Prevent secrecy prevents effective scrutiny

 

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Wednesday’s meeting of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee is to discuss a report on the implementation of the controversial Prevent duty in Brent.  However the report is framed in such a way as to undermine any effective scrutiny. It appears to actually discourage any action on the part of the Committee:

This report is submitted to the committee not as a result of seeking any specific recommendations, but as a direct request from the Committee.

Having stated that it sets out what the report is NOT about:

This report aims to provide an overview of Prevent programme delivery in the borough of Brent. The report will outline how Brent Council are meeting their statutory obligations to deliver the Prevent duty, alongside the aims of the broader Prevent Strategy. 


Whilst the Government published a Counter – Extremism Strategy in October 2015, this will not be covered by the report. Counter – Extremism work is complimentary (sic) to the aims of the Prevent strategy, but is not currently supported by a statutory duty to deliver it. 


Counter – Extremism work is distinct from Prevent programme delivery and does not form an active part of Prevent work. 


The report will concentrate on the implementation of the Prevent duty and related programmes, and not specific project work funded by the Home Office at a community level. 


The result is that the report is purely descriptive of the processes involved with no evaluation and no data.  There are hints at the more controversial  issues but these are not explored:

High quality and consistent training helps Brent to guard against misguided Channel referrals; in particular where there might be a limited understanding of cultural norms and practices. It is our priority whilst trying to successfully deliver the Prevent programme, not to conflate practices that may be regarded as highly observant or extreme, as indicators which actually do not pose a violently extreme, counter – terrorism risk. 


To ensure professionals possess confidence in assessing this area, Brent Council centrally commissioned ‘In depth Extremist Ideology Training’ to provide wider context and a firmer understanding of the triggers and drivers that solidify terrorist ideologies.

Brent’s Strategic Prevent Coordinator is currently developing a training module that sits between WRAP and the In Depth Extremist Ideology Training to help frontline staff assess for themselves when a case might be better suited to Early Help, Universal Services, the Channel Programme or wider Social Care support

 

Despite earlier assurances that Prevent is not aimed at the Muslim community the report states:

The Government has stated that the greatest threat to the UK and its interests comes from Al-Qaida, its affiliates and like-minded groups, for example, ISIS /ISIL. Brent’s main concerns currently come from this strand. These organisations have based their rhetoric on alleged Islamic principles. The borough of Brent has a large Muslim community; this community may feel particularly marginalized as Prevent objectives are addressed. 

The possible marginalisation of the Muslim community is not explored in the report but again surely something that the Scrutiny Committee would want to discuss.  Evidence of community concern, about the Prevent Strategy, as demonstrated at the October ‘Time to Talk About Extremism’ event LINK is not included in the report.  In fact the voice of the community most affected by Prevent is completely absent from the report, but surely must not be absent from the actual Scrutiny meeting.

So what should Scrutiny be asking? Here are some suggestions? 
 

1.  How many initial referrals were made under Prevent through schools, further education and health?

2.  What was the age, ethnicity and religious profile of these referrals?

3.  For how many of these referrals was no further action taken or referred to other agencies?

4.  How many initial referrals were carried through to the Channel process?

5.  How many individuals refused Channel referral?

6.  What happened to these individuals?

7.  How many Channel referrals were deemed successful in terms of diverting the individuals away from involvement in extremist groups?

8.  What was the breakdown in the nature of the referrals (e.g. right-wing extremism, Islamic extremism, animal rights extremism, Northern Ireland extremist groups)

9.  Who are the community groups chosen to advise the Prevent Delivery Group, how were they chosen and what steps have been taken to ensure they are representative of the community?

10.       What impact has the Prevent Strategy made on the relationship of trust between schools and parents and students and their teachers?

11.       What impact has the Prevent Strategy made on the ability of students to debate controversial issues in schools and college without fear of referral?

12. Please tell us more about 'In depth Extremist Ideology Training'.

Clearly some of these issues would be best addressed by seeking ‘expert witnesses’ to come forward and be examined by the Committee in the manner of Parliamentary Select Committees. 

