A number of Brent councillors last night joined the gathering outside Brent Civic Centre in Wembley to call for an immediate ceasefire in the current conflict.
Afterwards a candlelit vigil was held for the child victims outside Wembley Park Station.
WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
Tuesday, 21 November 2023
Third day of strike at Lyon Park School to save support staff jobs and pay. Supporting strikers petition launched.
From Brent National Education Union
This morning's picket line
NEU members at Lyon Park Primary School are to strike in a fight to save support staff jobs which are proposed to go in a huge restructure. PICKET LINE OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY THIS WEEK 7.45-9.30am!
Staff at Lyon Park Primary School will be on strike to save the jobs and pay of their hardworking support staff. Many of these long-serving staff served the school’s community throughout the pandemic and face their jobs either being axed or a situation of “fire and rehire” to drop their pay. Teachers face a loss of support in the classroom and children will lose out on the vital support they need. The school has cited budget difficulties as the reason for the cuts.
100% OF NEU MEMBERS WHO VOTED IN THE BALLOT FOR STRIKE ACTION AT THE SCHOOL VOTED TO STRIKE OVER MULTIPLE DATES THIS MONTH WITH TWO MORE DAYS ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK AND THREE THE WEEK AFTER!
Staff and their supporters will protest at a picket line outside the
school from 7.45am Tuesday and will continue to try to negotiate with the
governors in a bid to reach an agreement. The union has twice attended extra
talks with the school management but this has so far failed to address the huge
proposed loss in pay for staff. The Executive Headteacher has only recently joined the restructuring talks.
Jenny Cooper of the NEU national executive has stated:
This isn’t rocket science- if the school agrees to protect staff pay in the restructure, the strikes will be called off. Staff do not enjoy striking- teachers enjoy teaching and support staff enjoy supporting children. If they didn’t they could all get better paid jobs elsewhere!!! Our members should be valued for the highly specialised jobs they do.
In the video below the staff explain their contribution to the school and children's education. Outside the school yesterday many parents agreed that the staff were essential to enable their children to make good progess.
SIGN A PETITION TO SUPPORT THE STRIKERS HERE
Monday, 20 November 2023
'Solidarity with the Palestinians' Brent Trades Council zoom meeting Wednesday 7pm
WEDNESDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2023
7pm
Solidarity with the Palestinians
SPEAKER
MARTIAL KURTZ
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Join Zoom Meeting
Ceasefire gathering at Brent Civic Centre this evening from 5pm
From Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Supporters of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza will gather in front of Brent Civic Centre this evening between 5pm and 6pm to give local people a chance to come together to demonstrate what an urgent and important issue this is for Brent’s diverse citizens.
Brent councillors arriving at the Civic Centre for the 6pm Council meeting will be invited to join the gathering in solidarity with their community.
The gathering will be followed by a candlelit vigil nearby to remember the Israeli and Palestinian children who have been killed in the current conflict. Their names and ages will be read out so that they are remembered as real human beings, robbed of their future - not just another number added to the mounting casualty list. The naming will be interspersed with poetry readings and will finish with a minute’s reflection.
Sunday, 19 November 2023
Friday, 17 November 2023
Tulip Siddiq: 'Why I did not support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza'
Tulip Siddiq, MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, unlike her Brent colleagues Barry Gardiner and Dawn Butler, abstained on the SNP motion supporting an immediate ceasefire,
She has written to 'thousands' of constituents at considerable length to explain her position:
Firstly, I want to assure you that I of course want to see a ceasefire in the Middle East as soon as possible, and I think anyone looking at the devastating scenes in Gaza we have seen over the last few weeks would feel this way. This is such an important topic, so I hope you will bear with me while I take the time to explain my thinking on both the issue and the vote on the amendment which you wrote to me about.
I did not come into politics to stand by as death, destruction and suffering on the scale we are seeing in Palestine takes place, and I have thought long and hard about what I can do to give the best chance of bringing to an end the horrifying and unacceptable killing of innocent people that we have seen over the last few weeks, including so many children in Gaza. As I made clear to the Government this week in an intervention in Parliament which you can watch here, the conditions across Gaza including in hospitals are inhumane and indefensible. An end to the fighting must be our top priority and a meaningful, lasting ceasefire which leads to a negotiated political settlement and a two-state solution with a viable state of Palestine is the only way that we are going to get there.
