Opposition to Tory Trade Union Act given top priority at Green Party Autumn Conference

Green Party Trade Union Group at Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival last month

Trade Unionists in the Green Party, organised as the Green Party Trade Union Group (GPTU), have successfully put Trade Union issues at the top of the policy agenda for this year’s Green Party Autumn Conference.

GPTU’s first motion opposes the Tory Trade Union Act, passed into law earlier this year, and has been voted by members as the top priority in the “C” section for policy motions.

The second, calling for legislation to make it easier for Trade Unions to organise in new workplaces, has made it to fifth place (out of 25) on the agenda for policy motions.

Kieron Merrett, Green Party Trade Union Group Secretary, said,

As Trade Unionists in the Green Party, we’re delighted that Trade Union and workers’ issues have been voted as the very top priority for policy discussion at this year’s Autumn Conference.

Well done to all those Green Party members who voted in the prioritisation ballot. It is clearly no coincidence that the Green Party has the most pro-worker and pro-Trade Union policies of any major party.

We’ve shown that the Green Party is the party for Trade Unionists and working people.

£96k levied in litterering fixed penalty fines in first 6 weeks of Brent Council trial

On Sunday I posted a blog LINK on the 7 week wait that Paul Lorber experienced for a bulk collection by Veolia. In passing I wondered how the new litter enforcement trial was working. The scheme was out-sourced to Kingdom.

Lo and behold on Monday Brent Council issued a press release announcing that more than 1200 people have been spot-fined in the first 6 weeks of the trial. That gives an income of £96K plus from which wages and overheads have to be paid.

This is the council press release:

More than 1200 litter bugs have been fined within the first 6 weeks of placing dedicated patrol officers on the streets of Brent.

There are few things that can affect the look and reputation of a place more than litter. Whether it’s fast food wrappers, cigarette butts or dog fouling, it’s a blight that should not be tolerated anywhere. And here in Brent, our fight against litterbugs is well underway.

Kingdom, the company whose dedicated officers are patrolling the streets in Brent, have issued over 1200 fines since the pilot scheme began 6 weeks ago.  Officers have been deployed to hot spot areas in the borough with the purpose of issuing £80 Fixed Penalty Notices to anyone caught in the act of committing a waste offence, including littering, paan spitting and not cleaning up after their dogs.

Residents or visitors who do not pay the fine could end up in court, where they face the prospect of being named and shamed, and landed with a much heftier penalty.

This innovative 12 month pilot scheme has been put in place to help keep our streets clean and litter-free, and supports the efforts of our existing Enviro-crime Enforcement Team, who work tirelessly to investigate littering and illegally dumped rubbish offences and prosecute offenders.

Cllr Eleanor Southwood, Brent Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, said:

Dropping litter is the kind of anti-social behaviour that really gets people’s backs up, and rightly so. It’s thoughtless, selfish and ruins shared spaces for everyone. Not only that, clearing and disposing of litter costs millions of pounds each year, and this money could be better spent in different areas.

The majority of residents here in Brent love where they live and take great care of our streets and parks, which is why we are determined to take action against those whose behaviours are spoiling Brent for the rest of us.
We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone in Brent to get rid of their waste legally, to recycle more and to take greater care and pride in the local area. These activities are part of our Love Where You Live campaign and send a clear message to residents and visitors that littering will not be accepted here in Brent.

You can do your bit to help make Brent a cleaner and greener place to live and visit, by reporting illegally dumped rubbish or graffiti with the Cleaner Brent App or organising your own clean-up day. You can also download the new recycling app for clear guidance on what you can recycle, and where.

This afternoon the Kilburn Times posted a story in whicb residents complain that the enforcement officers use 'underhand practices' to catch residents out. There were complaints of officers hiding to pounce on offenders and the lack of litter bins etc. LINK 

At Scrutiny Committee in April Cllr John Duffy warned that the enforcemment officers would oook out for 'easy pickings'. LINK

Duffy pointed out that Kingdom would  be motivated to issue a high number of tickets as this would boost their profits. Operatives were likely to go for the easy option of targeting 'rich pickings', such as smokers outside tube stations, where they could issue many tickets in a short time, rather than areas where real action was needed on street litter
 

People who embrace multiculturalism are less stressed research suggests

People who embrace multiculturalism are less stressed, fit better in Britain’s mixed society and don’t lose their national identity, research suggests.

As reports rise of post-Brexit racist attacks, a study shows that British people who reject multi-culturalism experience more stress and fail to fit in. Psychologists at Brunel University London studied how immigration affects the daily life and well-being of 800 British, American, German, Chinese and Indian nationals.

They found people who live in their home country and connect with their national culture had higher life satisfaction than people who don’t. And those who embrace other cultures around them experience less stress.

"We found that the more you interact and identify with other cultures, the more you become interested in your own culture,” said Dr Katharina Lefringhausen.

As of the beginning of 2016, an estimated nearly nine million people who live in the UK were born in other countries, including some British nationals.

This psychological study is the first to investigate how multi-culturalism reshapes the cultural identity, beliefs and behaviour of people in the host communities. It also asked interviewees if they felt they benefited from cultural diversity.

For Europeans and Americans, the results, in published in Cross-Cultural Research, showed adapting to other cultures and therefore embracing immigration, actually strengthened national cultures.

The online research rated how much people identify, interact and endorse their own culture and how much people identify, interact and endorse other cultures.

The team also measured life satisfaction, the psychological impact of adapting to a new culture and how people reacted to cultural differences.

