48 hours to secure the right to know about local air pollution

From 38degees

The air we breathe has a direct impact on our health. But the government is trying to push through damaging changes which remove the responsibility for local authorities to assess air pollution and declare where it is a problem.

If the government's successful, you won’t be able to find out what the air is like in your local area. Or hold local authorities to account if it’s at unsafe levels. Which currently you’re able to do. And as usual it’s the poorest who will suffer the most - poorer areas have dirtier air and so are likely to feel the health impacts. These changes would leave poorer people, and particularly children, paying the price.

The government’s being sneaky. They’ve launched a consultation during the summer holidays, hoping that the public won’t cotton on and they can slip the changes through. Together we can do something about this: if enough of us respond to the consultation they’ll realise how important this is to people. Together we can stop the changes before they get too far.

The consultation closes in 48 hours on the 13th September. It only takes a few minutes to respond. Please click here:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/air-quality

Air pollution causes 29,000 early deaths a year in the UK – more than obesity and alcohol combined. It causes heart attacks, strokes, respiratory disease and children living near busy roads have been shown to grow up with underdeveloped lungs. It doesn’t really make much sense, but the government is trying to pretend that taking away duties to measure pollution would lead to more action on air pollution, and an increased focus on EU requirements. In reality the changes would mean that we would know less about the air we breathe and so less will be done to improve it.

The government is trying to slip this through under the radar because they’re already feeling the pressure. They’ve been taken to court by environmental lawyers to push them to do the right thing.

Environmental lawyers, ClientEarth, think a big display of public opposition could make all the difference to how the government responds. Please click the link to write in to the consultation, it’s really simple and will only take 3 minutes:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/air-quality

This is the message I posted on the website:

Please don't push through damaging changes which remove all responsibility for local authorities to measure air quality and declare where it is a problem (options 3 and 4 in your consultation).

As a former teacher and headteacher in the inner city I kept track of air quality in order to advise children and families, particularly those already suffering from asthma and allergies, of periods when they would be liable to have respiratory problems..

Where I live in Brent, with main roads including the North Circular, and areas of poor air quality around Park Royal, Wembley and Neasden, local people have a right to know the quality of the air they and their children breathe. This gives them the knowledge to take personal preventative action as well as to make representations through the political process, locally and nationally.

Be responsible - don't remove these responsibilities.


 

 

Companies ejected from Arms Fair after Caroline Lucas' intervention

Two companies have been ejected from an arms fair after the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion raised evidence of breaches of the law in Parliament.

Caroline Lucas was provided with evidence that items being promoted at the DSEI arms fair currently under way at ExCel were illegal under UK law.  They included handheld projectile electric shock weapons, weighted leg cuffs, and stun batons.

She tabled a question in Parliament, and raised a point of order today.   DSEI has now confirmed  “that the Tianjin Myway International Trading Co. and Magforce International have been ejected from DSEI “

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion said:

It’s frankly disgusting that items like this are being are being promoted at a supposedly legitimate trade event in Britain.

It’s incredibly worrying that it takes a question in Parliament for action to be taken when there was clear evidence of items being promoted illegally.  Time and again the organisers of DSEI have shown that they cannot guarantee that exhibitors will remain with the law.   The Government is supposed to regulate this event and has shown startling complacency.

Brent Council legal team to investigate fraud allegations over Kensal Rise Library development

The Friends of Kensal Rise Library have sent a preliminary list to Brent Council of what it claims are fraudulent statements of support for the proposal of developer Andrew Gillick of Kensal Properties Ltd to put seven dwellings and a small space for community use into the former Kensal Rise Library.

The campaigners believe that the addresses of residents have been used without their consent and empty buildings and invented addresses have been used in order to influence and mislead the public and the planning committee of Brent Council who will decide if the proposal is to go ahead.

The ‘Friends’ intend to follow up this list later this week with another tranche of, what they believe, are fraudulent statements of support.

