WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
Monday, 26 July 2021
Sunday, 25 July 2021
Brent needs a Food Justice strategy says newly formed campaign group
Campaigners at the Granville. South Kilburn
A local campaign launched at the
Granville Garden and Community Kitchen on July 10th has
issued a petition calling on the Council Leader Muhammed Butt to declare Brent
a Right to Food Borough with its own Food Justice strategy. The campaign aims
to ensure all Brent residents have access to safe, affordable, nutritious and
culturally-appropriatefood every day of the year across their whole lifetime.
Sign the petition HERE
Representatives of food-related initiatives in Brent met to discuss with Dee
Woods (co-founder of the Granville Kitchen), Fahim Dahya (Sufra NW London) and
Ian Hodson (National president of the Bakers’
Union) the best way to address food insecurity in the Borough.
Alex Colás, acting co-convenor of the
Brent Right to Food campaign, said:
Food poverty is the result of structural injustices connected to health, housing, employment and wider social inequalities. It needs systemic solutions that empower communities with public resources, including land, retail space and procurement directed toward a more just and sustainable local food system.
Anyone wishing to support the aims of the campaign can get in touch with the organisers at this email address:
Saturday, 24 July 2021
Cllr Shama Tatler, Lead Member for Regeneration, elected to Labour's London Regional Executive
Shama Tatler, Brent Lead Member for Regeneration, Property and Planning has been elected to the London Labour Regional Executive. She alongside Izzy Lenga, an NEC member of the Jewish Labour Movement, will represent London Division 7, covering Barnet, Camden, Harrow and Brent.
Cllr Jumbo Chan was previously a representative of the Division.
Shama Tatler was named in the list of Women of Influence 2021 on The Planner, the website of the Royal Town Planning Institute. The citation read:
Councillor Tatler is passionate about planning and regeneration, and the role it can play in improving the lives of residents in Brent. She is very pro-inclusive growth. She is incredibly supportive of the staff, and also shares best practice amongst other lead members by speaking at events and working with PAS and the Local Government Association. She is a great role model, being young, female and BAME.
Tina Rotherway and Martin Hemingway to stand as Green Party Co-leaders
Announcement of intention to run as Co-Leaders Green Party England & Wales 2021 - Tina Rothery and Martin Hemingway:
These upcoming elections for Leadership come unexpectedly and at a crucial time for the Green Party; we face the ever-growing climate emergency and if ever there was a time for a strong, focused and effective Green Party, it’s right now.
As Co-Leaders we have very different skills, knowledge, work and life experiences to bring to the role; what we do share though, is the determination to unite and lead the Party with common sense, for a common purpose.
Our focus will be on the core concerns of the Green movement and the Green Party:
- campaigning to protect the health of our home, the earth
- campaigning to elect Green councillors and MPs to help bring this about
Our focus will also be on bringing the Green Party together:
- exploring the ways to deal with the issues that divide us, because there is far more that unites us: the health of our home and the health of our Party, matter to every member.
- ensuring a culture of openness and productive engagement with one another, so that our diverse membership can feel informed and involved.
About us
Tina Rothery:
When I discovered that Martin would be willing to run with me as Co-Leader, most of my concerns left me. I have the utmost respect for his length of service to the party and more than anything else, his honesty, integrity and commitment to fairness.
What Martin brings with his rich party knowledge, I will add to with my experience of environmental campaigning. Although my actual career has focused primarily on communications as a reporter in Hong Kong, broadcaster in Luxembourg, writer in Spain and copywriter in the UK, it is this last decade in the environmental movement that has provided the more useful skills: movement building, working across divides, creatively addressing problems and ensuring a presence in every arena relating to the issues; from political, to grassroots and neighbourhoods.
As a campaigner I co-founded the group ‘Nanas UK’, bringing together a specific demographic to commit to the task of stopping fracking. UK Nanas helped raise the profile of the anti-fracking movement by touring the country, hosting and attending events, taking part in actions and securing endorsements and media coverage from Emma Thompson, Vivienne Westwood, Bez (Happy Mondays), Mark Ruffalo and of course, the Green Party. Our campaign continues until there is a full ban on fracking. I believe ‘Nana’ is a transferable skill in this GPEW leadership campaign 
My roles within GPEW include running in two general elections (George Osborne in Tatton and Mark Menzies in Fylde) and I am currently the co-chair of Blackpool & Fylde Green Party. Up until Brexit, I was employed as Social Media Officer for Gina Dowding (former) MEP for the North West; an incredible role that took me to Brussels and allowed me to participate in a host of activities including participating in the plan for a North West Green New Deal.