 “Far right groups claim different cultures are a threat, globalisation is taking over and you either get sucked into it or separate yourself from it,” explained Dr Katharina Lefringhausen.

 “This shows from a psychological perspective that like migrants, nationals can simultaneously embrace their own culture and other cultures surrounding them in their own country.

“This is the first time it has been supported statistically and across different countries.

Dr Lefringhausen calls for a shift in focus: “Especially now in the light of Brexit and growing far-right movements across Europe, politicians, educators and the media need to support the integration of locals alongside the integration of migrants. People thrive more by having both.”

“It knocks on the head the notion that immigration threatens conservative values by diluting national identity, traditions and beliefs,” she added.

The researchers now recommend that there should be more studies to look at ways to encourage people who were born abroad to integrate in local communities, education and at work.

Vacancies at Brent Mencap

We currently have 3 vacancies at Brent Mencap.

The closing date for the advocate post is this Friday 5th August at midday with interviews next week on 10th August. Application forms for this post need to be sent to Brent Mencap.

The closing date for the care navigator posts is Wed 24th August (9am) with interviews being held all day on Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st August. The recruitment for these 2 posts is being co-ordinated by Brent CVS so please contact Fuad at Brent CVS with any queries first and not Brent Mencap.

The details of all these posts can be found at the link below.

http://www.brentmencap.org.uk/index.php

Some of the issues lurking beneath the surface of the Green Party leadership election

Line up at a hustings for leader and deputy. Amelia Womack was on holiday.

Written in individual capacity 

As the great Labour leadership battle storms on amidst thunderous roars, flashes of lightning and torrents of abuse, in a comparatively calm but neglected corner of the political firmament another leadership contest is taking place - for the leadership, deputy leadership and Executive of the Green Party of England and Wales.

News Thump: 'Green Party picks worst possible moment to hold leadership election' LINK takes a well-aimed satirical swipe at the Greens' failure to get even minimal coverage of their election but it is worth looking at some of the issues that are lurking just below the surface.

Some are not specific to this election but reflect longer term issues. An obvious one, now reflected in the Labour leadership contest, is the relationship between the Greens as part of a wider campaigning environmental and social justice movement and the Greens as an electoralist organisation.  The reduction of the party's campaigning (non election) budget to zero means that there will be few, if any, campaign materials available at the Autumn conference.  The recent emphasis on a 'progressive alliance' with other political parties, strongly supported by Caroline Lucas, raises all sorts of issues about electoral pacts, red (green?) lines, and what is meant by the slippery term 'progressive'. Much will depend on the outcome of the Labour leadership election where Labour support for proportional representation will be deal-breaker.

As Caroline Lucas is standing for the leadership on a joint ticket with Jonathan Bartley the progressive alliance has featured in many of the hustings. Concerns have been expressed that this concept has not been fully debated by the membership and rather than emerging from the party's very comprehensive policy making process has come from 'on high'.  Deputy leader candidate Shahrar Ali has called for full internal party consultation on the issue.  It is complicated by the fact that the Green Party is not a top-down organisation with centralised direction but one where local parties have autonomy. Final decisions on whether to contest seats or stand down in favour of an agreed 'progressive alliance' candidates rests with them.

In terms of joint campaigning with other political parties, independent socialists and environmentalists, trade unionists  and community groups this already happens on many issues including fracking, austerity, local government cuts, housing, union disputes, academisation, public transport, library closure and much else.  When we take part in such actions the lack of Green Party campaign material is a weakness.

There are those in the Green Party who view the progressive alliance with scepticism and others who go further in arguing that Greens should stand on their own policies which are inimical to Labour's commitment to economic growth.

The jibe that Ukip is more diverse than the Green Party has enough truth in it to require the Green Party undertake some serious self-examination.  The hustings photograph above illustrates, with the exception of Shahrar Ali (standing) the all-white nature of candidates for the leadership and deputy leadership of the party.  There is also a gender imbalance in the leadership contest with Caroline Lucas the only female although three of the seven deputy candidates are women.

Class is an area when the Green Party has come under attacks as an essentially middle class institution and although the membership is changing with the recruitment of ex-Labour activists and a thriving Green Party Trade Union Group, the public face of the Green Party is still middle class, white and largely London-based.

There are candidates in this election with working class roots or a record of activism in working class communities including Martie Warin from the ex-pit village of Easington in County Durham, and Cllr David Williams  now in Oxfordshire but originally from Salford.  Among the deputy contenders Andrew Cooper has represented the Greens on Kirklees Council since 1999.

The candidiates' views on working with trade unions can be read HERE

Turning to issues specific to this election the one to emerge early on was the joint candidature of Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley LINK. In giving up the leadership previous Lucas had said she wanted to open up the way for more voices to represent the party. Critics immediately suggested that standing for the leadership in 2016 as well as being the sole MP would effectively reduce the number of voices.  Party rules state that if co-leaders are elected then there will be only one deputy (Shahrar Ali and Amelia Womack were previously male and female deputies).  A further criticism was that by announcing their co-leadership bid early on Lucas-Bartley effectively discouraged other candidates. Given Lucas' prominence and well-deserved reputation, others were unlikely to come forward as they would expect Lucas to win.

The issue of workload is also being discussed by activists. Previously Natalie Bennett, Amelia Womack and Shahrar Ali shared the official leadership positions supplemented by Caroline Lucas and the Green MEPs.  If Lucas is elected co-leader the official leadership is reduced by one. In addition she will have to combine leadership with the role of MP. As the leader spends a lot of the time touring the country, speaking to local parties and attending events this aspect of the role may suffer although the counter-argument is that Bartley will do the bulk of this work.

