Who will champion the environment in Brent cabinet?

Cllr George Crane, lead member for Environment, said his farewells to colleagues at this week's Brent Cabinet meeting as he is stading down. Cllr Crane was appointed by leader Muhammed Butt, following Cllr Keith Perrin's rather sudden resignation soon after being elected to the Cabinet. LINK

The post will come up at the AGM and may be contested. Some have argued that the Environment post is no longer important with the department having been savagely cut and services handed over to Veolia through the Public Realm contract. 

I would argue that this makes it more important as private contractors need to be held to account and environmental issues need an experienced and energetic advocate.

For interested Labour councillors this is what the Council website says about the Cabinet. You will note the vagueness in the first sentence on how apppoinments are made. Who is 'they'?

The cabinet is made up of the Leader of the Council and other senior councillors (Lead Members), they have chosen.

Together they provide political leadership and strategic direction for the council, both within individual portfolio responsibilities and as part of their corporate responsibilities.
They take an active approach to ensuring that decisions made by the council are informed both politically and administratively and the council's executive decisions are collective and made by the cabinet.

The cabinet are each democratically accountable to the public and are the public face of the council. As such they act as ambassadors for the council's work in improving Brent.

Leader of the Council: Cllr Muhammed Butt 
Deputy Leader: Cllr Michael Pavey
Adults, Health and Wellbeing: Cllr Krupesh Hirani
Children and Young People: Cllr Ruth Moher
Employment and Skills: Cllr Roxanne Mashari
Environment: Cllr George Crane
Regeneration and Housing: Cllr Margaret McLennan
Stronger Communities: Cllr James Denselow

Enraged locals campaign against Carlton Tavern vandalism

Carlton Tavern after demolition

and before...

Anger is building on the borders of Brent and Westminster over the demolition of the Carlton Tavern on the eve of the building being granted Grade II status by Historic England.

There were rumours today that the company concerned  had gone into liquidation to avoid legal  action.

A demonstration is planned for the evening of Sunday April 26th, more details when it is finalised.

Meanwhile a 38 Degrees petition has been set up LINK with this preamble:

A historic pub in Kilburn which survived being bombed in the Second World War has been demolished by developers behind the backs of the local community.

Developers ripped through the Carlton Tavern on Friday 10th April, despite being considered for statutory listing.

Local Cllr Jan Prendergast from Westminster City Council said:

“I'm horrified for the local residents that this has occurred. It came as such a shock to everyone. There was no prior warning to the council, no approvals and no proper health and safety procedures in place.

“This was a lovely pub and I'm sorry to see it go, but I'm more concerned for the residents in Maida Vale for whom they showed no consideration whatsoever. It was the last building standing in Carlton vale after the WW2 bombings.

“I've lived in the area for 35 years and have never seen anything like this before. We need to take very careful legal advice as to what steps we can take.”

The demolition of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates how vulnerable communities are to speculative and aggressive development tactics. It also demonstrates a complete disregard towards the historic social infrastructure of Kilburn and the wider UK pub heritage stock.

Local pubs are at the heart of our communities and allowing valued pubs such as the Carlton Tavern to be demolished in this way is ludicrous and is denying local residents a say in the future of their neighbourhoods.

James Watson, Regional Pub Protection Advisor for the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said:

"Although we welcome the recent changes to planning law which came into effect on 6th April 2015, which afford some protection to ACV-registered pubs, the tragic case of the Carlton Tavern demonstrates just how vulnerable pubs are to rapacious development. We now urge the Government to take this case into consideration and amend planning law to ensure that such demolitions are prohibited unless planning permission is first obtained. This would ensure communities like Kilburn have a say in the future of their local pubs."

The Save the Queensbury, fighting for the pub in Willesden Green, has expressed solidaroty and meanwhile have issued a revolutionary manifesto that challenges all the political parties to match the vision which they percieve through the bottom of a glass LINK

Make your mind up time! Read the Green Party Manifesto here

The Green Party are standing candidates in all the local parliamentary constituencies and feedback on their performance at hustings is excellent.  If you cannot get along to the hustings take a little time to look at the Green Party manifesto. Canidates are Scott Batrtle (Brent North), Shahrar Ali (Brent Central) and Rebecca Johnson (Hampstead and Kilburn)

You can read the short. mini-manifesto here and if this whets your appetite the detailed version is below:

Green Party candidates speak out on War, Peace and the Middle East

Register to vote NOW! It's not too late.

LINK

UKIP's Martin Ferguson sinks without trace and his successor gets into hot water

Martin Ferguson

Martin Ferguson, who was UKIP's candidate for Brent North was mysteriously replaced at the last minute by Alan Craig. There are mutterings of a possible 'embarrassment' regarding Ferguson that has been allegedly hushed up by the party. It is unclear whether he remains a member of UKIP. Ferguson has not responded to my enquiries about the reasons for him stepping down and his party status. His image still appears on UKIP's official candidiates' page LINK

His successor, Alan Craig, has lost no time in making his mark. Pink News has exclusively revealed LINK that he is due to speak at a 'gay cure' event. He will join a panel on 'resisting indoctrination' alongside Christian anti-gay activists.

