Bob Blackman MP condemned over invite to anti-Muslim Hindu nationalist Tapan Ghosh

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East has been condemned for hosting a visit by Hindu nationalist Tapan Ghosh to the House of Commons last week. (See previous post)

According to Middle East Eye LINK : 

A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain,  said it was "astounding" that Ghosh was "welcomed with open arms" to parliament given that he "trades in propagating hatred against Muslims in India.

It added: "Ghosh is a founder of a far-right party in that country and in this year we have heard of shocking murders against Muslims, very often linked to the kind of anti-Muslim rhetoric emanating from people like Ghosh.

"If we are to tackle extremism as the government has stated it wants to, then we should not see it emanating on its own doorstep and apparently condoned by its own MPs."

TellMAMA the organisation that monitors anti-Muslim attacks made the following demands LINK:

We are calling for the following:

·       That Parliament’s Sergeant-at-Arms open up a formal investigation into how Ghosh came to be in Parliament and that some serious questions be asked of Bob Blackman MP. The investigation should then be published as a learning tool for other MP’s.

·       That Blackman be removed from the DCLG Committee that he sits on, until he can explain his actions and apologise for hosting an anti-Muslim extremist in our country’s Parliament.

·       That all MP’s and their offices receive a notice from the Sergeant-at-Arms regarding undertaking due diligence checks on speakers whom they invite in.

·       That Blackman contact us and meet with a Rohingya refugee, to listen first hand at the appalling genocide that has been conducted against this defenceless people by Burma’s military junta, which itself has been legitimised by Aung Saan Su Kyi.

At a local level Harrow East Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Harrow East, Adam Bernard,  condemned the invitation as 'unacceptable and dangerous'  LINK:

“An area as religiously diverse as Harrow East deserves better than an MP who invites hatemongers to inflame tensions between communities.

“Mr Blackman needs to realise that his job is to represent people from all communities and of all faiths and nationalities.

 “If he can’t get the hang of that, perhaps he should consider a change of career?“

In a tweet, Navin Shah, Labour AM for Brent and Harrow said:

 “Hardly surprising to see Bob Blackman rubbing shoulders with Tapan Ghosh &Tommy Robinson. Most appalling & disgusting. Deserves condemnation“.

Emma Wallace, The Green Party's General Election candidiate in 2017 said:

'Whilst I am saddened to read that the MP for Harrow East hosted such a divisive figure in parliament I am not particularly surprised.  As we have seen previously with Mr Blackman, he seems more concerned to court certain electorate groups that will keep him in power, rather than represent his diverse constitutents. At a time when the UK appears increasingly divided, with religious hate crime has increasing considerably it seems particularly important that MPs try to unite and form cohesive communities rather than divide.  It is unacceptable that Tapan Ghosh was invited to Parliament, there should be no platform for him to spread his false or harmful views in this country or anywhere else.'

 Meanwhile the Home Office moved to distance Home Secretary Amber Rudd from Ghosh:

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Secretary fundamentally disagrees with Mr Ghosh’s views on Islam.

“The Home Secretary accepted an invitation from the Hindu Forum of Britain to attend an event in Parliament last week to celebrate Diwali. She did not speak to Mr Ghosh and was not present when he spoke.”

There is this Hope Not Hate petition people can sign to condemn Bob Blackman for hosting Mr Ghosh:

We condemn MPs for hosting Tapan Ghosh in Parliament '

Bob Blackman accused of hosting Islamophobic speaker at House of Commons event

Tapan Ghosh and Bob Blackman at the House of Commons meeting

Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East and former leader of Brent Conservatives has been accused of hosting an Islamophobic speaker at a House of Commons meeting.

Blackman courted controversy at the General Election by supporting Hindu nationalist opposition to making discrimination against Dalots ('untouchables') unlawful under the Equalities Act. LINK

The Zelo Street blog LINK commenting on Tapan Ghosh claims:

Tapan Ghosh frightens his supporters by repeatedly talking about the Muslim “reproduction rate” - the same tactics as those talking about “breeding”. For him, “moderate” Muslims are “really very small in number”. He endorses wacko fringe websites, which naturally includes Breitbart, Voice of Europe, and of course anything from Hindus who share his worldview. He has endorsed Stephen Yaxley Lennon’s Islamophobic agenda.

All of this is not difficult to discover. Yet Blackman has been happy to host Tapan Ghosh, who dressed up his bigotry in his talk “Tolerating the intolerant” as “800 years of defending human rights”. And that is not all: this talk not only took aim at “800 years of Arabic Islamic aggression” (Muslims in Bengal are not Arabs), but also “200 years of European Christian aggression”. Tapan Ghosh is as anti-Christian as he is anti-Islam.