Although there is a strong case against the media dictating our leadership structures it is worth considering how the media, especially TV and Radio, will cope with co-leaders. It was a feature of the General Election that interviewers did not really understand that in the Green Party the leader is a spokesperson for policies decided by the membership.  They often expected Bennett to be an expert on every aspect of policy or to make up policy and initiatives on the spot. Combine that with a preference for one recognisable face and voice then we can expect Lucas to dominate the media with a blurring between her leadership and MP roles. Policy and strategy expectations will be deepened by her parliamentary role so on issues such as the progressive alliance she will be pushed to comment beyond existing policy.

Members' deciding policy is a jealously guarded principle in the Green Party and members are likely to oppose any erosion of that role.  Given the growth in party membership there are issues around managing larger conferences (at present any member can attend) and the possibility of switching to a delegate conference. Although the Green Party trumpets its democratic structures the current right of anyone to attend is counter-balanced by the issue of affordability. Despite differing charges for conference admission according to capacity to pay, fares and accommodation are expensive, so those economically disadvantaged are less able to afford to attend.

The concerns outlined above along with members who want to see Ali and Womack continue as deputy leaders has led to some members advocating a vote for RON in the leadership elections. RON stands for Re-open Nominations.  They argue that a  winning vote for RON would both enable a wider and more diverse field to come forward for the leadership and potentially allow Ali and Womack to continue as deputies.

Others argue that RON is extremely unlikely to win, if it did it would be an embarrassment to the party, and despite misgivings Lucas-Bartley is the only real show in town.


Declaration of interest: I have backed Shahrar Ali standing as deputy leader on the grounds of his effective communication skills  and his commitment to internal party democracy. We do not of course agree on everything!

Marcus Garvey at Brent Museum, Willesden Green Library Centre

Friends Of Marcus Garvey Bust Collective and Brent Museum and Archives are glad to announce that the Marcus Garvey bust will be unveiled as a permanent display in Brent Museum  (Willesden Green Library Centre) on Marcus Garvey's birthday August 17, 6-7.30pm.

In addition to the unveiling, there will be an audio-visual presentation by local history consultant Kwaku on Marcus Garvey, plus short speeches by dignitaries and Garveyites.

Book to express your interest in attending the first of what's expected to be an annual event.

Produced in association with Friends Of Marcus Garvey Bust Collective @ WGLC. For enquiries: btwsc@hotmail.com. To book: www.bit.ly/MGBust

UPDATE: It is time for Veolia's Public Realm Contract performance to be scrutinised

"Love where you live'

Brent Council's bulk collection service before the Public Realm contract was handed to Veolia used to take about a fortnight from request to notification.

I have received a number of complaints about how long it now takes for goods to be collected. 

This is an example sent in by reader Paul Lorber with a 7 week gap.

From Brent Customer Services June 15^th 2016
Thank you for your Special Collection enquiry. Your request for:
Item 1: Freezer
Item 2: Non Metal Bed Frame
Item 3: Other Household Waste
Item 4: Other Household Waste
Item 5: Other Household Waste
To be collected has been logged and your unique reference number is  XXXXXXX
Your items will be collected on 08 August 2016.
Please ensure the items are placed together in the front garden ready for collection.
If you have any queries or wish to change the week of your collection please telephone the Customer Services on 020 8937 5050.

 Lorber has asked what the service timescales are but remarks that if this service has been commissioned by Brent Council and is acceptable to them it is clearly poor value for money, although representing plenty of profit for Veolia.

 Lorber is fortunate in having a front drive in which the items can be placed but many residents have extremely small front gardens or none at all and is is surely no wonder that mattresses, sofas, fridges, gas stoves, lavatory pans and broken gym equipment all end up on the pavement attracting further fly-tipping.

Brent Council promised an improved service when Veolia took over but I pointed out what I saw as a weakness in the contract:

One aspect that may concern councillors is that Veolia will be responsible for monitoring itself:

The contract will be self-monitoring, meaning that the contractor is accountable for measuring, monitoring and improving their own performance with the council carefully auditing their performance. This, along with Key Outcome Targets set for each of the different services will ensure that the Contractor is motivated to deliver the services.

Veolia will also be dealing with complaints from councillors and residents in the first instance thus 'placing responsibility on the Contractor to ‘own’ and be accountable for service complaints'.

I think it would be useful for the Scrutiny Committee responsible for Public Realm to review Veolia's performance by inviting Veolia executives to answer questions from councillors and the public about the service.  Cllr John Duffy has raised a number of issues on his own blog LINK and on Wembley Matters  LINK  LINK

This should cover the grounds maintenance of BHP estates and parks maintenance which were handed over to Veolia along with street cleansing, cemeteries, sports centres and much else.  When the Council gave the Public Realm contract to Veolia they withdrew from the Green Flag scheme for parks and open spaces which had provided a widely valued external audit of parks maintenance.

One matter we have heard little about is how the litter enforcement contract, awarded to Kingdom, is working.  This was also criticised by Cllr Duffy LINK and an update on it would be useful as it was seen as a trial.  At the same time Veolia's promised role in spotting fly-tipping and acting upon it included  working with Brent's enforcement team. Is this happening?

From the original Officer's report to Cabinet on the Public Realm contract:

Fly tips will be cleared promptly. That is a key requirement. Veolia have committed their operatives to becoming “the eyes and the ears” of the council, trained to identify, report, and manage all day-to-day fly-tips using mobile devices. The initial role on all enforcement will be Veolia. Enforcement investigations will be managed as far as possible by the Veolia supervisors and managers who will ensure photographic evidence and pocket notebook records are taken to secure evidence. Once a case is correctly and sufficiently built, Veolia will work with Brent’s enforcement team to bring final prosecution. 


