Tulip Siddiq: The findings of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards in full

 Brent residents who were constituents of Tulip Siddiq when she was the MP for the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency, will have been following the alleged corruption story with interest. The findings of the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards are perhaps more nuanced than she claimed in her resignation letter yesterday. Here it is in full:

Anton Georgiou on his personal reasons for resigning as a Brent councillor

 

Cllr Anton Georgiou (Centre) speaking to residents in Alperton

From Cllr Anton Georgiou

Personal news from Anton Georgiou

 

Being the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Alperton has truly been the honour of my life. I became a campaigner locally in 2013 when I was 18 years old and have spent over a decade doing what I can to better the borough I love so much. For the last 5 years I have had the privilege to represent residents in Alperton on the Council - initially as the only elected Liberal Democrat and for the past two and a half years as the Leader of our small, but effective opposition group.

 

It has been quite a ride, with many highs and some lows, but I look back at this time with one overriding feeling - gratitude, for having been given the opportunity to do the role. 

 

It is with sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to resign from Brent Council. This is a personal decision, that has not been easy and in part due to a very traumatic experience that I have previously spoken out about.

 

Since my initial election in January 2020, I have been a strong opposition voice against a Labour Council in Brent that I continue to believe is failing local people and not delivering the level of service our community deserves. 

 

I have stood up to the Brent Council leadership time and time again, and have regularly faced attacks, some personal, that no one in public life should have to endure. The job of elected officials is to find the best solutions for residents and different views and opinions should be debated in an open and transparent way - there should be no place for these sorts of attacks, particularly from the leadership of the Council.

 

The Leader/ Cabinet model of Brent governance puts power in too few hands and stifles genuine open debate. This is leading to bad decision making in all areas.

 

But the opposition has not been for oppositions sake. I believe that mistakes continue to be made by the Labour Council that are having a detrimental impact on the lives of local people.

 

I have consistently opposed what seems to be never-ending development of monster tower blocks in Alperton and in the Wembley area. They are not delivering the type of housing local people desperately need and are causing misery for residents both newly moved into blocks and others in residential streets close by. Ongoing construction works cause traffic havoc in the area, parking chaos and persistent noise and othernuisance.

 

But above all, as I have said over and over – these new units are broadly not genuinely affordable to local people or in my view what Brent should be buildingwhich is - Council homes for Council tenants. Brent like every other local authority in London and across the UK is having to deal with record numbers of families on housing waiting lists and hundreds presenting at the Civic Centre every month as homeless or at risk of homelessness. 

 

Brent Council is far too weak in their dealings with developers. Both in terms of demanding a larger number of genuinely affordable units, this does not include Shared Ownership – which is not and should not be deemed as affordable, and also when holding them to account for poor quality build in new developments.

 

I commend the work Martin Francis (Wembley Matters) and others do in seeking to highlight Brent Council’s failings when it comes to bad and the wrong type of development. It is sad that many Labour members feel unable to stand up for their residents on this issue. Alperton has endured more than its fair share of large development, perhaps when the Council starts looking at development in other parts of the borough, members will feel obliged to speak out too.

 

The Labour administration is also failing to deal with the bread-and-butter issues. Our streets are dirtier than ever, a record confirmed by the BBC just last year, roads are riddled with potholes and pavements are broken and dangerous. I am not naïve to the financial situation local authorities face. But the promise of change that swept Labour into power in July has so far delivered very little for Brent Council or indeed local government generally. Keir Starmer’s government need to urgently address the crippling underfunding of local government and agree on a long-term financial settlement so that Brent and other Councils can better plan and manage finances.

 

One way the Labour government could immediately make the situation for Council’s better, is by easing restrictions on the use of Community Infrastructure Levy. In Brent, this could unlock tens of millions currently in the CIL pot that could be spent on dealing with local issues. I hope that the government will respond favourably to our suggestion that these changes should be made.

 

I want to commend the voluntary sector in Brent for everything they do. Picking up where local and national government is failing. Whether that is in delivering youth provision, providing care and support to the elderly, making community spaces available for all. It has been a pleasure to work with so many local groups and organisations – and I will miss this. The latest attack on the voluntary community sector from the Labour leadership in hiking up rents to un-affordable levels is a disgrace. I just hope the Council will better recognise the value and importance of volunteers and the voluntary sector and give it the genuine recognition and support it deserves.

 

I want to thank residents in Alperton. I have always given my all to the role of Councillor. It is a privilege to be elected and to represent local people. I have loved being able to help people, and proud of the work I have done to support some of the most vulnerable in the area. I have always tried my best and always given 100%. I am hopeful that residents in Alperton will lend their support to the prospective Liberal Democrat candidate, Charlie Clinton, to succeed me. I know he will be the type of Councillor Alperton needs and deserves.