A number of residents have already sent complaints to the council.

Faye Bradbury, a local resident commented:

It is an outrage support has been listed in my name. I've always supported the Save Kensal Rise Library campaign.

Brent Council has reacted promptly with the Lead Member for the Environment, Roxanne Mashari sending the list to the head of Brent’s legal department with a request for an investigation and report as soon as possible.

It is understood that the list has also been sent to Boris Johnson the Mayor of London.

Margaret Bailey Chair of the Trustees of the Friends said:

We have taken advice from the Metropolitan Police and they advised in the first instance that we lodge a complaint with the council. We have done this and the council will investigate and produce a report as soon as possible. This is a very serious matter as fraud is illegal under the Fraud Act 2006. Naturally we hope any investigation by Brent Council or potentially the police will show who has lodged these statements of support.

All Souls College, who are still the legal owners of the building and who have entered an agreement with the developer Andrew Gillick of Kensal Properties to sell the property, have been notified of the suspicious statements of support.

Local investigations will continue.

Similar allegations were made in the planning consultation for the Willesden Green Library development as the commenter blow has reminded us LINK

Communications failure at Brent Civic Centre

The first Council meeting at Brent's £100,000,000 Civic Centre was the occasion for opening remarks  praising this 'magnificent' new building by Labour councillors.

Then things went downhill.

Councillors' microphones were either not working or only intermittent, making proceedings inaudible to the public and some councillors sounding like short-circuiting Daleks. The speakers' screen that shows the Mayor, who chairs the meeting, who is due to speak was not working. The mobile phone signal in the conference room was very poor and the broadband not sufficient to download the documents under discussion. The display board merely displayed the Brent logo rather than documents, speaker's names or motions under discussion.

The public are now roped off on the same floor level as the councillors with some councillors seated right in front of them, this obscures the view.

More complaints are coming in to me regarding the phone service including residents' calls not being answered, being abruptly cut off, barely audible answerphone messages and the robot switchboard voice recognition  'mishearing' names and departments and making ludicrous suggestions as to what the customer may require.

It is beginning too look more than mere teething problems.

Gardiner admits opposition stopped Modi's visit

The India News today quotes Barry Gardiner MP on the Modi visit  following the protest at the Brent Civic Centre on Monday LINK

Following the protest, Gardiner said that Modi is unable to come to the UK in the next few weeks in the face of so much of opposition.

This is contrary to previous statements that merely said Modi was too busy to come at present.

The same report quotes Pete Firmin, Chair of Brent TradesUnion Council:

It is a terrible idea to invite Modi given his involvement in the massacres in Gujarat. Barry Gardiner should withdraw the invitation right away,

 

Gardiner under fire on allegedly selective surgery appointments

Following the anti-Modi demonstration at Brent Civic Centre calling on Barry Gardiner to withdraw his invitation to the controversial Gujerat politician there was an ezxchange on Twitter about allegations that Gardiner had refused a surgery appointment to a woman with a Muslim name citing a full list but granted one to a man with an 'anglo' name who rang later. Gardiner produced a list of  people's names who had attended his surgery which included some of Muslim origin. The charge that he had tried to avoid meeting  potential critics continue to be made.

Here the 'man with the English name' writes a Guest Blog for Wembley Matters describing what happened:

As a constituent of Brent North I was recently approached with a request to try and book a session with my MP at his next Surgery. This came about as it seemed that a number of people involved in the campaign against inviting Narendra Modi to the UK had been unable to secure appointments until the end of the month at the earliest.

On 4^th September 2013 I made an email request at 21:32hrs to the office of Barry Gardiner MP requesting a Surgery appointment the following Monday, 9^th September. I was offered a slot with a caseworker, Ms. Sylvia To, via email the following morning pending the provision of some further details. The appointment was confirmed over the phone late the following afternoon.

I admit that in securing the appointment I used a little poetic license, describing the reason for my request as “issues surrounding the new Civic Centre” – which I euphemistically used to describe the planned demonstration.

