Brent Council hails commercialisation and technological innovation as its potholes multiply

Sometimes we humble residents are unaware of how Brent Council is promoting itself outside the borough. Perhaps our experience of broken pavements, unfilled potholes, flytips, uncollected waste bins, unanswered telephone calls to the council, trouble free approval for nasty new developments and dodgy decision making blinds us to the shiny new world that the Council is busily building in public relations land.

Stephen Hughes gave delegates to the Local Government Association Conference a glimpse of that brave  new world when he spoke on a panel on 'commercialisation' LINK

Stephen Hughes, interim director of resources at Brent Council in London, said that IT had the capacity to transform services “in lots of different ways”.

However, he said that, although it was better to improve IT, “you can do an awful lot even if yours is not the best”. Councils could still get a lot out of commercialisation by rethinking their approach to services, he said, even if their IT offering could be improved.

Hughes said that his council was using shared services as a route to commercialisation. He noted that Brent are running the IT for the London General Assembly and Lewisham, as well as running the registration and nationalisation for Barnet and were in discussions for doing the same with Harrow.

All the speakers at the event stressed that, although commercialisation had been driven by increased austerity, it was something that councils would be working on anyway.

Advice for councils on how to increase revenue in this way included exploiting their brand and public trust - which Hughes said was important when getting involved in commercial enterprises – and focusing on customer needs.

Over at Community Care Magazine Brent Council extolls the range of gizmos that Brent Coucil offer in an advertorial LINK I hope sharp-eyed readers can spot the typo which exposes a deeper truth about the borough (and why is the borough referred to as 'Wembley' - rebranding?  That will get Kilburnite gnashing their teeth!):

iPhones, iPads and Zipcars, typically once-in-a-blue-moon luxuries, are the norm for their social workers. They enable them to work more flexibly and recently revamped their work environment into a high-tech Civic Centre. Which of course are much-deserved conveniences for social workers and signs that Brent care about their employees. It’s why they are one of the country’s 5% of employers to be awarded a Silver level Investors n People accreditation.

But crucially, these tools also unlock a better quality of care. They mean that social workers can spend less time in the office and more with the children and families that need their help. The iPad even provides a useful engagement tool, with games that can, for example, help a troubled child to open up. To serve Wembley, one of Britain’s most ethically, economically and socially diverse boroughs, arming social workers with a suite of such exercises is a major boost.

Thanks to Alan of Kilburn Unemloyed Workers Group  for drawing this item to my attention.

Brent Central Labour Party GC backs Corbyn's leadership

Dawn Butler with Jeremy Corbyn

I understand Brent Central Labour Party General Committee, attended by some of the new young members, last night voted to support Jeremy Corbyn by 50 votes to 16 with one abstention..

This follows the statement below by Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent Central, on the leadership issue. Although she voted 'Yes' in the confidence vote I draw your attention to the passage I have put in bold which looks like a possible get out clause for the future. LINK:

This means that at present all three Brent MPs (Barry Gardiner, Tulip Siddiq and Dawn Butler) are backing  Corbyn.

Many Brent Central constituents have recently contacted me concerning the potential leadership challenge within the Labour Party. I am responding to make clear to you my position as the Labour MP for Brent Central.

I must start by putting on the record it is unfortunate that the Labour Party has conducted itself in this way. I have been so truly shocked by the events that have taken place these past weeks and I truly regret that we are in the situation we now find ourselves.

Following the EU referendum result, I believe the country is critically divided and in need of political leadership.

Many constituents have been in touch to ask how I voted in the ‘no confidence’ motion held recently by the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). The exact question we were asked is ‘Do you have confidence in Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Labour Party?’ to which I voted ‘Yes’.

I voted yes for two reasons.

Firstly, Jeremy Corbyn became Leader of the Labour Party at a time when the Acting Leader, Harriet Harman, was trying to force MP’s to vote for some of the most draconian legislation that this country has ever seen. The attack on the working classes was palpable and we were supposed to support these measures. I just could not understand the logic. However since Jeremy Corbyn has become Leader I have had no such disagreements with the stance he has taken against the Tories and their legislation. We have fought them at every turn having inflicted heavy defeats and gained concessions on the Trade Union Bill, Housing & Planning Bill, Investigatory Powers Bill. The Government have backed down on devolving Sunday Trading, forced academisation as well as on child refugees in the Immigration Bill.

Having inflicted all of these defeats on the Government, we cannot afford now to allow the Conservative Party and the new Prime Minister free reign in Parliament at such a crucial time. There are people up and down the country struggling under the Conservatives who need a Labour Party holding this Government to account.

