Appreciating Ken Livingstone and his contribution to Brent and London

 

 

 

 I tweeted the above this afternoon when I saw the image on the Brent and Kilburn Times website and the accompanying story was little better. The quote was from a short-term Liberal Democrat councillor who was later disowned by her own party. She made no impact on Brent politics, certainly not on national politics and did little for the Brent people. To choose her to comment on someone who for all his faults did make one hell of an impact is beyond belief. To use the quote as a headline just leaves me speechless.

 

As someone who spent a considerable amount of time caring for a parent with dementia I would like to express my personal sympathy, support, solidarity and respect to Ken Livingstone and his family.

The story https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/23801998.ex-london-mayor-ken-livingstone-suffering-alzheimers/ does not even mention his period as an MP for Brent East or his leadership of the GLC where he became, from his office across the river from Parliament, a highly effective thorn in the flesh of Margaret Thatcher with his criticism of her politics and a powerful banner campaign.

It was a sign of his efefctiveness that the Tory Government moved to abolish the GLC and the Inner London Education Authority.

Ken pioneered policies that tackled racism, sexism and homophobia and funded grassroots groups at the forefront of those issues.  I was one of a group of teachers, called All London Teachers and Racism (ALTARF) that won a  GLC grant that enabled us to employ a full-time worker to spearhead our work on an anti-racist curriculum, producing several books and even a BBC Open Door programme. It is work, along with that of other funded groups,  that has stood the test of time.

 

To give a fuller picture I reproduce below, with permission, an article from Jewish Voice for Labour. First published on their websute HERE. 

 

 

On Ken Livingstone

We publish here a tribute by Graham Bash to Ken Livingstone, who has sadly been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Graham recalls Ken’s achievements as leader of the Greater London Council until its abolition by Margaret Thatcher in 1986 and as Mayor of London 2000-2008; his immense talent as an intuitive practical politician; his uncompromising anti-racism;  his ability to cut across political divisions and build alliances. Graham notes Ken’s weaknesses, which at times infuriated left-wing friends almost as much as his successes enraged adversaries on the right. He also records the shameful behaviour of many erstwhile allies who failed to show Ken the solidarity he deserved when facing totally unfounded allegations of antisemitism.

 

 

 

by Graham Bash

Breaking the mould of British politics

The news that Ken Livingstone has Alzheimer’s disease and is now in retirement is very sad and we in JVL send him our very best wishes.

It is all too easy to forget the enormity of the achievements of the Greater London Council of which he was leader in the 1980s. It broke the mould of British politics, gave hope to millions of the most disadvantaged people in London and showed that a determined socialist administration could take on the Tories and win mass popular support.

And this was achieved against Thatcher’s vicious Tory government -and with a GLC Labour Group that had nowhere near a left wing majority. That was testimony to Ken’s greatest strengths – his immense talent as an intuitive practical politician and his ability to cut across political divisions and build alliances.

His other great achievement as leader of the GLC was his commitment to equalities and the liberation of the oppressed – to Black people, women, Irish, lesbians and gays. He played a pivotal role on the issue of Ireland, tirelessly fighting for peace and building links with Sinn Fein.

He helped to introduce a new vocabulary into our political discourse. As he was later to write: “It was only with the 1981 GLC administration that they [equalities] finally took their rightful place alongside and integrated with the traditional agenda of the left”.

And those of us old enough to remember will recall those wonderful banners on County Hall facing the Houses of Parliament, such as “74% of Londoners Oppose GLC Abolition: LONDON’S NOT FOR TURNING”.

Ken had his political weaknesses. He was a wonderful practical politician – but he lacked that ideological tempering that would have avoided the worst mistakes of his volte face on rate-capping, for example, and ended up in an alliance on this critical issue against the left.

But there was a second and third coming of Ken – as a left wing Labour MP for Brent East (1987-2001) and as Mayor of London. As Mayor, he again showed his political weakness when he urged RMT members to cross a picket line in a London Underground dispute, a move which angered many trade union and party activists. Yet also as Mayor, he had the considerable achievement of introducing the Congestion Charge – in the teeth of opposition which involved fighting a court action.

The congestion charge raised revenue that was used to increase the numbers of buses, their routes and timing. That shifted transport provision towards low-income and no income people, who proportionately rely more on buses than trains and tubes. Other transport improvements were improving cycle routes and giving interest-free loans to buy bikes – even though he didn’t know how to ride a bike himself!

