ShahrarAli: Corbyn victory a good result for everyone on the left in British politics

Will Corbyn end the 'dented shield' in local government?

Congratulations to local Labour Party activists who worked hard in the Corbyn campaign. As one of them remarked to me at the 'Refugees Welcome Here' demonstration yesterday 'this is only the beginning of the struggle.'

The Party's adherence to neoliberalism, the anti-Corbyn Parliamentary Labour Party, and the role of democracy within the party, including Party Conference, are just some of the areas where battles will need to be fought.

On social media today it is clear that some Greens have decided to throw in their lot with the Labour Party, and this includes a number who left Labour for the Greens when they thought Labour had 'lost its way'. However others have stated their intention to stay with the Greens on the basis that eco-socialism is a separate strand of political thinking in contrast to Corbynism which remains committed to 'productivism' LINK

Although this still leaves space for a 'progressive alliance' with the Labour Left on some issues there are problems on the ground with the positions adopted by Labour locally.

Most local councils are beginning their budget process this Autumn ready for April 2016.  Even Conservative council have said that they can no longer provide effective services with the planned cuts in funding.

Labour councils have adopted a 'dented shield position' up this point which means implementing the cuts rather than taking a principled stand against them and setting 'illegal' budgets. This was also true of the minority Green council in Brighton.  In the process services have been cut to the core and out-sourcing has become the norm with some handing over to the voluntary sector.

So how will 'dented shield' councils such as Brent adapt to the new leadership and will this mean that at last they make common cause with anti-austerity and trade union campaigners who have been challenging the cuts both in terms of their necessity and of the damage that they cause?

The May Labour NEC discussed local government issues and included this statement: LINK

Since May 2010 local government has had its funding dramatically cut. Many Councils have had their funding cut by 50% or more. This majority Conservative Government seeks to continue to cut Councils even further and puts vital public services at risk. These cuts are unsustainable and threaten services across the board, including in education, health, social care, fostering and adoption and community safety. We called on colleagues across the Labour movement to work together with Local Government to defend the vital public services our communities rely on. We look forward to working closely with Trade Unions, MPs and others to fight for a fairer deal for local government.

I think it is not just a fight for a 'fairer deal' for local government but for its very survival. In addition to the campaign  over funding there is also the need to preserve the role of local government in providing services with a public sector' ethos and purpose. This means challenging the privatisation of our education system that has taken place through academies and free schools, the out-sourcing of adult social care, children's services and youth provision.

Brent Council has eroded that ethos and undermined the role of democratically  accountable local government by accepting, and sometimes promulgating, the idea that services can be better provided by the private and voluntary sectors.

Only a few Brent Labour councillors nailed their colours to the Corbyn mast during the Labour election campaign and its leader, Cllr Muhammed Butt, argued against his CLP backing Corbyn.

This leaves the Labour Group on Brent Council out of line with both the party nationally and locally. There should be some interesting discussions ahead.

Preston Library Roald Dahl Day- Today Noon-3pm

Remember Wembley & Kingsbury Road Closures Today for 'Run to the Beat'

The Green Party offers congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn following his leadership win

The Green Party has offered its congratulations to Jeremy Corbyn on becoming the leader of the Labour Party.

Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said:

"The selection of Corbyn, combined with the remarkable Green surge of the past year , and the SNP's successes in the Westminster election, shows just how many people support an alternative to austerity economics, a head-in-the-sand approach to our environmental crisis and our tired, business-as-usual politics.

"The Green Party shares Corbyn’s opposition to austerity, Trident nuclear weapons, and the sell-off of public assets and  will be delighted to work with his Labour Party and others who share our views on these and other issues.

"The Green Party is committed to standing up for migrants and refugees and calls on the new Labour leader to challenge the government’s feeble and inadequate response to the global refugee crisis.

"In addition, we hope to engage Corbyn and the Labour Party in discussions about the urgent need for electoral reform. As the May 2015 General Election proved, our outdated and unrepresentative system fails both democracy and the electorate.

"We hope Corbyn will encourage his supporters to join with us and other campaigners working on these issues, and, in particular, on pushing the issue of climate change to the top of the political agenda ahead of the upcoming Paris talks."

"The Green Party’s doors continue to remain open to those who want to create a new kind of progressive politics, working, as we have been consistently for decades, for a society in which no one fears not being able to put food on the table or keep a roof over their head, while we all collectively live within the environmental limits of our fragile planet."

Caroline Lucas added:

“Jeremy’s success in this contest is a real boost for progressive politics. For the first time in my memory Labour will be led by someone who stands up for the radical changes demanded by the challenges we face.

"I am looking forward to working with Jeremy to provide a concerted and strong opposition to this Government and to push for the constitutional changes, like reform of our voting system, that Britain’s multi-party, devolved political system demands.

"I will also be urging him to join me in championing urgent action on climate change and building an economy that works for our children and grandchildren - two of the greatest challenges we face."

