Green councillors call for end to 'destructive', 'ideologically driven' local government cuts

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Green Councillors, Jenny Jones and Carline Lucas at Dopwning Street today

Six Green councillors will hand in a joint letter LINK to Number 10 Downing Street today November 18th on behalf of all 168 Green councillors to call on the Conservative government to end the destructive cuts to local government. 

Ahead of the Comprehensive Spending review (CSR) the Green Party are calling for an end to the government’s ideologically-driven austerity programme. 

Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, and Baroness Jones of Moulscomb, will all attend the event.

Bennett said:

The Green Party calls on the Prime Minister to not make any further cuts to local authority spending in the Comprehensive Spending Review on 25^th November.

Green councillors up and down the country tell me on a daily basis how this government’s cuts are wrecking essential services and damaging communities.

The Green Party is calling for a genuine review of economic policy in this Spending Review. Rather than Chancellor George Osborne continuing with his austerity agenda for the next three years, we must invest in people, in secure energy, and in vital welfare support.

Caroline Lucas MP said:

Proposed cuts to local authority grants will unleash further devastation to communities across Britain. In Brighton my constituents are facing the hollowing out of council services – included the proposed closure of up to five children’s centres.

Enough is enough. The Government must rethink its callous and counterproductive austerity programme and give local authorities the resources they need to deliver service to the people they work for.

Jenny Jones said:

The government’s austerity agenda is derailing the provision of services for all of us, all over the UK. Local government cuts strike at many of the things we have come to rely on, such as litter collection and services for children and old people, but also the things which enrich and improve lives, including parks, leisure, sports, libraries and museums.

The Prime Minister and his government must be made to acknowledge the damage they have already caused and we demand that rather than making it worse, they commit to repairing the damage they have done.

Comedians for Corbyn head up Voter Registration gig at The Good Ship on Sunday

The new Brent Momentum organisation has launched a campaign to persuade more people to get registered to vote following the loss of thousands from the electoral register following changes to the registration system.

The Votes for Voices gog is partof that campaign.  Brent Momentum has asked that Wembley Matters advertise the event.

They have not yet made up their minds on whether to admit members of other parties who stand against Labour in elections, such as the Greens, to the organisation which is still very much in its early days.

Momentum grew out of the swathe of new members who joined the Labour Party  in order to help elect Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour leadership.

Gardiner calls for Safer Neighborhood Teams to be retained and enhanced in the wake of Paris attacks

Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent North, asked Home Secretary Theresa May in the House of Commons to meet the Police Commissioner to ensure that local neighbourhood teams are kept in place and enhanced in the wake of the Paris attacks.

Gardiner followed up May's statement to the House with this request:

--> I welcome the Home Secretary’s statement. She is aware that my constituency of Brent North has the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers from the Middle East in the country. In the light of the clear advice of both current and former Metropolitan Police Commissioners on the importance of neighbourhood safety teams and local policing, will she meet the current commissioner and look at the needs of constituencies such as mine, to ensure that those local neighbourhood safety teams are kept in place and enhanced in order to ensure that the strategy is followed.Theresa May replied that she regularly met with the Metropolitan Police Commissioenr to discuss the policing of London and wider issues. LINK

Greens warn against Paris attacks dictating policy on refugees

As Paris mourns its dead and cares for its wounded after the hideous weekend attack, the Green Party says it is important to ensure that we do not act in ways that fuel ISIS and terrorism.

Green Party leader, Natalie Bennett said:

There is a real risk that amongst the outcomes of the heinous attacks in Paris will be increased fear and division, the stirring up of Islamophobia and an impulse to retreat from the compassion and support with which Europe has so far met those fleeing ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

ISIS does not want to see that compassion, inclusion and displays of fraternity.

While sensible screening measures and checks need to be maintained; to cut off escape routes for desperate people fleeing war and persecution would only play into ISIS's hands.

We cannot let the actions of a handful of extremists dictate our response to the ongoing refugee crisis. The Green Party will resist calls to reduce Britain and Europe's access to refugees and are redoubling our calls for Britain to welcome its fair share of the refugees reaching Europe.

We also want to acknowledge and highlight the way in which so many communities around the world live with regular similar atrocities, including attacks in Beirut, Ankara, Baghdad and Kabul. And we need to note that the actions of Turkey in attacking Kurdish communities fighting ISIS within Syria have been disastrous, damaging, and deserve the strongest condemnation.