Secondly, Jeremy Corbyn was democratically elected as the Leader of the Labour Party with the largest mandate of any Leader in the history of the Labour Party. However it is important to note that although Jeremy’s policies are suitable for the Leader of the Labour Party a Prime Minister does require additional qualities. Any Leader needs to bring its MP’s and the party as a whole along with them and I believe we need to be a strong and effective opposition.

There are people in communities up and down this country who are struggling under this Conservative Government’s savage cuts to public services and welfare spending who need a united Labour Party able to hold the new Conservative Prime Minister to account. So too as we seek to renegotiate our place in Europe following the leave vote in the referendum we have an obligation to the British people to secure the best deal possible.

In my view Theresa May will likely win the Conservative leadership race and will be a robust and powerful leader of her party. The Labour Party cannot be weak and we need all of our Labour MPs working together.

I want to assure you that I am actively speaking to colleagues within Parliament and the trade unions to try and reach an amicable solution which keeps the Labour Party together. Whilst I do not know how these events will unfold in the coming days and weeks I do know that I will continue to argue for calm and party unity. 

Warm Regards,
Dawn

Penn report on Tayo Oladapo to go to Council on Monday

The Independent Investigator's report into the circumstances surrounding the death of Cllr Tayo Oladapo will be presented to full Council on Monday. A separate report concerning a complaint against Cllr Muhammed Butt will be presented at a later date.

Penn writes:

In addition to this review of the events and the process I have been appointed by the Council’s Monitoring Officer to investigate a Members’ Code of Conduct complaint about the conduct of Councillor Muhammed Butt. Councillor Butt is the Leader of the Council and Leader of the majority Labour Group. In broad terms, it is alleged that Councillor Butt apparently misled the Council over the death of former Councillor Oladapo. I have been asked to investigate a number of issues and prepare a separate standards investigation report which will be considered by the Council’s Standards Committee.

Inevitably, this general review will overlap with the standards investigation and therefore the two reports are bound to contain some of the same information. However, they are intended to serve distinct purposes and will be reported accordingly.

Richard Penn's conclusions and recommendations: (LINK)

My review of the key events from the perspectives of the Council officials involved is set out in paragraphs 2.1 to 2.17 above.

My review has established:

1.     the information and facts known and understood by key officers and members of the Council throughout the relevant period and how this was formally reported at meetings of Full Council. 
It is clear that the reports presented to meetings of the Full Council from March 2015 to September 2015 and that led to approval of continued absence on the grounds of ill-health relied heavily on information that was provided by the Leader and other councillors who were in regular contact with Councillor Olapado including through visiting him in hospital. The real problem occurred at the beginning of 2016 when Councillor Oladapo left hospital and then suffered a relapse after the organ transplant. From that point on his whereabouts and situation were unknown so the information that was used in the report to the Full Council in February 2016 was based on hearsay and assumptions that were the only basis on which the recommendations for continued leave of absence could be made in good faith. 

2.     whether further or better information could reasonably have been obtained about former Councillor Oladapo prior to the meeting of Full Council on 22 February 2016; 
The report to Full Council on 18 January 2016 had requested approval for further absence by Councillor Oladapo following an organ transplant, but the week before the Council meeting the Council Leader had told her that Councillor Oladapo had been readmitted to hospital. At the pre meeting before the next Council meeting on 22 February 2016 the Leader referred to Councillor Oladapo’s further absence saying that he had not heard from Councillor Oladapo or his family but that he had become aware that Councillor Oladapo was no longer at the Royal Free Hospital. Councillor Butt said that he understood that Councillor Oladapo’s health had deteriorated and that his mother had taken Councillr Oladapo to die. The Chief Executive advised that she considered that the Council 
should now let Councillor Oladapo’s membership of the Council lapse and that a further report should not be submitted to the Council. The Chief Executive accepted the consensus view that this was inappropriate and reported to the Full Council meeting on 22 February 2016 that Councillor Oladapo was still unable to attend meetings due to his ill- health. The Council approved the recommendation that Councillor Oladapo’s absence from meetings be approved on the basis of his ongoing ill-health subject to review if required at the Annual Council meeting in May 2016. The report was approved on this basis. The Chief Executive said that the report was written on the understanding that Councillor Oladapo’s ill health was ongoing but in fact there had been a deterioration in his health which resulted in his return to hospital, and by the time of the Council meeting in February it was believed that he had returned to his family in Nigeria to pass away. This was not, however, confirmed and so would have been inappropriate to put in a public report. The Chief Executive’s view is that the Full Council considered and approved Councillor Oladapo’s ongoing absence in good faith based on what was known on that date and what was said in the report.

