People' Assembly schedule - June 22nd 2013

I will be joining  more than 4,000 others at the People's Assembly at Central Hall, Westminster, tomorrow. I hope that this will mark a watershed in the fightback against austerity in the UK.

This is the schedule:

 

Registration

10:00 - 10:45

Location: Great Hall

Opening plenaryFeaturing: Owen Jones, Frances O'Grady, Mark Steel, Stephen Morrision-Burke
Chairs: Sam Fairbairn, Romayne Phoenix

11:00 - 12:15

Location: Great Hall

Tactics for the anti-austerity movement

Featuring: Andrew Murray (Unite, Stop the War), Rosa Curling (Leigh Day), Danni Paffard (No Dash for Gas, UK Uncut), Anita Halpin (NUJ)
Chairs: Rachel Newton (People’s Charter), Stephen Reid (The Intruders, UK Uncut)

Location: Lecture Hall

Tackling the housing crisis

Featuring: Cllr Liz Wakefield (Brighton and Hove Council, Green Party), Liz Davies (Housing Barrister and Chair of the Haldane Society), Carole Vincent (Waltham Forest Bedroom Tax Campaign), Jacob Wills (DIGS, Hackney private renters group), Eviction Resistance Network, SQUASH
Chair: Pilgrim Tucker (Unite Community)

Location: Library

Mobilising millions: Re-unionising the UK

Featuring: Faiza Shaheen (nef), John Hendy QC (Institute of Employment Rights), Luke Hildyard (High Pay Centre), Kelly Tomlinson (Unite), Frank Morris (blacklisted construction worker)
Chair: Nick McCarthy (PCS)

Location: Marquee 1

What cuts are doing to emergency services, local government and the communities they serve

Featuring: Heather Wakefield (UNISON), Matt Wrack (FBU), Barbara Jacobson (Barnet Alliance), Murad Qureshi (GLA member), Debbie Wilkingson (Yorkshire Ambulance Service)
Chair: Andy Richards (Brighton & Hove UNISON)

Location: Marquee 2

The climate change threat and one million climate jobs

Featuring: Jeremy Corbyn MP (Labour), Salma Yaqoob, Lindsey German (Stop the War), Tariq Ali
Chair: Kate Hudson (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)

Location: Library

Immigration is not to blame - countering racism, Islamophobia and the far right

Featuring: Diane Abbott MP, Guy Taylor (Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants), Mohammed Kozbar (British Muslim Initiative), Sabby Dhalu (Unite Against Fascism)
Chair: Kate Osamor (Unite)

Location: Emmanuel Centre

Democracy and decision-making: fixing our broken political system

. Featuring: Mark Barrett (Peoples' Assembly Network), Natalie Bennett (Green Party), Loz Kaye (Pirate Party UK), Richard Bagley (Morning Star), Naomi Colvin (City Reform Group), Corinna Lotz (Agreement of the People, Campaign for a 21st Century Constitution), Bill Greenshields (People's Charter)

Location: Marquee

Stand up against the cuts: comedy and performance

Featuring: Robin & Partridge, Kate Smurthwaite, Sir Ian Bowler MP, Chris Coltrane, Stephen Morrison-Burke, Roger Lloyd Pack

2:15 - 3:30

Location: Great Hall

The next step: creating local People's Assemblies

Featuring: Sam Fairbairn (People's Assembly co-ordinator)

Location: Lecture Hall

Protecting public education

Featuring: Christine Blower (NUT), Adriano Merola Marotta (Sussex Occupation), Aaron Kiely (NUS), Alex Claxton-Mayer (school student)
Chairs: Vicki Baars (NUS), Alex Kenny (NUT)

Location: Library

The economics of anti-austerity: jobs, investment and tax justice

Featuring: Ken Livingstone, James Meadway (nef), Ozlem Onaram (University of Greenwich)
Chair: Heather Wakefield (UNISON)

Location: Emmanuel Centre

Defending our welfare state

Featuring: Ken Loach, Dot Gibson (National Pensioners Convention), Eve Turner (Health and Welfare Campaigner), Young Legal Aid Lawyers
Chair: Fred Leplat (Coalition of Resistance)

Location: Marquee

At the sharp end.