Attending the demonstration prior to my 12:50hrs appointment I was introduced to one of the campaigners who had failed to secure a hearing, and updated on the day’s events; Barry Gardiner had issued a letter to the demonstrators after a brief discussion as he accessed the building, and people were being informed that Narendra Modi would not be taking up the invitation to visit the UK. The letter was a duplicate of an earlier missive to the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) dated 19^th August, with an additional paragraph noting the right to demonstrate and the small number of complaints the MP had received regarding the invite. 

Demonstrators with access to the Gujarati media pointed out that Modi had not refused to visit the UK, but was currently unable to do so due to the pressure of his role in leading the Opposition electoral campaign for the 2014 elections.

Barry Gardiner MP left the Civic Centre prior to my appointment, citing a late request to attend a meeting in Westminster. My meeting with Ms. To lasted exactly seven minutes and fifty-nine seconds from “Hello” to “Goodbye”.

Greeting Ms. To, I thanked her for providing me with a session at such short notice; she explained that normally it would take three weeks to get an appointment, but it looked like I had probably secured a cancellation. I again expressed my appreciation, clearly indicating that I was here as part of the demonstration and had been concerned that I had been prioritised for a hearing due to my “Anglo” name as other demonstrators had been unable to secure appointments. Ms. To said that they had been told this earlier and there was a short discussion about telephone line issues three weeks previously which was cut short when it was made clear that appointments had been offered by the MP’s Office. (This indicates the lack of a priority-based waiting list if true).

Ms. To then expressed how “bemused” Barry Gardiner was to find the demonstration. He had only received five letters via e-mail disputing the invite issued to Modi – had I read the letter he had issued to the demonstrators? I said I had, and it was a cut ‘n’ paste of his previous letter to the Council of Indian Muslims, that sadly took no account of their recent reply which had been a point by point refutation of his statements. Ms. To reiterated that the MP’s Office had only received five emails opposing the invite to Modi; they had fifteen pro-Modi messages after the invite was publicised, and the administrative staff assigned issues importance according to public intervention. I pointed out that there was obviously some feeling in the Borough opposing the invite: I was advised to tell all those who felt this way that they should contact the MP’s Office in writing. I expressed an ironic disappointment that the issue was to be reduced to a “numbers game”, but agreed to pass the information on. Ms. To apologised that I was not able to discuss the issues directly with Barry Gardiner MP, as he would have been more able to respond to my issues. She then indicated she could fill in a form with my concerns to be passed on to the MP. I am now on record for raising the following points with my MP’s Office:

1.    Modi is a known human rights abuser and – according to the University of Chicago – a member of a proto-fascist party. He is refused access to the USA. In the UK there are immigration controls against giving access to those who abuse human rights or have extremist political views. Why are we issuing an invite to such a man?

2.    Why would Barry Gardiner MP ignore the wishes of his voters and place more importance on the Gujarati economy?

3.    As Chair of the “Labour Friends of India” it is sad that my MP seems to be so ill-informed on this subject; he needs to reply to the rebuttal of his previous comments – repeated in the letter to the demonstrators today - by the Council of Indian Muslims (UK) soon;

4.    The issue is not about the ability of Modi to attend meetings in the UK; it is about refusing to issue visas of this kind to those who are perceived as worthy of economic rehabilitation. The invitation should be formally withdrawn, as it is now merely suspended.

An update on runners in the Brent Central race

Sarah Teather's decision not to stand again seems to have breathed new life into the Brent Central election battle. Some local Liberal Democrats are firmly of the opinion that their candidate should be a woman while, intervening from Sutton, Lester Holloway has claimed the candidate should be of African or Caribbean background. Apparently he hasn't ruled himself out! A BAME criterion would have suited Cllr James Allie who was on the list of approved Liberal  Democrat candidates and the only Black Lib Dem councillor- unfortunately he crossed the Council Chamber floor and joined Labour. As if to forestall any thoughts that Allie may have of changing horses again, Cllr Jim Moher writes in The Voice that James is very much at home with Labour LINK

Moher, who some say played a king maker role in Muhammed Butt's election as Labour Group leader, strongly promotes Dawn Butler as Labour's Brent Central candidate in  his Voice article. Muahmmed Butt told me last night that, despite rumours to the contrary, he was not going  for the nomination.