My conclusion is that these were very difficult and unusual circumstances – a young councillor but seriously ill and hospitalised, living on his own with no partner and no family members living in the UK and who were seemingly unresponsive to requests for information and uncommunicative about their relative’s situation. In my view no further or better information could reasonably have been obtained by the Council about former Councillor Oladapo’s situation before the Council meeting in February 2016.

3.  what, if anything, the Council could have done differently or better at the time; 

Given all the circumstances as set out in my review it is difficult to see what the Council could have done differently or better at the time. There was clearly uncertainty and a lack of reliable information about Councillor Oladapo’s whereabouts or situation in early 2016 and the Chief Executive had advised at the pre meeting for the February Council that she considered that the Council should now let Councillor Oladapo’s membership of the Council lapse and that a further report should not be submitted to the Council. However, the mood of the meeting was not to allow Councillor Oladapo’s membership of the Council to lapse.

4.  what, if any, lessons the Council should take from this experience; and 

In my view the particular circumstances in this case were unique and it is unlikely that the Council will ever have to deal with a similar case in the future. Each case should be dealt with on its facts and it is not necessary to devise a detailed procedure in an attempt to deal with any eventuality that might occur in an increasingly diverse and complicated world, based on what were a fairly unique set of circumstances. However, my review has identified some issues that warrant further consideration as set out in the next paragraph.

5.  what, if any, improvements the Council should implement. 

i.       the checks and balances to identify members at risk of breaching the six months rule already in place (as described in paragraph 2.15 of this Report) seem appropriate and proportionate. 


ii.     the Council’s current procedure for dealing with proposals for extension of absence also seems appropriate and should continue, but reports recommending extensions should be presented to Council only following consultation between the Chief Executive, the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Member and Executive Services and the relevant Group Whip. Councillors understandably rely on the content of those reports in agreeing to the continued absence of a colleague so they need to be able to rely on the integrity of any such report. it is crucially important, given the recent experience, that the most reliable information is obtained by officers and provided in the report. In most cases this will be quite straightforward but there will be cases in the future when additional effort by officers is required to establish the facts so far as possible. 


iii.    those members who are potentially likely to breach the six months rule because of their non-attendance should be given written notice of this by Members Services as soon as it becomes known through the various checks and balances. 


iv.    any report recommending extension of absence, and in particular the recommendation itself, should make clear whether the member’s absence is being approved indefinitely, until a specific date only or perhaps contingent on the member being required to take some action, for example providing further information. 


v.     consideration should be given as to whether every member of the Council should sit on a sub committee or committee as well as Full Council to improve the potential for attendance and thereby avoid the possibility of breaching the six months rule. This could also obviate the current practice of using the substitution arrangements to enable members to avoid breaching the six months rule. 


vi.    consideration should be given to whether councillors should be required to provide medical certificates just as Council staff are required to do to prove the reason for absence on ill health. 


vii.  consideration should be given as to whether the same approach should be used both in cases of terminal illness and in cases of continuing ill health. 
 

viii. consideration should be given to how cases in which childbirth, both pre and following the actual birth, is the cause for extended absence should be dealt with, and whether this applies to members who are partners in such circumstances. 


ix.    consideration should be given to other reasons for potential extension of absence including the illness of a partner or family member, and work commitments involving periods abroad 


x.     consideration should be given to the way in which ‘apologies for absence’ are managed. Currently there is no requirement for the member concerned to tender their apologies directly or personally as these can be tendered on their behalf by another member or an officer. 


Richard Penn


Neasden? No - Never! Oh yes it is! Neasden festival on Saturday

Teachers' commitment to children & determination to challenge government policies shines through on Tuesday's march

Lucas: Chilcot proves Blair lied about reasons for going to war - Stop the War meeting tomorrow

Caroline Lucas the Green party MP, said today that the report is 'damning' and shows that Blair and colleagues 'lied' to the public about their reasons for going to war.

She said:

“Chilcot’s report is damning for Blair, his cabinet and all those MPs who voted to take this country into an illegal and immoral war in Iraq. Iraqis continue to pay the price for an invasion that took place long before other options for a peaceful resolution were explored. 

"This report confirms the series of serious failures that led to this disastrous war. We know for sure that Government Ministers, including Tony Blair, lied to the public about their reasons for going to war. He said he would support George Bush ‘whatever’ eight months before the war – and thousands of lives were lost because he stuck to that promise despite the evidence in front of him.

