Anger and action building on racist vans

The campaign against the 'racist vans' is attracting support across Brent and further afield. Ideas so far include direct action when the vans are seen in the area or we find where they are garaged. Send information via Twitter using #racistvan

Meanwhile:

Inundate the text number on the van advertisement for 'help in getting home' with requests for cabs etc HOME 78070

Complain to Advertising Standards Authority http://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain.aspx

Complain to advertising agency concerned http://www.promobikes.co.uk/contact.php Twitter: @promogroupuk

Add comments to Guardian site:

http://m.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/23/anti-immigrant-ad-campaign-racism?CMP=twt_gu

A solictors' form has contacted me re possible legal action and I'll let you know outcomes of any discussions.

Green AM Condemns Racist Vans 'Divide and Rule'

Jenny Jones, Green Party London Assembly member said today that she was appalled by the anti-immigrant advertising lorries that are to be deployed in six London boroughs. She said:

It is very worrying that old fashioned racist rhetoric about 'immigrants go home' has been resurrected by a Government advertising agency and put up on the sides of vans. This divide and rule approach by the Government on immigration has no place in a strongly multi-cultural city like London. We need to say no to the people at the top who are doing their best to divide our city.

Barnet Council approve ruination of the Welsh Harp

Outside Hendon Towen Hall

Barnet Planning Committee tonight passed the planning application for the West Hendon Development on the banks of the Welsh Harp by 5 votes to 4 after a sometimes rancorous debate.

The presentation by a planning officer of his report on the development provoked protests from Andrew Dismore AM for Barnet and Camden who said that he had never heard such a biased officers' report in 30 years involvement in politics. He said the officer was acting as a advocate for the developers rather than as someone presenting a balanced view on which the Planning Committee could make a decision.

Dismore asked why there had not been a ballot of residents of the West Hendon Estate and presented his own findings (see posting below). He said the luxury tower blocks would be for Russian oligarchs rather than local people.

Cllr Roxanne Mashari (Labour -Welsh Harp)  told the chair of the Committee that she would be writing to Barnet Council to record her concerns about the officer's presentation which amounted to a 'hard sell'. The length and veracity of the presentation had not been used for any other application.

Cllr Mashari said that when she visited the developers they had not even be aware of Brent Council's objections. She spoke about growing up near the Welsh Harp and what a much loved and  valued resource it was.  The 29 storey buildings would be an imposing and inappropriate presence looming over the reservoir.

Navin Shah AM for Brent and Harrow told the committee that the Welsh Harp was an exceptional site of tremendous value. The enormous scale of the development and its density was unsustainable.  The amount of affordable housing should have been at the target of 40% rather than the 25% in the application.

Cllr Javaid Ashraf (Liberal Democrat - Dollis Hill) told the committee that he was a former chair of the Welsh Harp JCC), He had three main concerns: density, damage to the SSSI and traffic congestion. He said he was not against redevelopment. He was supportive of 'a' scheme but not 'this' scheme.

The public loudly supported this last point. The officer's presentation had implied that the scheme should be supported because it was better than a previous scheme that had been agreed by the Planning Committee and that no other scheme was viable as it would not provide enough of a return to the developer to enable the social housing to be redeveloped.

Objectors will continue their campaign at the London Mayoral level.

Battle for the Welsh Harp tonight 6.30pm Hendon Town Hall

Despite objections from environmentalists, Brent Council, residents on the West Hendon Estate and hundreds of other residents, Barnet Planning Committee will be recommended by officers tonight to approve the redevelopment proposal from Barratt Homes. DETAILS

There will be a demonstration starting at 5pm outside Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, NW4 4BG. Cllr Roxanne Masharini, Brent Council lead member for the environment and Navin Shah AM are among those down to speak at the meeting which begins at 6.30pm.

If members decide to grant planning permission it will be referred back to the Mayor of London before the issue of any decision as a 'strategic development'. The Mayopr will have 14 days from the date of referral to consider whether the Council can make the decision at local level, direct that the application be refused, or choose to take the application over and determine the application himself.