 

Finally, to Brent – this is a very special borough. I was born here and have lived here my whole life. My family initially moved to Kilburn from Cyprus in the 1950’s. There is so much history and culture here – but I fear it is being lost and under attack by a Labour Council pursuing a gentrification agenda that does not take into account the communities that have called this part of London our home for decades. Many young people, like me, are being forced to consider moving out of the borough, we are being priced out. This is tragic and wrong. It is why we need elected Councillors in Brent who are willing to speak out, challenge and stand up for residents. We do not need more of the same, members whose loyalty is to the Labour Party, the leadership, rather than the people who elect them. 

 

It is my sincere hope that at the next set of Council elections in 2026 a wide range of people are elected in Brent who feel able and are willing to be strong voices for their communities. The role of a local Councillor is to serve and represent everyone in the ward they are elected to and always put residents first. I have done my best to fulfil this responsibility.

 

I wish the readers of Wembley Matters and everyone in Brent all the very best. 

 

Anton Georgiou

 

Imperial CEO Ian Dalton resigns to go to NHS Improvment with NW London NHS in turmoil

Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman of Imperial College Healthcare Trust, shocked those attending the Imperial Board meeting yesterday when he announced that CEO, Ian Dalton, was leaving his post after less than 5 months in the job. Imperial, which runs west London hospitals, will now have to begin the long and costly process of finding yet another CEO.

Ian Dalton has now moved to NHS Improvement as their new CEO. NHSI is the body that, only last month, knocked back capital investment plans to reconfigure health delivery in outer NW London on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence that these plans would work. This was the initial bid for capital funds to develop services which, local health bosses claim, would enable the safe closure of Ealing Hospital.

Dalton’s resignation followed almost immediately the well-attended and highly successful open event organised by Imperial management at Charing Cross Hospital. At that event Dalton outlined the excellent work being carried out at the hospital and gave an assurance that Charing Cross could not be closed in the foreseeable future without damaging public health. However, long-term closure plans have not been withdrawn by the CCGs in NW London: what we have is a ‘pause’, not a guarantee of the long-term future of Charing Cross as a major acute hospital.

The resignation occurs at a time of particular turbulence in upper management levels of the NW London NHS. Several key managers have left in recent months and other posts remain unfilled. Managers are caught between a government demand to cut costs even further and, among health professionals, a recognition of the growing need for better funded health services for a fast expanding population.

Merril Hammer, Chair of SOH, said she was stunned by the sudden departure of Ian Dalton. At the Imperial AGM held at St Pauls Church Hammersmith in September, he had outlined ambitious plans for engaging with the local health community.

Ms Hammer said:

I am, of course, pleased that Imperial has now declared a ‘pause’ on the closure but given the unprecedented pressure on the facilities at Charing Cross and the highly skilled committed staff there, health bosses need to stop long-term closure plans and not just ‘pause’ them.

Cara Davani leaving Brent Council to take a 'career break'

A Brent Council spokesperson today, said:

'Cara Davani, Director of HR and Administration, will leave the Council at the end of June. She intends to take a career break for a while.

The Council is grateful for the significant contribution that Cara has made over the last 3 years.

Mildred Philips will become interim Director of HR while we consider a range  of options for the provision of the Council's HR services.'

No confirmation yet that controversial senior officer is to leave Brent Council

I put in a request to Brent Council Press Office earlier today to ask them to confirm or deny rumours, from three different sources, that a controversial senior officer is to leave the Council's employment.

No response had been received by the end of the working day.

Leading environmentalist denounces Brent Council in resignation letter

Francis Henry, who has voluntarily supported the Brent Sustainability Forum, latterly as chair,for 6 years has resigned in protest at the sacking of one of the key environmental officers at Brent Council.

He has called on other members of the Forum to join him in  resigning and to consider making the forum website LINK independent of the council.

His letter to acting Chief Executive Christine Gilbert says:

CONSTRUCTIVE DISMISSAL  MARION HOFMANN

I  have been the Vice Chair initially and subsequently the Chair of the Brent Sustainability Forum (BSF) since 2008.

Together with others we have worked hard to help Brent Council to deliver on important environmental issues. We always had great support from Marion who was truly dedicated to the cause.

I and others are appalled how Brent Council and your senior officers have treated one of our colleagues who has contributed so much to public engagement and the promotion of environmental issues.

It would seem that as an organisation Brent Council and some of your officers in Environmental Services will do everything possible to get rid of good and trusted officers who understand how to work with local people and who are truly committed to the cause.

I am so disgusted by the conduct of Brent Council and the conduct of your senior officers that I am resigning as Chair of Brent Sustainability Forum and ceasing my involvement with anything involving your Council.

You and the whole Council should be ashamed in the way you treat your valued members of staff who have the trust and respect of the local community.