New Committee Chairs and members for 2013-14 approved at Council AGM

Brent Council's Annual Meeting this evening was enlivened by some well-deserved Community Champion Awards which went to a very representative range of Brent's diverse community. Lincoln Beswick,  in an often emotional speech, nominated Bobby Thomas as Brent's first Mayor of Jamaican origin. The significance of the occasion was marked by the presence of the Jamaican High Commissioner and even more by the crowd which came forward to record the moment on cameras and mobile phones.

Otherwise the evening was marked by a considerable amount of mutual political grooming on the last occasion in which the meeting will take place at Brent (formerly Wembley) Town Hall. The move to the Civic Centre will take place in mid-June.

The Executive and Committee positions were confirmed and the members of each of the main  committees is recorded below. The political balance is shown in brackets (Labour/Lib Dem/Conservative). In addition there are first and second alternates. Full details will be on the Council's website.

GENERAL PURPOSE (6/3/1)
Butt (Chair), Hirani, Mashari, J Moher, R Moher (VC), Pavey, Brown, Hopkins, Lorber, Kansagra

SENIOR STAFF APPOINTMENTS SUB-COMMITTEE (3/1/1) Important in light of senior officer restructuring)
Butt (Chair), Denselow, R Moher (VC), Lorber, Kansagra

PLANNING (7/3/1)
Aden, John (VC), Kabir, Kataria, Powney, Ketan Sheth (Chair), Singh, Cummins, Hashmi, CJ Patel, Baker

ONE COUNCIL OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (5/2/1)
Chohan, Harrison, Long, Mitchell Murray, Powney, Ashraf (Chair), Lorber, Colwill (VC)

BUDGET AND FINANCE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (5/2/1)
S Choudhary, Kataria (VC), RS Patel, Ketan Sheth, Van Kalwala, Brown, Hopkins (Chair), HB Patel

CALL-IN OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (5/2/1)
Daly, Jones (VC), Kabir, RS Patel, Krupa Sheth, Ashraf (Chair), Lorber, HB Patel

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY (5/2/1)
Aden, Al-Ebadi, Arnold, Gladbaum, Mitchell-Murray (Chair), Matthews (VC), CJ Patel, Kansagara
(There are also co-optees and observers on this comittee)

HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE (5/2/1)
Daly (Chair), Harrison, Hector, Hossain, Ketan Sheth, Hunter (Vice Chair), Leaman, Colwill

BRENT CONNECTS FORUMS - Chairs
HARLESDEN: Hector
KILBURN AND KENSAL: Oladapo
KINGSBURY  AND KENTON: RS Patel
WEMBLEY: Krupa Sheth
WILLESDEN: Jones

Reprise: The Battles of Kensal Rise and Preston Libraries

I thought that after today's news it was worth playing these videos again. Respect to the Kensal Rise and Preston campaigners and those from Barham and other libraries.

Butt and Pavey refuse to back Copland teachers' action against forced academy status

Well that didn't take long! Brent Council released this statement a few minutes ago:

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council has today urged teachers at Copland school not to go on strike, after they announced their intention to take action at a Governors meeting last night. Copland was placed in special measures by the Department of education earlier this month after it received a ‘failing’ Ofsted report. Under DfE rules, the School most now become an Academy.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council said:

“Nothing is more important than our children’s education. I am a trade unionist myself and hugely supportive of workers’ rights but our children’s education is at risk at Copland and strike action can only make things worse. I strongly urge all teachers at Copland to reconsider and to work together with me, children's parents and the Government to deliver the best possible outcome for the school.”

 Cllr Michael Pavey, Lead Member for Children and Families said:

“I am opposed to forcing Schools which are not failing to become academies, but this is simply not the situation at Copland. Our children deserve a better education than they are currently receiving there and no governance arrangement is more important than that. I urge teachers to stay at work and be part of the solution.”

Testing time for Pavey as Copland strikes against forced academy status

Cllr Michael Pavey, who took over as lead member for children and families at the weekend, has hardly filled up his ink well and manoeuvred his long legs under his desk, but already a big problem has landed in his lap.

Teachers at Copland High School have decided to strike next week on Thursday May 23rd in the first of what could be a sequence of actions over the DfE's decision announced yesterday to force the school into academy status.

Pavey, who has signalled a more robust approach to free schools and academies, will have to decide whether to support the staff, and possibly the governors, in resistance to forced academy status.

On Monday Cllr Pavey had a discussion with the Parent Action Group at Gladstone Park who have fiercely campaigned against a similar move at their schools. An extraordinary meeting of the Gladstone Park Primary School's governing tomorrow will hear a report-back on the recent meeting between some governors and Michael Gove which was held at the DfE.