Unbelievable! Brent Council is a finalist for 'Race for Opportunity' award

If the news that Muhammed Butt had been chosen to headup the Equalities brief by London Council was not enough to declare irony dead, jaws dropped with a clang at the Brent Civic Centre today when the following notice was spotted on the Council Intranet:

Brent shortlisted for Race for Opportunity award 

We have been recognised for our commitment to increasing Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation in the workplace. 

The council has been named as a finalist in the Transparency, Monitoring and Action award category at the Race for Opportunity Awards 2015. LINK

The awards celebrate outstanding practice, innovation and dedication to race equality and inclusion in UK workplaces. The winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Tuesday 6 October at the London Hilton, Park Lane.  

Sandra Kerr OBE, Race Equality Director, Business in the Community, said:  "Congratulations to Brent Council on being named as a finalist in the Transparency, Monitoring and Action Award category at the Race for Opportunity Awards 2015. 

"They are taking action to create a workplace culture which puts race equality at the heart of their activity and have demonstrated a strong commitment to ensuring that ethnic minority talent has equal opportunity to progress at every level.  

"It's a huge positive to see that they recognise the UK's changing demographics and are addressing the need to reflect the clients, communities and customers they serve, and I hope other organisations will learn from their example."

One Brent worker said, 'Imagine our faces when we saw this. We were speechless at the Council's barefaced cheek in putting themselves forward.'

Meanwhile unconfirmed rumours are circulating that the rule, devised by Cara Davani, prohibiting workers leaving the employ of the Council from taking their ipads with them, had been changed just before she left.

 

Greens: Heathrow decision 'deeply disappointing' & shows power of big business

 

Jean Lambert , London Green MEP has issued the following statement on the Davies Commission findings:

'Today’s announcement shows the power and reach of big business. Growth at any cost in our aviation capacity is not compatible with the UK's climate change commitments. Heathrow Airport is already the biggest noise polluter in Europe and with estimates that around 1.1 million people will be affected by a third runway, this is a deeply disappointing decision.’  

 In 2014 Jean Lambert  submitted a joint response to a major Government consultation on airport expansion. In it, she highlighted the impact of aviation on meeting our climate change targets and on local communities. She also submitted a response to a separate consultation on state aid for aviation, in which they called for an end to state subsidies to the aviation industry

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England said:

“Despite three long years of the Commission looking at all the evidence, we still cannot build a third runway at Heathrow otherwise we will fail to meet our climate change targets.

It is and has always been a myth that the UK faces an airport capacity crisis and we already fly more than any other country.

Instead of expanding our airports the Government should introduce a frequent  flyer tax which would tax aviation much more fairly and at the same time  reduce the demand for new runways".

Police move neo-Nazi demonstration to Whitehall

The Jewish Chronicle reported this afternoon that the police intend to move Saturday's  neo-Nazi demonstration from Golders Green to Richmond Tearrace, Whitehall.  They will be limited to a static demonstration for 60 minutes from 1pm-2pm.

Golders Green will still be policed as some demonstrators and counter-demonstrators who have not heard of the change of venue may turn up,

Greens: Don't sacrifice liberty in knee-jerk reaction to terror attacks

Green Party deputy leader Shahrar Ali has expressed his shock at hearing of the “inhumane” terror attacks that took place on Friday 26 June, but warned the government against fast-tracking its data communications bill in response.

Both Dr Ali and the Green Party’s foreign affairs spokesperson Tony Clarke called for nonviolent solutions to terrorism.

Dr Ali said:

How shocking to hear the news of terror attacks in a mosque in Kuwait City, a factory in Lyon and a beach in Sousse, Tunisia. People going about their everyday business suddenly had their worlds brought to an abrupt, inhumane end.

In the aftermath of the massacre, it is natural for our politicians to want to seek immediate solutions, but action requires thought, not haste. Just as the racist Charleston shooter, days earlier, was not representative of a whole community nor are the sick ideologues acting out their evil designs representative of any religion.

We must not sacrifice our liberties with a knee-jerk response to terror attacks.

The government's Prevent strategy is counterproductive on its own terms as it would impede open debate in our schools and universities when it is most needed.

Talk of fast-tracking the government's data communications bill, which would give agencies intrusive powers to intercept data, is not a legitimate response when current anti-terror legislation is already so open to abuse.

In seeking out nonviolent solutions we must take a sober look at our contribution to conflict, strife and resentment around the world. An attempt to understand the causes of the spread of terror, far from justifying unconscionable actions, gives us our best prospect to curtail them in the future.