I understand the frustration and anger of those who asked me to back the Scottish National Party’s amendment to the King’s Speech this week. I take my responsibility as your local MP very seriously, and I can assure you that my priority in all of this is to do whatever I think is most likely to prevent further bloodshed and achieve a genuine, lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. I took the decision to support Labour’s amendment to the King’s Speech as I truly believed that it provided a more realistic chance of bringing the violence to an end and achieving a ceasefire that holds, and I will explain why.
The Labour amendment I voted for condemned the fact that there have been far too many deaths of innocent civilians and children in Gaza and set out the need for “an enduring cessation of fighting as soon as possible and a credible, diplomatic and political process to deliver the lasting peace of a two-state solution”, as well calling for an immediate end to the siege conditions in Gaza, for essentials like water, food, fuel, electricity and medicine to get to the Palestinians, and for the fighting to stop to allow the free flow of desperately and urgently needed humanitarian aid. The amendment I voted for also called for international law to be followed by and enforced on all parties, a guarantee that fleeing Gazans can return to their homes, and an end to the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence in the West Bank.
The UN definition of a ceasefire is “a suspension of fighting agreed upon by the parties to a conflict” which is “intended to be long-term” and usually aims “to allow parties to engage in dialogue, including the possibility of reaching a permanent political settlement”. While I can assure you that this outcome is absolutely what I want to see as soon as possible, at the moment the two parties which would need to agree upon the suspension of fighting – Israel and Hamas – will not accept it. Hamas has said that they will continue to attack civilians in the manner they did on 7th October “again and again” and continues to hold innocent hostages and fire rockets at civilian areas, and Israel won’t accept a ceasefire as long as this is the case. There is tragically no prospect for an immediate ceasefire of the kind the Scottish National Party’s amendment called for, as has been acknowledged by the UN’s humanitarian coordinator who has said that right now humanitarian pauses are “the only viable option” to get the necessary relief into Gaza and alleviate suffering.
Though I want to see a ceasefire as soon as possible, I do not believe it is in the interest of the suffering Palestinian people for me to vote for something that we know cannot happen right now, when I could be voting for solutions that actually have a chance of being accepted and alleviating the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Securing a full, immediate humanitarian pause is the only substantial, practical step that the parties in this conflict might accept at this stage, and therefore putting pressure on them to do this is, in my view, the best way I can try to help the Palestinians. It is also, in my opinion, the only viable way that we can start to create the necessary pre-conditions for a genuine, lasting ceasefire and a two-state solution, which I believe is the only route to a Palestinian state and the peace that you and I want to see.
There is more agreement on this issue than much of the framing of it suggests as I know from my discussions in recent weeks that my Labour colleagues and I all want to see an end to the fighting and death of civilians in Gaza as soon as possible, even if we may disagree on exactly what role the UK Government and Parliament can play in getting there. The Scottish National Party’s amendment was very similar to Labour’s, including in demanding that Hamas release hostages and Israel end the siege of Gaza. However, their amendment did not mention the role of the International Criminal Court in holding parties to account for war crimes, nor did it specifically call on Israel to protect hospitals, both of which are essential steps to safeguard civilian life and infrastructure in Gaza. The amendment also did not directly address the awful settler violence we have seen in the West Bank, nor did it call for a guarantee that people in Gaza who have been forced to flee during this conflict are allowed to return to their homes, which is essential.
An amendment that calls for an immediate ceasefire has to confront the tragic reality that, at this moment in time, neither party to the conflict will accept it. My overwhelming wish is to see the bloodshed stop as soon as possible, and I truly believe that the Labour amendment was the most constructive one in support of that principle and a realistic roadmap to peace. While I considered it very carefully, I decided not to vote for an amendment that I felt was an empty gesture towards an unrealistic outcome and lacked the necessary substance and practical steps to help those Palestinians suffering so horrendously as quickly as possible. I can assure you that I have raised my concerns about the appalling situation in Gaza and breaches of international law directly with Ministers including in Parliament and in a letter to the Foreign Secretary, and I have taken every opportunity to raise the views of my constituents including on a ceasefire with my colleagues who lead on foreign affairs in Parliament including the Shadow Foreign Secretary and Labour Leader.