“This report confirms that Blair had indeed decided to back the Iraq war far earlier than he has previously admitted. His claim that it was a war solely to eradicate WMDs is now in tatters. Blair knew he would never have garnered enough support for regime change, so he lied to Parliament and the Public to invade Iraq.

“We can now see the consequences of this horrific war: many thousands of civilians dead, hundreds of British troops killed and injured and continued civil wars raging across the Middle East.

"Ultimately we should have never needed this report because MPs should have taken note of the clear evidence presented to them and voted against the war. There's no doubt that Tony Blair should take much of the responsibility for this disaster - but every MP who closed their ears and eyes to the facts and voted for the war should now publicly apologise.

"411 MPs walked through the lobbies to vote alongside Blair for the Iraq war - and both parties need to take responsibility for that. The Prime Minister is the only leader in Westminster to have voted for the war and he should apologise in full for doing so.

"Parliamentary and constitutional failures are a constant feature in this report. The relevent checks and balances were not in place and we need to urgently explore how we can better hold the executive to account in this country. 

"Moving forward from today it's crucial that we learn lessons. That's why I'm demanding that the Prime Minister today joins me in calling for all future votes on military intervention to be unwhipped - so MPs use the facts and their conscience as their guide rather than threats from their party machinery."

Stop the War Coalition responded to the Chilcot Report with this statement:

The Chilcot report is a damning indictment of Tony Blair and those around him who took us to war in Iraq.

The report vindicates Stop the War and all we have been campaigning for over the years.  This report would not have happened without our campaigns and our ceaseless demands for Blair to be held to account.

It clear that Blair used lies and deception to get his way, that the war was unnecessary and illegal and that everything was done to ensure it went ahead.

The victims are the Iraqis, those soldiers who died and were injured, but also the whole political system traduced by this process.

The anti-war movement and the millions who marched were vindicated by this report and we now demand justice.

We welcome the fact that this report is so damning but for us this is not the end but the beginning. Meetings should be held in every town and city around the country. There must be legal sanctions against Tony Blair and he should no longer be considered fit for any office.

If you are in London, join us tomorrow (7 July) at the People's Response to Chilcot public rally at Mary Ward House at 7pm

Reacting to the publication of the Chilcot Report, Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, said:

“The Green Party believes the report’s final confirmation that the Iraq war was ‘not a last resort’ and that the British government decided to invade before all the peaceful options had been exhausted is a verdict that must produce action. We must not just say 'never again' but act to make that fact.

“That the judgements about the severity of threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were presented with a certainty that was not justified is simply inexcusable. Never again must the executive be able to lead us to war based on massaged information.

“And never again should MPs be told how to vote on such a critical matter. The Government should, immediately, announce that all future military interventions will have unwhipped votes in the House of Commons. We must never again see MPs being cajoled into voting along party lines when their conscience tells them otherwise. No MP should answer when asked why they voted for war 'I was told to.'

"Those MPs must be given genuinely independent legal advice about the legality of the action. They must know it is their responsibility to act legally, and that they could face sanction if they don't live up to it."

Speaking from Westminster, Shahrar Ali, Green Party Deputy Leader, said:

"The Green Party is resolutely committed to finding non-violent solutions to conflict situations and unequivocally opposed the war in 2003.

"The headline points of this mammoth report are chilling, yet unsurprising to all those who have been calling for Blair to be investigated at the International Criminal Court. 

"Whether on grounds of Blair's intent to bypass the UN, diplomacy not having been exhausted, or critical papers being denied to the Foreign Office, I support those renewed calls for a criminal investigation."

NUT: We must say 'never again' to SATS car crash

Kevin Courney, Acting General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers made this statement on Facebook earlier this morning:

On comparing SATs results and Morgan's failure.

This year 47% of children will be told they haven't reached the "expected" standard in at least one of their SAT papers.

Last year this figure was only 15%.

It is really important that we reassure parents and children. These children haven't failed. Nicky Morgan has failed.

She and Nick Gibb have consistently ignored advice - even pleas - from educationalists and teachers.
It was clear to many teachers that these tests were going to be a car crash.

The material was too hard, the curriculum wasn't in place, the tests were badly designed.
NUT called for this year's tests to be cancelled - but Morgan wouldn't listen.

We must reassure children and parents now. It's not their failure - it's Nicky Morgan's failure.
But we must also say "never again".

Next year's year 6 mustn't be put through this experience

Duffy calls for transparency on Peel Precinct development

Cllr John Duffy (Labour Kilburn) wrote the following letter to Cllr Sarah Marquis (Chair of the Planning Committee) ahead of this evening's meeting:

I would like to raise my concerns at the Peel Precinct development. I am concerned that the development has failed to balance the needs of the local community both in affordability,accommodation and also community facilities.Together with a failure to achieve guarantees from the private sector on a shared profits scheme.