He was perhaps the greatest anti-racist leader the Labour Party has ever produced. So the allegations of antisemitism were in my opinion an obscenity. His crime was telling the truth about the Haavara Agreement in the 1930s – in which some Zionist organisations played a role in breaking the anti-Hitler trade boycott that threatened to bring the new Nazi regime to its knees.

Yes, his formulations were clumsy and his intervention was tactically unhelpful. But his essential point was true, as can be seen from the book by the Zionist, Edwin Black, The Transfer Agreement.

Ken was let down by the Labour Party and by many of his comrades on the left who forgot the simple word – “solidarity”. It is a shame we must not forget.

We wish Ken well in what we hope will be many years of retirement.

Mike Cushman adds:

As a Londoner, I celebrate how Ken changed the city I live for the better in many more ways than those already mentioned in Graham’s appreciation. These are just three

1.    The transformation of the South Banks (in cooperation with much missed Tony Banks) from an arts centre for an elite who were already immersed in prestigious culture to an arts and social space enjoyed by a vast swathe of Londoners exhibiting artistic endeavours reflective of many experiences. This turned spaces, cold and empty outside performance times, into somewhere warm, lively and busy

2.    The development of a bike hire scheme that was only due to be completed after he left office and were misnamed Boris Bikes

3.    The Popular Planning Unit which transformed how local authorities could get involved in economic development with the engagement of local communities and which supported many initiatives with environmental aspects thirty years before they became common concerns

And of course the Olympics which only came to London because of his hard graft and which he was spitefully excluded from in 2012

Madeleine Kingston adds:

I worked with Ken for several years when he was Mayor of London. I was a middle aged woman and he was always lovely to work with, extremely egalitarian, never patronising and always generous, courteous and respectful. He always related to me as a comrade and a friend.

 

Petitioners call on Brent to home 50 refugee families

A petition has been set up asking Brent Council to home 50 refugee families in Brent. The justification for the request states:

Why is this important?

Aylan, the toddler who drowned fleeing Syria, was just three years old. His town was under attack by Isis. His five year old brother and his mum also died trying to reach safety.

Yet our prime minister has just said ‘we won't take any more refugees’. He thinks that most of us don't care. But 38 Degrees members do care. We don't want Britain to be the kind of country that turns its back as people drown in their desperation to flee places like Syria.

So let's stand up for Britain's long tradition of helping refugees fleeing war. Let's show the Prime Minister that we, the people of the UK, are proud to do our part and provide refuge to people in their hour of need.

The petition can be found HERE

50 families is a comparatively modest request compared with the thosands of Ugandan Asians admitted in 1972 as Iain Roxburgh reminded us in Friday's Guardian (and Ken Livingstone on BBCR4 'Any Questions?'):

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We don’t have to look as far back as the kindertransport to find an example where we have done it before and welcomed large numbers of refugees in a short space of time and on a far greater scale. I was a councillor in the London borough of Brent and vice-chair of the housing committee when the borough received over 10,000 Ugandan Asian refugees in under six weeks in 1972. Similar numbers went to Leicester, also with a settled East African community. With the settled East African Asian community and local voluntary organisations, Brent council worked up a plan for coping with the influx, including a shopping list of demands, which we presented to the Heath government. After a meeting with ministers, chaired by the home secretary, all these demands were met, including houses in multiple occupation and immediate funding for new schools, local health, social services and local advice and community support services.

Perhaps most challenging, then and now, is handling the politics of migration and harnessing the generosity and human empathy of our settled communities. After consultation and with the cooperation of the local media, we took an openly welcoming approach to the borough’s new citizens, who have gone on to contribute so much to the economy, culture and vibrancy of the borough over the last four decades.

Dave Wetzel of Fares Fair fame leaves Labour for the Green Party

Ex public transport lead for the Labour Greater London Council (GLC), Dave Wetzel, has announced on Facebook that he has joined the Green Party.

Wetzel said: 

As a new Green Party Member I consider all Government cuts are unnecessary and left the Labour Party this year because the Labour Front Bench intend to continue with cuts. This is totally unnecessary as instead we could adopt the Green policy and introduce an annual Land Value Tax so that rich landowners like the Duke of Westminster repay the land wealth we all create.

Wetzel alongside Ken Livingstone introduced the Fares Fair policy of low
transport charges which contributed to Labour's 1981 GLC election victory.

The popular policy went all the way to the Law Lords and was eventually over-ruled leading to a massive increase in fares.

Following the introduction of the new fares structure and the travel card car usage in London dropped by 10%, tube travel went up by 44% and bus by 14%.

