Welsh Harp Centre tender advertised with July 7th deadline

This advertisement appeared in the Kilburn Times yesterday. Unlike an earlier public notice it stipulates the continuation of environmental education work at the site, which is reassuring.

It is likely that there will be a bid by a school/schools in Brent, perhaps in partnership with a charity or voluntary organisation.

However success may depend on the balanced judgement the Council makes between the criteria for maximising monetary value and recognising the social value of a bid.

NB The deadline is July 7th 2015, not 2915 as the advertisement states!

Tell YOUR Brent councillor what you think about a possible “pay off” to Cara Davani

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 Guest post by Philip Grant

As regular “Wembley Matters” readers will know, I have been active in seeking to get the Council to ensure that Brent’s Director of HR faces the consequences of her actions in the Rosemarie Clarke Employment Tribunal case, since the Tribunal judgment was published more than nine months ago. Many of you commented on two blogs posted last week about the announcement that Ms Davani is to leave the Council at the end of June. One of the biggest concerns is that she may be receiving a “pay off” from Brent in return for (finally!) leaving, which might also include Brent “picking up the bill” for any damages and costs awarded against Ms Davani personally in the Rosemarie Clarke case (in which she and Brent are separately named respondents).

I had hoped to get some publicity for our concerns about any such “pay off” through a letter to the editor of the “Brent & Kilburn Times”, but there is no letters page in this week’s (18 June) edition. Worse still, the newspaper has also not included its online article about Ms Davani’s departure in the printed version. Instead, the space that it might have occupied carries a photograph of a smiling Cllr Muhammed Butt, alongside a story about a letter he has written to the Tory Party chairman, complaining about the embarrassment which the feuding rival Conservative groups are causing to Brent.

However, I have raised the issue of possible financial malpractice (as a result of conflicts of interest) in connection with any possible financial arrangements arising from Ms Davani leaving the Council, with the Head of Brent’s Audit and Investigation team. I will “copy and paste” below (for reasons explained in its final paragraph) the text of the covering email which I sent on Wednesday evening with my report and supporting evidence. 

The other reason I am writing this “guest blog” is to invite all readers who live in Brent, and who share my concerns, to write to their ward councillors (see the link at the right-hand side of “Wembley Matters” for contact details for local councillors, if you don’t already have them). Tell your councillors (politely but firmly, in your own words, and without abusive language, please) what you think about any possible “pay off” to Cara Davani, and ask them to raise questions about it with senior Council Officers and the Leader of the Council, with a view to ensuring that no such “pay off” is made. You might also wish to copy your email to chief.executive@brent.gov.uk , and to cllr.muhammed.butt@brent.gov.uk , for good measure. Individual messages from local voters, especially if there are a large number of them, can make a difference, so let your councillors know what you think on this matter.

I believe that there is a strong case for Brent not to let Ms Davani’s “friends in high places” give her a leaving gift at the Council’s (that is, our) expense. This is how I set out this belief in the final paragraph of the letter which I hoped would be published this week:

‘It is possible that the total Tribunal awards to Ms Clarke may be in excess of £1 million, quite apart from the Council’s own huge legal costs in fighting the case. The Council will have to pay whatever the Tribunal awards against it as “first respondent”; but funds needed by the Council for providing services (and supporting the jobs of local people who provide them) must not be wasted in making unnecessary and undeserved payments to Ms Davani, or on her behalf. Her actions have already had such a high cost, both financial and reputational, to Brent, quite apart from the harm done to the lives of the victims of her style of managing Human Resources in the borough.’

If you agree, please let the Council, and your councillors, know about it. Thank you.

Philip Grant

Text of my email of 17 June 2015 to the Head of Audit and Investigations (which he has acknowledged receipt of):-

Dear Mr Lane,

Possible Financial Malpractice / Irregularity over leaving arrangements for Director of HR

Following the news last week that Cara Davani, Director of HR and Administration, would be leaving the Council at the end of June, there has been great concern locally about a rumoured “pay off” to her. This concern can be seen in many comments on online blog items, for example

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/reliable-source-reports-that-cara.html

http://wembleymatters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/cara-devani-leaving-brent-council-to.html

and has also been expressed to me privately by several local councillors, who are aware of my interest in the Rosemarie Clarke Employment Tribunal case, which may (finally!) have something to do with Ms Davani’s departure.