UPDATE; The day after this article was published Brent Council issued a press release on the Kingdom fixed penalty litter enforcment trial. LINK

Boris Johnson praises Michaela Free School: 'rote learning, discipline and memorising'

Morning Star on Michaela: Schools versus communities

Click on image to enlarge

Watch this powerful video on Ahmed and the refugee crisis by Lowkey

Brent Council and Cara Davani - at last some answers, but ...

On 21 July we published a guest blog from Philip Grant LINK , which asked some questions of Brent Council and its Leader, Cllr. Muhammed Butt, about the pay-off last year to its former Director of Human Resources, Cara Davani.

I am pleased to say that, unlike her predecessor Christine Gilbert last year, Brent Council's Chief Executive, Carolyn Downs has written to provide brief answers to the four points which Philip raised. A copy of her letter is shown below, and readers are invited to consider the information given, and to add any comments they wish to arising from what we now know about the pay-off arrangements.

Residents call for support for demonstration against Heron House development on Monday

 MONDAY, 1st AUGUST AT 6.30 P.M.

AT HERON HOUSE, 109 - 115 WEMBLEY HILL ROAD WEMBLEY HA9 8DA

Residents opposed to the planned redevlopment of Heron House in Wembley will demonstrate at the site on Monday and are calling for support from other local people. They claim that the redevelopment plans are inappropriate for what is a residential surburban area and a sign that the high-rise Quintain development around the stadium is encroaching on their homes.

They say:

This large redevelopment of Heron House will adversely affect every one of us  and it will be too late to complain if we get no support and the redevelopment goes ahead!  Your street could very well be next the speed with which these smaller developments are going up all over the Borough!

If this large monstrosity at Heron House is allowed to go up, traffic will increase and the parking situation will get even worse, if that is possible.

Many of us will be overlooked from the higher levels and in 2 years they are buying St Joseph's Social Club  to build yet another higher monstrosity to complete "The Gateway to Wembley"!  

Do we really want that right on our doorstep in our still very residential area?  We cannot do anything about the massive regeneration of the Stadium and High Road areas, but we can certainly try to stop these smaller developers, if we have the support

Inside Birbalsingh's Boot Camp - How Michaela Free School 'supports' pupil behaviour

'What's the problem?'   Headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh

Many thanks to the reader who sent me a link to the Michaela Secondary Free School's Behaviour Policy.

It is full of unfamiliar terminology such as 'SLANT-ing' - (apparently a 'good thing') and enough misdemeanours to keep most normal children in detention for weeks. Remedies, including 'self-quizzing' and 'Internal Isolation', remind me of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

However, it is in its attitude to families that we can see a clue to the approach revealed in the school meals controversy LINK.  Families are subject to discipline through their childrem.

The policy states:

Families who choose not to support the school


If a pupil misses one day of Internal Isolation (II) either because the pupil or the family is deliberately avoiding the punishment, the pupil will spend two days in II. The period of II will double in line with the number of days that the family or pupil chooses to stay away from school. So missing two days of II will result in four days of II, missing three days of II will result in six days of II, and so on. There is no upper limit to the number of days of II that could be imposed. We need wholehearted support from all families to maintain our high standards of behaviour and academic progress. In choosing to attend Michaela, families are making the choice to follow our behaviour systems. We have a system of zero tolerance. We ask that all families respect our rules and follow them.

And, just an any good dictator does, Birbalsingh reserves unlimited powers for herself:

Discretion 

No behaviour policy can cover all eventualities. The Headmistress reserves the right to use discretion to help Michaela pupils make better choices and learn the right lessons.

This is the 2016-17 Behaviour Policy it is signed off by the Chair of Governors, Suella Fernandes who is Conservative MP for Fareham and a member of the Hosue of Commons Education Select Committee:

Preston Community Library Saturday: Freedom in South Africa the struggle, the film and the book

Preston Community Library will be showing a film about the struggle for freedom in South Africa on Saturday evening.

After the showing there will be two speakers, South African editor Mary Omond, and publisher Geraldine Cook, who were involved in the production of a book tied in with the film, and who are acquainted with personalities depicted in the film. 

They will be discussing what is involved with film tie-ins and the particular case of this book which proved to be a hair-raising experience taking place against against the rapidly imploding situation in South Africa when the world was tense with expectation of mass insurrection and bloodshed.

The discussion will be of interest to those who were involved in the anti-apartheid struggle as well as the new generation who are using lessons from that struggle in current international campaigns.

Films are for library members, but if you are not joined up already you can join at the door. Screenings are free but donations are needed in order to put on more films.

The doors open at 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start.

Green MEP slams 'totally discredited' EDF Hinkley project

The government's decision to delay a decision on the EDF Hinkley nuclear power station forced newspapers to rapidly revise their late editions obernight.  Before the delay announcement Molly Scott Cato, Green MEO for the South West, released the following statement:

This decision is a massive blow to businesses and consumers who will now be forced to pay for some of the most expensively generated electricity on earth. It squanders the huge potential we have for renewable energy resources in the South West. This is the sector where our efforts should be channelled; renewables can come on stream quicker, more cheaply and create thousands more jobs than nuclear ever can. Given EDF’s record to date, both here in the UK and in building other similar nuclear reactors elsewhere, we can expect further delays, even higher costs and blackouts to follow.
 
