. Call CapitalFM and complain: 02070548000

The People's Assembly sent the following tweet: (feel free to retweet but please do your own too)
Liar Liar by @CaptainSKA got to No.10 in download chart - @BigTop40 refuse to play it. Can we get an explanation? @MarvinHumes @katshoob

DOWNLOAD THE TRACK HERE

Amazon - iTunes - Bandcamp - Spotify

(Please note Captain Ska previously released a version of Liar Liar in 2010 so don't download the wrong one! Correct track is called 'Liar Liar GE2017')

Keep downloading - we can still push it up the charts and force the media to play it! 

Brent Central candidates have their say on the school funding issue

With some hustings cancelled due to the Manchester incident last night was one of the few chances to hear from Brent Central's General Election candidates.

It was a sometime rumbustious meeting but well chaired by Lucy Cox with Labour supporters in the majority. I am afraid my camera work is very shaky as a result from being fresh out of hospital and failed completely when the Ukip candidiate began to speak. My apologies.

This extract focuses on school funding which is very much the question of the moment although of course the purpose and focus of education is also a matter of debate.

I will be publishing more of what Shaka Lish the Green Party had to say on the Brent Green Party blog LINK

Where to hear your candidates debate GE2017

Brent Central Public Political Debates: 

Education Question Time
Friday May 26th 2017 at 18:£0
Queens Park Community School, 
More info HERE

Brent North Political Debates

Brent Carers
Carers and Social Care Hustings
Wednesday 31st May 2017 6:30 - 8:30pm
Church End & Roundwood Unity Centre
103 Church End London, NW10 9EG
Buses 260 & 266

Hampstead & Kilburn Political Debates

West Hampstead Life Hustings
THIS TUESDAY May 23, 2017
@ 7.30 pm – 9.15 pm
WHERE:
Sherriff Centre
Sherriff Rd
London NW6

We would love to see you attending, but if not they have promised to live stream this event.
https://www.facebook.com/WestHampsteadLife

To make the evening flow smoothly, they are encouraging you to send questions in advance – the candidates will not see these beforehand. They will then ask some of the popular submitted questions before handing over to the floor.

To send a question, simply drop Jonathan Turton an email before midday on Tuesday. There will also be a question box in St James’ Church over the next few days.

Format:
Each candidate will get a 4-minute slot to pitch themselves, and then we will structure the evening in three parts. First, questions on Brexit, then questions on other national issues (incl. foreign policy), and then questions on local issues. If there is time then there’ll be time for free questions at the end.

Doors open at 7pm and will start at 7.30pm. They will aim to finish around 9.15pm. The Sherriff Centre café/bar will be open.

Granville Community Kitchen and South Kilburn Trust Hustings
Wednesday 31st of May  Time: 7-9pm
At Granville Plus Centre
Carlton Vale, NW6 5HE.

Questions to: granvillecommunitykitchen@gmail.com

Official list of GE2017 candidates for Brent

BRENT CENTRAL

Rahoul Bhansali (Con)
Dawn Butler (Lab)
Anton Georgiou (Lib Dem)
Shaka Lish (Green)
Janice North (UKIP)

BRENT NORTH

Barry Gardiner (Lab)
Elcena Jeffers (Ind)
Ameet Jogia (Con)
Michaela Lichten (Green)
Paul Lorber (Lib Dem)

HAMPSTEAD AND KILBURN (shared with Camden)

Kirsty Allan (Lib Dem)
Hugh Easterbrook (Ind)
Claire-Louise Leyland   (Con)
John Mansook (Green)
Tulip Siddiq (Lab)
Rainbow Weiss (Ind)

Brent Council urges residents to register to vote

Residents in Brent are being urged to get themselves onto the electoral register in time for the general election and consider whether they will have their say by post, proxy or in person at the polls.

With just over four weeks to go until polling day, Brent Council is calling upon residents who are eligible to vote to ensure they are on the electoral register by the deadline of 11:59pm, on Monday 22 May - two weeks away.