I have further concerns about the future of the Local British Legion Club and the height (16 stories) of some of the development.Where as I have no particular concerns about the height, I do believe the height will be be used to attract private developers for property speculation/profit and not to enhance the area. I also believe the break down of only 42 (18%) units will not bring social cohesion in this part of the development.

My concerns are also about the role of the Lead Member for Regeneration,who had arranged one to one meeting with the Labour Members of the planning committee.I find this completely inappropriate to mix planning issues with party politics and would request that the COP ensures these meetings no -longer take place,and all meeting concerning planning in South Kilburn include at least one elected councillor from Kilburn and are transparent.

My concerns about the redevelopment does not reflect on officers,but are born out of an attempt to ensure that previously Kilburn Councillors (me) were stop from making legitimate enquires by a member of the cabinet (see below) about matters that rightly concerned them.

I therefore I ask the COP to ensure no such similar interventions by members of the cabinet are allowed.That any meetings with Labour members of the planning committee concerning SK planning issues are fully transparent and if a local council raise legitimate questions,they expect no interventions from any cabinet member and the questions will be dealt with in a transparent way.

This is not a formal objection to the outline planning, as there is much to recommend it and I am sure with some hard work, hard negotiations and hard questions  we can ensure the development will enhance and regenerate the area.This however is a plea to ensure that this planning application is transparent and that Local Kilburn Councillors are allowed full access (including costings) to all information regarding the application.

Email December 2014 in response to request for information from Cllr Duffy:

Andy/Richard (Andy Donald/Richard Barrett)

Do we have a legal duty to disclose this information.  If not, I am happy to inform that it is not appropriate.  John is still smarting about not being allowed to speak at the Gloucester/Durham proposal, but I cannot recall seeing him there at Planning! Anyway, dealing with this politically.  Looks like the email below was drafted by another, smile.

Warm Regards

Margaret

Cllr Margaret McLennan
Lead Member for Regeneration and Housing
and Northwick Park Ward, Brent

SATS plunge is not children's or teachers' failure - it is the Government's responsibility

Nicky Morgan cried crocodile tears this morning over children losing a day's education because of the NUT strike.  What the SATs results proved, when they were released this morning, is that she has wasted a whole year of thousands of children's education in which teachers have had to sacrifice real learning to 'teaching for the test'.  Tests which are based on a hastily and poorly revised curriculum with no evidence base, lambasted by expert educationalists and far too difficult for the majority of children.

With local reports of reading results down as much as 30% it is no wonder that Morgan quickly moved to say that the results were not comparable to last year.  She had to escape blame for the sudden drop in pupils' performance and instead congratulate herself and the government on their 'higher expectations'.

On top of the stress children and teachers suffered in the Gradgrind weeks before the tests and the stress of the tests themselves which saw many children reduced to tears, I now hear of children feeling deeply distressed and despondent because they 'haven't reached the required level' - some have gone weeping to their headteachers seeking comfort.

Eleven year olds seeing themselves as failures was something that happened in my childhood as a result of the 11+ examination - now Morgan and the Tories have introduced it to a new generation. That sense of failure can carry on throughout life.

At the same time Year 6 teachers and teaching assistants, headteachers and deputies, will also be feeling that they have somehow failed - although they know the demands were unrealistic, the preparation time inadequate, and the educational justification for the tests non-existent.

Worse some will be feeling guilty about the pressure they exerted on children in order to try and get them through the tests, knowing that it was unreasonable and unjustifiable in terms of their own professional integrity. They will feel that they colluded in something that damaged children even though they tried their hardest to protect them.

Then there are the parents left trying to comfort their child, persuade them that there is more to life that SATs, and perhaps worrying that somehow their child is just not capable of making the grade.

Today's strike was officially about funding, pay and conditions, and workload. Teachers cannot legally strike about the curriculum or the heartless ill treatment of children, but that was clearly a concern demonstrated in the many placards carried by the marchers today.

The long-term impact of Morgan and Gove's education policies will take years to emerge but I am right behind teachers, headteachers, governors and parents who are working together to ensure that the next cohort of pupils will not have to go through a process that amounts to mental cruelty.

Now is is time in the last weeks of term to pick up the pieces and rebuild children's confidence so that they do not start secondary school with low self-esteem and an expectation of further failure.

Green Party leadership candidates announced

Including joint candidates, there are six candidates standing to be the next Leader of the Green Party.  

Natalie Bennett has announced she is not standing for re-election after two two-year terms at the helm.