Green Party foreign affairs spokesperson, Tony Clarke said:

The killing has to stop and world leaders must find a way forward that defeats ISIS using the weapon that these terrorists fear most of all, peace talks.

There were signs over the weekend that those talks may now have some new foundation and I would encourage presidents and prime ministers to recognise that the drones cannot provide a solution and pick up the phones and find a way of halting this never ending circle of death.

The Gladstone story highlights risks attached to Brent's free school policy

The Brent Cabinet probably approved an officer report on school places provision this afternon at their Crest Academy meeting.  The report advocates providing the additional secondary places needed via free schools.

It may be worth looking at the example of the Gladstone Free School  in assessing the risks attached to this policy. The proposal goes back to  2014  when the DfE approved the application. There was a chaotic 'consultation' meeting inJanuary 2014 when it appeared the school wanted to build on playing fields agjacent to Gladstone Park. LINK

There have been huge problems in finding a site. In April 2014 the school advised parents of pupils who had been enrolled for a place in September 2014 that they should seek another school. It again failed to open this September.

The school has this week written to parents to say that after talks in 'high places' they have the support of Nick Gibb MP, Minister for Schools. They claim that he made it clear to ' DfE officials that he wanted this project to work'.

They claims that officers  from Brent Council are working directly with the Education Funding Agency and two estate agents to find the school a site. They say, as they have said before, that they understand there are several sites that 'may prove possible options'.

Gladstone state that once the EFA find a permanent site the school will be found a temporary site for the 'year or two' that it will take refurbishment, remodelling or rebuilding to be completed.

Desite this uncertainty the putative school announces that it is still open for applications: 'Gladstone School - Your Extra Choice!'

They assure parents that as Gladstone is its own admissions authority they can still make 6 choices through the Lacal Authority applications system in  addition to Gladstone. They have extended their first round admissions to February 2016 and ask parents to let others who are concerned about school places know about Gladstone.

In March this year Gladstone announced the day after children had been allocated their places that they would not be opening in September LINK

I asked at the time whether the DfE support for the school should be withdrawn to avoid the confusion and disappointment caused by enrollment but failure to open in 2014 and 2015. It ap;pears there is still a risk for September 2016 despite the active recruiting.

Another proposed  free school,  Gateway,  did not proceed after difficulties in finding a site LINK and it would be interesting to hear how Brent Council expects to get over this problem

Apart from the site uncertainties there continues to be concern  over Gladstone financial issues and the amount of money spent on the school without one child being educated. There are also suggestions of potential conflicts of interest. LINK

There are 6 current directors and 8 previous directos.

source: companycheck.co.uk

To read about other issues of concern over free schools follow this LINK








 

Met's message on 'hate crime' following Paris attacks

The Metropolitan Police have sent this message following the events in Paris. The Football Association has advised fans attending tomorrow's England France friendly at Wembley Stadium to arrive early to allow time to get through additional security checks. They are also asked to be in their seats by 7.55am to take part in post-Paris preliminaries.

Wanted: Chair of Brent Scrutiny Committee

Following the sad and premature death of Cllr  Dan Filson, who had made a good start at making Brent Scrutiny Committee more effective, a new Committee chair is needed from amongst the Labour group:

WANTED: INDEPENDENT MINDED, SCRUPULOUS COUNCILLOR GOOD ON DETAIL BUT AWARE OF THE BIGGER PICTURE

Speaking to some of the Labour group it is clear that there are some impediments to the challenging scrutiny of a Council with such a large majority and where the leader is controlling and intolerant of criticism.

The new Chair will thus need to be someone who has not got an eye on future preferment by the Council leadership, including the position of Mayor, and with the strength and tenacity to follow issues through without caving in to pressure.

The new Chair should have a proven public record of contributions to Full Council Meetings which are more than planted questions to Lead Members to showcase the Council's achievements. They should have raised pertinent questions on policy decisions  and detail at Full Council or committee meetings.

Some in the Labour group are of the opinion that the position requires such a high workload that it should not be undertaken by someone who has a full time job in addition to being a councillor. That obviously raises significant issues about equality of opportunity. Those putting forward the argument suggest that a 'part time' Scrutiny Chair will become over-dependent on Council officers who themselves should be subject to scrutiny.

