Shama Tatler appointed to Brent Cabinet Regeneration post

Rather oddly the above popped up on the Brent Council website before any public announcement.

Cllr Tatler replaces Cllr Roxanne Mashari in what many see as potentially the most powerful Cabinet post given the multi-million development projects in Wembley and Kilburn.

Tatler's back ground is in education and this is the area that brings her most passionate contributions to Council meetings.  Previously she has been tipped for the children and families portfolio.  The present children and families post-holder is Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murry who is currently relieved of the post. Council leader Muhammed Butt is currently managing the statutory element of the position.

A well-placed source suggested that two other councillors were offered the post, but turned it down, before Cllr Tatler accepted it.

Observers are puzzled that the 'hugely experienced' Aslam Choudry has been over-looked while others thought that Cllr Sabina Khan's business background made her a contender for the employment and skills aspects of the Regeneration portfolio.

Sabina Khan selected to fight Stonebridge ward

Sabina Khan at the Defend London's NHS demonstration

Sabina Khan, who made a good showing for the Brent Central parliamentary nomination, has been selected by Labour to stand for Stonebridge ward in the forthcoming local elections.

A vacancy arose when one of the women candidates dropped out earlier this year.

Labour selects Dawn Butler for Brent Central

Uniting behind Dawn?

Former Brent South MP Dawn Butler has been selected by Labour for the Brent Central seat, winning in the third round of voting. Butler lost to Sarah Teather in 2010.

Clearly more people like Marmite in Brent that I thought!

According to reliable sources Butler won narrowly from Sundar Thava, tipped by me as a possible outsider winner yesterday. There was only a handful of votes in it at the end of the day in which Sundar performed impressively but Dawn Butler was ahead on postal votes. Parmijit Dhanda and Sabina Khan were knocked out in the early stages.

With such a narrow margin the question is whether activists will line up behind Dawn Butler and get out on the streets for her. The prospect of another Tory or Coalition government may be enough to do the trick.

Runners, form and a tip for Labour's Brent Central race as it nears finishing line

So very soon Brent Central Labour Party members will be free of the emails, circulars, texts, and knocks on the door from the five hopefuls for the Brent Central parliamentary candidate nomination.

It's quite hard to tip a winner because my sources are all over the place and more keen to say why a particular candidate is unacceptable rather than who will make a great MP.

Even the LRC appears to have decided that none deserved a collective vote of support so individuals are going their own way. In the Green Party RON appears on all ballot forms. RON stands for re-open nominations and is chosen  if you feel none of the candidates are suitable or a wider field is needed. If Ron was standing in the Brent Central Labour ballot I think he may do quite well

Dawn Butler seems to be the Marmite candidate but some have been won over by her skills as a speaker and in debate. Sabina Khan has been working extremely hard, personally lobbying many individual members, but has also attracted quite a lot of background criticism. Parmijit Dhanda although plausible on the surface has a substantial number of detractors based on his record. Zaffar van Kalwala has his fans but apparently did not come over well in the interviews.  Sundar Thava was somewhat undermined by his own decision to put a photograph of himself wielding a machine gun  on his campaign website.

I can claim no inside knowledge but if I was to tip an outsider who may come through the field it would probably be Sundar Thavapalasundaram. He impressed at the Labour Party public meeting on Syria which seemed to allay some of the concerns over his military background and that photograph. His job as an NHS doctor has gained him respect as well as his position on the Fabian Society National Executive.  He appears to be a 'slow burner' who has gained ground over the last few week.

The Fabians are quite influential in Brent and amongst some of the Council Executive. Thava's Operation Black Vote mentor, Sadiq Khan, has also been a presence in Brent since Muhammed Butt's former political adviser, Jack Stenner, a Young Fabian, went to work for him.

Five to go on to Labour's Brent Central ballot

Labour's Brent Central Parliamentary Selection Committee has chosen five candidates to go on to the ballot of members after today's interviews, according to my sources.

The selected contestants are said to be the four candidates who got most nominations from wards and affiliates: Dawn Butler, Sabina Khan, Zaffar van Kalwala and Parmijit Dhanda plus Dr Sundar Thava who as I reported via Twitter this morning has had a late surge of support.

This information has not been officially confirmed.

The ballot outcome will not be known until December.

Meanwhile Dawn Butler has tweeted her congratulations to Uma Kumaran followed her selection as Labour PPC for Harrow East.

Sabina Khan, 'a unique combination', sends confident message to Brent Labour Party members

As Labour's Brent Central selection committee begins the task of interviewing candidates, Sabina Khan has sent this confident message out to Labour Party members:

Dear friends and members in Brent Central,

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your patience and support in considering me in your branch nominations recently.

Thanks to you I have been nominated in 5 out of 9 wards including the largest wards, as your preferred candidate and for giving me the most nominations out of all 38 candidates.