This project is totally discredited. EDF is not trusted either by its shareholders or many of its employees, both of whom have expressed grave doubts about Hinkley. The only thing that keeps this white elephant stumbling along is a blind ideological obsession with nuclear power from the Tories and a determination to show that Brexit Britain is still open for business. This is one business we could all do without.

EDF's announcement came on the day another board member of the company resigned, describing the project as “very risky” and saying he expected EDF to move towards renewables instead of pursuing more nuclear power. 

Just days ago the National Audit Office proclaimed renewables as a cheaper option and the now disbanded Department for Energy and Climate Change estimated the cost of keeping its promise to EDF has increased to £37bn over the life of the project.

It was also revealed last weekend that French finance authorities raided the offices of EDF due to suspicions over whether the company was reporting information accurately to shareholders.

Children and Chips - Brent report weighs into the issue

Locals will be familiar with the crowds of secondary school children outside Wembley's fast food shops at the end of the school day and the all pervading smell of fried chicken and chips that wafts across the upper decks of buses as hungry adolescents cram in calories on their way home.

Brent Council has carried out a study of chip consumption  LINK and found that the largest portion represented 86% of a sedentary 10-11 year old girl's daily energy requirement.

The study found that students from schools within 400m of fast food outlets were more likely to eat takeaways at lunchtime, after school and with their families.

Brent Council is looking into the possibility of controlling the number of fast food outlets within 400m of schools.

Obesity at Year 6 in Brent is 24% compared with a UK average of 19%.

In a press release accompanying the report the Council said:

In the fight against childhood obesity in Brent, the council, via a mystery shopper, visited 23 local takeaways that were close to secondary schools and purchased chip portions for sampling. Each portion of chips was weighed and calorie, fat and salt levels were analysed.

Frying practices, chip cut, additional salt, oil type and packaging were also observed. 19 out of the 23 takeaways served a portion of chips with more than 500 calories, with four larger than 1000 calories, 50 per cent of an adult’s recommended daily intake (RI).

Four fast foot shops salted the chips without asking the customer and added more sachets of salt to the carrier bag encouraging more salting. Out of all the outlets observed only one effectively implemented the ‘shake, tap, hang’ technique to remove excess oil.

Four outlets served chips containing trans fats, with one portion sold containing three times an adult’s maximum recommended intake. Trans fats area huge health concern due to their association with heart disease and strokes and have been deemed no longer safe for human consumption in the US.

Clr Krupesh Hirani, Brent Cabinet Member for Community Well-being said:

-->

The results from the study are cause for concern however we want to work with the fast food outlets in Brent in a bid to get them preparing, cooking and promoting their food with a healthier customer in mind.

The study did however highlight the commitment shown by takeaways who have achieved the Healthier Catering Commitment award. On average portion sizes were smaller, contained less calories and saturated fat, and did not contain trans fats.

Food businesses who adopt the scheme display the Healthier Catering Commitment logo on their business windows, doors or walls. So look out for this sign when you are next visiting a fast food outlet or café in your area and if you can’t see it – ask them why!

Summary of the report:

Michaela Secondary Free School punishes children for having hard-up parents

I suspect not many of my readers also read the Daily Mail so here is a brief summary of an on-line story carried by the Mail LINK.

Katharine Birbalsingh who hit the headlines when she became Michael Gove's darling after she told a Tory Conference that the education system was broken based on her experience at a London secondary school, is head of Michaela Secondary Free School in Wembley Park.  The school advertises its strict discipline policy and 'private school ethos' and has a laudatory comment from Boris Johnson hanging on its exterior.

The Mail story is not about the school's strict umbrella code (black or navy blue only) or its service to parents whereby they can text pictures of school shoes they are about to buy for approval LINK, but about its attitude towards the children of hard-up families.

The Mail reveals that children whose parents are behind with meal payments are put in lunch isolation, being made to sit on their own for the whole lunch hour, and are given a sandwich instead of a hot meal with dessert.

The Mail quotes a letter from the deputy headteacher, Barry Smith, to unemployed care worker Dionne Kelly. Dione had paid by the time she received the letter but her child was punished anyway:

The deadline for this term's lunch payment was 1st June 2016. You are currently £75 overdue. If this full amount is not received within this week your child will be placed into Lunch isolation.

They will receive a sandwich and a piece of fruit only. Only when the outstanding sum is paid in full will they be allowed to eat lunch with their classmates.

Birbalsingh told the Mail that the letter was sent in an attempt to encourage the parent to change her ways and support her son by paying for his food.

Sam Royston of the Children's Society said, 'No school should punish and potentially stigmatise a child because a parent has not paid for, or is unable to afford, school meals.'

Today, Saturday, Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent North commented on Twitter: (Secretary of State)

 It's what you get when a Tory government sets schools "free" from local democratic control & accountable only to SoS

Brent Central and Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Parties nominate Corbyn for Labour leadership

Queueing at the Kingsgate Centre tonight (photo ex-Twitter @inductivestep)

Brent Central CLP nominated Jeremy Corbyn for the Labour leadership by 69 votes to 24 tonight. Hampstead and Kilburn nominated Corbyn by 96 to 54.   Brent North does not vote until August 9th.

Brent Central nominated Corbyn in 2015 and Hampstead and Kilburn nominated Yvette Cooper.

Solidarity with deported Byron Burger workers -demonstration Monday

From a group of campaigns and organisations acting in solidarity with Byron Burger workers

SOLIDARITY DEMONSTRATION MONDAY AUGUST 1ST 6.30PM OUTSIDE BYRON HOLBORN, 114 HIGH HOLBORN, CLOSE TO HOLBORN TUBE.