Mr Clarke said:

All of us are affected as individuals each and every time terror strikes out at the innocent. We feel less secure, we feel angry at the use of extreme violence being perpetrated against people simply going about their everyday lives.

But to defeat the terrorists we have to win the peace, we have to redouble our diplomatic peacekeeping efforts and be prepared to advance our shared understanding of the open wounds in the world often created by governments themselves.

Only by reducing violence and assisting communities to live in peace will we ever be successful in breaking down the real recruitment drivers of terrorism.

The lessons are there for all to see in our recent past in Northern Ireland and in South Africa. We must now apply the same level of proactive peace and reconciliation processes in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in Palestine if we want to prevent future terrorist attacks and to protect the innocent.

'They Shall Not Pass' - Green statement on neo-Nazi demonstration in Golders Green on Saturday

Barnet Green Party have issued the following statement about the neo-Nazi demonstration due to take place in Golders Green on Saturday.

We at Barnet Green Party are shocked and appalled that a small group of neo-Nazis have called an anti-Semitic demonstration in Golders Green on Saturday 4th July 2015.

This is an act of deliberate provocation against the Jewish community who have lived in - and provided an important contribution to - both the local area and the British way of life since their arrival along with the Normans in 1070. It is particularly repugnant in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

This is not solely a matter for Jewish people but for all who believe in democracy, tolerance, freedom of faith, and who oppose Nazism. In a climate of growing anti-Semitism across Europe, we urge all communities to come together to roundly oppose their presence.

For this reason Barnet Green Party and our members - many of whom are Jewish - will be among those joining the counter-protests next weekend, including Adele Ward, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Finchley and Golders Green in the general election.

Adele said: “It's completely unacceptable that a neo-Nazi demonstration is being permitted in Golders Green, where many have been affected by the suffering of the Holocaust, and where it will be particularly frightening for children. Although freedom of expression is important, there is a point where it becomes incitement to hatred and this demonstration crosses that line. The government should have banned this from happening in Golders Green.”

We stand with the Jewish community at this time and reiterate our opposition to all forms of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and oppression. We will meet at midday outside Golders Green tube station so do join us.

We are reminded of the slogan used by British anti-fascists who came out onto the streets to successfully prevent Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists from marching through the East End of London in a similar act of intimidation against its Jewish community in 1936.

“They shall not pass.”

Lancashire councillors vote against Cuadrilla's fracking plans

I have just received this message from Richard Casson of Greenpeace:

Amazing news -- Lancashire just said no to fracking!

In a resounding move that will send shockwaves through the fossil fuel industry, Lancashire councillors voted overwhelmingly against fracking firm Cuadrilla's plans to drill for shale gas.

This is a huge victory for people power. Fracking would be bad news for Lancashire because it could contaminate water and pollute the air.  And it would be bad news for all of us, because burning more fossil fuels like shale gas could lead to catastrophic climate change. It's a win that will be felt far beyond Lancashire's borders.

Click on the image to share it on Facebook and celebrate!
 
In Lancashire, local people have been rallying outside county hall for days. But for the past four years they've run an incredible, grassroots campaign that's inspired so many of us. They've fought hard to win this -- and just last weekend, 65,000 Greenpeace supporters backed their local fight once more by signing an emergency petition to Lancashire council.

This morning I was in Preston. I was lucky to be there outside Lancashire county hall when the news came through and a huge cheer echoed through the crowd. People were hugging each other and celebrating -- the atmosphere was electric!

This is a victory for all of us - and a great surprise because councillors were under huge pressure from the fracking industry and the UK government to let Cuadrilla go ahead.

But over the past months and years, local residents, and organisations across the UK have campaigned to keep fracking out of Lancashire. We’ve signed petitions, emailed Lancashire councillors, and attended protests and fracking action camps.

Today all that hard work has paid off, so please click to share the good news:
https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/fracking-victory

Of course, Cuadrilla and other companies will keep trying to get fracking permits and start pumping chemicals into our soil. But we’ll keep fighting them every step of the way. And now we know the power we have against them, with each victory we will be one step closer to a frack-free UK -- for good.

For now, though, we can celebrate. Thank you - once again - for everything that you've done and continue to do.

All night weekend Jubilee Line from September 12th

TfL have published the NightTube map for services that will operate from the early hours of September 12th on Friday and Saturday nights.  Brent will be served by the Jubilee line. Trains will run at 10 minute intervals.

Further information LINK

Heat wave: Put your bins out the night before collection due

Brent Council is asking residents to put their bins out the night before collection day during  the expected heatwave period this week June 29th to July 3rd.

This is to ensure collection because waste workers will start earlier than usual in order to work in the cooler part of the day.