Barred by Democratic Services from entry to Brent Council meeting

I am sorry to disappoint readers who were expecting a blow by blow account of the Annual Council Meeting tonight. Brent  Democratic Services refused me admission despite the Agenda clearly stating 'The press and public are welcome to attend this meeting'.

I was told that I could only attend by invitation and the the meeting was mainly ceremonial.  I pointed out the wording on the agenda and that  Item 5 involved changes to the constitution which affected petitions.  I also wanted to observe the vote for the new leader. I was told there wouldn't be debate on the constitutional amendment  but  if space was found I might be let in.  However the Democratic Services Officer concerned never returned to the lobby and security were not letting anyone through.

The Council were clearly expecting trouble and I heard the Democratic Services Officerr briefing the police that disruption was expected over the the vote for the new leader. Half a dozen police and about the same number of PCSOs  were present as well as AA security.

I retired to the Torch with friends and enjoyed a pint of delicious Doom Bar bitter from Cornwall which was probably more pleasurable.

On the way home I bumped into Cllr Michael Pavey, my opponent in the Barnhill by-election, who admitted that being barred by Democratic Services from watching democracy in action was 'a bit ironic'.

He told me that everything had gone through smoothly except for a spat about political representation on Brent Housing Partnership.

No a new dawn for democracy in Brent...

Kensal Rise emptying stopped after protests

Outside Kensal Rise Library earlier today

The local press are now reporting that after protesters tried to prevent council officers removing books and equipment from Kensal Rise, and after telephone conversations with Brent Council leader-elect Muhammed Butt, that the emptying has been stopped.

Further information:

KILBURN TIMES


WEMBLEY AND WILLESDEN OBSERVER

Butt: Libraries 'not an issue' in leadership change

In an interview with Michael R Goss of BNCTV LINK incoming Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt  says that the library closure controversy was 'not an issue' in the leadership change which saw him ousting Ann John.  He said the change was 'democracy in action'.

He defended the Civic Centre project and the Willesden Green regeneration and said that the library closure programme was forced on the Council by the Coalition's funding cuts. The interview was conducted yesterday before the Council emptied the Kensal Rise Library. He said that  no action can be taken on Kensal Rise until the outcome of the reverter to All Souls but that once in office he will respond the various e-mail from campaign groups.

In a key passage outlining how he would be different to Ann John he said:

What I want to do is take stock of what we're doing at the moment and see what we need to do taking into consideration the budget we've just implemented.  The we need to engage with our councillors, especially between the front bench and the back benchers - get them involved in the decision making process so everyone has an input and also I want to have more engagement with out residents and the electorate, listen to them rather than just sort of blindly defending our decisions.

I want to be able to go out to them, reach out to them, explain to them as to why we've taken the decisions we have.

Asked if this was an issue in the library controversy he said:

We should have got our messages a bit more clearer and that's why I'm saying we want to engage with people. I think our communication with the library campaigns, the electorate and perhaps within the Council, could have been a lot clearer and we could have explained things in simple terms, easier terms and expressed the enormity of the £32m cuts we had to make.

Muhammed Butt said that the resignation of the Labour Chief Whip was just a matter of taking advantage of the AGM. He expressed confidence in Cllr Shafique Choudhary, the new whip, and said he was confident that the Labour Group would get behind his leadership despite the close 21 to 19 vote.

Butt says he was not aware of Kensal Rise empyting plans but declines to visit scene

The Kilburn Times reports on today's events HERE

They quote Butt as saying:

I am in the process of trying to ascertain exactly what is going on but I am not the leader of the council yet and don’t become the leader until tomorrow so I need to work to find out why this is happening.

I will however be willing to speak to the campaigners in the future about possibly moving forward with All Soul’s and the best way to progress with this.