One of the most power submissions is by Andrew Dismore, AM for Barnet and Camden who includes a survey of West Hendon Estate residents.  These are the results;

1. Do you think the Council have given enough priority to estate residents? Yes 8.4% No 81.3%
2. Should there be more affordable homes? Yes 84.7% No 10.1%
3a.. Do you think the scheme is too dense? Yes 83% No 10.1%
3b. Do you think the blocka re too high? Yes 84.7% No 3.4%
4. Do you wish the Council scheme to be approved? Yes 18.6% No 79.6%
5. Does the plan give sufficient attention to the wider neighbourhood near the site? Yes 6.7% No 98.8%
6. Do you want to keep York Park? Yes 89.8% No 3.3%
7. Does there need to be more parking? Yes 74.5% No 20.3%
8. Has enough thought been given to leaseholder needs? Yes 8.4% No 77.9%

Respondents: Council teneants 37.2%, leaseholder 8.4%, private tenant 10.1%, owner occupier 44%

Lorries promoting government racism in Brent condemned

Brent has been chosen as one of six borough for the dubious honour of hosting a campaign that panders to the racists of the EDL and echoes the 'Blacks Go Home' slogans of the National Front in the 70s.

In the 70s I was one of many in anti-racist groups who organised weekend actions removing  or painting over the slogans from the walls and doors of London. The slogans, often aimed at individual homes. as below, were designed to intimidate.

Now it is a government that is funding a campaign with exactly the same aims. It shows, contrary to the multi-racial bliss promoted by the government over the Olympics, that racism is now acceptable.

As a teacher I was very aware of the impact racist and anti-refugee campaigns had on children in our schools, making them anxious and insecure and sometimes ashamed of their status. This campaign will have a similar impact and seems designed to reassure the racsits that the government is taking action but will have the effect of stirring up resentment, suspicion and fear.

The choosing of Brent for such a campaign, when there was that notorious YouTube video about Wembley by a far-right racist group not so long ago is deeply offensive.

Sarah Teather MP spoke out against the campaign saying:

This is the latest in a string of Home Office announcements that are designed to make the government look tough on immigration. But I fear that the only impact of this deeply divisive form of politics will be to create tension and mistrust to anyone who looks and sounds foreign. These adverts are nothing less than straightforward intimidation and … can only have bad consequences for communities like those I represent in Brent, where people from all faiths and races have mixed for decades. We will all be much poorer for it.

Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council said yesterday:

Placing these posters in the most diverse borough in the UK is inflammatory and divisive. I have people in my surgeries every week who have been wrongly processed by the home office or who have come from places they simply can't return to and are now going to feel publicly threatened as a result of these posters. It's disgraceful and frankly unwelcome in our diverse and united borough.

I welcome their statements and am keen to discuss what we can do as a community once these lorries of hate are on out streets.

Labour's council candidates for 2014 revealed

I've had quite a few people, from all local political parties, chasing me for news of the Labour nominations for the 2014 Brent Council elections. Below is the information I have been able to glean so far. I am not sure of the Brondesbury Park group as I understood Labour was delaying selection in the hope of getting a female candidate - the three names I have are all male.

Any additional information for the 'thrid candidates' or corrections welcome.
                           