Full report HERE

Fairtrade stall at Brent Civic Centre Friday March 10th

From Brent Fairtrade Network 

 

CELEBRATING FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT

FAIRTRADE STALL AT BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

ON FRIDAY 10 MARCH - AND A NEW FILM

By the kind permission of the Borough Council, Brent Fairtrade Network is holding a stall at Brent Civic Centre 10.00-14.00 on Friday 10 March.  We shall be encouraging library users, Council staff and others passing by to buy Fairtrade goods at local shops and cafes. Do look in if you are nearby. Here is how to get there: www.brent.gov.uk/your-council/brent-civic-centre/your-visit-to-the-civic-centre/

The Fairtrade Foundation has produced a film to bring home the shocking reality that Fairtrade is tackling.  Watch this. 

Fairtrade Fortnight ends on Saturday 11 March. Remember to look out for Fairtrade products in your shopping this week. 

DOES FAIRTRADE HAVE A FUTURE?

PUBLIC DEBATE ON 17 NOVEMBER

We had an excellent debate at St Martin's Church, Kensal Rise, on 17 November, jointly hosted with Fairtrade groups in Harrow, Ealing, Hounslow, Richmond and Kingston. Our speakers were Anne Cooper of Oxfam, Barbara Crowther of the Fairtrade Foundation, Stuart Singleton-White of the Rainforest Alliance and Vidya Rangan of ISEAL, the global movement of sustainability standards. Points that emerged included the following:

•   Is the Fairtrade model still a good one? Yes - but it will continue to change, as illustrated by the Cocoa Life partnership announced that day with Cadbury's.

•   Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are complementary - but the scope for collaboration is shown by the fact that 80% of their standards are the same. There are now some 450 ethical labels, hence the need for ISEAL's work to clarify which can be trusted. 

•   The new Fairtrade Sourcing Programme enables products to be sold with a new Fairtrade logo when only the cocoa, sugar or cotton involved is Fairtrade. This will increase sales of Fairtrade products. 

•   Only 1% of world agricultural trade is ethically certified so there is huge potential for growth.

Feedback after the event was very positive. The consensus seemed to be that it was an excellent event with very good speakers. The main regret was that only 40 people attended. It was felt that a more central location could have attracted people from all over London. As it was, we welcomed several visitors from outside Brent, some of whom we now welcome as new readers of this newsletter. 

We are most grateful to the speakers and St Martin's Church for making this debate possible. 

Residents return to their homes after Willesden bomb removed

Photo: Rupert Frere

 

The bomb was disposed of at the Shoeburyness Range near Southend

 From Brent Council

The 500Ib World War II bomb, which was discovered in Brondesbury Park yesterday (March 2nd), has been safely removed by bomb disposal experts, the army has confirmed.

The huge device was removed safely this evening (March 3) and hundreds of affected residents are returning to their homes within the 300 metre exclusion zone.

Police were called to The Avenue, near the junction of Willesden Lane, at around 11.30am on Thursday after builders unearthed the device while digging a basement car park for a new block of flats

Army bomb disposal experts were scrambled while hundreds of people, including school children and OAPs, were evacuated. Some were briefly allowed back into the exclusion zone to collect clothes, medicines and emergency supplies.

78 people who were unable to stay with friends or family were put up in a local hotel by Brent Council overnight. The council also organised a rest centre at a nearby church, during the day on Thursday and Friday, where evacuees were looked after by council officers and volunteers from the Red Cross.

Local resident Carole Hutchinson, who attended the rest centre, said:

We got lots of help from the Red Cross and the people from Brent Council at the shelter. They have been keeping us well-fed and watered. My husband was evacuated during the war and was telling me to hurry up all the time to get out, as he knows how much damage a bomb can do. He came back for the blitz. He was evacuated at the start of the war and they thought it was all quiet and calm and they all came back and then he stayed in London.       
           
I actually met three or four neighbours who I've never met before which has been really nice. It's been a blitz spirit, definitely. Everyone has been very kind and generous with food and lots of cups of tea from the Red Cross, so it's been wonderful from that point of view.

The exclusion zone around the device was widened this morning while army experts dismantled the explosive.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said:

The blitz spirit of the community is alive and well in Brent and my thanks go to all of the residents who showed such great patience and humour in the face of adversity while the army experts did their job.

I would also like to thank our partners in the Army, Police, Fire Brigade and Red Cross as well as council colleagues who worked tirelessly throughout the night to help sort this out.

We’re a resilient lot in Brent and I am immensely proud of how everyone responded.

Unexploded bombs are still being found across London following the Blitz, which was the most intense bombing campaign Britain has ever seen.

