There will be a performance of "We are the lions, Mr
Manager", the critically acclaimed Townsend Productions play about the
Grunwick strike, on Thurs 19 April at the College of North West London in Willesden.
If you want to be sure of a place please book your ticketasap as it will probably sell out
The Brent Labour Group of councillors meets on Monday and will be lobbied by opponents of the academisation of The Village School. Brent Constituency Labour Party recently passed a motion opposing the academisation and the Brent Labour Party Trade Union Liaison Officers wrote to Labour councillors calling on them to publicly oppose the privatisation of the special school in which Brent Council has heavily invested. The school building and grounds, currently the property of Brent Council, would be handed over to an academy trust and the school would no longer operate under the over-sight of the Council. Parents with complaints would no longer ne able to have them taken up by the Council.
The Group meeting begins at 7pm and members will be lobbied from 6pm in the Civic Centre antrium. Althugh councillors have no direct control over whether a school governing body decides to academise it is hoped that a strong stance from them could help bring about negotiations that would avert strikes planned for January16th and 17th.
The campaign to make London a National Park City focussed on Brent today. Only 10/21 wards have supported the campaign so far. It is likely that some just haven't got round to supporting rather than that they oppose the aim of making London a greener city.
Kenton, Fryent, Barnhill, Preston, Wembley Central, Tokyngton, Dudden Hill, Mapesbury, Kensal Green and Queens Park ward councillors have pledged support (Dark Green on the map). Some of the councillors in Northwick Park and Kilburn have supported. (Light Green on the map)
Queensbury, Welsh Harp, Dollis Hill, Stonebridge, Sudbury, Alperton, Harlesden, Willesden Green and Brondesbury Park (Light Brown on the map) have not yet pledged support.
If they have not supported the campaign so far please email your councillors to make the pledge. They can do so HERE.
This is what they will be supporting:
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Let’s
make London the world’s first National Park City. A city where people and
nature are better connected. A city that is rich with wildlife and every child
benefits from exploring, playing and learning outdoors. A city where we all
enjoy high-quality green spaces, the air is clean to breathe, it’s a pleasure
to swim in its rivers and green homes are affordable. Together we can make
London a greener, healthier and fairer place to live. Together we can make
London a National Park City.
The Green Party has responded to the winter crisis gripping the NHS, calling on the Government to reverse cuts, end privatisation and
give the NHS the funding it needs.
Larry Sanders, Green Party health spokesperson said the hard work of front line staff is being
undermined by the Government’s refusal to properly fund the NHS.
Larry Sanders, Green Party health spokesperson, said:
News this week of thousands of cancelled operations and record
numbers of patients waiting in ambulances has confirmed what we already
knew – the NHS is on its knees. Front line staff are working incredibly
hard to care for people, but their efforts are being undermined on a
daily basis by the Government’s refusal to give the NHS the funding it
so desperately needs.
Jeremy Hunt’s hollow apology for the cancelled operations fixes
nothing. We need him to reverse the cuts, fund our health service
properly and end privatisation.
The UK spends a smaller percentage of its GDP on health than
countries like France and Germany. Instead of wasting billions on
Trident we could be looking after people who need health and social
care. It’s time for the Government to acknowledge that we can afford to
fund health and social care if it makes the right political choices.
Like other
hospitals in London and across the country, we are experiencing
sustained pressure due to the high number of people seeking emergency
medical care, combined with a much higher number of frail older patients
who require social support to be discharged from hospital.
Our
staff are working tirelessly to see everyone in a safe and timely
manner and, as always, we will triage and treat our sickest patients
first. This means that some people may experience longer waits while we
treat those most in need.
We
have rescheduled operations for those patients needing to stay
overnight in a hospital bed. Urgent, day case and cancer operations are
going ahead as planned. We will contact patients if we do, regrettably, have to reschedule their operation. If you do not hear from us, please attend your procedure as planned.
How you can help We
are asking our local communities to help us during this very busy time
and attend our emergency departments for serious and life-threatening
injuries and conditions only.
If you are unsure whether you need emergency care please call NHS 111 for advice. For a guide to local health services in Harrow, Brent and Ealing, please click here.
The Audit Advisory Committee is not the most high profile of Brent Council committees but is has an important role, not least in these times of controversy. The Committee has a fairly independent membership so it is to be hoped they give matters a good airing. Next Wednesday's meeting has three items relating to stories published on Wembley Matters where officers seek, in two of them, to respond to some of the criticisms. Firstly there are recommendations made by the auditor following his consideration of the objections to Brent Council accounts regarding the payment made to Cara Davani, former Head of Human Resources LINK. Despite not finding for the objectors he did suggest some actions in areas highlighted in their evidence.