Featuring: Ellen Clifford (DPAC), Hector Wesley (BARAC), Colin Wilson (Queers Against the Cuts), Anita Wright (National Assembly of Women), Mark Serwotka (PCS), War on Welfare Petition
Chair: John McInally (PCS)

3:45 - 5:00

Location: Great Hall

Closing plenaryFeaturing: Mark Serwotka, Len McClusky, Francesca Martinez, Rania Khan, Christine Blower, Tony Benn, John Rees, Zita Holbourne
Chairs: Steve Turner (Unite), Vicki Baars (NUS)

 

Agenda for Monday's meeting of Brent Council - the last at Brent Town Hall

Brent Council meets at 7.30pm on Monday at Brent Town Hall. It will be  preceded by a special meeting to confer the Freedom of Brent. This will be the last Council meeting at Brent Town Hall. The next Brent Council Executive meeting will be in the Boardroom at the Civic Centre.

The agenda below includes the decision on continuing Christine Gilbert's interim Chief Executive position until after the 2014 local elections:

	5. Report from Muhammed Butt  the leader of the Council LINK  6.Questions from the Opposition and other Non- Executive Members Questions will be put to the Executive
	Reports from the Chairs of Overview and Scrutiny Committees PDF 97 KB 7. This report provides a summary of the work of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees in accordance with Standing Order 14 and covers the period since last reported to Full Council in January 2013.
	Borough Plan 2013-14 PDF 146 KB 8. This report sets out – through its attached appendix – a proposed revision of the Borough Plan for 2013 – 2014. The Plan and its detailed targets have been the subject of consultation with Executive Members and Partners since March 2013. Additional documents: Borough Plan attach , item 8. PDF 359 KB
.	Wembley Area Action Plan - Submission for examination in public PDF 483 KB 9. On 11 March the Executive agreed the Wembley Area Action Plan for public consultation and then, subject to Full Council approval, to submit the draft Plan to the Planning Inspectorate for Examination.  In light of the consultation three relatively small amendments are proposed to enable a sound draft Plan to be formally submitted. Full Council is asked to approve the amendments set out in paragraph 3.3 below and to agree the Plan be formally submitted.  The draft Plan is attached as Appendix 1. Additional documents: wembley-plan-app (small) , item 9. PDF 8 MB
	Establishment of the Brent Health and Wellbeing Board PDF 103 KB 10. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 requires that the Council appoints a Health and Wellbeing Board, the membership of which is largely set out in statute. The purpose of the Board is to assess the health needs of the Brent population and produce a strategy to address those needs and to encourage the provision of integrated health and social care services.
	Changes to health scrutiny PDF 310 KB 11. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Local Authority (Public Health, Health and Wellbeing Boards and Health Scrutiny) Regulations 2013 which came into force on 1 April 2013 make some changes to the Council’s health scrutiny role and the Council now has a choice about how those functions are carried out by the Council.
	Review of and changes to the constitution PDF 343 KB 12. This report is in two parts; the first part sets out changes recommended following a detailed review of certain parts of the Constitution; most particularly delegations to officers, operation of Full Council, and call in arrangements. The second part addresses recommended changes of a more administrative nature and those arising from changes in the law. Additional documents: Appendix 1 to Constitution Report , item 12. PDF 1 MB Appendix 2 to Constitution Report , item 12. PDF 831 KB
	Appointment of permanent Chief Executive PDF 78 KB 13. This report concerns the proposed timescale for the appointment to the Chief Executive post and consequential interim arrangements.
	14. Motions To debate any motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 45.
	15. Urgent business At the discretion of the Mayor to consider any urgent business.

Further consultation on Welsh Harp West Hendon development after amendments to plans

Further consultation will take place with a closing date of Tuesday July 9th after the developer, Barratt Homes, submitted new documents and addendums to the Barnet Planinng Department.

The documents can be found at the developer's site www.west-hendon.co.uk or www.barnet.gov.uk/planning-applications  The reference number is H/0154/13. Comments bye-mail should be sent to westhendon@barnet.gov.uk

The council state:

 Should this application be required to go before a Committee, members of the public may speak at the meeting, subject to certain rules. If you wish to speak to the Committee YOU MUST STAE CLEARLY IN BOLD AT THE TOP OF YOUR CORRESPONDENCE 'REQUEST TO SPEAK AT THE PLANNING COMMITEE'.  Unless you indicate to the contrary your contact details will then be passed to the other speakers so that the necessary arrangements can be made.

