Caroline Lucas ensures powerful teacher voices are heard in Parliament

It is unusual these days to have speeches in Parliament fully reported. Today I am making an exception because I feel the issues raised by Caroline Lucas in her adjournment debate on education on Tuesday were so important. Please do read on after the text break.


This evening I want to pay tribute to the incredible work being done in schools in Brighton and Hove. Last year the city’s young people got their best ever GSCE results. This year the key stage 2 results were in the top quarter in the country and 54% of A-level students got A* to B grades, an improvement in results for the third year running. Brighton and Hove was also named top local authority in the country for tackling homophobia in schools. That really is a track record to be proud of, so I want to applaud the many teachers and other staff who make such achievements possible.

However, those achievements have been reached in spite of Government policy, not because of it. Research from the National Union of Teachers reveals the extent to which Ministers have been taking teachers for granted. The NUT found that 87% of teachers said that they know one or more teachers who have left the profession because of work load; that 90% of teachers have themselves considered leaving the profession because of work load; and that 96% said their work load has had negative consequences for their family or personal life.

Tonight I want to do two things: first, to share some of what I have been told by local teachers about the daily reality behind those statistics, and to ask the Department of Education and the Secretary of State to start listening to teachers and to review their current policies; and secondly, to make the case for statutory PSHE—personal, social, health and economic education—teaching in all state-funded schools. I have a private Member’s Bill before the House designed to achieve exactly that. I very much welcome the Minister’s views on that proposal.

Housing for People NOT Profit: Greens at MIPIM Protest Today

There were plenty of people from Brent at the developers' MIPIM jamboree at Olympia  today, where deals are hatchd between councils and developers resulting in social cleansing on an epic scale.

Some Labour councils boycotted the fair and others, such as Hammermsith and Fulham, where a stall had been booked by the previous adminstration, used it to make the case for council housing.

Andy Donald from Brent usually takes part, and in fact has been feted by MIPIM.

This morning Gaynor Lloyd from Brent was one of those who spotted Boris Johnson slipping into the Exhibitions.  She emailed me to say

I got to shout at Boris! Saw him scuttling in at the back, being interviewed - appropriately - in a back passage and as he retreated with the odd minders I broke the habits of a lifetime. I shouted "Why didn't you go in at the front?" He looked a lot less puffed up than normal...

Ex Brent Council manager slams decision to appeal Employment Tribunal Judgment and failure to order independent investigation

Christine Collins, who used to be Community Engagement Manager at Brent Council, took to a Soapbox at Wembley Connects tonight to lambast the Council's decision to appeal over the recent Employment Tribunal case and its failure to appoint an independent investigator to review the workings of the Human Resources Department.

Collins told the audience that they may recognise her (she used to be the officer facilitating such events) but that she was now speaking in a personal capacity.

She said that she wanted to talk about the Employment Tribunal findings in a case against the Council which found that:

• a black staff member was directly discriminated against on the protected characteristics of race
• the claimant suffered victimisation
• the claimant was constructively dismissed

Christine Collins said that she had read the full findings and the picture painted of employment at Brent Council over the last couple of years was 'horribly familiar'.

She explained that in the summer she was proud to stand side by side with Brent councillors in Cricklewood to stop a group of racists and fascists from ;marching through our streets to divide our community.'

'Imagine my disappointment,' she went on, ' to learn how these same councillors have reacted to the Employment Tribunal findings.'

Collins said that she had expected a council committed to fighting racism and supporting diversity in its employment practices, to be horrified by the findings, sympathetic to the member of staff who was treated so appallingly and anxious to ensure that the climate  of fear and bullying was fully and independently investigated.

Instead the council had decided to appeal the decision which would put the staff member through further stress and anxiety. In addition they had decided to appoint 'one of their own to investigate.'

Pausing to look up from her speech and addressing the councillors and residents assembled at  Patidar House she said:

 'I say "Shame on you Brent Council!"'

Concluding her speech Christine Collins called on Brent councillors to accept the Tribunal findings and have a totally independent review of the conduct of Human Resources in Brent Council:

They are happy to take on large numbers of external consultants to carry out reviews of all kinds of things - why not this? If they are so convinced there is nothing seriously wrong, what have they got to hide?

Brent Council leader Cllr Muhammed Butt arrived late to the forum but asked to comment on the Employment Tribunal by Cllr Krupa Sheth, chair of  Wembley Connects, said that the council had to  'undertake due process' in making the appeal and that 'both sides have to be heard',

Challenged by residents with cries of 'nonsense' he became increasingly angry and stumbled over his words. Directly asked if he would order an independent investigation he said 'No' and claimed that Michael Pavey's review would hear from staff and independent consultants.

The audience reacted with derision and calls of 'shame'.

ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT TO NOMINATE ROSEMARIE CLARKE

Brent Council resorting to dirty tricks as embarrassment looms?

Guest blog by E.Tribunal

The prospect of seeing  Rosemarie Clarke being presented with the Brent Staff Achievement Award 2014 by her colleagues Cara Davani and Christine Gilbert  is one which has moved a large number of people to register their knowledge and appreciation of this strong and resolute lady by nominating her here LINK
 

It’s crucial that this momentum is kept up in the last 2 days before nominations close, however. So could I ask everyone who hasn’t already done so to nominate Rosemarie and for as many people as possible to urge others to nominate her before the deadline of October 16^th?