I am also grateful to have been nominated by the Co-operative Party and GMB Union and am truly honoured and humbled by members' support across Brent Central.
 
 A fresh start

I offer a unique combination of local roots, experience in business and family life coupled with strong Labour values and experience. I have knocked on thousands of doors in Brent over the years and as a mum and community activist have unrivalled understanding of local issues and know what it it takes to beat the Lib Dems.

Your support has shown that I am able to appeal to Labour members from all areas of the constituency and now, with your support, be the candidate who will appeal to the whole of Brent Central's electorate. 

If we want a different outcome from last time, we need to do things differently this time.

I am not fighting for any other seat nor seeking reselection to Parliament. Neither is it simply a stepping stone to Parliament but a desire to represent the community and area which formed me and where two generations of my family live.

As a local mum, campaigner, small business owner working with manufacturing industries and genuinely locally known politician I can win Brent Central back for Labour and keep it Labour.

I hope to meet you all in the coming weeks and am asking for your support and first preference in the upcoming candidate selection on 7th December.

Sabina Khan and Zaffar van Kalwala move ahead in the Brent Central race

Sabina Khan has overtaken Dawn Butler in the number of ward nominations for Brent Central tonight having been chosen by both Welsh Harp and Dudden Hill.  Zaffar van Kalwala got the male nomination in Dudden Hill and Dr Sundar Thava the Welsh Harp. Kalwala now has four nominations, equal to Dawn Butler, with Sabina Khan one ahead on five.

Patrick Vernon was a strong runner up in both Mapesbury and Dudden Hill.

Kingsley Abrams has been nominated by the GMB Central London Branch.

Tony McNulty and Sabina Khan were nominated by the Cooperative Party.

Ward Nominations Complete List
.

Ward	Female nomination	Male Nomination
Tokyngton	Dawn Butler	Zaffar Van Kalwala
Stonebridge	Butler	Kalwala
Harlesden	Butler	Kalwala
Willesden Green	Sabina Khan	Imran Ahmed
Kensal Green	Khan	Parmijit Dhanda
Dollis Hill	Butler	Liaquat Ali
Mapesbury	Khan	Mike Katz
Dudden Hill	Khan	Kalwala
Welsh Harp	Khan	Dr Sundar Thava

Cooperative Party nominates Khan and McNulty for Brent Central

Away from the ward nominations Labour Party affiliates also nominate their preferred candidates for the Brent Central parlimentary candidature.

The Cooperative Party has nominated Sabina Khan and Tony McNulty.

Mapesbury go for Katz and Khan for Brent Central Labour nomination

Th provisional ballot results for Mapesbury ward's nomination for Brent Central Labour Parliamentary Candidate  are Sabina Khan for the female candidate and Mike Katz the male candidate.

This leaves Dawn Butler one ahead of Sabina Khan across the wards and Zaffar van Kalwala as the only male candidate backed by more than one ward.

Dudden Hill and Welsh Harp decide tomorrow.

More Labour Brent Central nomination results

Parmijit Dhanda and Sabina Khan were nominated by Kensal Green ward as PPCs for Brent Central and Dawn Butler tweeted that she had one Harlesden with a big majority. Zaffar van Kalwala lost the male Harlesden nomination by one vote to Bobby Thomas who is currently Mayor of Brent.

Willesden Green opts for Khan and Ahmed for Labour's Brent Central PPC

As predicted earlier today the nomination results for Brent Central became more mixed tonight when Willesden Green ward nominated Sabina Khan as Labour's female nominee and Imran Ahmed as the male candidate.

Sabina Khan has worked hard during the campaign turning up at many events and demonstrations. She was a strong support of the Bin Veolia in Brent Campaign.

Defend London's NHS demo in pictures

Brent had a good showing for the Defend London's NHS demonstration today. Fightback supporters were out in force along with a least seven Brent Labour councillors including Muhammed Butt and Brent Central parliamentary hopefuls Sabina Khan and Patrick Vernon.

London Green Party also mobilised for the event and were in evidence throughout the march. Front de Gauche were with us at the start of the march.

from Coalition of Resistance

Brent Central hopeful calls for Labour to embrace entrepreneurship

Sabina Khan promised something different as a candidate for the Brent Central Labour nomination and her  post on Progress on-Line LINK is certainly that.

Writing as a 'businesswoman and Labour activist' she calls for Labour to embrace entrepreneurship to harness the energy and creativity of youth:

There is another way to approach this. It involves making use of the third sector and social enterprise to promote collaborative working with communities to offer a practical vision for young people to engage in the world of work. By establishing a single national social enterprise operating across the country, funded and supported by central government, with the remit to help young entrepreneurs in turning their ideas, passion and creativity into businesses generating income and profit and a livelihood for them.