GMB strike action in Brighton suspended

Strike action by CityClean GMB  in Brighton members has been suspended for 28 days from  Monday to allow a ballot of members on a Council offer to take place. The offer is preliminary until the formal consultation period is completed. The offer will be discussed with Unison tomorrow and other areas will  need to be negotiated with both unions.

I understand that the work-to-rule is also suspended and there will be an extensive clean up and catch-up work programmed in now for the next fortnight.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, tweeted tonight:

Thanks to @gmbcityclean for returning to work while ballot members on council offer - importance of their work appreciated more than ever

Tony McNulty gives a helping hand to Brent Labour

There was an interesting tweet from Cllr Krupesh Hirani yesterday when he was out campaigning for Labour in Dudden Hill ward.

Tony McNulty is the former Labour MP for Harrow East who resigned his ministerial position after  allegations that he claimed expenses for a second home, occupied by his parents, which was only 8 miles away from his primary residence. As a minister McNulty had said, 'We are absolutely determined to stop benefit thieves stealing from the British taxpayer.'

McNulty is married to Christine Gilbert, Interim Chief Executive of Brent Council. Gilbert's arrangement for her salary to be paid into her private company Christine Gilbert Associates LINK though legal, have come in for criticism.

Yesterday I blogged that  a report by Fiona Ledden, to be considered by full council, recommends that the permanent Chief Executive post is not advertised until after the 2014 Council Elections.

One of the stated reasons is:

Council will be aware that there will be an election in the Borough in May 2014 when all Council seats will be up for election and this is clearly an important matter for the authority not only in terms of operational management but also in relation to reputation management. The continuance of the current interim arrangements will ensure that the overall planning and management for that election can be organised and properly overseen by an interim Chief Executive who has developed a full understanding of the organisation.

It is reassuring that so much trouble is being taken to protect the reputation of the council.

Copland staff and parents issue challenge to Michael Gove and Brent Council

The teacher unions at Copland High School, Wembley, which is facing forced academisation by the DfE and an Interim Executive Board imposed by Brent Council,, have issued the following press release:

Since the very well supported strike action on 23rd May, Copland Community School staff in Wembley have set up an action group. On Thursday 13th June at a lively parents meeting at the school parents decided to also set up an action group. They will be coordinating jointly to continue their opposition to the imposition of an Interim Executive Board (IEB) and a forced academy.

Key demands are a secret ballot of all staff and parents before any decisions are made and a commitment from the Government to rebuild the appalling school buildings that the HMI said were not fit for purpose and adversely effected pupils' education.

Parents and staff, as well as the Headteacher and Chair of Governors, were very disappointed that neither Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council and a Copland school governor, nor Cllr Michael Pavey, Lead member for Education attended the meeting despite claiming that parents views were important. No-one came from Brent Children and Families either despite claiming to support the school and its Headteacher.

It was clear that the parents remain loyal to the school and are prepared to defend it. Questions asked by Hank Roberts, ATL President in his letter to Labour Councillors at the end of May (see below) remain unanswered. 

The Unions and Action Groups have also asked to meet with Michael Gove. The letter reads:

You will be aware of the situation at Copland Community School in Brent. After a parents meeting last week to discuss the Ofsted report and its ramifications, parents set up an action group which will be co-ordinating with the staff action group.

Representatives from these action groups request an urgent meeting with you before any decisions are made about Copland's future. We are aware that you have met with representatives from Gladstone Park Primary School. We would hope and expect, therefore, that such an invitation be extended to Copland as well.

 The joint unions are looking for another day of strike action before the end of term if  they cannot get agreement from the Local Authority and the DfE that Copland will not be forced to become an academy.