In retrospect many saw the policy as ahead of its time and it certainly puts the current high fares into  perspective. LINK

A battle with the Tory government led eventually to the abolition of the GLC and the Inner London Education Authority.

Dave Wetzel is the President of the Labour Land Campaign and CEO of the consultancy Transforming Communites.

It will be interesting to see how his thinking influences the Green Party.

Dawn Butler backs General Strike at People's Assembly

Poster for the General Strike in Oakland, California 2011

I understand Dawn Butler, former Brent South MP,  surprised Brent Labour Party members at today's People's Assembly by appearing to back a General Strike against the Coalition's anti-welfare and austerity measures.

Intervening in the workshop on 'The economics of anti-austerity, jobs, investment and tax justice', at which former Brent East MP Ken Livingstone was one of the speakers, she apparently asked the audience for a show of hands for a General  Strike, and despite catcalls from the audience,continued to press her case and state categorically that she was justified in disagreeing with the Labour leadership.

This swerve to the left by one of the candidates for the Brent Central Labour nomination surprised many present. One of her potential opponents for the  candidancy is Kate Osamore, Tottenham activist and member of Unite, who is said to be backed by Livingstone and, if she agrees to stand, likely to be the candidate of the left in Brent.

Osamore was present at the Assembly chairing the workshop 'Immigration is not to blame - countering racism, Islamophobia and the far right'.

Patrick Vernon who is actively campaigning for the nomination managed to combine attendance at the People's Assembly with an appearance elsewhere to press the case for June 22nd to become a public holiday,Windrush Day, to celebrate multicultural Britain.

Battle for Brent Central Labour nomination livens up

This morning's April Fool from website Left Future LINK which said Ken Livingstone was to stand as Labour Candidate in Brent Central revived my interest in the current selection process.

The Guardian Diary recently reported that it was to be an open (i.e. not all women) list and suggested this left the way open for Cllr Muhammed Butt to thrown his hat into the ring. This I very much doubt.

However things aren't looking so good either for locally grown talent such as Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala and activist Sabina Khan.  Instead  there seems to be a move in favour of a high profile canadidate from beyond Brent to take on Sarah Teather in one of Labour's London target seats.

Patrick Vernon with Trevor McDonald

One name mentioned is that of  well-connected Hackney councillor. film maker and equalities campaigner Patrick Vernon. Last year he was short-listed for the Manchester Central seat but narrowly missed selection. In November 2012  Brent Central CLP invited him to show his film 'A Charmed Life' to party members LINK and mutual interest may have grown from there.

You can find our more about Patrick on his blog HERE

Amina Ali

Another outsider cited is Amina Ali, this time from Tower Hamlets. Amina is a Somali activist who would create quite a stir. She is founder of Muslim Women for Labour and Somali Friends of Labour and has signed up to distribute Labour leaflets in Brent LINK.

This is rather out-dated but Amina talks about herself HERE

Meanwhile Dawn Butler continues to pop up all over the place as she continues to campaign for her 'Come Back' but it is hard to find many who back her wholeheartedly. 

Election of Johnson a disaster for the excluded

As the dust settles on the GLA election results my main concern, despite the good news that Greens are now the third party across London, is the disastrous re-election of Boris Johnson as Mayor. In line with London Green Federation policy I voted second preference for Ken Livingstone as a progressive candidate with many faults but one who in terms of policies shares our concerns about social justice and the environment.

The domination of personality over policy involved in the Mayoral system means that at a time when London is facing unprecedented pressures over employment, housing, school places and deteriorating air quality impacting on the elderly and children,  we have a Mayor who has no strategy - just bluster and boorishness concealing a policy vacuum.

I ask anyone who voted for Johnson to consider what he has achieved for ordinary Londoners.

The message his aides are feeding to the media that he represents a more right-wing, muscular Conservatism that the Lib Dem infected Coalition government bodes ill for the future of London and its citizens - particularly the excluded.

There has been much discussion of the limited powers of London Assembly members in terms of scrutiny but they can reject the Mayor's budget. Labour with a gain of 4 places now have 12  assembly members against the Conservatives nine  (a loss of 2 including the reviled Brian Coleman) so now have an overall majority. Greens are unchanged at 2 on a par with Liberal Democrats who lost one seat.

How this pans out will be interesting.  Despite the policy vacuum it is possible that Johnson will be granted more powers by central government and given his lack of attention to detail there may be opportunities for the opposition to step in with well-researched suggestions on how these could be used.

I snogged Ken 20 years ago but I've gone off him now...