Anyone who is registered to vote, but unable to make it to a polling station on 8 June, can apply for a postal vote, or a proxy vote and allow a nominated person to vote on their behalf.

Carolyn Downs, Acting Returning Officer for Brent, said:

As well as being a democratic right, it is our civic duty to hold elected politicians to account and to take part in the process of choosing those who will govern us for the next five years.

You can have your say by post, proxy or in person on polling day but of course, in order to vote you must first be registered. 

A full list of candidates standing in all three of Brent's parliamentary constituencies will be published as soon as possible after the deadline for nomination papers passes, on Thursday 11 May.

To register to vote, apply for a postal or proxy vote, or for more information, visit www.brent.gov.uk/elections2017

Harrow Green Party announces its General Election candidates

After a secret ballot amongst Harrow Green party members the following candidates have been chosen to stand for election on 8th June in the parliamentary elections:

Harrow West - Rowan Langley

Rowan will be standing in this constituency for the third time in succession. He is keen to ensure that the Green Party is visible as much as possible and hopes to continue to offer voters in Harrow the chance to vote Green. 

Rowan is a local resident, but also has business clients in the area for his electrician's business. It his through his work that he has seen some of the hidden poverty, which he would like to target via the provision of improved rental housing for those on low incomes.

Harrow East - Emma Wallace

 Emma decided to put herself forward for a second consecutive election as she is committed to ensuring there is a progressive and democratic voice in the borough of Harrow and ultimately, Westminster.  

Emma believes that the Green Party holds values and policies that would benefit our local community and would strongly advocate these as the parliamentary candidate.  She has been actively involved in Harrow Green Party for over two years, being the local party’s coordinator with the aim of developing the standing and impact of the Greens in the borough.  

Emma has supported key local campaigns, including protesting against the closure of local libraries, the closure of The Bridge and also against Harrow School’s sports hall development.

Climate Change: Top Ten Election demands from the Greener Jobs Alliance

The Steering Committee of the Greener Jobs Alliance has put forward these 10 election demands to ensure that climate change should be central to the General Election campaign.

1.     Keep the Climate Change Act 2008. Stick to the UK’s legally binding commitments to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 as a minimum. Ensure that UK energy and industrial policy is effectively aligned with the Committee on Climate Change projections and carbon budgets.

2.     Trust the people with a massive boost to energy democracy. Support a new wave of community based solar and onshore wind projects with ambitious feed-in tariffs wherever there is local support. Lift the ban on onshore wind projects. Support for local authorities to set up municipal energy supply companies.

3.     Ban fracking and respect local democracy wherever fracking applications are opposed by local communities.

4.     Cut energy bills and carbon emissions with a nationwide home insulation programme. ‘Retrofit’poorly insulated homes and build new, low energy social housing, using as far as possible direct labour, and supported by high quality vocational education and training. Make ‘Energy efficiency’ a national infrastructure priority to create decent jobs, reduce fuel poverty and reduce fuel bills.

5.     Make education for sustainable development a core priority across the education system. Prioritise research funding that will promote the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

6.     Create a million skilled climate jobs: invest in all forms of renewable energy, low carbon jobs and skills, including electric vehicle manufacture, rail investment, and build a full supply chain to make and supply renewable energy technologies in the UK.

7.     Create a new Green Investment Bank in public ownership and with full accountability. Use the green bank to support Regional Development Board investment in green energy and transport infrastructure projects.

8.     Create a National Climate Service to oversee the transition to a low carbon economy This to include a Ministry for Climate Jobs, Skills and Social Protection’ to equip the UK to a transformation of the world of work working across all Government departments and industrial sectors.

9.     Introduce an Environment Protection Act to incorporate vital European directives into UK law. Commit the UK to retain membership of the European Court of Justice to ensure that our citizens have the same environmental protection rights as all EU citizens, wherever environmental standards are at risk.

10. Introduce a Clean Air Act to tackle air pollution once and for all. Place a clear legal responsibility on employers and businesses to address air quality and develop a network of low emission zones in pollution hot spots.

Declaration of interest: I am a member of the Greener Jobs Alliance