Running alongside the election for the new leader are the party’s Deputy Leadership elections and elections for half of the Party's national executive committee (GPEx) including for its chair.

The new Leadership team will be unveiled at the Green Party’s Autumn conference in Birmingham in early September. 

The verified candidates standing for (co-)Leader are:

Jonathan Bartley and Caroline Lucas (job share)

Clive Lord

David Malone

Martie Warin

David Williams

Existing Deputy Leaders Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack both re-stand and are joined by five other verified candidates:

Shahrar Ali

Kat Boettge

Alan Borgars

Andrew Cooper

Störm Poorun

Daniella Radice

Amelia Womack

With nominations now announced, the hotly-anticipated campaign period now kicks-off. Hustings will be held throughout the period. Campaigning draws to close on 24 July, with balloting beginning on 25 July and closing on 25 August.

All paid-up members of the Green Party are eligible to vote in the elections. The Green Party has experienced a membership surge in the past ten days, having added over 2,500 new members.

A Green Party spokesperson commented:

“The Green Party’s membership and supporters are the lifeblood of the Party. Members are at the heart of all of the Party’s decision-making, from Conference and beyond, and these are their elections, elections in which they will decide who comprises the Leadership team for the next two years.” 

Speaking on her decision not to re-stand, Natalie said:

“It's been a privilege and an honour to have the title ‘leader of the Green Party’, but every member of the Green Party is a leader, helping to lead the way towards a society in which we live within our environmental limits while ensuring no one fears hunger or want.”

The party has elections every two years for Leader and Deputy Leader roles. This will be the fifth election since the party decided to switch from having principal speakers to having a leader and two deputy leaders, or co-leaders and one deputy leader.

London Mayor urged to intervene in risky Hammerson 'fairy tale' at Brent Cross

Guest blog by John Cox (click on image to enlarge)

11 year old's postive message for inclusive Chalkhill event

Since the Referendum vote even Brent has seen cases of racist insults against some of our residents so it is good that the Chalkhill Fun Day publicity features a strong inclusive statement from 11 year old Yusra Qamar who says:

My country is the earth. I am a citizen of the world which consists of only one race - the human race

The Fun Day bringing together everyone in the Chalkhill community is on Saturday 16th July.

Lack of necessary consent may delay Lucozade Powerleague development at Kingsbury High School

From Barry Gardiner MP (Labour Brent North). This indicates that the planning application may be delayed while Kingsbury High/LucozadePowerleague seek the necessary consents from the Education Funding Agency. The commercial operation has been opposed by residents of Roe Green Village.

 Barry Gardiner MP has received confirmation1 from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Nash, that the proposed development at Kingsbury High School by Powerleague Fives Ltd, t/a Lucozade Powerleague, does not possess the necessary legal consent from the Education Funding Agency and that the scheme also jeopardises the government’s commitment to tackle childhood obesity.

The response follows Mr Gardiner’s request to the Secretary of State for Education seeking confirmation as to whether the school had sought the necessary consent prior to the proposal to dispose of this land and the submission of the planning application2. The Minister confirmed it had not.

Mr Gardiner said:

Many of my constituents are extremely concerned about the way in which the proposed Powerleague Fives scheme at Kingsbury High School has been handled and we now find they have not obtained the necessary legal consent. It also cannot be right that schools may be required to advertise the very products we are attempting to restrict children’s access to. Allowing soft drink manufacturers to advertise on school campuses flies in the face of the government’s stated commitment to reducing childhood obesity and is at odds with Brent Council’s Obesity Strategy – especially given Brent’s worrying levels of childhood obesity and diabetes are far higher than other parts of the country.

Click on image to enlarge

Governors urged not to panic over government academisation policy: 'seize the agenda and be collectively creative'

Gail Tolley, Strategic Director of Brent Children and Young People, advised governors at this weeks Governors Conference, not to be panicked into action on the Government's aim to convert all schools to academy status.

She said:

There is no time pressure for schools to panic themselves into action - you have the opportunity to pause and reflect on what action to take.

The immediate time pressure disappeared when the Government backed down in the face of opposition from Tory MPs and Tory shire counties.  Academisation of all schools remains a long-term objective but the legislative timetable is unclear ion the light of recent events.

The Government retains the policy of  triggering mass academisation in local authorities which are deemed to be failing or where the number of academies has reached a tipping point where there are so many academies that LA management of the remaining LA schools is not viable.