A few days after the House of Commons meeting, according to Buzz Feed's Aisha Gani LINK, Ghosh met up with Tommy Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League and tweeted:

Other Tories at the meeting included Amber Rudd, Damien Green, Priti Patel and Sajid Javid. They might argue that they did not know Ghosh's reputation and their attendance did not mean they endorsed his views and that it was a wider event to celebrate Diwali but Blackman has no such excuse.

This compilation of tweets demonstrates Ghosh's beliefs:

Click to enlarge

This is much more serious than some of the current controversies surrounding other Members of Parliament.

Consultation on new Overground stations at Old Oak Lane and Hythe Road

Transport for London is consulting on new transport connections as a result of the building of HS2 and the Elizabeth line. There would be new Overground stations at Old Oak Common Lane and Hythe Road. Details from TfL below.

CONSULTATION EVENTS

The Nadi Park Royal, 260 Old Oak Common Lane, White City, London NW10 6DX

Monday 30 October 12:30 – 19:30
Saturday 4 November 10:30 – 16:00
Monday 6 November 12:30 – 19:30

Overview

Old Oak and Park Royal is one of London’s largest Opportunity Areas and one of the largest development sites in the country, with the ambition to deliver a whole new centre and community for west London which includes 25,500 new homes and 65,000 jobs.

Old Oak is the only place where High Speed 2 (HS2), the new high speed railway between London, the Midlands and the North, meets the Elizabeth line, London’s new East-West railway. A new station at Old Oak Common will open in 2026, providing both connections to the Elizabeth line, HS2 and National Rail services and a hub for regeneration.

In 2014 we consulted on the idea of providing further transport connections to the London Overground network at Old Oak with three options proposed. Over 83 per cent of respondents either supported or strongly supported this idea. There was also a clear preference for Option C which suggested two new Overground stations; one at Hythe Road on the West London line and one at Old Oak Common Lane on the North London line.

Following on from the 2014 consultation, working closely with Network Rail and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), and co-funded by the European Commission, we have undertaken work to develop an initial design for the potential stations at Hythe Road and Old Oak Common Lane. We would now like your views on these designs.

In 2016 the Mayor of London carried out a review of the overall direction and work programme of the OPDC. The review recommended that additional work should be undertaken to support the case for the potential London Overground stations at Old Oak. Further work on the business case is currently underway and your views from this consultation will form an important part of the wider business case work.

Background

From 2026 HS2, the Elizabeth line and National Rail services are expected to call at a new Old Oak Common station and the area will benefit from excellent east – west rail connections, including to central London and Heathrow Airport.

Passengers wishing to travel by rail to Old Oak from the north or south would need to go by London Overground to Willesden Junction. Although Willesden Junction station is 1.5km away from the new Old Oak Common Station, there is no convenient link between the stations which would make it difficult for passengers to interchange between HS2, Elizabeth line or London Overground services.  

Providing good public transport connectivity at Old Oak would also support the regeneration proposed in the OPDC’s draft Local Plan (2017), the Old Oak and Park Royal Opportunity Area Planning Framework (2015) and the Mayor’s London Plan (2016).

What are the benefits of the new London Overground stations?

·      Better access to public transport across west London.

·      Enable more journeys to be made without going into central London, in turn reducing pressure on trains and stations in central London 

·      Improve access to HS2, Elizabeth line and National Rail services from areas of London connected to the London Overground network.

·      Enhance the regeneration benefits that HS2 and the Elizabeth line will bring to the Old Oak and Park Royal area.

·      Support the wider, OPCD-led development of Old Oak and Park Royal

·      Increase the number of destinations that can be accessed directly from Old Oak.

Working with our partners

Following on from the 2014 consultation, and supported with funding from the European Commission, we have worked up an initial design for both stations. Working closely with Network Rail and OPDC the designs have developed, leading to a single preferred option for each station. We have also worked closely with OPDC to ensure these designs would integrate with the proposals set out in its draft Local Plan.

What we are consulting on?

Hythe Road
Hythe Road station would be situated on the West London line about 700 metres from the Old Oak Common station and in one of the largest development sites within the OPDC area. This development site is owned by the company Car Giant and known as Old Oak Park. Car Giant, supported by the property development company London and Regional, is independently proposing a large-scale redevelopment of its land.

Hythe Road station

What options have been considered?

·      1A - a new London Overground station on the existing railway embankment, including embankment widening where required

·      1B - a new station and railway viaduct to the north of the existing embankment. This option would mean the removal of the existing embankment

·      1C - a new station and railway viaduct to the south of the existing embankment. This option would also mean the removal of the embankment

Which option is TfL consulting on?

Option 1B is the preferred option as it provides greater opportunity for regeneration and the creation of new spaces that support the wider development. In addition, this option reduces the severance caused by the embankment, making it easier for people to move around the area. 