In addition this would support community groups to focus on developing young people as potential entrepreneurs. If a young teenage mother has a passion and talent for clothes and fashion, the community group should have the tools and support in place to spot the opportunity and encourage her to pursue her passion through the social enterprise. This government-backed enterprise would utilise the services of industry specialists, able to help and develop people and their ideas based on their own knowledge and experience of starting and running businesses. This last point is important as it needs to be a body seen to be competent and being able to ‘walk the walk’ in delivering in its goals.

It is often said that the best ideas and successful businesses arise during hard times.  Labour needs to position itself as the party of choice for young people by offering hope and a vehicle for their aspirations through innovative models such as this. By implementing this entrepreneurship scheme in conjunction with Labour's youth job guarantee, this will offer a real chance for everyone which breaks away from the idea that jobs are made only within the confines of existing businesses. Labour should commit itself to helping young people start their own businesses in this way.

There is only one comment so far on the article but the individual concerned seems to be well aware of Sabina's ambitions:

I can tell from your article you are a no non sense person and an Innovative Leader. Please take my word and do - become a politician. Britain needs people like you.

I felt the conviction, passion, attitude and strenght when I read your article and hope your idea can become a policy for the next Labour Goverment.

If I was eighteen years old or parents of an eighteen year old and you were my Member of Parliament candidate or your policy was on the table I will vote for you any day because I know you will make a difference to my life.

Frontrunners emerge in Labour battle for Brent Central nomination

Patrick Vernon and Catherine West are emerging as front runners in the contest for Labour's selection of a candidate to challenge Sarah Teather in Brent Central at the 2015 General Election.

Cllr Roxanne Mashari who was mentioned in early speculation confirmed this morning that she will not be standing. Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala, butt of frequent teasing about his job at an investment bank in the City but with excellent local credentials, has yet to reveal his hand. Sabina Khan is also holding back but promises a different,  if not unique, campaign. Amina Ali is due to address a Labour meeting soon and Dawn Butler has arranged a private Brent Central viewing of Ken Loach's Spirit of 45 in Harlesden on April 29th sponsored by the GMB and LFC.

Catherine West's address  to the Kensal Green ward meeting impressed a number of Labour Party members of different tendencies who are usually at loggerheads.  It was her record as a 'doer' with the policy giving free school meals to all Islingon Primary children a real winner, that convinced some of the audience that she had sufficient weight to take on Teather.

Her approach can be seen from this extract from her address to the Labour Local Government Conference:

If Labour are to return to power in 2015, I don’t think any of us are naïve enough to believe spending will return to pre-2010 levels. In the short term the next Labour government need to reverse the Tory policy of hitting the poorest areas hardest.

However, a message we all need to be communicating as local authority representatives is that the current model of local government needs to change. The financial model does not work anymore. We need a new relationship between central and local government that recognises WE are the people who know our own areas best and we are the people who should lead them. Going forward this means three things:

First, it is vital that the future way of funding social care is decided quickly with defined financial responsibilities for the individual, the NHS and local government. Without this, all Councils will be bankrupt within a decade. Thankfully Andy Burnham has already announced that Local Government will play a role in integrating social care and acute care and Liz Kendall is in conversation with us as local leaders about the exact design of that commissioning.

Second, recognise the limitations of national employment programmes and devolve the budgets and responsibilities to local councils either individually or as part of a consortium such as the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities or Central London Forward. Once again local government’s intimate knowledge of our areas and their jobs market makes us well placed to lead on getting local people into work.

Third, generate economic growth through much needed housing and infrastructure projects. But crucially, to allow more flexibility than the last Labour Government over the procurement of this work so all of the contracts don’t go to the usual same few major construction companies and myriad sub-contractors that leach money and jobs out of local areas.

Communication matters. Our experience shows that when we focus on the issues that resonate in our communities and we communicate a clear alternative to the governments slash and burn approach we can win the support of local people. This will help pave the way for a Labour government in 2015.

'A breath of fresh air' and 'a real person' to fight it out with Dawn

The fight for Labour's nomination for Brent Central looks set to gain national prominence as The Voice LINK profiles the three front runners: Patrick Vernon ('a breath of fresh air'), Amina Ali  ('a real person') and Dawn Butler for whom The Voice gives no details except that she is a former MP.  An indication perhaps of the paper's assessment of the candidates.

Neither of the local candidates, Cllr Zaffar Van Kalwala or Sabina Khan are mentioned, nor the leader of Islington Council, Catherine West LINK said to have been approached by some local Labour Party activists.

The Voice quotes a local Labour source as suggesting the selection process could begin as early a September which could see the selection process for Labour council candidates running concurrently. A number of veteran councillors are expected to stand down.

What might be an excellent testing ground for the parlaimentary as well as the council candidates would be getting out on the street for a by-election and seeing how they go down with the electorate.

With a year to go before the council election won't the Reverend David Clues currently enjoying life in Brighton do us all a favour and resign, opening the way for a mini-contest in Dudden Hill?

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.