We need the maximum nomination for Rosemarie as we can expect some dirty tricks from Butt/Gilbert/Davani/Ledden  as they attempt to wriggle out of the inevitable popular result. Following the example of Jed Bush ( Bush’s  brother in Florida who fiddled the vote to make him president), they may claim that only either ‘Rosemarie’ with an ‘ie’ or with a ‘y’ should count.  Nonsense.  We know and they know who we’re nominating.  
  

They may claim that she resigned from Brent Council and is no longer eligible.  Nonsense.  As the Tribunal judge established, their bullying, victimisation and racial discrimination amounted to constructive dismissal, so their illegal treatment of Rosemarie forced her resignation. ( A point they inadvertently acknowledged by insisting on continuing their disciplinary even after forcing her resignation).

There are rumours that they have organised a counter-campaign by selecting their own nominee and getting people to vote for him/her  in order to outvote Rosemarie. This is always possible. It’s also possible, I suppose, that the nominee they’ve chosen to select is Ms Davani herself. Could it be (see Martin’s post today) that this is why it’s been announced that she is now actually on the Brent payroll, in order to make her eligible? 

Will they be able to find enough people to support their plan? Or is  Brent Council about to receive hundreds of nomination forms for Ms Davani with only a paw-mark where the nominator’s name should be?

                                                     

            

Will it be noticed that the majority of these votes come from the same addresses, addresses which do not tally with the official register of the names of dogs residing at that address and where the actual resident mutt  has no knowledge that their identity has been fraudulently used?

Will the police again  show no interest in getting involved in a blatant case of identity theft ?  

Whatever the truth, we can all be confident that Wembley Matters will get it to us first.

MEANWHILE,  PLEASE NOMINATE ROSEMARIE AND DO ALL YOU CAN TO CONVINCE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME

Gilbert and Davani now being paid through Brent Council payroll

Cara Davani with Cllr Butt, leader of Brent Council

Late yesterday I received an answer to my request to Brent Council asking if Christine Gilbert (Interim Chief Executive) and Cara Davani (Head of Human Resources) were being paid through Brent Council payroll.

There had been controversey because both had originally had their earnings paid into their private companies.

Fiona Alderman (Principal Lawyer), deputising for Fiona Ledden  (Directior of Legal and Procurement) said that both were on the Brent Council payroll.

Why Caroline Lucas is voting to recognise Palestine

13 October 2014
Today I will be voting in Parliament for the UK to officially recognise Palestine.

The vote is on a motion that I am proud to sponsor and which simply calls on the Government to extend the same recognition to Palestine as it already extends to Israel.

So far 134 out of 193 UN member states have formally recognised Palestine and Sweden recently announced it intended to grant recognition too.

Britain needs to show some leadership and be amongst the first Western European countries to recognise Palestine and its right to self-determination.

This vote will have no immediate bearing on Palestine’s bid to be granted statehood via the UN - something I also support. But it will send a powerful signal that Britain backs a political solution to the conflict and potentially reinvigorate the peace process.

The UK Government already recognises the principle that the Palestinian people have an inalienable right to self-determination but has not granted this officially because it wants to reserve the right to do so at a moment of its choosing to best help bring about peace.

That time is now. Recognition is a good starting-point for negotiations and would help guarantee that the focus of talks is about how Palestine becomes a viable and secure sovereign state - not whether it becomes one. Denying recognition as the current UK government is doing is entirely at odds with the principle of self-determination.

I oppose an amendment that seeks to make British recognition of Palestine dependent on the conclusion of successful peace negotiations between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.

Neither Israel nor Palestine’s right to exist should be subject to veto or any kind of conditions and we must actively challenge any refusal by either side to deny the other’s right to exist.

I have visited occupied Palestine on several occasions and, like so many, was horrified at the latest assault on Gaza at the hands of the Israeli military.

It can be difficult to comprehend the scale of the human tragedy that is occurring on this narrow strip of land, day in day out. Not just when the camera crews and reporters are there, but every single day.
It’s essential that human rights violations and violence on all sides cease and that the international community take strong action to hold the perpetrators to account. We also need a clear acknowledgement that building on the recent peace agreement between Israel and Hamas requires, first, an end to the siege of Gaza and then to Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said last month: "Any peace effort that does not tackle the root causes of the crisis will do little more than set the stage for the next cycle of violence."
One of those root causes is the eternal question mark that hangs over Palestine’s right to exist. Recognition would help the process of removing that question mark and allow Israelis and Palestinians to look forward to a future defined by equality, justice, freedom and peace.
Hundreds of constituents have written and asked me to stand up for the Palestinian right to self-determination. I am proud to have the opportunity to do just that.

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Tristram Hunt's 'Oath' ridiculed as teachers turn to the Greens for education policy solidarity

All we are saying is 'Give Us Fair Pay' - NHS strikers at Northwick Park Hospital this morning

Nurses and other health workers were in fine spirits despite the rain when I visited this morning and Shahrar Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party also joined them to express Green party solidarity.

This is why they are striking:

The Green Party Trade Union Group sent the following message of solidarity to the strikers:

The Green Party Trade Union group sends solidarity to all those NHS workers who are striking today. It is a disgrace that in one of thericher nations of the world, we are so misgoverned that workers in our health services are not properly paid for their skilled and dedicated work,whilst the government continually seeks to make the provision of healthavailable as a source of profit to the private sector. GPTU and the Green Party stand for a properly resourced health service staffed by properlypaid workers providing health free at the point of need. Victory to the NHS strikers!