Brent is not a designated 'Achieving Excellence Area' (newspeak for failing) nor are there a majority of academies across the borough.  93% of Brent primary schools are deemed Good or better by Ofsted (91% of Brent schools overall).  12 out of 23 Brent academies and free schools are part of a Multi Academy Trust.  86% of Brent primary schools and 17% of secondary schools remain with the LA.

The Senior HMI in Brent has told Ms Tolley that Brent is now a 'light touch' local authority and meetings with the HMI will now take place on an annual, rather than termly, basis.

However the local authority will come under pressure financially due to the changesin the National Funding Formula LINK and the phasing out of the £3m Education Services Grant.  There may also be reductions due to the loss of European funding.

The local authority will retain core responsibilities:

• school places, admissions, school transport, emergency planning
• vulnerable children, special educational needs and disabilities, attendance, exclusion, safeguarding, looked after children
• acting as a champion for parents

The collaborative BSP (Brent Schools Partnership), run on a school subscription basis, will undertake more education and training and school improvement functions. LINK Its Strategic Director, Farzana Aldridge, told the conference that most Brent schools, whether LA, voluntary, academies or free schools, were now part of the Partnership.  They had offered 'neutral' information sessions on academisation.

In discussion it appeared that various options were on the table including the LA itself, or perhaps  the BSP, setting up multi-academy trusts of Brent schools.

The role of the Regional Schools Commissioner (RSC) came under some scrutiny. Our RSC is responsible for a large chuck of London and large areas of the South East outside London. They have powers to convert schools deemed failing to academy status and can over-rule the local authority. The RSC capacity to intervene with particular schools at a detailed level is extremely limited.

A new provision is that the LA and governing bodies now have a statutory duty to assist the academisation process in these circumstances.

A further change which has not received much publicity is that LAs will have to comply with a request by the Secretary of State to transfer its land (not just 'education' land) to the SoS for free school or academy use.  This involves a major loss of local public land to the government. Currently the land is leased to the free school or academy at a peppercorn rent for a 125 year lease.

The question for me is whether the LA can survive the forthcoming financial cuts sufficiently to maintain the borough's current success in its oversight of schools and thus avoid a 'failing local authority' designation leading to forced academisation.

Gail Tolley remained optimistic telling governors they had the opportunity to 'seize the agenda' and be 'collectively creative and make a focused response.'

She emphasised that it was extremely important for governors to respond to the second round of consultation on the National Funding Formula - this is clearly vital given the potential impact of cuts.

Cllr Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray, the new lead member for Children and Young People, did  not intervene on any matters of detail but told governors that the voice of parents and governors was important. She asked. 'What do you do with failing academies?*' and said that the government should concentrate on 'running the country - not running our schools.'

* The answer is hand them over to another academy trust. They are not allowed to revert to LA status.

Community Day - Kings Drive - Saturday

Headteachers call for government to reassure EU children in UK of their right to stay

 I have been hearing reports of children from EU countries crying in school the morning after the Referendum fearing that they would be forced to leave the UK. This initiative by the National Association of Headteachers is welcome.

Today (Wednesday 29 June) school leaders’ union NAHT published an open letter to David Cameron calling for assurances to be given to EU pupils. The full text of the letter follows:

Dear Prime Minister,

The vote to leave the European Union has brought uncertainty to many areas of life in Britain, including education.

School leaders are reporting to us that some of their young students are worrying about their future.

Pupils are worried about being forced to leave Britain. They are fearful of a potential rise in racism and community conflict. They are concerned about their prospects in an uncertain and isolated Britain.

It is not just the economic markets that need calming. Our young people need a statement from the government to address their fears.

NAHT strongly urges the Government to give pupils from the EU better assurance that they will be able to complete their school education without interruption; that they and their families remain welcome and valued members of the communities they call home.

Our schools are the places in which we shape our future as a nation. Our teachers and school leaders can help young people make sense of dramatic changes and build their own plans. To do this, we need clarity, swiftly. Please do not ignore the impact of the EU referendum result on the next generation.

Sincerely,

Russell Hobby
General Secretary

Clive Lewis & Caroline Lucas head up speakers list at Progressive Alliance event next week

From Compass

 Politics is in crisis and the repercussions from the result of the referendum are being felt socially, politically and economically. For many people, it feels like the country is being torn apart.

If we want a politics and economy that puts all of us first, it's time to come together and start building alliances. We need a democracy that listens and responds, that puts the people in control. We will not get there by shutting people out and perpetuating divisions, but by building bridges, alliances common cause.

In the current political chaos the Right are asserting themselves across the political terrain, while most of the Left's focus is on how Labour is pulling itself apart. Only a progressive alliance of all parties, people and movements can flip the debate to one that builds a society that is much more equal, sustainable and democratic. With a general election looming in the Autumn, a popular front of ideas and organisation is the only way to defend what we hold dear and to start to build a society that we can all live in and be proud of.

