Hindu Council intervene in Wembley Central by-election

Leaflet distributed in Wembley Central today

In what is likely to be controversial  move the influential Hindu Council of Brent has intervened in the Wembley Central by-election. I have blogged here LINK on the Council's removal of grants for the celebration of Navratri and other festivals and this is the main subject of the Hindu Council's leaflet which has been distributed to households in the Ealing Road area.

After accusing Brent Council of trying to appease the 5,000 'Save Our Navratri' petitioners with the 'token gesture' of a fireworks display this year, that was combined with bonfire night, they go on to say:

However from 2012 onwards Labour Councillors in Brent decided to SCRAP the support for Navratri and a number of other community Festivals.

Whilst stopping the Grant, the money would only go towards Brent Council's budget and not for our festivals and hence deprive Hindu Communities in Brent.

The leaflet goes on to state:

We really need to look at the Political Parties that supported us and will support us for the future.

And finishes:

 Ask the candidates for their views on Navratri Grant for 2012 and use your democratic vote accordingly.

The Ealing Road area of the Wembley Central ward has a very high Hindu population and the intervention, particularly given the 5,000 signatures and the number of Hindu Council affiliated organisations in the area, could make a significant impact.

On this blog and in the Green Party's magazine Green World I have questioned the Council's narrow definition of the Equalities Act which they used justify cutting the festival grants and also their intention to organise a hodgepodge 'Festivals Of Brent' event that would combine different festivals:

The bundling together of different religious and cultural festivals all on one day, at a time when they weren't actually being celebrated, seemed crude and insulting. The Hindu Council told the council that the Navratri Festival aimed to improve community relations, as it was open to all. (Community spirit, Green World Autumn 2011)

I went on:

 ...despite my own lack of belief, I see the positive role played by local faith/cultural communities. Rather than the extreme individualism of post-Thatcher neo-liberalism they provide a form of social solidarity that provides strong support in adversity. This has been evident in fund-raising for victims of earthquakes, tsunami and famine and was most evident recently when the community came together after the death of a Palestinian mother and her five children in a house fire.

It is worth noting that much of the Navratri grant came back to Brent Council in a roundabout way as it was used to pay local schools for the hire of halls over the festival period  and thus augmented the schools' budgets.

Festival cuts go ahead amidst confusion over equalities legislation

There appeared to be some confusion from Labour councillors members last night when discussing the cuts in funding of faith events at Scrutiny Committee.  At first Cllr Lesley Jones said it had been a financial decision  and that the Equalities Act, previously cited as the reason for stopping funding of religious festivals, did not require the cessation of funding. The required Equalities Impact Assessment had been done after the initial report and further additional responsibilities had been published in April of this year. She said that some respondents in the Consultation had  said the festival grants were divisive.Under questioning she later said that both the equalities legislation and financial issues were prime factors in making the decision. Cllr Powney said that this was an Act of Parliament and not a matter of choice. He said that the Council could not decide to ignore it because of what people said during consultation: "Someone will need to explain why funding different religious groups at different rates is not discriminatory."

Addressing the public gallery, overwhelmingly consisting of Hindus concerned about the ending of the Navratri grant, Cllr Helga Gladbaum  reminded them of the support given by Brent Council when East African Asians fled Kenya and Uganda and came to settle in Brent. She said that the Council had funded a highly qualified Language Team that had helped children as they settled into Brent schools and the outcome was that our schools are now full of highly achieving children. She told them that times had changed and the Council could no longer afford the Navratri grants: "You are a proud people and are well able to organise events without holding out your hands for money. The money is needed for the elderly and for disabled children."

Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Lorber, who had called in the Executive decision, said that all Brent councillors were aware of the kind of comments they got on these issues and they shouldn't take these few comments into account while ignoring the wider number supporting the festivals. The negative comments were from an underlying 'element' that all councillors know about 'and we wouldn't tolerate racist comments'. He asked about the wider implications of the legislation for the work of Brent Council and whether any other areas were 'at risk' from the legislation. He gave the example of Stonebridge councillors who had financed Jamaica Day from ward working funds and Black History Month.

The Borough Solicitor, Fiona Edden, said that the Council had to pay 'due regard' regard to the legislation and the impact of decisions on 'protected groups' (1) . in consultation some groups had the perception that they were not being provided for. She said that if looked at historically this could be claimed to be the case. She said that the legislation (2)  was new and case law on it was still being developed and the law interpreted. It was clear that the libraries case was casting a long shadow over her comments.

Cllr Jones said that the fact that Navratri gets far more money than other, more modestly funded groups, could be seen as divisive. It was nobody's fault but a problem that had developed over the years. She defended spending on a team to promote corporate events, and extolled the virtues of one massive community 'Brent Celebrates' event. (3)

A speaker from the Hindu Council had earlier told the Committee that Brent was renowned all over London for its Navratri celebrations which was the biggest and best in the UK with thousands attending from the different communities. He said that cessation of funding would cause a loss of respect and goodwill and end the positive community engagement involved. He said the the Hindu Council would like to work with the Council on how to deal with the equalities legislation.

Lorber's motion asking the Executive to look again at their decision and its impact on a large section of the community. He called for the money being used for a special Events Unit to be distributed instead to community groups in line with the equalities legislation. He said that such community groups would be better at putting on events than the Council. His motion was lost.