Last week, the Spanish language publication El Ibérico reported that on the evening of July 4th, the private equity fund* owned Byron burgers chain brought a large number of their migrant worker staff members to special 'training' session across 15 Byron restaurants in London.

When they arrived, immigration police were waiting for them and a reported 50 were arrested and deported. A further 150 managed to avoid deportation and are in hiding acording to the source.

Those deported were mostly Latin American workers. It is not clear what kind of shock and hardship their families in London are now experiencing, or whether the workers were paid their wages or any monies owed by the company.

Some of the deported workers had worked for Byron for four years. Byron were happy to use them all that time and then discard them and ruin lives overnight.

We stand in solidarity with the deported Byron workers and all migrant workers - papers or no papers.

No human being is illegal. No one is disposable. If Byron is prepared to treat one group of workers like this, how is it treating others in their workplaces?

Byron have acted shamefully and have made an example of themselves as a deeply disrespectful employer. Our protest aims to shine a spotlight on this unethical behaviour, deter it from happening anywhere else, and to support workers still working at the restaurants to resist exploitation.

* Hutton Collins Partners


Esta protesta está organizada conjuntamente con United Voices of the World Union, London IWW y London Latinxs. Mas grupos por confirmar.

La semana pasada, el peródico El Ibérico informó que en la tarde del 4 de julio, el fondo de capital privado* propietario de la cadena de hamburguesas Byron convocó a un gran número de sus miembrxs del personal trabajador migrante a una sesión especial de “entrenamiento" en 15 restaurantes Byron en Londres.

Cuando llegaron, la policía de inmigración estaba esperando por ellxs, se ha reportado que 50 personas fueron detenidas y deportadas. Adicionalmente 150 empleadxs lograron evitar la deportación y están escondidxs según la fuente.

Lxs deportadxs fueron en su mayoría trabajadorxs de América Latina. No está claro qué conmoción o dificultades están experimentando ahora sus familias en Londres, o si a lxs trabajadorxs se les pagó sus salarios o cualquier dinero adeudado por la empresa.

Algunxs de los trabajadorxs deportadxs habían trabajado para Byron por cuatro años. Byron estaba feliz de utilizarlxs todo ese tiempo para luego desecharlxs y arruinar sus vidas de un dia para otro.

Nos solidaridazamos con lxs trabajadorxs deportadxs de Byron y todxs los trabajadorxs migrantes – con papeles o sin papeles.

Ningún ser humano es ilegal. Nadie es desechable. Si Byron se prepara para tratar a un grupo de trabajadorxs de esta manera, ¿cómo está tratando a los demás en sus lugares de trabajo?

Byron ha actuado vergonzosamente y ha mostrado una imagen como un empleador profundamente irrespetuoso. Nuestra protesta tiene como objetivo sacar a la luz este comportamiento poco ético, impedir que suceda en cualquier otro lugar, y apoyar a lxs empleadxs que siguen trabajando en los restaurantes para resistir la explotación.

* Hutton Collins Partners

Latest community news from Sufra Foodbank and Kitchen - get involved!

News from Sufra Foodbank

If you walk into Sufra over the next few weeks don’t be surprised to find groups of young people lounging in the foyer, raiding the fridge or hovering around the office.

This summer, we’ve truly embraced the hug a hoodie mantra - throngs of young people are volunteering for the charity in the office, warehouse and the garden. Although it does mean tolerating some questionable music blasting in the background (Hotline Bling is a particular favourite at the moment) there’s a real party atmosphere.

I’ve met some amazing young people in the last week. There’s 14-year-old Adam who knows how to code pretty much anything, 16-year-old Sami who can tell you everything about breeding quails and is insisting on setting up a chicken coop in the garden, 15-year-old Davina who taught herself Chinese (as you do) and 16-year-old Ibrahim (he’s the “runner” we spoke about last time) who turns out to be an amateur film-maker.

Summer BBQ on St. Raphael’s Estate
We’re opening up the party to the whole community!

This Saturday, 30 July, we’re throwing our third annual Summer BBQ for St. Raphael’s Estate. This year there will be no queues for burgers – Daniels Estate Agents have kindly donated a super industrial barbecue to mark the occasion. We just have to hope that Ahmed, Parminder and Iwona can cook 500 burgers in 3 hours!

Alongside the barbecue, Dina and Ros will be offering exclusive tours of St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, Brent Start will be running workshops on healthy eating, cake-decorating and puppet-making (which is what I’m looking forward to!). Ibrahim and Adam will be selling oreo and strawberry milkshakes.

Come along to savour our culinary delights and learn more about Sufra NW London.

Kew Gardens to Bournemouth

We’re really grateful to Brent Community Transport who sponsored two trips to Kew Gardens and Bournemouth for our food bank users, who would not normally be able to afford a holiday or a day out.

One very sweet lady was overjoyed after returning from Bournemouth. “It was great to have some time to forget about all the problems at home.” Very cute.

St. Raphael’s Edible Garden

If you haven’t been around to Sufra recently, you’ll be surprised to see how far the garden has come along! Yesterday I picked the first peach from our mini orchard – our first harvest. It was emotional. And rather bitter for my taste.

Over the next month we need some burly lads to dig out the pond. [Girls I think you can issue a challenge here MF] To be fair, it’s already been dug out. It just needs to be deeper. Come along on Sundays, between 10am and 2pm to help out. Sign up here.

Bottle Appeal

If you’re organising your own summer party, don’t forget to collect all your 2 litre soda bottles and drop them off to Sufra. So far we’ve collected over 100 bottles to build a greenhouse on St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, but we need over 1,500 to make sure the roof doesn’t leak!