Greta Thunberg accurately said ‘our house is on fire’ and I see the Green Party as the only political party that has the extinguisher (and that we need to set the example by getting our own fires under control).
Martin Hemingway:
This election was not expected. Standing in it was not a realistic plan until conversations with Tina coalesced into a determination that something had to be done, and that we were the team that could re-establish the credibility of the Green Party in the face of the climate crisis.
I bring to the partnership fifty years of political campaigning experience, including 12 years as a councillor on Leeds City Council, the second largest council in the country. Experience in formulating and carrying out policy; experience of a wide range of governmental and non-governmental organisations, experience of meetings, hustings, television and radio, including a speaking tour of Japan as Chair of UK Nuclear Free Local Authorities.
In the Green Party I have been a lead Euro candidate, coming close to election in 2009, a General Election candidate five times, a City Council candidate many times; all with hustings, meetings and extensive media work. Some of my past interviews are on YouTube.
Perhaps also of importance I bring over ten years of active involvement in the governance of our Party, as a member of GPRC, and as a member of SOC. Experience of many of the problems in the Party, but experience that has brought me close to a lot of members, and has, I trust, demonstrated my honesty. Preparation of agendas for Conference has brought me close to policy concerns of members, and involvement on the equivalent committee for the Global Greens conference widened the range of concerns.
I bring nearly twenty years of work in my local party and in my region, in roles ranging from Local Party Support to Co-ordinator, getting to know my own region and its local parties well.
I started out as an archaeologist, and a PhD on the period of the last glacial maximum gave me an early introduction to climate theory. I retrained to teach Geography, and then retrained in Law, including Legal Practice. I have taught in schools - mostly in deprived areas, in university, in adult education.
This is us and we look forward to the election ahead and hope we can earn your vote.
Friday, 23 July 2021
Latest Covid statistics for Brent
From Government Statistcis LINK
Cases in Brent
A confirmed case is someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
193 new people had a confirmed positive test result reported on 23 July 2021.
Between 17 July 2021 and 23 July 2021, 1,312 people had a confirmed positive test result. This shows an increase of 23.9% compared to the previous 7 days.
Vaccinations in Brent
Vaccines are currently given in 2 doses, at least 21 days apart.
205,938 people had been given a first dose by the end of 22 July 2021.
149,855 people had been given a second dose by the end of 22 July 2021.
Healthcare in London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
Some people with coronavirus have to go into hospital.
4 people with coronavirus went into hospital on 18 July 2021.
Between 12 July 2021 and 18 July 2021, 48 went into hospital with coronavirus. This shows an increase of 37.1% compared to the previous 7 days.
There were 40 patients in hospital with coronavirus on 20 July 2021.
Some people in the hospital need to use a special device called a mechanical ventilator to help them breathe.
There were 4 coronavirus patients in hospital beds with a mechanical ventilator on 20 July 2021.
Deaths in Brent
There were 0 deaths within 28 days of a positive test for coronavirus reported on 23 July 2021.
Between 17 July 2021 and 23 July 2021, there have been 0 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test. This shows no change compared to the previous 7 days.
Dawn Butler's 'Liar' speech in full
The last 18 months have been a tale of the good, the bad and the ugly.
The good is that the people of Brent and elsewhere have joined together to form mutual aid groups, religions have come together to find common ground, and strangers are now firm friends. The bad is this Government’s catastrophic handling of the pandemic, the mixed messages, the corruption in plain sight, the authoritarian laws and the erosion of our democracy. And the ugly is that racism in society has reared its ugly head, spurred on by Government reports and the hyping up of the culture war and the war on woke.
While the NHS was coping with 130,000 people dying from the pandemic, the Prime Minister was making his mates rich. Cronyism is rife and old chums are given jobs regardless of their skillset—some a little bit on the side. This has been one big experiment for this corrupt, authoritarian, racism-laden Government, and I am not scared of saying it like it is.