Under Brent’s Anti-Fraud and Bribery Policy, your department has a duty to prevent financial malpractice where possible, so that funds are not lost to the Council because of irregularities such as undisclosed conflicts of interest. I believe that any potential payments, or indemnities, which might be given to Ms Davani as part of her leaving arrangements are likely to involve conflicts of interest, and have set out the reasons for this in the attached report and supporting documents.

I would ask that you ensure, as a matter of urgency, that any financial arrangements with Ms Davani, other than the payment of her basic salary up to the end of June 2015, are suspended until the outcome of a proper investigation into the points I have raised.

I will forward a copy of this email to Brent’s Chief Legal Officer, who will need to ensure that certain documents I have referred to are secured, and made available to you, and may also need to take action over some of the points raised in her role as the Council’s Monitoring Officer.

I intend to publish the text of this email, although not any of its attachments, so that its contents are on public record, thereby hopefully ensuring that there is no attempt by anyone in a position of power at the Civic Centre to stop you from freely carrying out the Policy’s stated intention to ‘investigate any allegation that may have a direct, or indirect, impact of the finances for which [the Council is] responsible.’

Please acknowledge safe receipt of this email and its seven attachments. Thank you. Best wishes

Philip Grant.

Ramadan message from the Green Party

With Ramadan starting today the Green Party would like to wish Britain's Muslim Community Ramadan Kareem. With the long hot days ahead of us we’re keenly aware this year will be a harder Ramadan than years previous and we wish every Muslim fasting good health and a rewarding and spiritual month.

At this time we firstly want to celebrate the contribution that the Muslim community make to Britain. Ramadan is a time of contemplating and recognising the privilege many of us have in life, whilst remembering and empathising with those who have less. These are values I think every Green Party member can keenly associate with.

Equally over this Ramadan we are minded to think about the countless communities that face unrest and violence for the coming month. Ramadan should be a time of quiet spiritual contemplation but too many communities in Syria, Yemen and Nigeria face violence and unrest. Real international action is needed to build lasting peace, and we hope this month can catalyse a change. As an international movement of Green Parties we will continue to strive for real meaningful diplomacy and peacebuilding.

Ramadan Kareem to all those fasting this month

Benali Hamdache

Green Party Equalities Spokesperson

Greens to take part in British Black Music Month copyright term reduction seminar

BBMM2015 Focuses On Copyright Term Reduction Seminar And Music Industry Courses In A Year That Also Highlights ‘Race’ & Diversity Within Music

This Friday a British Black Music Month (BBMM2015) seminar at London’s City Law School offers a forum for discussing the contentious issue of shortening the copyright term.

The term for literary and musical works has continuously lengthened. Starting with a term of 14 years for printed works three hundred years ago, it now stands at life of author plus 70 years for literary and musical works, and the term for sound recordings recently increased from 50 to 70 years.

Inspired by the Green Party’s pre-election policy proposal for a shorter term, the ‘Talking Copyright 6: A Case For Copyright Term Reduction?’ seminar panelists include Sian Berry (Green Party spokesperson and 2016 London Mayoral candidate), Vick Bain (BASCA: British Academy of Songwriters Composers and Authors CEO), Jim Killock (Open Rights Group Executive Director), Hugh Francis (songwriter & music publisher). Co-chairs are Dr Enrico Bonadio (City University London Law School senior lecturer) and Kwaku (BBM/BMC: BritishBlackMusic.com/Black Music Congress founder).

BBMM is an annual BBM/BMC initiative which takes place in June into July. It highlights domestic black music and industry issues. In addition to the Talking Copyright strand, the BBMM2015 programme includes music industry courses, fortnightly seminars at Harrow Mencap, a weekly radio programme on Brent CommunityRadio.org, and numerous competitions.

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the first Race Relations Act, there will be a discussion in association with RE:IMI (Race Equality: In Music Industry) and BECTU (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Cinematograph and Theatre Union) on ‘race’ and ethnicity engagement on July 8 at University of Westminster. A ‘race’ conference is also planned for the autumn.