Rui has been busy in the garden building the frame of the greenhouse, but the walls are looking rather bare. It’s a perfect excuse to overdose on sugary drinks.

Summer Academy

There are no spaces left (I did warn you to be quick), but if you want to sign up in advance for our Food Academy in September, download a Registration Form here.

Other Volunteering Opportunities:

This isn’t the most exciting role to be fair... We need some volunteers to do some data entry – there’s some with over 1,000 records to be input. I won’t try and sell it. Even I would struggle, despite all my talents. But if you want an invite to Nandos, drop me a line. You will have to work from the office, but we’re flexible on days/times.

If chicken isn’t your thing, or you’re vegetarian, you might want to sign up for our next supermarket collection.

It’s a bit early, but at least you can’t make the usual excuses of having planned a day out with friends. It’s Sat/Sun 3/4 September at Asda Park Royal. If you can flirt with customers, this is probably the right role for you. Sign up here.

And finally, I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Yours,


Mohammed S Mamdani
Director

Who is your Brent Labour councillor backing for the Labour leadership?

Labour leadership supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith have been seeking support from Labour councillors. So far only  seven of Brent's 56 Labour councillors have signed up. Statements and signatories below:


KEEP CORBYN

We are a group of Labour Party councillors who are dismayed by the attempt by some within the Parliamentary Labour Party to oust our democratically elected leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Many of us were elected in May, where in spite of predictions of an electoral meltdown, we won our seats. Voters who had previously felt abandoned by the Labour Party returned to vote for us, returned as members, and returned as campaigners.

It would be utterly self-defeating for the people we represent if now, less than a year after Jeremy was elected on the single biggest mandate of any previous leader, he was to be forced from office. It is our view that the behaviour of some members of the Parliamentary Labour Party is totally self-indulgent and at odds with what the communities we represent need. We will risk losing all those new members and enthusiastic campaigners who joined us because Jeremy offered a vision of hope for the future.

Our enemy is not Jeremy Corbyn – it is the Tory party and their plans to use the EU referendum as a fig leaf to inflict further cuts to the councils we represent.

We hope that those MPs who have embarked on this indulgent course of action will reflect on their behaviour and turn their fire on the real enemy, the Tory Party.

Claudia Hector,
Rita Conneely
Jumbo Chan


BACK SMITH
 
In a month’s time, we will be casting our votes for Owen Smith as Leader because we believe this is the only path forward to a Labour Government and putting a stop to the immense damage the Tories are doing to our communities and our nation.

We have closely watched the debate in our Party in recent weeks and are deeply impressed with how Owen has done. He has driven home the message that the fight Labour must lead is about tackling inequalities in wealth, power, outcomes and opportunities, across our country.

Owen has convincingly made the case that he knows how to get things done and has the tenacity and skill to advance the cause of working people. He has not shied away from saying our Party has been too timid and that he would increase taxes on the wealthy. He has set out a radical vision for a £200bn investment programme, re-nationalising our railways and putting the decision to make war firmly in the hands of elected MPs, not the Government of the day.

But there is more at stake here. There are militants in both wings of our Party who are determined to carry out a civil war against each other, whether it harms working people or not. We have intimidation and bullying in Constituency Labour Parties up and down the country. We have those who seem to prefer perpetual division to the job of winning power for the good of those we represent. We need a unifying leader who is principled and competent.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Our country faces an existential threat from nationalists and poor-bashing Tories. A new Scottish referendum is on the horizon. This is no time for Labour to keep fighting itself. The next general election has already begun. Owen Smith, with his experience, especially as Shadow Secretary of State fighting austerity, has a firm grasp of the issues and will be prepared to lead our party from day one.

Our party needs a leader who can win and is principled. That’s why we need your support in backing Owen Smith.

Bernard Collier
John Duffy
Neil Nerva
Sam Stopp

In pursuit of joy: what should we value in primary schools?

Guest blog by Emma Bishton, first published on her blog emmabishton.wordpress.com and by the Local Schools Network LINK

 
It's been a busy couple of weeks. No I don't mean trying to keep up with the headlines or the fallout from the headlines, though I can't say that isn't also a challenge. I mean domestically. It's the end of term, so there has been a procession of concerts and (intentionally) dramatic events to attend, a street fair, a fete, end of term assemblies and so on. This year is different because it's my daughter's last at primary school. Which means, of course, that she leaves not only with a set of wonderful memories and burgeoning opportunities, but with a set of SATS results.

A week or so ago we had our school summer concert (which I help with, as I'm involved with music at school). This was the 8th of these annual events, and quite possibly the best yet. They always follow the same format: choirs, ukulele group and recorder group have a standing slot, and most of the rest of the programme is given over to pupil performances - anything from solo songs to dance routines. Pupils audition for a slot in the programme, for which they devise and rehearse their own pieces. Variety is more important than perfection - over the years we've had all sorts from Mozart on the horn to solo renditions of Take That songs. This year, one of the highlights for me was the 'Kingfisher boys' -  a group of year 3 boys (complete with baseball caps), one singer in the middle of five dancers - including some rather skilful breakdancing. It wasn't note-perfect or movement-perfect. But it was exuberant, entertaining, and above all joyful. Like a lot else in the summer concert, it was impossible to watch without smiling.