Lastly the new Chair should not be compromised by close friendships and relationships with Cabinet members that might affect their independence. This could extend to representing the same ward as the leadership.

The Scrutiny Committee's role can be found HERE

 Just a reminder of what Barry Gardiner MP said reacting to Labour's election  result last May:

I’m thrilled, of course I’m thrilled but we need to be very careful.

It is a huge responsibility because a majority this big for any party means that we have to look within ourselves for the sort of scrutiny that we need of the policies that we ourselves are proposing.

All of these people got elected because they managed to persuade voters they wanted to represent them in the civic centre on the council. They must remember their job is to represent the people to the bureaucratic (sic) of the council and not to represent the council bureaucrats to the people. 

We are here to be a critical voice to say where things are wrong and to set policy to change Brent for the better.

Who will be that independent critical voice for Brent residents?

Any nominations?

Local government cuts and offering alternatives to those attracted by ISIS

Guest blog by Scott Bartle
 

Friday 13^th was an eventful day as it was in the morning that David Cameron explained how he’d worked ‘hand in glove’ with the USA to execute Mohammed Emwazi in Syria, where we are not ‘at war’. This was a man that walked the same streets as us in Brent, perhaps buying food from the same checkouts and was described by those that knew him as a ‘nice guy’ before adopting the moniker ‘Jihadi-John’. Meanwhile, in the afternoon over at Woolwich Crown Court 19 year old Yahya Rashid from Willesden who had left the country to join ISIS was found guilty of terrorism charges. As the guilty verdict was given to Yahya, in France final preparations were being made by ISIS to attack Paris. After the mass-murders French Gendarme conveniently found a passport upon a perpetrator matching one shown by someone who identified as a refugee in Greece. However, other reports from the media indicate that the majority of others involved in the Paris attacks were more like Yahya Rashid, considered ‘home-grown’.

It’s beyond most of our capacity to do anything about a foreign policy so reliant upon fossil fuels we’ve contributed towards conflict over its supply since WW1. From the Baghdad Railway, to the overthrow of democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossaddegh of Iran in 1953 to the wars in Iraq and the funding of ISIS to topple President Assad in Syria, it can feel pretty stuck. However, within our grasp we do have the power to offer alternatives to people from our communities who may be leaving our communities to get involved with ISIS. We must recognise that ISIS is merely a gang for those in a multi-cultural world who are better connected. 

The myth of the ‘five star jihad’ is pervasive as recruits like those from Birmingham leave clutching their copies of ‘Islam for Dummies’ from Amazon. On social media images are posted of a hiphop lifestyle of five-star hotels, hanging with their friends, driving smart cars offering a perception that there will be more opportunities with the ladies. This is the allure of stuff, people looking for material things, love or a sense of community and belonging. These are life-goals shared by many that people have become disaffected in their ability to reach, and see joining ISIS as a more achievable way to meet their needs. What to do about these things hasn’t changed since 1936 when Winifred Holtby highlighted Local Government as the ‘first-line of defence thrown up by the community against our common enemies – poverty, sickness, ignorance, isolation, mental derangement and social maladjusment’. 

What’s changed is the ability of our elected representatives to recognise this and that cuts in the short term equate to costs – both financially and socially in the long term. 

More often than not adults who make choices to get involved with crime have had behaviour considered ‘anti-social’ or ‘challenging’ since childhood. Research aggregated by Professor Martin Knapp of the London School of Economics estimated that the cost of conduct related crime in England to range from £22.5bn to £60bn a year, and £1.1-1.9m over the lifetime of a single offender. 

These costs on the public sector are distributed across many agencies and are around 10 times high than children with no behaviour problems. Yet research has found that gross savings over 25 years from an intervention provided from services can exceed the average cost of the intervention by a factor of around 8 – 1. We need to recognise that despite this money being spread across many agencies it is still our tax money that is being lost. Local Government needs to recognise it’s likely to be around for ever and start operating on long term plans. As last month’s decision by the Labour run council to engage in ‘savage’ short-sighted cuts to youth services See LINK  or destroying places like Stonebridge Adventure Playground could cost us all dearly. 

Scott Bartle stood as The Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Brent North in 2015 and is a behaviour psychologist who works in forensic services.