Brent Council urges residents to register to vote

Residents in Brent are being urged to get themselves onto the electoral register in time for the general election and consider whether they will have their say by post, proxy or in person at the polls.

With just over four weeks to go until polling day, Brent Council is calling upon residents who are eligible to vote to ensure they are on the electoral register by the deadline of 11:59pm, on Monday 22 May - two weeks away.

Anyone who is registered to vote, but unable to make it to a polling station on 8 June, can apply for a postal vote, or a proxy vote and allow a nominated person to vote on their behalf.

Carolyn Downs, Acting Returning Officer for Brent, said:

As well as being a democratic right, it is our civic duty to hold elected politicians to account and to take part in the process of choosing those who will govern us for the next five years.

You can have your say by post, proxy or in person on polling day but of course, in order to vote you must first be registered. 

A full list of candidates standing in all three of Brent's parliamentary constituencies will be published as soon as possible after the deadline for nomination papers passes, on Thursday 11 May.

To register to vote, apply for a postal or proxy vote, or for more information, visit www.brent.gov.uk/elections2017

Harrow Green Party announces its General Election candidates

After a secret ballot amongst Harrow Green party members the following candidates have been chosen to stand for election on 8th June in the parliamentary elections:

Harrow West - Rowan Langley

Rowan will be standing in this constituency for the third time in succession. He is keen to ensure that the Green Party is visible as much as possible and hopes to continue to offer voters in Harrow the chance to vote Green. 

Rowan is a local resident, but also has business clients in the area for his electrician's business. It his through his work that he has seen some of the hidden poverty, which he would like to target via the provision of improved rental housing for those on low incomes.

Harrow East - Emma Wallace

 Emma decided to put herself forward for a second consecutive election as she is committed to ensuring there is a progressive and democratic voice in the borough of Harrow and ultimately, Westminster.  

Emma believes that the Green Party holds values and policies that would benefit our local community and would strongly advocate these as the parliamentary candidate.  She has been actively involved in Harrow Green Party for over two years, being the local party’s coordinator with the aim of developing the standing and impact of the Greens in the borough.  

Emma has supported key local campaigns, including protesting against the closure of local libraries, the closure of The Bridge and also against Harrow School’s sports hall development.

Harrow School planning application-Trust asks, 'What is really going on?'

A post on the Harrow Hill Trust website devoted to resisting Harrow School's plan to build on Metropolitan Open Land LINK suggests it is not only the Brent Planning Department which has issues around due process.

The Harrow Planning Committeee hearing of the school's application had been deferred when a report was withdrawn  LINK  

Harrow School recently lost at a Planning Inspectorate hearing over plans to re-route two footpaths. LINK

This is the Trust's post: 

CONSULTATION – GENUINE OR JUST A TICK BOX EXERCISE?

A letter dated 27 April 2017, after the recent planning meeting and newly posted on the planning portal under application P/1940/16, is from Matthew Paterson planning adviser to Harrow School, which states the following.

We are pleased to note that the re-consultation period proposed by the Council will not impact upon our application being determined at the May Planning Committee.

 It is reasonable to assume that Mr Patterson is accurate and knows the timetable for procedures for planning meetings. This is due to the fact that for over 5 years until October 2014 he was Head of Planning Policy for Harrow Borough and at the recent meeting he and his client met with the Chair of the Planning Committee.

 The consultation period runs for 21 days from 28th April which is until 19th May 2017. The May Planning Committee is set for 24th May 2017 and the planning officer’s report has to be circulated and published 7 days earlier, i.e. on Wednesday 17th May. This is of course 2 days before the consultation period has even ended, let alone allowing for the planning officer’s report to incorporate all possible responses from the consultation.

There have been numerous and consistent complaints about the ‘consultation’ provided for this planning application, including poor notification, no sysem of recording of verbal feedfack, no open floor two way question and answer sessions, misrepresentation of feedback provided, missing and misleading information provided, in fact too many to go into in this short post. Perhaps this is another clear indication of what is really going on?

Exhibition on King's Drive 'garages into homes' exhibition postponed

Brent Housing Partnership has postponed the Exhibition due to be held on May 9th about the proposal to build bungalows on the site of King's Drive garages. LINK

This is a result of Brent Council deciding that all public consultations on new developments should be postponed until after the General Election.

Climate Change: Top Ten Election demands from the Greener Jobs Alliance

The Steering Committee of the Greener Jobs Alliance has put forward these 10 election demands to ensure that climate change should be central to the General Election campaign.

1.     Keep the Climate Change Act 2008. Stick to the UK’s legally binding commitments to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 as a minimum. Ensure that UK energy and industrial policy is effectively aligned with the Committee on Climate Change projections and carbon budgets.

2.     Trust the people with a massive boost to energy democracy. Support a new wave of community based solar and onshore wind projects with ambitious feed-in tariffs wherever there is local support. Lift the ban on onshore wind projects. Support for local authorities to set up municipal energy supply companies.

3.     Ban fracking and respect local democracy wherever fracking applications are opposed by local communities.

4.     Cut energy bills and carbon emissions with a nationwide home insulation programme. ‘Retrofit’poorly insulated homes and build new, low energy social housing, using as far as possible direct labour, and supported by high quality vocational education and training. Make ‘Energy efficiency’ a national infrastructure priority to create decent jobs, reduce fuel poverty and reduce fuel bills.