The other thing that happened that day was that their school reports came out. These, for those lucky children in year 6, included their SATS results.  In an attempt to explain the reporting of SATS results, the headteacher usefully included a flyer  written for parents by the government Standards and Testing Agency. It goes on about the government's desire to raise standards, and includes statements which of course presage an intentionally higher number of 'failures' than previously:  "As the new standard is higher than the old one, fewer children have met the new expected standard than the previous standard", and then goes on to suggest that parents go online to find out how their child's results compare with the national average (which smacks rather of trying to generate fear of failure in parents as well as pupils, rather than drawing on the more positive effects of competition). The leaflet also suggests that tests and teacher assessments help teachers in secondary school to target extra help. Well my daughter's test results didn't tell us anything we didn't already know about her or anything she didn't already know about herself. Nor, more importantly, did they tell her teacher anything she didn't already know and couldn't already communicate to the secondary school in a teacher assessment.  So what, you might wonder, was the point of all that anguish back in May?

The leaflet appears to suggest that more children failing the tests will result in them having a better "mastery of the basics" (I'm really not sure that 'fronted adverbials' are basic, but that's another matter).  But whilst it's made clear that the SATS system has been specifically engineered to create more  'failures' than 'successes', for this year at least, the leaflet doesn't explain how 'failing' might actually help a child learn.  (I can of course see how such engineering will help the government claim to have  improved standards in a couple of years time, but that's another matter also.)  It doesn't explain it because it can't explain it. Back in May, my daughter feared the tests, though in the event she did fine. That fear wasn't productive, it was just a waste of emotional energy.  And generating fear of failure in parents by frequent use of words like 'mastery' and 'expected standard' is simply unacceptable, as well as being unlikely to result in pupils actually doing better.

In our summer concerts, on the other hand, there are no failures. In eight years of summer concerts, I have never seen a child crumble on stage. True, some enjoy performing more than others, some are more engaging than others, some have practised more or display more talent than others -  but they all get up on the stage and take pleasure in having done so. Those Kingfisher Boys applied themselves to the task, thought creatively and worked collaboratively, listened to advice and put it into practice (and rose to the challenge of performing in front of at least 200 people). All rather useful skills for life, let alone for learning.  But SATS tests don't value any of those attributes at all. Instead they have tested whether my daughter and her peers can produce a piece of writing in time and remember various facts and processes. I'm not seeking to denigrate the value of learning these things in themselves (except much of the content of the SPaG test, of course). But I question their value for our children's overall emotional and cognitive development. Children find joy in things that they value and that they get satisfaction from learning - whether that's on stage, on the cricket pitch or indeed, with a skilled teacher, in a classroom. And that joy spurs them on. Testing for the sake of testing, on the other hand, eviscerates joy.  I am heartily relieved, as my daughter prepares for secondary school, that she has been at a school which values the creative antics of boys in year 3 as highly as a few test results.

Falls Prevention & Bone Health: Have your say on new service

NHS Brent CCG is aiming to introduce a new service on Falls Prevention and Bone Health at an event on Thursday 4 August. There is still an opportunity for you to register for this event.  

Event details are:

Time: 10.00 a.m. to 12.30p.m.
Address:
The Boardroom, Wembley Centre for Health and Care
116 Chaplin Road
Wembley,
Middlesex
HA0 4UZ


Refreshments and a light lunch will be provided on the day. You have been invited to the event because it will give you an early opportunity to help us to shape a new service for patients and the public in Brent.

Please register by emailing brentccg.engagement@nhs.net and stating in the subject box: Falls and Bone Health event.

Headteacher: We must act together to make sure SATs pain does not happen again

This plea from a primary headteacher appeared on Facebook about 12 hours ago and has received much attention. The Green Party has a long-standing policy in favour of the abolition of SATs and opposition has strengthened amongst parent groups and teachers.  
 

I am a primary head teacher and have taught in primary schools for the past 26 years. I started teaching when SATs were first introduced and have never thought they were a good idea but this year has been a disaster from start to finish. Before I explain why that is I want to apologise. I want to say sorry to my staff and my children. I am sorry that I didn’t act sooner, that I wasn’t brave enough to stand up at the start of the year and say no. We all knew it was going to be bad but I really couldn’t have imagined it would be this bad.

The year has been chaotic from start to finish. The testing regime being just one part of that. From the Key Stage 1 SPAG test published on line for several months without the DfE noticing, to the terrible Year 6 tests which have left nearly half of our Year 6 pupils being told they are not good enough.

So to those young people moving on to secondary school I say to you well done for working hard and trying your best. Your school and your teachers have not failed you – this government has.

Over the past few days I have heard some terrible stories – head teachers sent home and told not to return, Year 6 teachers blamed for the results and told they can no longer teach in Year 6 – these are people’s lives, people’s livelihoods – teachers went in to the profession to make a difference – we have a system set on destroying them.

To my staff and my children – again I am sorry – you are amazing – each and every one of you – you are individual, you are unique and no child should ever have to be tested on a standardised test because you are not standard. No teacher should be made to feel they have failed when all they have done is work as hard as they can - often too hard to implement something which shouldn’t have been implemented.

So now a request to all of you – parents, teachers, head teachers, school staff. If you agree that these tests are wrong and should go. If you really believe as I have heard many of you say that this year must be the last year that we put our children through this then please do not allow the 6 week holiday to numb your pain. Please remember what this has done to our schools and our children and please do something – write to anyone and everyone, put pressure on politicians and let us all together build a campaign to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Our children should leave primary school confident learners who are looking forward to secondary school, keen to learn and develop their skills but also people who have respect and understanding for those around them and who will grow in to well-grounded young people who can contribute positively to our society.

I for one cannot do this again I hope others join me to say enough is enough. Our children deserve so much more.