Click to enlarge
The report puts on record Brent Council's view of the initial case in which Cara Davani was found guily by a Watford Employment Tribunal of racial dscrimination and bullying of Rosemarie Clarke:
It remains the Council’s position that the sequence of events resulting
in the unfair dismissal of Rosemarie Clarke reflect poorly on the organisation
as it then was, and caused harm to the Council’s former employee. Lessons have
been learned and new procedures have been implemented and the Council hopes
that with this report the long-standing matter may now be brought to a close.
Another controversial issue has been Cllr Butt's meetings with developers, the lack of a note of what took place at the meetings and absence of any officers at these meetings LINK. The Committee will consider proposed changes to the Brent Planning Code of Practice and will need to ensure that the changes are sufficiently robust as to restore public confidence in the planning process before they go to the Cabinet for approval. The report states:
There is a new section on ‘Discussions between members and meetings with
developers or their representatives’. This in part incorporates into the code
ad hoc advice issued by the Monitoring Officer to Members in the recent past
and in part strengthens the Council’s commitment to being seen to be promoting
good practice. The requirements aim to strike a proper balance between
promoting public confidence in the integrity of the planning process and the
legitimate reality of local government life. Of particular note is the requirement
that pre-application discussions or discussions about undecided applications
between Members and developers (or their representatives), are arranged,
attended and documented by an officer.
This is the full section:*
Provided Members comply with the practical requirements if this code and the Members Code of Conduct, there is no legal rule against Members, whether of the same group or not, discussing strategic planning issues, general policy issues or even future decisions. Similarly, joint working, both formal and infornal, and dialogue between members of the Planning Commitee and members of the Cabinet is recognised as a legitinate reality of local government life. Members of the Planning Commitee need to ensure that when making planning decisions, they make up their own mind and on the planning merits. Relevant members of the Cabinet are entitled to meet with developers or their representatives and other relevant stakeholders as part of their role to promote Brent and the regeneration, development and other commercial opportunities available in the borough. In doing so Members of the Cabinet must always act in the best interests of the council and ultimately in the public interest, and in accordance with the high standards of conduct expected of Members, to ensure that the integrity of the planning process is not undermined and the council is not brought into disrepute. Reasonable care and judgement should be exercised in relation to such meetings, taking into account the purpose of the meeting, the nature of the issues to be discussed and the timing. In appropriate circumstances, exercising proper judgement may include ensuring a record is kept of the meeting. Cabinet members should make sure it is understood that their participation in marketing events or commercial discussions is separate from the adminstrative and regulaltory role of Members of the Planning Committee. Although members of the Cabinet are entitled to express support or opposition to development proposed in the borough, they cannot use their position as a Member improperly to confer on or secure for any person an advantage or disadvantage.
As pre-application discussions or discussions about undecided applications require particular care, the following additional rules apply. An officer must make the arrangements for such meetings, attend and write notes. The meeting arrangements must include agreeing an agenda in advance. (my emphasis)
* The report on the Committee Agenda is a 'tracked changes' Word document converted into a PDF and very hard to read, particularly for anyone not versed in Word. Without a 'clean copy' I find it hard to see how it could receive proper scrutiny. See it HERE It's ironic that a document trying to increase accountability and transparency is itself not readily accessible.
The last item is controversial and will remain so as Brent Council has restricted public access to the information. There is an update on the issues surrounding the asbestos contamination in Paddington Cemetery, first raised by Cllr John Duffy on this blog LINK but the update is not publicly available and the public will be excluded from the discussion about it. No glimmer of light here.
The Trade Union Liasion Officers of Brent Central Constituency Labour Party have written ot the Labour Group on Brebt Council asking them to make a public declaration of their opposition to The Village School Governing Body's proposal to convert the school into an academy. Their letter reads:
It was good to see many of you at the House of Commons in December
celebrating the Brent Central election victory with Dawn Butler, Jeremy
Corbyn, Ian Lavery (chair of PLP), Kate Osamor and others.
You will recall that the issue of the Governors’ attempt to privatise
Village School through academisation was discussed.It was great to have an
assurance from Jeremy at the meeting that the national Labour Party policy is
opposition to academisation and Dawn has already made clear her opposition to this
privatisation.
The National Education Union (formerly NUT and ATL) was forced to stage a
one day strike on 14 December which closed the school.120 teachers at the
school were on strike in order to prevent this huge resource and vital service
(as one of the largest and most modern special schools in England it serves
the whole of Brent and is rated Outstanding by OFSTED).
Sadly more strikes are being prepared for this month as Governors press on
with a plan to take this resource out of the public sector (losing £millions of
Brent Council investment).
We urge you at the Labour Group meeting on 8 January 2018 to make a public
declaration of opposition to the Governors proposal and publicise this widely
With best wishes for the New Year
Graham Durham and Hank Roberts Trade Union Liaison officers - Brent Central CLP
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