Questions yet unanswered by Councillors

1) What actual educational evidence, other than Government propaganda, do you have that turning a school into an academy improves teaching and learning?
2) Why would you seek to ignore the Ofsted Report's recommendation that there be “an external review of Governance” at Copland, which is not an imposition of an IEB?
3) How do you answer the detailed points raised in the Chair of Governors letter, written on behalf of the Governing Body, explaining what had been done and crucial background information?
4) If Brent is claiming to be acting in the best interests of pupils' education then will you be asking the Governors to call a meeting of parents and carers to actually establish their views, or do you intend to have no consultation with parents?
5) As the last IEB at Copland failed to overcome the school's problems, what leads you to believe, and what evidence do you have, that it will succeed this time, especially if the staff did not want to co-operate with this imposed undemocratic body with no proper staff or parent representation?
6) Why would you and a Labour Council be acting to implement Gove's policies and do his 'dirty work' for him?

Council sells off more land for Bridge Park development - but no new secondary school

Stonebridge bus garage before conversion

Bridge Park Leisure Centre with Unisys House in background

Indicative scheme for the site

Tomorrow's Executive is to consider another council land sale financed development along similar lines to that at Willesden Green Library which provoked so much controversy. DETAILS

The Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre would be rebuilt as part of the scheme with some of its council owned land sold to the developer. A compulsory Purchase Order would be served on the car breakers that occupy part of the site. Bridge Park includes a number of business units and the separate Technology House office block is used by a children's nursery and a church.

The Centre was built on the site of the old Stonebridge bus station (I seem to remember trolley buses) and was partially a response to fears of disorder on the Stonebridge Estate in the wake of the 1985 riots.

Before land sale and compulsory purchase order

After land sale and CPO

The Unisys site is owned by General Mediterranean Holdings and they plan to build 512 dwellings and a hotel on their part of the site. The proposal differs from that for Willesden Green in that this involves a direct land sale rather than an agreement with a third party. Brent Council would procure its own architects and builders to build the new sports centre rather than developer such as Galliford Try.

The report states:

The Sale Agreement passes the risk of residential and commercial sales to the developer. So for example the council considered GMH carrying out the whole development on behalf of the council including building the sports centre. While this would remove the sports centre build cost risk to the council it would raise other issues. If the council for example set out its requirements for the sports centre and imposed an obligation to deliver the new sports centre in accordance with that specification then it would have tocomply with the European OJEU procurement rules and undertake a fully compliant and separate procurement process. This is despite the fact the landowner (GMH) has no intention of selling to a third party. A land sale avoids this protracted procurement process. The council would have to procure its own architects and build contractors but can do this effectively by using existing pre-OJEU procured frameworks.

It appears that the council has learned some lessons from the Willesden Green Library Centre development. However as with most schemes sold as 'gift horses' it is worth a closer look, particularly, as in the case of Willesden Green, the repercussions of occupying a smaller site as the result of the land sale.

The report says there is not need to specify the housing at this stage but somewhat ominously states:

  A minimum of 5% of all dwellings will be affordable but will be limited in order to fund the sports centre.

 In the Willesden Green development Galliford Try successfully persuaded the Council  that they would  not be able to build the Cultural Centre at zero cost to Brent Council if they had to build affordable housing.

Among the potential losers are the 37 business units in the Bridge Park complex. The Council  suggests they could be relocated in the commercial floor space proposed by GMH, relocate to other council owned space such as Harlesden Design Works or to 'other industrial spaces' in Park Royal. The current conference rooms in the Centre would not be replaced although the large function space would be, although a swimming pool could be installed instead as an option. It is noted that the latter would be a significant cost but would help secure the financial viability of the Centre.  The report notes that the proposed swimming pool on the site of Dexion House in Wembley 'shows no sign of being developed'.  In line with some of the schemes for school expansion a possible domed 5-a-side football pitch on the roof of the new sports centre is suggested.

There are no plans to replace the children's nursery although there is an option for a children's play area. The report merely says that it will 'look at further options to replace the nursery during the consultation process'. Remember the Willesden Bookshop...

Perhaps most importantly, in terms of the predicted shortage of secondary school places in Brent and the dearth of secondary schools south of the North Circular Road, a possible redevelopment involving an 8 form entry secondary school AND a shared sports centre on the site is rejected. This is because:

...there are currently no allocated funds to build a new school (c£18m), a new sports centre (c£9m) and additional flood storage (part of the site is in a identified flood zone) (c£1-2m)

512 new dwellings will of course add to the pressure on school places. It will be interesting to see how these proposals develop and are received by current users of the site. Certainly the Unisys site, empty and decaying for so long, needs to be utilised for something useful.