1. Protected  characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.
2. Extract from the Equality and Human Rights Commission website:

With major reductions in public spending, organisations in Great Britain are being required to make difficult financial decisions. The equality duty requires public authorities to demonstrate that they are making financial decisions in a fair, transparent and accountable way, considering the needs and the rights of different members of their community. This is achieved through assessing the impact that changes to policies and practices could have on different protected groups.
The duty does not prevent public authorities from making difficult decisions such as reorganisations and relocations, redundancies, and service reductions, nor does it stop public authorities from making decisions which may impact on one group more than another group.
Assessing the impact on equality of proposed changes to policies, procedures and practices is not just something the law requires, it is a positive opportunity for public authorities to ensure they make better decisions based on robust evidence. The assessment does not necessarily have to take the form of a document called an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) but you can choose to do so if it is helpful. It will help you to demonstrate compliance if you:

• Ensure you have a written record of the equality considerations you have taken into account
• Ensure that your decision-making includes a consideration of the actions that would help to avoid or mitigate any negative impacts on particular protected groups.
• make your decisions based on evidence
• make your decision-making process more transparent

The equality duty is a legal obligation which should remain a top priority for public authorities, even in times of economic difficulty. Failure to meet the equality duty may result in public authorities being exposed to costly, time-consuming and reputation-damaging legal challenges.

3. Such events can be fraught with difficulty as it is often difficult to untangle cultural and religious strands and there is a danger of the format not respecting aspects of some cultures. It is probably an urban myth but at the extreme end is the story of the Japanese store that celebrated Christmas with a huge model of Santa on a cross. I worked for a primary headteacher a long while ago who was determined to have a 'multicultural Christmas' and was miffed when, at the height of the cultural revolution, the Chinese Embassy gave a shirty reply to her request for information on how the Chinese celebrated Christ's birth!

Little celebration in Brent this year

"Now, is Brent's strategy as good as mine was?"

Brent Council's Executive will tomorrow decide its policy on the funding of cultural events and festivals. Officers propose that the Council should stop funding any events that are not inclusive to all of Brent's diverse communities. Although the Council claims to be positive about the borough's diversity it will cease organising events for  Chunuka, St Patrick's Day, Eid, Diwali, LGBT Month and International Women's Day and will no longer fund Navratri or the Christmas lights.

Instead it proposes to organise one 'Brent Celebrates'  Event and to continue to provide fireworks night and Holocaust Memorial Day. I am still unclear how celebrating the failure of an attempt to blow up parliament and the burning of an effigy of a Catholic conspirator is 'inclusive to all Brent residents' - but there you go...

The report says that no major events were planned this financial year as this would have pre-empted the Council's decision. It also states that there is no time to programme any large events this year such as Respect, Countryside Day and Diwali because recruitment of specialist staff was put on hold pending the outcome of the report. No preparatory was has therefore taken place with communities and schools.

Officers suggest that this be treated as a 'transitional year; with a 'new inclusive programme' next year. They do suggest there could be some small scale events this year but these would have to take place within the reduced budget available.  With an eye on potential headlines they state that the Council is not stopping the celebration of any dates or events, and would be encouraging them - but these would have to be 'community led', which presumably also means community funded.

Before we all get too dreary, Brent whips its new all-purpose white rabbit out of the conjurers hat - cheer up everyone, the Civic Centre will save us all! From the summer of 2013 the Civic Centre's halls, galleries, garden and foyer will be able to host events for 'community and income generation purposes'. So there we are, Brent Council will be competing with the Wembley Arena. James Powney is going to be Brent's very own Simon Cowell

Council Executive delays festival decision but approves everything else in record time

There was a large delegation from Brent's Hindu community at the Council Executive last night to back up their 5,000 signature petition opposing the cutting of funding for Navratri celebrations and calling for the funding to be restored. There was also a petition to save the St Patrick's Day Parade which emphasised that the celebratiuons were for the 'benefit of the whole community'. See my earlier BLOG.

The Executive deferred the item until July.

There were also representations by carers and users over the 'Day Opportunities Strategy'  which involves the closure of the Crawford Avenue Centre and the reduction of adult social care opportunities for mental health.Some of those who attended told me they had little faith in the Council listening and changing its mind but nonetheless were determined to put up a fight.

The strategy was  voted through unanimously  as was everything else on the 16 item agenda and the meeting was completed in 35 minutes.

Brent Council Snuffs out the Lights

From Brent Council's website (last year)

Petitioners will be at the June 13th Executive to protest at the cuts of funding for festivals. They include 5,000 signatures to save Navratri and 110 to Save the St Patrick's Day Parade.

The Executive will vote on a 'no faith funding' approach that will even see the Christmas lights go out. In an ominous echo of David Cameron's strictures on the 'divisiveness'  of 'multiculturalism' the Council proposes to fund events which are 'inclusive of the whole diverse Brent Community' including a new 'Brent Celebrates' event.  However in the same paper it says that the new Civic Centre performance area and that of the rebuilt Willesden Green hub (if it goes ahead) will showcase Brent's diversity. Didn't Navratri etc do that? Is Guy Fawke's Night inclusive?

To be fair to the Council here is their justification for the preferred policy option:

Cease delivery of any faith-based events and deliver a reduced programme

Deliver one Brent Celebrates event (which is anticipated to be an event attracting up to 30,000 people) and continue to provide fireworks night and Holocaust Memorial Day. The council would also work with others in the community, to provide advice and guidance to resident groups to promote festivals and events they may identify.

This would mean the council ceasing its current events for Chanukah, St Patrick’s Day, Eid, Diwali, Christmas, St George’s Day, LGBT Month, International Women’s Day. It would also no longer fund Navrati or the Christmas/festive lights.

This option would enable the council to build on the support already provided to a number of events, festivals and activities delivered by community groups which is currently working well. This would meet the requirements identified in the Brent Cultural Strategy 2010-2015 of providing a key leadership role in developing partnerships with cultural providers. This support could include advice and, where appropriate, training. Savings of approximately £270,000 would be achieved in the first year. The consultation feedback does not oppose this option and does support festivals and activities that bring all communities together.