Ward	Candidates for Local Elections 2014
Alperton	James Allie, Bhagwanji Chohan, Mili Patel
Barn Hill	Shafique Choudhury, Sarah Marquis, Michael Pavey
Brondesbury Park	Terry Hoad, Michael Adeyeye,  David Lister
Dollis Hill	Parvez Ahmed, Arshad Mahmood, (third to be confirmed)
Dudden Hill	Aslam Choudry, Krupesh Hirani, Janice Long
Fryent	George Crane, Ruth Moher, Shama Tatler.
Harlesden	Aisha Eniola, Lloyd McLeish, Bobby Thomas
Kensal Green	Dan Filson, Claudia Hector, Matt Kelcher
Kenton	Nadhim Ahmed, Syed Alam, (third to be confirmed)
Kilburn	Rita Conneely, John Duffy, Tayo Oladapo
Mapesbury Northwick Park	Lia Colacicco, Mustafa Field,  Ahmad Shazad,
	Margaret McLennan,  Joshua Murray,  Keith Perrin
Preston	Matt Bradley, Pat Harrison, Jean Hossain
Queen's Park	James Denselow, Neil Nerva, Ellie Southwood
Queensbury	Sandra Kabir, Kana Naheerathan, Ramesh Patel
Stonebridge	Ernest Ezeajughi, Cheryl Henry, Zaffar Van Kalwala
Sudbury	Abdi Aden, Mary Daly, Aisha Hoda Benn
Tokyngton	Muhammed Butt, Orleen Hylton, Ketan Sheth
Welsh Harp	Amer Agha, Harbi Farah, Roxanne Mashari
Wembley Central	Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray, Krupa Sheth, Sam Stopp
Willesden Green	Bernard Collier, Lesley Jones, Tom Miller.

Some of the newcomers are worth checking out. Tom Miller (Willesden Green) has attracted controversy for his involvement with Labour List and association with Derek Draper who along with Damian McBride worked on plans to smear Opposition MPs under the last Labour Government. More on this website which compares him to The Office's Gareth. LINK

Sam Stopp has set up his own website which is notable for the fact that he refers to himself as Sam throughout LINK, The earth-shaking headlines include 'Sam Attends Full Council Meeting' - he sat in the public gallery! His key priority is rubbish - caused by his Labour colleagues cuts to street sweeping!

Pavey won't act on Copland chaos

Guest bloggers have given a vivid picture of events at Copland Community School as the new management take action. I have been arguing that Brent Council needs to look at its own role, not least the effectiveness of  its support for the school in the period previous to the Ofsted inspection when Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt was a member of the governing body.

The Council has sacked that governing body and imposed an Interim Executive Board which has appointed senior management. The Council can't just leave it there but should be monitoring closely how the IEB and senior management are going about school improvement.

The guest bloggers have revealed a troubling picture which, as I state in the Twitter exchange below with Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families, seems to be killing the patient in order to cure it.

I have been a headteacher responsible for turning round a primary school in special measures, as well as Chair of Governors at two primary schools which under the lead of the headteacher and supported by governors have also come out of the category.

Of course tough measures have to be taken to remove inadequate teaching and tackle issues such as poor attendance, but in the process you have to build on your strengths, boost morale, win the confidence of teachers, parents and pupils and get everyone on board. When you do have to take action on capability this should be done following the agreed procedures ensuring fairness and transparency.

The guest bloggers' contributions seem to indicate that this is not happening and led me into the following Twitter exchange with Cllr Pavey:
 
Wembley Matters: Whistleblower's plea for .@MikeyPavey to intervene in Copland debacle http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/coplands-summer-bizarre-continues.html …
Michael Pavey: Have they filed a grievance? That's the most appropriate first step.
Wembley Matters LA appointed IEB/new head who are killing patient to cure it. You representing LA must take responsibility. Grievance takes time
Michael Pavey: I fully support IEB in turning round Copland's dismal failure of kids. Any complaints need to follow proper process.
Wembley Matters: Washing of hands - RIP Copland then
Michael Pavey: Says who? I see a committed new team keen to reverse educational failure.
Wembley Matters: History will judge - by Autumn half-term?
Michael Pavey: It will take much longer than that to reverse historical failure.
Wembley Matters: The consequences of current management action will be obvious by then: staffing, morale, and pupils' well-being
Michael Pavey: The consequences of current levels of teaching are already apparent.
Luca Salice: IEBs in some circumstances can be a good solution to avoid academy conversion and improve schools.
Wembley Matters: I agree Luca but in this case Brent Council put in IEB to PREVENT the governors opposing forced academisation.

Mel Smith: Conservative Party Election Broadcast

Thanks to Romayne Phoenix for tweeting the link to this 'topical again' Not the Nine O'Clock News spoof: