Brent debates anti-semitism

Three meetings are scheduled over the next 10 days addressing in various ways the issue of anti-semitism in the Labour Party and in the wider context.

At a Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party meeting last week last Thursday a motion from the Jewish Labour Movement proposing a rule change on anti-semitism was deferred pending the outcome of the Chakrabati inquiry into anti-semitism in the Labour Party.

That was followed up by an angry blog by Philip Rosenberg entitled  'The great betrayal: Labour members refused to discuss anti-semitism.'  LINK

Rosenberg's account of the meeting was disputed by local activist Ian Saville:

The writer here is being disingenuous to say the least. An inconvenient truth, not mentioned in his article, is that a number of Jewish members supported the proposal to postpone the motion, or any motion on this subject, until after the Chakrabarti Inquiry has reported. This is due by the end of June, so we are not talking of the sort of delay one could expect from a Chilcot type of inquiry. Since an expert inquiry has been set up, with well respected chairs, it would be silly to attempt to preempt its deliberations by bringing in a rule change that proposes disciplinary and other measures which will be covered by the inquiry. The writer needs to calm down and learn some patience. There will be many opportunities to discuss these matters in coming months.

I understand that Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party are now holding a special meeting of the General Committee on Tuesday 7th June at the Kingsgate Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, NW6 2JH at which a motion 'unhesitatingly' condemning anti-semitism will be tabled. The Jewish Labour Movemement are expected to address the meeting and there will also be a discussion about a leaflet given out at last Thursday's meeting which was critical of the JLM.

On Monday June 6th the Brent Momentum AGM will be addressed by Jackie Walker, National Vice Chair of Momentum, who was recently reinstated after being suspended over claims of anti-semitism.

The agenda includes:

Where is Momentum Going?
Does Labour have a problem with antisemitism?
How do we get a Corbyn-led Labour government?

The meeting is at 7.30pm Brent Trades Hall/Apollo Club, Willesden High Road, NW10 2JR

Lastly Brent Stop the War (not affiliated to any political party) has invited Julia Bard  of the Jewish Socialist' Group and Jews for Jeremy to speak at their June 13th meeting on 'Is criticism of Israel anti-semitic?'

The meeting is at 7.30pm at the Brent Trades Hall/Apollo Club, Willesden High Road, NW10 2JR

I think these meetings are a sign of a healthy democratic climate in the borough (and neighbouring Camden) where controversial issues are not shied away from but the subject of open debate.

Butt unwelcome at Tulip victory

Tulip Siddiq won a decisive victory in the Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party selection vote today.

Her victory was preceded by the ritualistic(and highly symbolic)  head-butting of a housing protester, who was wearing a Unite T-shirt, by someone who was thought to be a member of the Labour Party.

Pavey attacks Copland strikers and accepts the school's academisation

Copland High School was closed yesterday by a strike involving members of the ATL, NASUWT and the NUT. The strike followed the DfE's decision that the school should become a forced academy following a Grade 4 Ofsted report.

If the school become an academy the staff's employer changes along with their pay and conditions.

Michael Pavey, the new lead member for children and families, despite the fact that pupils taking national examinations were able to do so, tweeted: 

To those teachers who went on strike today: children's needs must always come first. Striking during exams harms kids’ education.

Logically his comments means that teachers should never strike which is a strange position for a Labour politician to take. It presupposes that strikes are never in the interests of children which is clearly an assumption that can be challenged. Striking against academisation is striking against privatisation of education with money being diverted from educational provision to fat salaries for academy sponsors, as well as worsening conditions for teachers which give less time for lesson preparation and marking and longer hours, and enabling the employment of unqualified teachers. I would argue that striking against those changes IS striking in the long-term interests of children.

 Pavey went further at the Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party meeting last night saying that he had 'become convinced' that the only way to 'save' Copland was through academisation, while admitting that it was no 'silver bullet', dashing hopes that his ascent to the children and families position would mark a change in the Labour Council's acquiescence to academisation.  Copland's conversion would mean that all Brent secondary schools are academies or faith schools. This is in marked contrast to neighbouring Camden where there is only one academy.

Cllr Pavey went on to assure Labour Party members that he wanted to work with the unions. It will be interesting to see how he will go about this given his comments.

Meanwhile Jenny Cooper, Health and Safety Adviser to the Brent Teachers Association has drawn attention to the impact of the poor state of Copland's building on the quality of the school students' learning environment - an issue that the Ofsted report particualrly focused on and an issue out of the control of teachers.

News of the outcome of the Ofsted inspection at Copland school makes for very sad reading. Inspectors placed great emphasis on the state of the school building which, many of us agree, is a very poor physical environment for its students and staff. Previous risk assessments and safety reports have highlighted poor conditions, maintenance and the presence of risky asbestos.

Isn’t it ironic, then, that the week that this Ofsted report was published coincided with the physical handover of the new Village School building and the grand opening of its Short Break Centre. After years of campaigning, by unions and the schools, Brent Council recognized that the former Hay Lane and Grove Park school (now The Village) buildings were not fit for purpose and were riddled with dangerous asbestos. These were demolished and we now have one of the best school buildings in the country for some of our most vulnerable children in Brent.

Just the week before, it was announced that the Village School had achieved its “Good” report from Ofsted. What a complete travesty and dis-service to the children of Brent that the abolition of “Building Schools for the Future” meant that Copland missed out on its promised rebuild and was left to struggle on in an environment not fit for the 21^st century.

We must all get behind the teachers and students of Copland and make sure that the real story behind this school is heard.

 Will the local authority and Michael Pavey 'deliver' on that last sentence?

12 year old Khadija drew David Cameron's attention to the poor state of the Copland building in March and this was followed up by the World at One on which Khadija was interview by Martha Kearney. The World at One's Facebook page carried picture of the state of the school building which should have shamed the government.

Martha Kearney interviews Khadija