5.     Make education for sustainable development a core priority across the education system. Prioritise research funding that will promote the implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

6.     Create a million skilled climate jobs: invest in all forms of renewable energy, low carbon jobs and skills, including electric vehicle manufacture, rail investment, and build a full supply chain to make and supply renewable energy technologies in the UK.

7.     Create a new Green Investment Bank in public ownership and with full accountability. Use the green bank to support Regional Development Board investment in green energy and transport infrastructure projects.

8.     Create a National Climate Service to oversee the transition to a low carbon economy This to include a Ministry for Climate Jobs, Skills and Social Protection’ to equip the UK to a transformation of the world of work working across all Government departments and industrial sectors.

9.     Introduce an Environment Protection Act to incorporate vital European directives into UK law. Commit the UK to retain membership of the European Court of Justice to ensure that our citizens have the same environmental protection rights as all EU citizens, wherever environmental standards are at risk.

10. Introduce a Clean Air Act to tackle air pollution once and for all. Place a clear legal responsibility on employers and businesses to address air quality and develop a network of low emission zones in pollution hot spots.

Declaration of interest: I am a member of the Greener Jobs Alliance

Is an electoral alliance to beat the Tories possible in Hampstead and Kilburn?

 Above from Electoral Calculus website LINK the ward prediction is based on estimates the working for which can be found HERE

Green Party members in Hampstead & Kilburn have mandated an approach to Hampstead & Kilburn's current Labour MP, Tulip Siddiq, with a view to a possible electoral alliance, given her narrow majority and Parliamentary voting record on important Green issues such as opposing Brexit and opposing the renewal of Trident LINK.

The Hampstead and Kilburn Constituency covers 7 wards in Camden and three in Brent. Brent wards are Brondesbury Park, Kilburn and Queens Park.
 
Green Party members will ask Tulip Siddiq for support and commitments on key Green issues in order to consider withdrawing their Hampstead & Kilburn candidate, including but not limited to:

• Campaigning for electoral reform and proportional representation for Westminster.
• Lobbying Brent and Camden Councils for divestment of their pension funds from fossil fuels.
• Urging leader the Labour leader and Labour colleagues to support electoral alliances where appropriate, in particular to stand down and support Green candidates in the Isle of Wight and Brighton Pavilion.
• Regular contact after the election with Green Party members.

Tulip Siddiq has been invited to speak at a Green Party meeting of local members that will take place next week. At this meeting a final decision will be put to Green Party members for a vote.
 
The Greens will also contact the Liberal Democrats in Hampstead & Kilburn with a view to them joining any electoral alliance.
 
John Holmes, Co-Chair of Camden Green Party, explained:

There are a variety of views within Brent and Camden Green Parties on the issue of electoral alliances, and we've had a very healthy debate. We've a terrific Hampstead & Kilburn candidate in John Mansook, and so any decision to stand down won't be taken lightly. We've created a process whereby Green Party members get a say on any final decision, and they will want commitments from Tulip on key Green issues in order to make this a true alliance.

Despite opposition from their respective leaderships Labour and Liberal Democrat members have reached electoral agreements in several constituencies where the non-Tory vote combined would beat Conservatives. UKIP have withdrawn in favour of Brexit Tories in a 'regressive alliance'.

Brent Green Party adopted the following position at their own meeting prior to the joint meeting which selected John Mansook, their Chair, as  Green Party candidate for Hampstead and Kilburn:

Our principled position is that we stand a candidate.  We believe that Green voters are entitled to have the opportunity to vote for their party of choice and a Green General Election campaign will help us build support in our strongest wards for the May 2018 Council elections when we  hope our first Green councillors will be elected. We recognise that some Green voters, faced with the prospect of another Conservative government will none the less make a tactical decision to vote Labour.

Tulip Siddiq signed a letter to the Guardian on Monday calling for the Labour party to stand aside of Brighton Pavilion and the Isle of Wight:

With the progressive vote split, the danger of a Tory landslide and all it means for our country now looms darkly on June 8. It is therefore important to maximise progressive votes and campaigning in some key seats.

She told the Camden New Journal LINK:

It can’t be denied that Caroline Lucas has been a good MP, and I’ve worked with her on several issues including lowering the voting age to 16.

Note: My personal comment would be that there is a danger of voters thinking that electoral alliance deals are a 'fix' by the political parties which are made without reference to them, and that they themselves can make their own tactical voting decisions in constituencies where the parties are finely balanced.

Tune in to a Greener future tonight on K2K Radio and question Brent Green GE2017 candidates

John Mansook (Hampstead & Kilburn)

Brent Green Party General Election candidates are not hiding away and refusing to answer questions, instead Shaka Lish (Brent Central) and John Mansook (Hampstead & Kilburn) will be on Kilburn to Kensal Radio tonight on 'Park and Rise' compered by Gemma Dempsey.

Shaka Lish (Brent Central)

They will answer questions sent in by listeners. Tune in HERE at 6pm and send questions by tweeting @ecdeep or @kensaltokilburn on Twitter or post on Kilburn To Kensal Facebook 

School funding crisis - headteachers issue campaign video