Former Brent Conservative Councillor Alan Mendoza has been selected by the Tories to fight Brent Central in the General Election. Mendoza topped the poll in a by-election in Preston ward in June 2005.
He was regarded as a 'Young Turk' who presented a challenge to the leadership of Bob Blackman, now MP for Harrow East.
Mendoza is Executive Director of the neo-con Henry Jackson Society and a supporter of the Conservative Friends of Israel. He has affiliations with many other organisations and when a councillor declared that he was a Freemason.
He has a particular interest in the Middle East and in security issues and was commenting on TV over Charlie Hebdo on Friday
LINK
Mendoza contributes to the Guardian's Comment is Free website.
Foreign policy could be come an issue in the General Election, as it was in 2010 over the Iraq war. The views of HJS are likely to be in conflict with those of the other candidates so far selected:
Henry Jackson Society:
- Believes that modern liberal democracies set an example to which the rest of the world should aspire.
- Supports a ‘forward strategy’ – involving diplomatic, economic,
cultural, and/or political means — to assist those countries that are
not yet liberal and democratic to become so.
- Supports the maintenance of a strong military, by the United States,
the countries of the European Union and other democratic powers, armed
with expeditionary capabilities with a global reach, that can protect
our homelands from strategic threats, forestall terrorist attacks, and
prevent genocide or massive ethnic cleansing.
- Supports the necessary furtherance of European military
modernisation and integration under British leadership, preferably
within NATO.
- Stresses the importance of unity between the world’s great
democracies, represented by institutions such as NATO, the European
Union and the OECD, amongst many others.
- Believes that only modern liberal democratic states are truly
legitimate, and that the political or human rights pronouncements of any
international or regional organisation which admits undemocratic states
lack the legitimacy to which they would be entitled if all their
members were democracies.
- Gives two cheers for capitalism. There are limits to the market,
which needs to serve the Democratic Community and should be reconciled
to the environment.
- Accepts that we have to set priorities and that sometimes we have to
compromise, but insists that we should never lose sight of our
fundamental values. This means that alliances with repressive regimes
can only be temporary. It also means a strong commitment to individual
and civil liberties in democratic states, even and especially when we
are under attack
No stranger to controversy, Mendoza was lambasted for his activities in the Henry Jackson Society,and accused of mounting a putsch by Marko Attila Hoare
LINK
I grew up with groups like the
Socialist Workers Party, in which total power is held by one or two leaders,
but the totalitarianism is disguised by window-dressing consisting of branch
meetings, annual conferences, meetings of the Politburo and the like. Well, the
HJS is like that, but without the window-dressing: there isn’t even the
pretence of democracy or consultation. Instead, the organisation operates on
the basis of cronyism and intrigue. Sole power is held by one individual –
Executive Director Alan Mendoza. He was not elected to the post and is not
subject even to formal or technical restraints, nor to performance review and
renewal of contract.
Mendoza's views can be seen in this clip when he was up against Stop the War's John Rees:
Meanwhile the Brondesbury Park Conservatives have put forward a motion for the next Full Council meeting that should also attract controversy:
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Motion under Standing Order45 in the names of
Cllrs.Warren,Shaw and Davidson.
"NO CONFIDENCE VOTE IN CLLR.BUTT..........BUT HOW DO WE DO IT???? "*
This Council recognises that Cllr.Butt is unfit to lead Brent Council,and notes
his actions since taking this post......
1. On becoming Council leader falling out with the previous Chief Executive and
costing Brent £200,702 in compensation for loss of office.
2. In May 2014 installing himself for four years as "Brent's Prime
Minister," instead of the usual annual election for leader.
3. Introducing a Kremlin - style Constitution in May 2014,including a
reduction in Council scrutiny from 8 to 1 committees.
4. Presiding over a humiliating Industrial Tribunal case,where Brent was found
guilty of race discrimination and yet still continuing with futile
appeals....costing thousands .
5. Damaging dramatically Brent staff relations as a result of the
aforementioned I.T.case.
6. Surrounding himself with a " Mafia - style " group of members and
officers at the expense of most Labour members.
7. Losing Cllr.Perrin from his Cabinet within days of the new Council and
barring Cllr.Van Kalwala from the Civic Centre.
8. Appalling lack of judgement in the Tricycle furore that happened in the
summer of 2014.
9. Wasting more Brent Council taxpayer monies in the so called "independent
" Mansfield inquiry into Brent NHS issues.
10. Totally undermining the Mayor of Brent by hogging every conceivable photo-
opportunity at Mayoral events.
11. Showing a total lack of leadership in the ongoing budget process with
endless consultations,forums,working groups,focus groups instead of showing
real leadership.
12. Including the amazing Standing Order 13 in the Council constitution,which eliminates
the traditional method of moving a motion of no- confidence.
This Council notes how difficult it is to move a no- confidence vote in Cllr.
Butt Standing Order 13 requires 40% of Council members to put forward such a motion to
Council some 10 working days before the meeting.In the interests of democracy
this Council calls upon Cllr. Butt to remove Standing Order at the Council AGM on 20
May 2015.
A bit odd as Cllr Butt doesn't have the power to remove Standings Orders on his own, surely removal of SO13 itself should have been a motion that the Brondesbury Conservative 'Provisionals' put to the AGM?
I expect the Kenton Conservative 'Officials' to treat the motion with disdain as they seem comfortable in their role on the Council after being officially recognised by Labour as the official opposition.
Brent North Conservatives have selected Luke Parker who works for IBM. According to the Kilburn Times
LINK he wants 'better' schools, will champion small businesses and supports the living wage.
It really does look like there are two distinct Conservative Parties in Brent.
* The printing of this motion does not indicate my support for any or all of the points or belief in their accuracy.