It's funny the comments you get when campaigning.  The one above  came from a woman at Kensal Green station last week who had been put off by the male boorishness of both Livingstone and Johnson.  We went on to sensibly discuss the merits of Jenny Jones as a possible deputy mayor to Ken Livingstone.   People vote for all sorts of reasons but the mayoral contest does seem to keep coming back to personalities rather than policies.

The candidate's personal foibles can become an issue.  My mother was keen on Ken as a 'good old Londoner' and  had  a signed photograph of him on her bookcase but she went  'off him' for six months or so when he suggested 'If it's yellow let it mellow - if it's brown flush it down' as part of a campaign to save water! 'Disgusting man!'

Speaking to people last week Jenny does seem to be making progress as people get bored and irritated by the other two and she is seen as being sensible and constructive in contrast. Her intervention on candidates' income tax has won many accolades and generally she is seen as having cut through Boris's bluster with cool facts and observations a number of times.

Jenny is expected to be in Wembley on Wednesday of next week. Do come and talk to her if you can. Full details when I have them.

Jenny Jones 'breath of fresh air"

"Jenny Jones, the Green party mayoral candidate for London, came out of the first hustings in the election campaign on Tuesday smelling of roses, or daffodils, or some other kind of green and verdant plant.

While Boris and Ken blustered and argued the toss over figures and tax affairs, Jones came across as the voice of calm - and Twitter certainly seemed to find her a breath of fresh air."

 For more of the Huffington Post interview with Jenny Jones follow this LINK

Livingstone supports fight to keep Cricklewood Library Open

This is an extract from the Q and A session at the London Federation of Green Parties meeting on Monday when we discussed whether to urge voters to give Ken Livingstone their second preference mayoral vote. At 14.00 mins I ask Ken, noting Brent Council's library closures, whether he will provide leadership to London councils, and particularly Labour London councils, on the cuts issue:



All the videos from that meeting can be found HERE

Ken 'far from perfect' but we must prevent four more years of Boris

Green Party Mayoral candidate Jenny Jones said: "The voting system gives Londoners a chance to make a positive Mayoral first choice for a more equal, healthier and affordable London.

“However, should I not be counted among the top two candidates after the first round, then I want a Mayor who will work with Green Party Assembly Members to deliver on pay equality, less pollution and cheaper fares.

“Ken Livingstone is far from perfect, but we know from his last time as Mayor that we can work with him to make positive changes in a way that would be impossible with either Boris Johnson or many other senior Labour politicians.”

Livingstone said: ”What we are seeing is that as we get closer to the election a broadening alliance of people wants a fairer London.

“The Green endorsement for second preferences is a key building block to winning change on May 3rd. I am very pleased that the Green Party has decided to encourage their supporters to cast their second preference votes for me.

“I look forward to working again with Green Assembly Members, including tackling air pollution, creating a fairer London, and improving pedestrian and cyclists’ safety.”

Discussions focused on the clear desire among members to help prevent a further four years of Boris Johnson’s Mayorship, and the clear differentiation between recommending the Labour Party and Livingstone as a candidate, the man himself frequently opposing Labour Party policy.

Members emphasised that the priority of the campaign was to increase the number of Greens elected to the London Assembly in order to best hold the successful Mayor candidate to account.

Members raised particular concerns over Livingstone’s record on road building, the poorly regulated financial sector and air pollution.

However, the meeting meeting voted to support the recommendation after hearing pledges to curb top pay at City Hall, help the lowest paid workers, end cheats and evasions over air pollution used by the current Mayor and Government and financially support boroughs wanting to introduce 20mph zones.

Greens make Livingstone second preference for London Mayor

Following an address by Ken Livingstone on Monday evening at the Federation of London Green Parties and a full, good-natured debate, London Greens voted to recommend a second preference vote for Livingstone by 45 votes to 19.

I am quite sceptical regarding Ken and totally disenchanted with Brent Labour's performance over cuts, but in the end was swayed by the argument that Ken's election would provide some political space for Green and progressive policies.

During the Q and A I asked Livingstone about the cuts and whether he would provide leadership for London councils in opposing them. He distanced himself from Brent Labour stating that he was opposed to the library closures and spoke about the disproportionate cuts to London council funding. I was not left convinced that he would lead a huge campaign on the Save the GLC model but would hope that the left of the Labour Party would put additional pressure on him during his mayoral campaign.

There was not time in the debate to examine in depth the financial implication's of Livingstone's policies and I still have to be persuaded about their viability - particularly the details regarding the funding of a revived Education Maintenance Allowance.