Road closures in Wembley and Kingsbury for North London Half Marathon - Sunday March 12th

The Vitality North London Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 12th March passing through Brent  an Barnet with about 10,000 runners expected.

This will mean road closures from early morning on the Sunday:

Olympic Way (from 4.45am)
Wembley Park Boulevard (4.45am)
Royal Route (4.45am)
Perimeter Way (4.45am)
Engineers Way (6.45am)
Fulton Road (6.45am)
Brook Avenue (4.45am - between Olympic Sq access gate and Bridge Road)
Bridge Road (4.45am between Brook Avenue and Forty Lane)
Forty Lane  (7am)
The Paddocks (7am)
Fryent Way (7am)
Valley Drive (7am)
Kingsbury Road (7am between Valley Drive and Roe Green)
Roe Green (7am)
Hay Lane (7am)
Edgware Road (8.545am between Hay Lane and Colindale Avenue)
Slough Lane (7am between Kingsbury Road and Salmon Street)
Salmon Street (7am between Slough Lane and the Paddocks)

The race will start at 8am and a 'dynamic reopening schedule' will operate to ensure roads are open as soon as possible once runners have completed each section of the route and when it is safe and feasible to do so. Roads will beging to re-open from 10.15am and most will be re-opened by 12.45pm. Brook Avenue and Bridge Road will be the final roads to re-open at 1.45pm.

WEBSITE

Mass civil disobedience Fossil Fuel Divestment Event and Rally Sat 4th March. Kings College on the Strand 11am

Arrests Fines and Suspensions and now a Hunger Strike at King’s College London – the fossil fuel divestment campaign
The campaign for total divestment from Fossil Fuels Heats Up. We urgently need your support!

Mass civil disobedience Event and Rally Sat 4th March. Kings College on the Strand 11am.

From King's College Climate Emergency

In developments not seen for decades King’s College London has engaged in a policy chaotic repression in the face of peaceful civil disobedience by students and alumni demanding total divestment from fossil fuels. Campaign group King’s College Climate Emergency was set up to make clear we are out of time on climate change. We need total divestment from all oil and gas corporations to have any chance of avoiding catastrophe. We stand in solidarity with the main poor and marginalised communities all over the world being destroyed by this unchecked corporate greed. We are particularly inspired by the amazing struggle at Standing Rock and believe we have to start making similar sacrifices in this country to make the progress we all want to see.

96% of students in a recent survey support total divestment which is also supported by the vast majority of staff. However the college council is dominated by corporate place people – the vice principal Chris Mottershead, for instance. is ex BP executive. This capturing of our public universities by corporate power has to be challenged by direct action. We have not allowed ourselves to be intimidated by arrests, suspensions, fines, and threats of prosecution by top management but instead upped our escalation with a hunger strike by one student and fasts by others. And we plan to have the biggest collective act so far of civil disobedience for divestment – a celebration of life over death - decorating the dull frontage of Kings with flowers, balloons, statements, teddy bears, and colourful poster paints at 11am Saturday 4th March.

If you could come to the event yourself that would be great (it is an hour before the NHS demo which starts only 15 minutes walk away). Or people can email the top guys to tell them to do the right thing:

The Principal Edward Byrne: Principal@kcl.ac.uk

The Vice Principal Chris Mottershead: Chris.Motershead@kcl.ac.uk

See our latest video which promotes the 4th March action HERE – please share as widely as you can.

For more details see the FB page: King’s College Climate Emergency.

School and road closures today as army tackles the Willesden bomb

Extended cordon area

The following schools will be closed all day today:

• Brondesbury College For Boys
• Al-Sadiq and Al-Zahra
• Christ Church CofE Primary School
• Islamia Primary School
• Malorees Infant School
• Malorees Junior School
• North West London Jewish Day School
• Marylebone Boys' School
• Salusbury Primary School
• Islamia Girls' Secondary School

This is the list of roads within the cordon that will be extended today.

• St. Hilda's close
• Manor House Drive south
• Christchurch Avenue between St Hilda's Close and Mowbray Road
• The Avenue between Tiverton Green and Mowbray Road
• Brondesbury Park between Coverdale Road and Chevening Road
• Wilesden Lane between Coverdale Road and Winchester
• Avenue Mowbray Road between Chevening Road and Willesden Lane
• Winchester Avenue between Chevening Road and Willesden Lane Dyne Road between
• Willesden Lane and Torbay Road Cavendish Road between The Avenue and Mowbray Road
• Mapesbury Road between Willesden Lane and Mowbury Road

The bomb  by torchlight (Brent MPS)

The Army bomb disposal squad will be continuing their work today and this will mean extending the cordon to around 300 metres. At the moment it looks likely that this will happen from around 9am this morning. The police will be knocking on the doors of those who will be affected.