Sheila Robin: fellow activist and friend

Sheila Robin

A wave of disbelief swept through friends and fellow activists of Sheila Robin on Wednesday when  we heard of her death after a short illness.

Sheila combined energy, commitment, thoughtfulness, courage and a love of life in a unique way that makes her loss particularly painful.  Fiercely politically independent, she not only supported many campaigns but did much of the detailed  hard work that made them successful.  

Characteristically my last email from her was about the Brent Stop the War meeting that is being held on Monday. She was concerned that the title  of the talk 'Don't bomb Syria' was rather boring and uninspiring and urged people to come up with something 'brilliant'.

That nagging at the detail to get the most out of a political action was very much a Sheila trait and the annual Stop the War-Brent PSC Fundraising Garden Party was an event that brought her organising skills to the fore. She managed to persuade Julie Felix to perform this year which made it our most successful fundraiser to date.

Sheila never shrank from difficult issues, thinking exhaustively through all the principles involved, before reaching a position. I saw this close up when we were involved in the controversy over the Tricycle Theatre's decision not to accept Israeli government funding of the Jewish Film Festival.

It wasn't all hard work though, Sheila enjoyed having fun whether at the theatre, cinema, comedy club, choir or sailing!

Below are tributes from those who both worked with Sheila politically and enjoyed socialising with her:

Sheila with Brent Stop the War Banner

From Brent Stop the War Facebook: I am sorry to have to pass on the very sad news that Sheila Robin, the immensely hard working secretary of Brent Stop The War, active in the Red/Green socialist choir and many more labour movement and international campaigns died suddenly on Tuesday. 

Sheila has been absolutely central to Brent Stop the War, making it the priority of her political activity for the last few years. We will miss her immensely.

We felt that Sheila would have wanted us to proceed with Monday’s meeting and to do all we can to keep the group going, although she will be impossible to replace.

Sheila had been unwell for several months and was awaiting an operation, but we all expected her to recover in the near future, so this has come as a huge shock to us all. Our thoughts are with her daughter, Anna, and all the family at this very difficult time.

Sarah Cox (Brent Stop the War)

 
Sheila contributed so much to so many - individuals and causes.... Here is a photo of her, taken a few years ago, with her friend (and my partner) Ian Saville.  Sheila was always a person to go to for good advice. She absolutely committed to thinking and thinking and thinking again about the best way to go about things - whether it was buying a new hoover or organising a campaign or supporting family and friends with some difficulties to sort out.

Pam Laurance
  

Sheila was a dedicated and hard-working member of Brent Stop the War from its inception, taking on the role of Secretary in recent years. She worked tirelessly on fund-raising intitatives and to make our monthly meetings a success. In recent months, she was especially inspired by Jeremy Corbyn’s bid to become Labour leader, contacting repeatedly her local MP to get her to nominate him. Her persistence succeeded and Jeremy got the requisite number of nominations, allowing him to achieve today’s stunning success. It is highly poignant that Sheila is not here to share in the celebrations today. More than that, she will be greatly missed by activists in Brent who will remember her anti-war and anti-cuts campaigning and her unshakeable belief that a better world was possible. 

Mike Phipps, Chair, Brent Stop the War.

Sheila was inspiring to work with, a human Dynamo as described by Diane. 

I was inspired by Sheila to implement strategies /ideas/suggestions that were originally thought impossible or impractical. She did not follow 'a party line' and was always questioning.

She initiated contacts with a variety of community and political groups as well as individuals such as Joan Baez.

Sheila had a wide range of friends and interest.  I always enjoyed going with Sheila to mainly non mainstream theatre, comedy, concerts and cinema, although I never sailed with her  or accompanied her to distant places!

Sheila would proclaim each year she would withdraw from organising meetings and fund raising but each year she would be involved as enthusiastically as before. She was always direct and honest. 

Despite her medical problems and the associated pain and exhaustion Sheila would persevere.

We will miss her.

Liz Lindsay (Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign) 

There was a sense of unbearable shock to hear the news of Sheila Robin’s death. She had not been struggling with a long term illness but had died after a short period of ill health.  It was not as if she was a close friend, but it was as an activist in Jews for Justice for Palestinians that I came to know her.  She was someone who could be relied on to be open and forthright, to address issues with a passion and with commitment.  

Sheila was someone who could be relied on to make a contribution to debate and to take on the humdrum tasks that any organisation needs.  We kept bumping into one another at meetings, at events and at protests.  This is how many of us came to know and appreciate Sheila, a sound helper and comrade active in the grassroots of the movement for Palestinian self determination.   Her courage and good humour were always in evidence and it is almost impossible to absorb the fact that her vibrant personality is no longer with us.  It was a privilege to know her

Diana Neslen (Jews for Justice for Palestinians)


 I was very shocked and saddened to hear about about Sheila. She was always one of the people I could guarantee to bump into on any protest and campaign, and we waved hello to each other at the crowded Jeremy Corbyn meeting in the Camden Centre just a few weeks ago. I also used to see her occasionally in her work capacity in Islington. Wishing long life to her family and close friends.