For more details or to book: LINK

Brent Connects Meetings in June and July

Cllr Dan Filson, Chair of Scrutiny, said he would be attending Brent Connects meetings to pick up the concerns of residents.  Here are details of the current round:

Filson sets out his credo for new Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Dan Filson set out the credo for the new Scrutiny Committee yesterday evening at its first meeting.  He said that its role was not just to hold the Cabinet to account but also to look beyond that at other institutions that impacted on the lives of Brent residents. The NHS was particularly important both because of the size of its budget and how it affected people, but institutions such as the police should also be considered.

The previous Committee had not looked closely enough at what the Council was doing and the new Committee needed to scrutinise issues well before decisions were made or even before they entered the Forward Plan of the Cabinet.

The Committee would investigate - not interrogate or castigate. Findings would speak for themselves. The Committee would not involve itself in whitewash.

All Brent councillors had been invited to submit items for considerations but finite items, rather than broad issues, would be most likely to be taken up.

Filson expressed some frustration that his efforts to secure contact details to  directly communicate with co-opted members to get their views had not been successful. He promised to attend the upcoming round of Brent Connects meetings to find out what concerned residents.

He anticipated setting up Task Groups which would involve the full array of backbenchers and members of the public with specialist knowledge. Cabinet members would NOT be members of Task Groups.  He said that the quality of input into Task Groups was more important than individual attendance records and that they must report on time.

Scrutiny would not just receive reports but make recommendations for implementation. It would also ensure that such actions were followed up.

Filson concluded by saying that the Committee had inherited forward plans from its predecessor and that it would only be at its August meeting that the agenda would reflect the new approach.

There was certainly more participation by Committee members yesterday with relevant questioning from members who had clearly read the documentation.

Brent Renters' Rights Event next week

Philip Grant's victory at Scrutiny Committee a positive sign for the future?

Brent's new Scrutiny Committee got off to a promising start yesterday evening when it approved an amendment to the minutes of the last Commiteee Meeting that has been requested by Philip Grant. Philip had been denied the opportunity to speak at that meeting, the last of the old Committee, because he would not agree to the condition that he should not mention the findings of the Employment Tribunal which found Brent Council and Cara Davani had racially discrimination against an employee, victimised her and constructively dismissed her.

Despite officer advice from Peter Goss that the amendment would unbalance the Minutes, being a paragraph long, the Committee voted to accept the amendment:

Minutes of Scrutiny Committee on 30 April 2015 – a proposed amendment to item 2.

a) The minute as it appears in the draft minutes published on the Brent Council website on 8 June 2015:-

2. Deputations (if any) Minutes:  The Chair advised that a request to speak had been received from Mr Grant with respect to the Equalities and HR Policies and Practices Review and draft Action Plan. The committee was informed that in line with advice provided by Brent’s Chief Legal Officer, it would not be appropriate to discuss an ongoing legal case. Mr Grant advised that he would not be able to make his deputation under these terms. The committee subsequently agreed not to receive the deputation. Councillor Allie expressed the view that the deputation should be heard.  RESOLVED: That permission to address the committee be not granted, in accordance with legal advice provided.

b) Amendment requested by Philip Grant, the Brent resident who had given valid notice to speak as Deputation at that meeting:- 

Delete the sentence:

‘Mr Grant advised that he would not be able to make his deputation under these terms.’ ... and replace it with: 

‘Mr Grant advised that he could not accept the restriction which the Chief Legal Officer wished to impose, and went on to explain why. He said that Cllr. Pavey’s review had been set up to learn the lessons from that Employment Tribunal case, and one of the points he wished to make in his deputation was that an important lesson from it had not been learned. Reference to the case was also necessary to explain what he wished to say about the draft Action Plan, which Scrutiny Committee was being asked to give its views on. The case was relevant to the committee’s consideration of item 9 on its agenda, and could not be ignored. The Council lawyer present advised that the case was not fully concluded, so should not be referred to. Mr Grant responded that he would only be referring to findings of fact in the Tribunal’s Judgment of September 2014, which was not under appeal. Those findings were final, so he could not see how any reference to them would prejudice the position of any party to the remaining “remedy” hearing.’

It is good to see the Committee acting independently as well as Philip Grant's persistence paying off.