Scott Bartle, Craig's Green Party opponent said:

The only ‘conversion’ the Green Party is interested in is from a bigoted society, to one where we’ve put an end to discrimination of people due to their sexuality and protect non-binary rights.

Sadly (and ironically for UKIP) it is prejudiced attitudes of people such as Mr Craig that contribute towards people seeking asylum in the UK because of the criminalisation, discrimination and violence they experience in their own countries.

It’s time to end this culture of disbelief which has not only denied LGBTIQ people of their refugee status but resulted in needless deaths, including that of Leelah Alcorn.

Alan Craig

Craig, a former leader of  Christian People's Alliance has a history of opposition to gay marriage and called advocates of homosexual equality the 'Gaystapo'. He said LINK

Whatever you think of the issue itself, the gay marriage legislation last year was a democratic disgrace. Faithful one man/one woman marriage has been a defining and enduring bedrock of our society and culture – and the preeminent place of nurture for the nation’s children – for a millennium and a half.

Bob Blackman

His position is very similar to that of Bob Blackman, presently fighting to retain his Harrow East seat for the Conservatives. Blackman was denounced by his ex-mistress for 11 years, Cllr Carol Shaw (Conservative, Brondesbury Park) after he spoke about the sanctity of marriage in parliament.

Blackman said:

If this (gay marriage) went ahead it would be difficult to promote Christian values in parliament. I also make a point to promote religious values in my constituency.

Marriage is for man and woman, and for same-sex couples there is a legal partnership. It certainly angers religious groups and constituents, many of whom have contacted me

Luke Parker, the Conservative candidate for Brent North, is rather more progressive. Responding to Pink News LINK over Alan Craig's speaking engagement he said:

I don’t actually think it’s funny… this is a very serious and growing party, and they’ve transgressed into a party of hate.

UKIP selection policy seems to be based on finding people who can get as many other people as possible angry about who they want to hate this week.

He went on:

I wonder if there’s aversion therapy that can stop you being a bigot. If there is, maybe we can set it up so every time someone looks at a UKIP leaflet, they get an electric shock.”

Open Day at Roe Green Garden - Saturday April 18th

If you fancy a break from politics in a very special place...

Greens propose 60% tax rate for top 1% of earners - raising £2bn a year

The Green Party today announced plans to raise the top (additional) rate of income tax to 60%. 

The top rate of tax, which was lowered to 45% by the Coalition Government, only affects the top 1% of earners. 

The tax rise would be expected to raise approximately £2bn per year and act as a disincentive to companies paying excessively high salaries. 

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:

For too long now the economy in this country has worked for those at the top, while failing everyone else. 

The 60p tax will raise money to fund crucial public services, contributing towards the reversal of the failed policy of austerity that is making the poor, the disadvantaged and the young pay for the greed and fraud of the bankers.

Only the Green Party are proposing radical changes which will redistribute wealth within our economy and encourage companies to reduce the gap between their highest- and lowest-earners.

The Green Party has today announced plans to raise the top (additional) rate of income tax to 60%. 

The top rate of tax, which was lowered to 45% by the Coalition Government, only affects the top 1% of earners. 

The tax rise would be expected to raise approximately £2bn per year and act as a disincentive to companies paying excessively high salaries. 

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:

"For too long now the economy in this country has worked for those at the top, while failing everyone else. 

"The 60p tax will raise money to fund crucial public services, contributing towards the reversal of the failed policy of austerity that is making the poor, the disadvantaged and the young pay for the greed and fraud of the bankers.

"Only the Green Party are proposing radical changes which will redistribute wealth within our economy and encourage companies to reduce the gap between their highest- and lowest-earners."

The Green Party has today announced plans to raise the top (additional) rate of income tax to 60%. 

The top rate of tax, which was lowered to 45% by the Coalition Government, only affects the top 1% of earners. 

The tax rise would be expected to raise approximately £2bn per year and act as a disincentive to companies paying excessively high salaries. 

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:

"For too long now the economy in this country has worked for those at the top, while failing everyone else. 

"The 60p tax will raise money to fund crucial public services, contributing towards the reversal of the failed policy of austerity that is making the poor, the disadvantaged and the young pay for the greed and fraud of the bankers.

"Only the Green Party are proposing radical changes which will redistribute wealth within our economy and encourage companies to reduce the gap between their highest- and lowest-earners."

- See more at: https://www.greenparty.org.uk/news/2015/04/12/greens-get-tough-on-top-earners/#sthash.9H6aTIMr.dpuf