While his colleague Muhammed Butt was being grilled at Brent Town Hall James Powney faced a roasting at Kilburn Library. LINK
The occasion was the launch of veteran feminist and anti-racist Selma James' new publication, Sex, Race and Class: The perspective of winning. Cllr Powney was adopting a low profile in the audience. He might have been warned of what was to come if he had read Brent Council's press release on the event which included this quote from Selma James:
The audience rose up up against the slight figure and angrily denounced Brent Council, library closures and capitulation to the cuts. Powney sarcastically said, 'Yes I am the evil architect of these library closures. I am going to defend myself' and gesturing to the refurbished library, boasted of IT resources, new books and increased borrowing.
Needless to say the audience was not convinced.
The occasion was the launch of veteran feminist and anti-racist Selma James' new publication, Sex, Race and Class: The perspective of winning. Cllr Powney was adopting a low profile in the audience. He might have been warned of what was to come if he had read Brent Council's press release on the event which included this quote from Selma James:
I’m pleased to be talking with my community in our library and to support libraries as centres of learning and culture in every community. We need the libraries for our ongoing education to which we are all entitled.When Selma started by stressing the importance of libraries and condemned Brent Council's closures of half the borough's libraries a member of the audience stood up and pointing to James Powney said, 'We have the architect of the library closures in the audience here, Councillor James Powney, I hope he will listen and take note of some of the anger and outrage that residents feel about these library closures.'
The audience rose up up against the slight figure and angrily denounced Brent Council, library closures and capitulation to the cuts. Powney sarcastically said, 'Yes I am the evil architect of these library closures. I am going to defend myself' and gesturing to the refurbished library, boasted of IT resources, new books and increased borrowing.
Needless to say the audience was not convinced.