The Government said we need to talk about class, so let us do it. Let us call out this toxic elitism once and for all. Byline Times, the Good Law Project, Novara Media, openDemocracy, Amnesty and Liberty have all exposed the Government, and the Government’s response is to spend public money defending the indefensible.
It is funny how there is no money for NHS staff, yet £1 billion of covid contracts have been awarded to Conservative donors. We were told that Ministers were not involved, but then the Good Law Project exposed emails from the Prime Minister’s advisers and the Home Secretary lobbying for money. The corrupt, authoritarian approach of this Government would be condemned and investigated if it were happening anywhere else in the world.
The 1% believe they owe nothing to society. They do not believe in the NHS, and they do not support it. This week I spoke to Orwell Foundation youth writer Manal Nadeem. She wrote:
“Let anti-racism be both common logic and law. May we have more accountability than apologies. May performative, placeholder posts be followed by policy… When the future arrives, let the minimum wage be a liveable wage… Let survival be a birthright... When the poor cannot pay with anything else, let us not ask them to pay with their lives.”
Poor people in our country have paid with their lives because the Prime Minister spent the last 18 months misleading this House and the country.
Peter Stefanovic from the Communication Workers Union has a video with more than 27 million views online. In it he highlights that the Prime Minister says: that the economy has grown by 73%—it is just not true; that he has reinstated nursing bursaries—just not true; that there is not a covid app working anywhere in the world—just not true; and that the Tories invested £34 billion in the NHS—not true. The Prime Minister said
“we have severed the link between infection and serious disease and death.”
Not only is that not true but it is dangerous.
It is dangerous to lie during a pandemic, and I am disappointed that the Prime Minister has not come to the House to correct the record and correct the fact that he has lied to this House and the country over and over again.
Thursday, 22 July 2021
International Busking Day at Wembley Park Sunday July 25th
Press release from 'Wembley Park'
For the third year, Wembley Park will host International Busking Day, on Sunday 25 July. The free, family-friendly, day-long celebration of busking and street performance - supported by the Mayor of London – will feature performances by international and home-grown talent. The event is a highlight of Wembley Park’s Summer of Play programme of events, featuring a line-up of the best UK based buskers and exciting new local talent, plus a few surprises along the way. It’s part of the latest phase of the Mayor of London's #LetsDoLondon campaign, the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen, the ‘Family Fun’ season will see London burst back to life with an unprecedented range of family-friendly events and activities.
Committed to nurturing creative talent and the performing arts industry, Wembley Park has launched the Wembley Park Live Academy, an educational scheme for emerging musicians, which involves teaching and mentorship for 10 North West London musicians, culminating in paid performances at Wembley Park’s International Busking Day.
Selected applicants of the Live Academy scheme had the opportunity to attend an ‘Academy Day’ at The Yellow, Wembley Park’s community centre, events space, and learning hub, where they were given performance training, personalised coaching, and taught key industry skills, all in the lead up to their debut performances at International Busking Day. The successful trainees will be represented by Busk in London and paid to perform at Wembley Park for the special day-long International Busking Day event, as well as other Wembley Park locations throughout the summer.
The Wembley Park Live Academy graduates come from a variety of musical backgrounds, including folk, pop and rock, perfectly complimenting Busk in London’s stellar line-up on musical talent. Many of the Academy graduates are North-West London locals, with two performers living right in the heart of Wembley Park itself.
As well as watching home-grown talent take centre stage at International Busking Day, guests can expect to see street dancers, walkabout artists such as the Human Hedges, roller skate dancers, and more. Busk in London’s seasoned artists will also play an integral part in the day’s proceedings, with performances taking place across Wembley Park and the iconic Arena Square.
Not only can visitors listen to great musical talent but take part, too; pre-bookable cajon workshops are on offer, where guests can master those basic beats in an easy to follow, all-ages-welcome session. Drumming not your thing? Visitors can grab a spray can and let their street art juices flow with artist Sophy Robson guiding guests every spray of the way.
International Busking Day will take place on Sunday 25th July, from 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm.
Key Locations and Timings
Through Booby Moore Bridge
What: Wembley Park Live Graduates give visitors a warm welcome at the gateway to International Busking Day.
When: 1400 – 18:20
Opposite Black Sheep Coffee
What: From homegrown musical talent to mesmerising Street Dancers, guests can catch both Busk in London artists and a street dance crew in this location throughout the day.
