Promogroup may not participate further in 'racist van' campaign

Promogroup, the advertising agency behind the Home Office's 'racist vans' publicity stunt appear to have been thrown by the angry reaction to the campaign 

Green Party member David Walker told me this afternoon:

I just called the company.  They are passing my details on to the Home Office.  They said the campaign is close to finishing and they would reconsider carefully if they were asked to extend it or do it again.  I’ve asked for my comments to be noted on their file and I’ve left my name and number with them.

He added that the person he spoke to clearly understood his references to the EDL, mosque attacks etc.

I also spoke to the agency who said that the campaign was almost over. It had started on Monday and would finish soon. The person I spoke to would not give me a quote and said I should take up the issue with the Home Office. 

However, a few minutes later he rang back having read the postings about the van on Wembley Matters. He said  this was 'all very well but "direct action when the vans are seen in the area or we find where they are garaged" sounds a bit threatening'. I did a verbal shrug. He then struggled to say again that the campaign was finishing 'in Brent' and when I tried to pin him down said the last van would be on Saturday - the campaign had been going since Monday.  He went on to say that he wasn't  closely involved, but the agency  had received a 'variety' of calls  including some from immigrants asking for help to go home.

He didn't comment when I asked how many were asking for cabs.
 

Navin Shah: Home Office 'Propaganda' vans will cause harm and raise tension

The Labour London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow  condemned the 'racist van' campaign by the Home Office in Brent and five other London boroughs.

He said: 

I know that immigration in the UK needs to be tackled, but I am shocked to see plans to drive vans around Brent and five other boroughs in London. This will have a detrimental impact on the hugely diverse and harmonious community in Brent. The problem of illegal immigration has to be tackled properly and a campaign like this will only divide and discriminate communities.

We have worked very hard to have a borough which is an outstanding example of a multi-cultural community and this discriminatory propaganda by the Home Office will cause serious harm and raise tension in the community.

Summer Blues for Copland staff and students

Copland Community School's summer term ended on a rather depressing note yesterday despite the news that the school may get money for a rebuild. We are no longer surprised when money suddenly becomes available when a school converts to academy status- all part of Michael Gove's agenda of carrot and stick (bribery and bullying).

A whistle blower commenting on the rebuild money on the Kilburn Times website:

Excellent news for students, parents and staff that a new school is to be built. However, builders can only build a school in the bricks and mortar sense. Anyone present at the final staff assembly today, when up to 60 staff left, would be aware that the pair of wrecking balls who have just taken over management of Copland will have to develop skills of a rather less agricultural nature if they are ever to hope to build a school in the sense of a community of shared interests working in an atmosphere of trust and support towards a shared educational end. Significantly, the new head and his assistant absented themselves from today's goodbyes.

Earlier I had been sent a message that put Cllr Michael Pavey's report of a 'refreshing and uplifting meeting with parents at Copland tonight. They want change for their kids: better teaching and better results' into context. 

Of course any group of parents would want the latter, and why not. As the message said:

Must be new regime fans then because everyone else wants worse teaching and increasingly terrible results, of course. Obviously everyone wants the same thing: the question is whether alienating the entire staff indiscriminately, acting on the tittle-tattle and prejudices of the  outgoing failed management, shedding 40 odd teachers and not replacing them, etc etc is the way to achieve this. Reality is, eg, Art was being dropped completely and leaving staff not replaced. When it was pointed out by staff that Art  got good results the decision was changed and they said they'd recruit new staff. Job was advertised, only one candidate turned up, completely unsuitable, post is unfilled. Shambles. Many similar examples. Good staff are being driven out. Most so demoralised that any alternative is preferable to coming back in September.

Michael Wilshaw, head of Ofsted said: 'If I hear staff morale is bad, I know I'm doing something right.' These over-literal clones/clowns seem to have taken this to mean:  'Complete demoralisation of staff is an absolute prerequisite of doing anything right.' It's obviously an attractive notion as achieving demoralisation of staff is a lot easier than achieving any positive good.

The source said that the meeting with parents was badly organised and union members leafleting the meeting had to show parents in and guide them through the security system. Teachers were not represented and a stand-in for one of the most active and vocal parents, who was on holiday,  was not allowed to speak as she was a teacher and 'this would not be appropriate'.

On the rebuild my informant commented:

There are Harlesden residents who are now grandmothers who were promised a new school by Sir Alan Davies when they were in Year 7. I suspect a Good News smokescreen: Lions, Ashes, Tour de France, Royal Sprog, Copland Rebuild.

More to the point was that I heard today of another young Head of Department who has decided to leave.

 It clearly won't be a relaxing holiday for many Copland staff and students.

Jenny Jones condemns Welsh Harp development decision

Today's Wembley and WillesdenObserver

Jenny Jones, Green London Assembly Member, who made a submission opposing Barratt's West Hendon development, criticised the Barnet Planning Committee's approval of the West Hendon development:

This is a short-sighted decision that will damage the integrity of the Welsh Harp SSSI. We should be protecting this space for the enjoyment of future generations and for the sake of the other species that live there.

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%