Among the arguments against endorsing Livingstone were the toxic impact of Labour's cuts in London, the public asking if we were giving Ken second preference and the Green's had no chance of winning why not make him No.1, his cosiness with the city in his previous administration, his continuing commitment to road building, and his questionable support for reactionary homophobic clerics. It was also argued that the Greens with their own MP and a Green led council, were strong enough to stand on their own record without reference to Labour.

Should London Greens endorse Livingstone as second preference candidate? Decision on Monday.

The London Green Party will on Monday evening decide whether to recommend Ken Livingstone as their second preference candidate in May's Mayoral election.

The decision will be informed by an analysis by the Green campaign on how Livingstone's pledges and record tally with the Green vision for London.

In the analysis, the former Mayor was awarded a score of 5 out of 10. A summary can be found at: www.jennyforlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Candidates-comparison.pdf
 
Campaign Manager and London Assembly Member, Darren Johnson, said: On Monday, the London Green Party will democratically decide whether Ken Livingstone's policies and record warrant the Party's endorsement as our second choice for Mayor.

"Our campaign is focused on getting Jenny Jones elected Mayor and ensuring as many Green candidates as possible are elected to the Assembly.

"Our objective is to ensure that after the election City Hall is as Green as possible, tackling issues like fair pay, safer roads and improving air quality. The supplementary vote system allows voters to make a second choice for their Mayoral candidate. We are happy to work with other parties and groups wherever their policies will address the needs of ordinary Londoners."

The decision will be made by a special meeting of the London Green Party on Monday evening.

Representatives from local Green Parties in each borough as well as any other members in attendance will vote on the decision.

The analysis of Livingstone focused on key areas of policy for London. While receiving full marks on opposing aviation expansion and housing, he received nothing on the areas of policing and crime because of his ‘simplistic focus on police number officers' rather than ‘civil liberties or community relations' as well as 0 on road building owing to his championing of the failed Thames Gateway Bridge scheme.

Livingstone received half marks on pay inequality, Green jobs and local business, health, traffic reduction, walking and cycling, fares and transport investment and the environment and climate change.

By comparison, current Mayor Boris Johnson received just 1 out of 10, receiving half marks on health and Green jobs and local business.

Greens ahead of Lib Dems in London Mayor Poll

These are the latest figures in the London24 on-line poll on the London Mayoral election:

London Mayor poll

Who would you be voting for if the London mayoral election was taking place today?

Boris Johnson 36 %

Ken Livingstone 31 %

Brian Paddick 5 %

Jenny Jones 21 %

Someone else 5 %

Would not vote 3 %

KEN LIVINGSTONE CONDEMNS MOSQUE PROTEST

BACK TO 1930s WARNING

Ken Livingstone, chair of Unite Against Fascism and former mayor of London, spoke out yesterday against the anti-Muslim rally called by far right organisations outside Harrow Central Mosque this Friday. Livingstone said:

"If anyone were to call a demonstration outside a synagogue or church, this would rightly provoke a national outcry. There should be exactly the same response from the government, politicians, all religious faiths and the media to the call for a demonstration outside a mosque. The only possible meaning of this event is a protest against Muslims and Islam – a religion followed by more than a billion people in the world."

People should wake up to the fact the protests outside mosques are taking us back to the fascism of the 1930s when fascist thugs marched against Jews and their places of worship. This demonstration should be condemned and banned on the grounds of blatant religious discrimination and a threat to public order."

BRENT HOSTS AGE OF STUPID DEBATES

The Age of Stupid season at the Tricycle Cinema got off to a good start on Friday. The screenings of this incredible film about climate change are organised by Brent Friends of the Earth and supported by Brent Green Party.

There will be a chance for Brent residents to make their views known to local and national politicians and hold them accountable. Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change secretary will be taking part in a Q&A session after the 5.30pm showing on Sunday March 22nd, Ken Livingstone after the 6pm showing on Monday March 23rd, Shahrar Ali (Green Party Euro candidate) after the 6.30pm showing on Tuesday 24th and Sarah Teather Lib Dem MP 2.30pm, and Jenny Jones Green Party AM 6.30pm on Thursday March 26th.

Meanwhile Brent Council's Strategy on Climate Change has still not been published and is now long overdue. The film underlines the extreme urgency of the situation. We need a Brent councillor to champion the climate change issue and challenge the Council's lethargy and complacency.

Brent Friends of the Earth: www.brentfoe.com

Click here to see the Age of Stupid Trailer.

Details of screenings: http://www.tricycle.co.uk
Film information: http://www.ageofstupid.net