Old Oak Common Lane
Old Oak Common Lane station would be situated about 350 metres to the west of the HS2 and Elizabeth line station, sitting on the North London line between Old Oak Common Lane and Midland Terrace. This station would provide the most convenient interchange between London Overground, HS2, the Elizabeth line and National Rail services. The location of this station is constrained by other railway lines, roads and residential properties.

To the west of Old Oak Common Lane station, there is an aspiration to provide a pedestrian and cycle link, connecting Old Oak Common Lane and Victoria Road. This link would make it easier for people to move around the area as currently the patchwork of railway lines act as a barrier. While a pedestrian / cycle link crossing the railway lines is not essential for the new station, we have included possible provision for such a link in each option as we believe it would be important for opening up the wider area.

Old Oak Lane station

What options have been considered?

·      2A - a new station with a sub-surface ticket hall and concourse. This option would include potential for an underpass between Old Oak Common Lane and Victoria Road

·      2B - a new station with an elevated ticket hall and concourse. This option would include potential for a bridge, linking pedestrians and cyclists between Old Oak Common Lane and Victoria Road

Which option is TfL consulting on?

Option 2B is the preferred option as it reduces the level of disruption to the railway during construction and provides better value for money.

Although the provision of an overpass to Victoria Road is not a requirement of the potential station, the design would allow for this to be provided, either at the same time as the station or at a later date. The decision to proceed with such a link is not confirmed and would be subject to further review and discussion with local stakeholders including residents, landowners and OPDC.

What happens next?

The business case work for the stations is being undertaken at present and further work is required to determine the future operational requirements. In addition, the work is only funded up to the end of the current stage, and investigations are under way to consider how the stations could be fully funded. The outcome of this consultation will inform the business case work, and ultimately will help us determine next steps.

If there is support to build the two stations, and funding is confirmed, powers to build and operate them would need to be secured through a Transport & Works Act Order. As part of this process it is likely the proposals would be examined at a public inquiry before being determined by the Secretary of State for Transport.

Further consultation on the proposals would be carried out before we submit a Transport & Works Act Order.

Public events

We are holding public events to give people the chance to ask questions and meet the project team. These events are taking place at;

The Nadi Park Royal, 260 Old Oak Common Lane, White City, London NW10 6DX

Monday 30 October 12:30 – 19:30
Saturday 4 November 10:30 – 16:00
Monday 6 November 12:30 – 19:30

Have your say

We would like to know what you think about our proposals.

Please give us your views by completing the online survey below by

Alternatively, you can:

·       Email us at consultations@tfl.gov.uk

·      or write to us at FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS

You can also request paper copies of all the consultation materials and a response form by emailing consultations@tfl.gov.uk, or writing to FREEPOST TFL CONSULTATIONS.

The sole responsibility of this publication lies with the author. The European Union is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Have your say

Online Survey

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Half-term actvities at Welsh Harp Environmental Education Centre

The Bat and Moth Walk at the Welsh Harp Environmental Centre has had to be cancelled. However the actities below are still taking place:

25^th& 26^th October:

Mini-beast orienteering! 10.30am –12.00pm

Use a map to explore the woodland for minibeasts. £3 per child, suitable for 5-8 year olds.

Den building 1.00 –2.30pm

Learn how to survive in the wild by making a shelter, and see a fire lighting demonstration.£3 per child, suitable for 5–12 year olds

27^th October:

Spooktastic fun! 3.30 –5.30pm

Get your Halloween costume on and join us for pumpkin carving and a woodland walk. £4 per child. Bring your own pumpkin & a light to put inside it for the walk, carving tools provided.

How to book:

Phone: 07734 871 728 or 07711 701 694

Email: welshharpcentre@thames21.org.uk

Please bring cash on the day or pay via Just Giving website

Full Terms and Conditions:

Children can only participate with a supervising adult. This adult is responsible during the visit for making sure that:

·      Children they have brought are supervised at all times and are responsible for their behaviour.

·      Minimum ratio of 1 adult to 3 children.

·      Adult supervisor will need to provide any specific medication for children.

·      All visitors should bring their own lunch with them on the day if they plan to stay for both morning and afternoon sessions.

·      We have a maximum group size of 20 children therefore those who are not booked will only be admitted if spaces are available.

·      Each session costs £3 or £4 per child or has a suggested donation per person as stated.

·      All activities are suitable for ages 5 and over, age ranges stated are as a guide.

·      Children and adults should wear comfortable outdoor clothing that may get dirty.

·      Bookings must only be cancelled in extenuating circumstances and Thames21 must be notified at least 3 days in advance.

·      Thames21 reserves the right to cancel a visit if weather conditions are deemed unsafe or if adult to child ratio is not met.