Among other possible Labour contenders Sabina Khan is still in the running but has also been interested in Ealing. Sabina emphasises her credentials as a business woman and entrepreneur and yesterday posted an article on Energy on the Progress website LINK

Cllr Zaffar van Kalwala made a grandstanding speech about Sarah Teather at the Brent Council meeting last night to a mixture of applause and derision indicating that his hat was firmly in the ring and capable of performing some dazzling tricks. Kalwala has been active on the Harlesden Incinerator campaign but has perhaps not had as much active support on protests and demonstrations from party colleagues as he deserved.

Butler, who was tainted by the  expenses scandal, is joined by two other former MPs with similar issues. Tony McNulty, former MP for Harrow East and a government minister is married to Christine Gilbert, Brent Council's acting Chief Executive, whose tenure was recently extended until after the 2014 council elections. He resigned from his ministerial post over expenses allegations.

Parmijit Dhanda, former MP for Gloucester is also mentioned as a possible candidate. Dhanda had to pay back over £1,800 in overpaid mortgage expenses. The latter has a rightwing record having voted for replacement of Trident, ID cards, tuition frees and anti-terrorism laws and against an inquiry into the Iraq War.

A more left alternative is offered by Mike Buckley who is North London representative for the Christian Socialist Movement LINK. He is said to be an admirer of John Cruddas, is against imperialist wars and has worked for Islamic Relief.

Dr Sundar Thava, an NHS doctor, worked with the military in Iraq and Afghanistan and spoke recently at the Labour Party meeting on Syria and you can read what he had to say on this  blog HERE

Patrick Vernon has been continuing to cultivate the grassroots with vigour and his work on Windrush Day and health issues has been prominent. However his campaigning blog 'Patrick Vernon for Brent Central' lags way behind his activities and is not kept up to date. LINK


Further down the list is Camden councillor Mike Katz whose credibility has been dented by his de-selection as a council candidate for 2014.. Richard Osley of the Camden New Journal described his as 'cast as a New Labour eagle in a nest of lefty voices'. LINK Katz blogs HERE

Another name mentioned to me is Dan McCurry who writes regularly for LabourUncut. His main claim to fame is leading the Labour fightback against Respect in East London with the slogan 'Vote for Us or Get George' which managed to keep the council in Labour hands. He often expresses frustration at Labour's current failure to fight the Coalition with sufficient energy and aggression.  McCurry's Blog

Rumour has it that there are up to 38 candidates with perhaps more expected following Teather's decision not to stand again. With these numbers I don't have all the names so anyone wanting to contribute any more information is welcome to send it on.

As I remarked on Twitter with more runners than the Grand National in the Brent Central Labur contest there are likely to be some broken legs!

The election for a candidate is expected to take place in October.

PS The Greens are biding their time...

All parties on Brent Council unite to condemn Eric Pickles' decision not to intervene on Welsh Harp development

Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors tonight joined the Brent Council ruling Labour group to condemn Eric Pickles' decision not to intervene in the West Hendon redevelopment on the banks of the Welsh Harp reservoir and nature reserve.

The Barratt Homes  development in Barnet was narrowly approved by  Barnet Planning Committee but opposed by planners in neighbouring Brent. The reservoir straddles both boroughs.

The news was received only shortly before the Council was due to discuss a Labour motion calling for Pickles to intervene because of the scale of the development (flats of up to 29 storeys) and the damage it would do to a cherished and rare open space.

An amendment was quickly tabled condemning his failure to intervene and was passed unanimously in a very rare show of party unity.