When: 14:40 – 18:40
Olympic Way South & North
What: Olympic Way will play host to several intriguing artist performances, including the Human Hedges and roller skate dancer, hula artists, jugglers, and more.
When: 1400 – 19:45
Arena Square
What: Spectators in Arena Square can expect to see a variety of acts, including classical, funk/flamenco fusion, folk, Jazz, and Afrobeat artists.
Also in Arena Square, guests can enjoy pre-bookable participatory Cajon workshops; participants will have a 45-minute energising session to learn the basic drumming patterns associated with Cajon playing.
When: 14:15 – 18:50
London Designer Outlet - Town Square
What: The London Designer Outlet will be playing host to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra it’s Town Square, where the renowned musical body will perform an intimate set of classics.
When: 1200 – 18:30
Arena Square
What: Guests will be treated to a pre-bookable, participatory workshop with street artist Sophy Robson. The public can get to grips with their creative talents, by crafting works using spray paint as the medium, with the artist. Sophy will use the themes of Wembley Park to help participants devise original artwork, ensuring creativity is in no short supply.
When: 14:15 – 18:50
Royal Route Bridge
The Yellow will host a stage in front of the Royal Route, curated by a volunteer team from The Yellow.
Barry Gardiner raises St Modwen (Wembley Central) scandal in House of Commons debate on the Building Safety Bill
Barry Gardiner MP (Labour Brent North) in a welcome intervention yesterday raised the issue of the St Modwen development in Wembley Central Square in the House of Commons debate of the Building Safety Bill. SEE LINK to previous post
I am not sure what is worse for leaseholders: the fact that they are in constant fear because their homes are not safe, the fact that they cannot afford to make them safe and are being harassed by greedy managing agents, or the fact that they are trapped in their flats without any easy option to sell and move on with their lives. Today’s statement and the Bill do not fundamentally change that for all the reasons the Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley, set out in his brief but excellent speech.
During the passage of the Fire Safety Bill, Ministers promised that these issues would be addressed in the Building Safety Bill. Lord Greenhalgh said:
“it is unacceptable for leaseholders to have to worry about costs of fixing historic safety defects in their buildings that they did not cause” and that
“building owners are responsible for ensuring the safety of residents”, and he said that they should
“protect leaseholders from the costs of remediating historic building defects.”
I do not know what the correct term in Parliament is for someone who make promises that they do not keep, but I know what they call them on the streets of Brent North: they call them a Government Minister.
Extending the scope and duration of the Defective Premises Act 1972 in the Building Safety Bill shows that the Government do not understand the extent of the problem. I ask the Minister to explain to my constituents who live in the Wembley Central development how it will help them. The original developer of their homes, St Modwen, has washed its hands of these defective properties. It sold them to an offshore company in Jersey in 2018, following the introduction of the new building regulations. It was in partnership with Sowcrest, which is now in a very convenient liquidation. So who exactly does the Minister think my constituents can chase here? What are the Government prepared to do about buildings with obscure corporate ownership?
I first contacted St Modwen in 2017, immediately after the Grenfell tragedy. It repeatedly assured me that the buildings were safe and in 2018 confirmed in writing that no fire safety defects had been identified. I am now told that the cladding on this building is the same as that used in Grenfell Tower and the fire safety report has identified fire stopping defects throughout the construction process. In May this year, St Modwen agreed to a takeover bid of £1.2 billion from Blackstone. Can the Minister tell me how this Bill will make them accountable for their actions? It was not the leaseholders who decided to use flammable cladding or to leave out fire stopping in voids or cut corners—developers made those decisions. My constituents have neither the deep pockets nor the legal expertise to fight these corporate chameleons, who start off in London and end up in Jersey as a different company. This Bill shows that the Government either do not understand or do not care. The companies can afford lengthy litigation; leaseholders cannot.
Finally, the Minister must explain why there is so little progress on the building safety fund. I wrote to St Modwen on 23 June. I still await a response. I have written to Fidum, the new managing agent for the new owners. I asked it about its application to the building safety fund for the removal of unsafe cladding. I have received no response, but Fidum now tells residents that it missed the closing date of 30 June for the second application because it is still waiting to have eligibility—
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