Barn Hill Residents comprehensively oppose Wembley Stadium planning application

This is the submission made by the Chair of Barn Hill Residents Association (BHRA) to the Planning Department on the Spurs bid  to hold more events and lift the capacity cap at Wembley Stadium:

Planning Application ref: 17/0368

Wembley Stadium

We wish to make the following comments on this Application:

Proposed variation of Condition 3

Condition 3 of the original Wembley Stadium Planning Consent has not yet been fully complied with.  This Condition restricts the number of full capacity events at the Stadium until various transport improvements have been put in place. These include the upgrade of one section of road within the Wembley Industrial Estate which requires the purchase of a significant amount of land. This purchase has not yet taken place, despite Wembley Stadium having given Brent Council millions of pounds to facilitate these works.

We believe that until such time as these works are completed in their entirety, this Application should be refused.

It is not at all clear why the Stadium feels the need to increase the number of full capacity Event Days. There is no restriction on the number of events using only the lower and middle tiers of the Stadium which can accommodate up to a total of 51,000 spectators. 

The pretext for increasing the number of Event Days is that Tottenham Hotspur will be using the Stadium from 1^st August 2017 until 31^st July 2018 while their own stadium is being rebuilt.

However, Tottenham’s current average home attendance of 36,824 falls well short of the capacity figure of 51,000 for normal Event Days. The 31 additional planned events could therefore go ahead without any variation to the existing planning consent.

Although this proposal purports to be a temporary arrangement to accommodate Tottenham, we strongly suspect that, if approved, it would pave the way for Chelsea Football Club to use the

Stadium for a further three years while their stadium is also being rebuilt.

Proposed removal of Condition 33

We do not agree with the lifting of this Condition as we believe that many fans of Tottenham will travel to Wembley via the North Circular Road despite it already being heavily used and subject to constant traffic jams.

Other issues

We believe that Brent Council is not fully taking into account the detrimental impact that approving this Application would have on the local environment and residents. Even without any increase in the frequency of matches and the numbers of spectators, it is evident that Police resources are totally inadequate when it comes to enforcing the law on match days. 

In flagrant disregard of the regulations in the local Controlled Drinking Zone, there is widespread and excessive consumption of alcohol in the streets, especially when large numbers of fans are turned out of the local hostelries one hour before kick-off, while Police officers look on, apparently powerless to act.

This inevitably leads to the public nuisance of widespread urination not just in the streets but also in residents’ gardens, or even behind the Civic Centre.

The other unwelcome by-product of match days is the sea of litter left behind in the streets.  Fans discard food packaging with impunity, an offence which in other circumstances might attract a fine of £80. Sadly, Veolia (Brent Council’s contractor) are failing to maintain their previous standards of rubbish collection.   

This is to say nothing of the massive disruption suffered by local residents in many other ways on Event Days, what with overcrowded buses and trains making normal travel by public transport very difficult, and parking restrictions inconveniencing family and social events in residents’ own homes. 

Any increase in Event Days would seriously impact the right of residents to the quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their properties.  In addition, other local activities would increasingly have to be curtailed at short notice, with venues such as church halls suffering a serious loss of income.

I believe that, before attracting ever larger crowds to Wembley on match days, measures should be taken to alleviate existing problems, whether that involves a large increase in Police resources or perhaps the Council reviewing the licences of local pubs.

Local residents suspect that designating many more match days as full Event Days when this is not warranted by the likely numbers attending, is a kind of 'Trojan Horse' strategy to increase the full Event Days to 68 on a long-term basis, to continue long after Chelsea and Tottenham have returned to their rebuilt stadiums.

If, as we have been told, the local Police already have insufficient resources to enforce the widely-flouted ban on drinking in the streets around the Stadium, what hope is there that they would be able to cope with extra Event Days?

Even if there were to be no increase in Event Days, we strongly believe that extra Policing is essential and suggest that the costs should be borne jointly by Wembley Stadium and the clubs involved.

For the reasons given above, we strongly object to this Application.