We are calling a series of public meetings to explore: what could a progressive alliance look like? How possible is it? And what can we do to start to make it feasible?

The first meeting will be on Tuesday July 5th. While this event is in London, local groups are exploring holding simultaneous events around the country. We are working on live streaming the event (details to follow) and will be hosting online discussion and meetings across the country in the coming weeks and months.

SPEAKERS:
Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party
Clive Lewis MP, Labour Party
Amina Gichinga, Take Back the City
John Harris, Journalist
Hopefully SNP & Plaid Cymru speakers tbc

VENUE: Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8EP.
The venue is fully accessible for wheelchair users.

DATE & TIME: Tuesday July 5th, doors 6pm for a prompt 6.30pm start, finishing at 8.30pm

TICKETS: Please click here to get your tickets, spaces are limited.

Tickets are pay what you can to help us cover the cost of putting on the event, if you would like to come but are not able to pay, please do email clare@compassonline.org.uk.

This is about parties and seats - we need to make sure that the Conservatives and Right do not win the next election - but it must also be much richer and deeper. It must be about values and movements; it is a time for all of us to step up and get involved.

This event will launch a series of conversations about a Progressive Alliance that will then continue across the country, linking up with parties, movements and organisations. There has been a lot of talk about the need for Progressive Alliances over the last week, now is the time to start organising.

£157k payout leaves Davani laughing all the way to the kennels

The Brent and Kilburn Times LINK today reveals that former Director of Brent Human Resources, Cara Davani, was paid out £157,610 when she left the Council, almost to the day, last year. Davani as well as her job with Brent, also had her own HR Consultancy and a dog breeding business.

At the time Brent Council 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.’

Part of Davani's 'contribution' was to land the Council with an Employment Tribunal case in whcih she and the Council were found to have victimised and racially discriminated against an employee, Rosemarie Clarke.

Cllr Butt and Cara Davani

Council leader Muhammed Butt went out of his way to protect Davani and refused to allow any disciplinary action against her.  The Pavey review of Brent Human resources was excluded from dealing with the Employment Tribunal case. This was a decision that Pavety recently said he regretted remarking that he should have fought harder for a broader remit LINK.

Philip Grant and I both tried to raise the case at Brent Council meetings but were denied the opportunity.  LINK

I very seldom agree with Tories but Cllr John Warren's comment to the BKT hits the nail on the head:

£157,610 compensation for loss of office is a sick joke. There's no way they should have given her a penny because it's a reward for failure. It would be interesting to see how they justify it as I don't believe they needed to pay her that. Not a bad deal to be rubbish at your job and get a payoff like that.

Green Parties propose talks on progressive alliance post-Referendum vote

This is the text of the open letter that has gone from the Green Parties of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to Jeremy Corbyn, Tim Farron and Leanne Wood urging talks about a progressive alliance.

 Dear all,

In a spirit of openness and transparency, we are writing to you as Leaders of parties which oppose Brexit, to invite you to a cross-party meeting to explore how we best rise to the challenge posed by last week’s vote to leave the EU.

Britain is in crisis and people are scared about the future. Never have we had a greater need for calm leadership to be shown by politicians.

We have a UK Government in chaos, an economy facing a crisis and people up and down the country facing serious hardship. There is an urgent need to make a stand against any austerity and the slashing of environmental legislation, human and workers’ rights that may come with Brexit.

With the growing likelihood of an early General Election, the importance of progressive parties working together to prevent the formation of a Tory-UKIP-DUP government that would seek to enact an ultra-right Brexit scenario is ever more pressing.

This is an opportunity to recognise that a more plural politics is in both the Left’s electoral and political interests. This crisis exposes the absurdity of our first past the post electoral system. Just 24 per cent of those eligible to vote elected the government that called the referendum. The only fair way to proceed is to have a proportional voting system where people can back the politicians who they believe in, rather than taking a gamble and not knowing who they will end up with.

The idea of a progressive alliance has been floated for several years, and proposals have once again been put forward in the context of the current crisis. We believe that the time has come to urgently consider such ideas together in the context of a Westminster Government. We recognise the very different political situation in Scotland, given the strongly pro-EU majority there. We hope that co-operation between progressive parties their can ensure that this mandate is respected, and we will support them to keep all options open.

We look forward to your response,

Natalie Bennett, Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales

Alice Hooker-Stroud, Leader of Wales Green Party

Steven Agnew MLA, Leader of the Green Party of Northern Ireland

Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion