WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
Monday, 1 September 2014
Preston Library Fundraising Quiz Tonight
From Preston Library Campaign
We are now working hard on plans for a new library in Carlton Avenue East: these quizzes are currently our main source of funds, and we need your support more than ever. We hope to see lots of you this evening.
We are now working hard on plans for a new library in Carlton Avenue East: these quizzes are currently our main source of funds, and we need your support more than ever. We hope to see lots of you this evening.
Midday today deadline for addressing Brent's Full Council Meeting on September 8th
Brent Council sent out a tweet on Friday advertising the 5 minute slot at Full Council meetings where the public can address the Council:
Brent Council @Brent_Council ·
Brent Council @Brent_Council ·
Speak
out to the whole council. Ask for a five-min slot (a deputation) @ full
council. For 8 Sept email committee@brent.gov.uk by noon Mon.
The deputations are made under Standing Order 39:
Deputations. (a) Deputations may be made by members of the public. Each deputation shall last not more than 5 minutes and there shall be a maximum of 3 deputations at any one council meeting on different subject matters. There shall be no more than one deputation made by the same person or organisation in a 6 month period and no repetition of the subject.. (b) Any deputation must directly concern a matter affecting the borough and relate to a Council function. Deputations shall not relate to legal proceedings or be a matter which is or has been the subject of a complaint under the Council’s complaints processes. Nor should a deputation be frivolous, vexatious, or defamatory. The Director of Legal and Procurement shall have discretion to decide whether the deputation is for any other reason inappropriate and cannot proceed.. (c) Any person wishing to make a deputation shall give written notice to the Director of Legal and Procurement of the title and summary of the content of the deputation not less than 5 days before the date of the meeting.. (d) If more than three deputations are received a ballot will take place three days before the Council meeting to select the deputations to be presented before the Council.
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Councillors' allowances to be increased at next Council meeting plus who will Labour appoint as Tory leader?
There will be a Full Brent Council meeting on September 8th, only the second since the elections in May. The first proved controversial with constitutional changes voted through and then later backbench concern about what had been agreed - especially the reduction in Scrutiny committees.
The meeting was noteworthy also for the public split in the Conservative opposition with the three Tories in Brondesbury Park declaring independence from those in Kenton.
That issue will rear its head again when the Council (56 Labour, 6 Tories and one Lib Dem) vote to decide which of the two Tory factions should be the Principal Opposition Group for the purposes of allowances. Perhaps Central Office will mediate before they expose themselves to ridicule.
Fiona Ledden's paper on allowances that will be put before the Council includes increases in allowances but Ledden claims that they remain some of the lowest in London and below those recommended by an independent review.
The recommendations (previous allowance in brackets) include:
There are clearly debatable issues such as the additional whips for the Labour group but as someone who has been a trade unionist since the age of 16 I am not going to fulminate against these proposals. It is right that people should get the rate for the job and carried out properly these are very responsible positions.
However, as an electorate we know that there is varying performance by councillors in terms of the effectiveness of their casework, including basic tasks such as responding to correspondence and attending surgeries, as well as issues around Cabinet and Committee members making sure they have read and understood the relevant papers thoroughly.
Furthermore there have been problems around attendance records at Council meetings in the past and we deserve our councillors' full-time commitment to their job.
Most workers go through appraisal procedures and teachers are now subjected to performance related pay. Perhaps councillors should be accountable to an annual ward citizens' panel between elections to ensure that they are giving value for money?
That is why the Recall proposal of the Make Willesden Green Campaign in the local elections, which the Green Party alone of the parties contesting the election supported, was so important.
Above views and any responses to comments are in a personal capacity. The Brent Green Party has not yet discussed these proposals.
The meeting was noteworthy also for the public split in the Conservative opposition with the three Tories in Brondesbury Park declaring independence from those in Kenton.
That issue will rear its head again when the Council (56 Labour, 6 Tories and one Lib Dem) vote to decide which of the two Tory factions should be the Principal Opposition Group for the purposes of allowances. Perhaps Central Office will mediate before they expose themselves to ridicule.
Fiona Ledden's paper on allowances that will be put before the Council includes increases in allowances but Ledden claims that they remain some of the lowest in London and below those recommended by an independent review.
The recommendations (previous allowance in brackets) include:
The basic allowance for all 63 councillors £10,000 (£7,974)There are a number of other allowances, many of which remain unchanged, that can be found on the Council website HERE
Additional Allowances
Following the replacement of the Executive by the smaller Cabinet, the two allowances saved will be shared amongst the Cabinet members £18,711 (£14,969)
The Leader of the Council £38,964 (£35,222)
Deputy Leader £28, 397 (£24,655)
Chief Whip majority party £5,473 (no change)
Two additional Deputy whips for the majority party are proposed £2,113 where their majority exceeds 50%. Previously there were whip allowances of £5,473 for the other two parties. They appear to have been abolished.
Group leader of the Principal Opposition £12,658 (no change but no deputy principal oppositon group leader allowance.)
Principal Opposition Group Allowance £2,113 (n/a)
There are clearly debatable issues such as the additional whips for the Labour group but as someone who has been a trade unionist since the age of 16 I am not going to fulminate against these proposals. It is right that people should get the rate for the job and carried out properly these are very responsible positions.
However, as an electorate we know that there is varying performance by councillors in terms of the effectiveness of their casework, including basic tasks such as responding to correspondence and attending surgeries, as well as issues around Cabinet and Committee members making sure they have read and understood the relevant papers thoroughly.
Furthermore there have been problems around attendance records at Council meetings in the past and we deserve our councillors' full-time commitment to their job.
Most workers go through appraisal procedures and teachers are now subjected to performance related pay. Perhaps councillors should be accountable to an annual ward citizens' panel between elections to ensure that they are giving value for money?
That is why the Recall proposal of the Make Willesden Green Campaign in the local elections, which the Green Party alone of the parties contesting the election supported, was so important.
Above views and any responses to comments are in a personal capacity. The Brent Green Party has not yet discussed these proposals.
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