David Rosenberg (Jewish Socialist Group)


Sheila was both a friend and a fellow activist. She was always a pleasure to work with for her enthusiasm, great ideas and energy. She was completely dedicated and an important part of a number of local, national and international campaigns and will be missed by all. I particularly appreciated her support and advice.

Aisha Maniar

Please feel free to add futher tributes as comments or by email.

Brent Start ESOL cuts hit the voiceless and reveal government hypocrisy

Guest blog by 'Enda Mess'

It's good to have the opportunity to raise awareness of the severe cuts that are affecting Adult Education and, very recently, ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses in particular. These cuts often go unnoticed as those who take up these services are often those whose voices are least likely to be heard. However, the classes are highly valued and often vital to those who use them.

At Brent Start (formerly Brent Adult and Community Education Service - BACES) the recent central government cuts mean that 40% of ESOL provision will be cut - with job losses to match! The cut has been very sudden - the government announced the withdrawal of all funding for classes for those on Job Seekers Allowance with immediate effect at the end of July - just when everyone was finishing for the year and all timetables and staffing was planned.

Despite the fact that services in other areas seem to be managing to hold off from making immediate redundancies, here in Brent the decision has been made act very swiftly in implementing the cuts and staff are returning to work to find they may not have a job by mid October.

What were known as the JCP (Job Centre Plus) classes were problematic for most adult educators and trade unionists in that they were 'mandated' - the new euphemism for compulsory. Students were referred from the Job Centre and there could be sanctions for non attendance. However, their withdrawal removes an opportunity for free classes and 40% of any provision is a huge loss.

This of course comes at a time when the plight of refugees and migrants is very topical. The cut was announced the day after Cameron said: 'At the moment we have parts of the country where opportunities remain limited ... where language remains a real barrier, where too many women from minority communities remain trapped outside the workforce, and where educational attainment is low'. Such decisions show the hypocrisy of the current government’s  stated aim to help individuals develop skills in order to gain jobs and communicate with others and  ‘lift the horizons of some of our most isolated and deprived communities’. (David Cameron’s extremism speech 20/07/2015)

Since then however, many thousands of people have connected with the humanitarian aspect of the refugee situation and have clearly shown that they do not support the government's hostile stand towards people who are driven to leave what they know behind and take enormous risks to start a new life for their families.

For me, the huge but often unrecognised value of adult and community learning (everything from computer classes to pottery to sign language to childcare courses – as well as ESOL)  lies not just in the structured learning of the courses provided. It provides spaces and opportunities for a wealth of informal learning to take place. There is a real diversity of backgrounds amongst those who attend - people's lives overlap here in a way they seldom do elsewhere and these interactions can create really positive opportunities for the exchange and building of knowledge, skills and experience amongst students, that can be empowering way beyond the scope of the actual course.

We have a very long history in Brent of providing ESOL classes and it will be a terrible loss to dismantle nearly half of what has been a strong, committed and thriving department providing a quality service to the community for many years. ESOL classes provide a way in for people to access crucial services, participate in education and find work. They help parents support their children at school. They enable people who, when they arrive here bring valuable skills and experience of all kinds, to practise those skills and share that experience for the benefit of us all.

The University and College Union (UCU) which represents staff teaching in Adult Education as well as FE and HE, is campaigning against these cuts both locally and nationally and the ‘Action for ESOL’ campaign is also very active

A demonstration has been organised to protest against the cuts in ESOL classes on

Wednesday 16th September at 5.30, outside the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (this is where the cuts come from!)

Here is a link to the Facebook page for this event LINK 

Please share, support, come along!

UCU and 'Action for ESOL' will also be attending the ‘Refugees are Welcome Here’ event on Saturday 12^th September.

What to attend this Saturday? Refugees welcome, children's march for libraries, open garden, library opening...

This Saturday there are so many different things happening locally and in London that I for one will be very divided about what to attend. Here are some of the events:

Assemble at noon at Marble Arch for march to Downing Street where there will be a rally at 2pm.

Barnet Council is proposing to cut the five libraries with the greatest growth in kids' fiction borrowing. None of these libraries costs more than £150k to run each year and are vital to people of all ages but especially children who are using them more than ever with an average increase of 20% in children and teen fiction borrowing over the last five years. Come to the Children's March for Libraries with your kids and let your voices be heard that you need your local library! Church End to North Finchley with a brass band & big red bus! Paint a poster! Make a placard! Come in fancy dress! Tell those politicians why YOU NEED YOUR LIBRARY. Also write to the head of the Library Committee and remind him he needs to keep your local library for your sake and the sake of your children. Write to him at: Cllr.R.Thompstone@Barnet.gov.uk