Declaration for People's Assembly June 22nd

 

The declaration below represents the beginning of a democratic process leading towards a second People’s Assembly in early 2014. This declaration represents the views of all those who initially called for the People’s Assembly. We hope it will be endorsed by the People’s Assembly on 22nd June. It will then be open to the local People’s Assembly’s, union bodies and campaign groups who support the People’s Assembly to suggest amendments, additions, or deletions. These will then all be discussed and decided upon at the recall People’s Assembly in 2014.

  

The plans for action are simply the most obvious rallying points for a national anti-cuts movement for the remainder of 2013. They are not intended to supersede local or sectional action by existing campaigns or trade unions. They are intended to be focus national, collective action by the whole anti-austerity movement.

The People’s Assembly, meeting in Westminster Central Hall, declares:

We face a choice that will shape our society for decades to come. It is a choice faced by ordinary people in every part of the globe.

We can defend education, health and welfare provision funded from general taxation and available to all, or we can surrender the gains that have improved the lives of millions of people for over more than 50 years.

We do not accept that government’s austerity programme is necessary. The banks and the major corporations should be taxed at a rate which can provide the necessary resources. Austerity does not work: it is a failure in its own terms resulting in neither deficit reduction nor growth. It is not just: the government takes money from the pockets of those who did not cause the crisis and rewards those who did. It is immoral: our children face a bleaker future if our services and living standards are devastated. It is undemocratic: at the last election a majority voted against the return of a Tory government. The Con-Dem coalition has delivered us into the grip of the Tories’ whose political project is the destruction of a universal welfare state.

We therefore choose to resist. We refuse to be divided against ourselves by stories of those on ‘golden pensions’, or of ‘scroungers’, or the ‘undeserving poor’. We do not blame our neighbours, whatever race or religion they maybe. We are not joining the race to the bottom. We stand with the movement of resistance across Europe.

We are clear in our minds that our stand will require us to defend the people’s right to protest, and so we support the right of unions and campaigns to organise and take such action as their members democratically decide is necessary.

We stand with all those who have made the case against the government so far: in the student movement, in the unions, in the many campaigns to defend services, the NHS, and in the Coalition of Resistance, the People’s Charter, UK Uncut, the environmental movement and the Occupy movement.

We do not seek to replace any organisations fighting cuts. All are necessary. But we do believe that a single united national movement is required to challenge more effectively a nationally led government austerity programme.

We have a plain and simple goal: to make government abandon its austerity programme. If it will not it must be replaced with one that will.

We will concentrate on action not words. We aim to provide the maximum solidarity for unions and other organisations and others taking action. We support every and all effective forms action and aim to build a united national movement of resistance.

Our case is clear. The government’s austerity programme does not work; it is unjust, immoral and undemocratic. Alternatives exist. Debts can be dropped. Privatisation can be reversed and common ownership embraced. A living wage can begin to combat poverty. Strong trade unions can help redistribute profit. The vast wealth held by corporations and the trillions held by the super rich in tax havens can be tapped. Green technology, alternatives to the arms industries, a rebuilt infrastructure including growth in manufacturing are all desperately needed. We are fighting for an alternative future for this generation and for those that come after us.

Proposed actions:

The People’s Assembly will support every genuine movement and action taken against any and all of the cuts. We support all current industrial actions by the unions. We encourage and will help to organise the maximum solidarity action with the PCS and teaching union members taking strike action the week after the People’s Assembly, as well as with other action by unions planned for the autumn.

Peoples Assemblies against the cuts should be organised in towns and cities across our nations, bringing all those fighting the cuts together into a broad democratic alliance on a local basis.

The national and the local Assemblies, in partnership with Trades Unions, Trades Councils, campaigning and community groups, can unite our movement and strengthen our campaigns. Local Assemblies will help us to organise a recalled National Assembly to review our work in the early spring of 2014.

We will work together with leading experts and campaigners both here and abroad, and friendly think tanks, to develop rapidly key policies and an alternative programme for a new anti-austerity government. We will continue to welcome support from all who fight the cuts.

We will call a national day of civil disobedience and direct action against austerity.

We will call a day of co-ordinated local demonstrations in the early autumn.

We will work with the trade unions and others to call a national demonstration in November.