As a mother of two, I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a child or raise a child in the dire conditions we can see in Gaza, and heartbreakingly we know that this is the unimaginable situation for so many Palestinian families. All human life is equal, and I can assure you that I will always do what I believe has the best chance of preventing bloodshed and is in the best interests of people facing this appalling suffering, wherever they are. My Labour colleagues and I will continue to do everything we can to push for an end to the fighting, the punishment of war crimes in this conflict, and peace in the region that is based on the creation of a state of Palestine – something I have called for my entire life and argued for in Parliament ever since I was elected as your MP.
I have received thousands of emails on this topic in recent days and weeks, and I am doing my best to reply to each one as quickly and personally as I can. However, if there are any points from your email that you feel I have not addressed in my response or further questions you would like to ask or concerns you would like to raise about this, please write to me again and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Thank you once again for writing to me about this important and harrowing issue, and for taking the time to read my lengthy response. If there is ever anything I can help with or write to you about as a constituent, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me again.
Best wishes,
Tulip Siddiq MP
Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn
Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury (City Minister)
Tulip Siddiq MP
Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Kilburn
Shadow Economic Secretary to the Treasury (City Minister)
Saturday's actions across Brent, Camden and Harrow supporting 'Ceasefire Now!' in Gaza conflict
Supporters of a ceasefire in Gaza will be marching to the Camden offices of Tulip Siddiq (MP for Hampstead and Kilburn) and Keir Starmer (Holborn and St Pancras) tomorrow to call on them to declare their support for a 'Ceasefire Now! before more lives are lost.
Barry Gardiner MP (Brent North) and Dawn Butler (Brent Central) both defied the Labour whip yesterday and joined other from Labour, SNP and Green Party in voting for a ceasefire and have been thanked by PSC members.
Members of Brent and Harrow Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Tulip Siddiq's constituents from both side of Kilburn, plus supporting organisations ,will travel to Chalk Farm Station to assemble from 1130am and march to Camden Town station to join with Camden PSC and others at 12.30pm for the last lap of the march to the Crowndale Centre near Mornington Crescent station where a rally will be held at 1pm.
The 31 bus from Swiss Cottage Station, Kilburn High Road station and Kilburn Park goes to Chalk Farm station. Those wanting a shorter walk are advised to join at Camden Town station by 12.30pm.
The route will be the direct main road between the stations,
Last week Brent and Harrow PSC held a candlelit vigil outside Kilburn station where the names and ages of Palestinian and Jewish children killed in the conflict were read out, interspersed with poetry readings in a deeply affecting event supported by diverse members of the community.
Tomorrow there will also be an event in Harrow organised by Brent and Harrow PSC with a
rally outside the office of Harrow East MP Bob Blackman at 11am-12 noon outside 209 Headstone Lane, Harrow HA2 6ND. In Kingsbury leafleting will take place outside Barclays, 505-507 Kingsbury Road, NW9 9EG. Barclays invests in arms companies that supply Israel's armed forces.
Members of both groups are invited to join the rally in Camden at 1pm at the Crowndale Centre, 218 Eversholt Street, NW1 1BD.
Brent and Harrow PSC on the peaceful 800,000 strong march on Saturday
ACE Brent (Action on the Climate and Ecological Emergency Brent), a new coalition of Brent environment groups, challenges Brent Council to step up its climate action
From words to action
ACE Brent (Action on the Climate and Ecological Emergency Brent), a new coalition of Brent environment groups, challenges Brent Council to step up its climate action.
ACE Brent does not believe that Brent is working effectively to reach Net Zero in 2030, and are asking for :
- A clearer, more measurable, accountable and ambitious Climate Action Plan
- Prioritisation of actions that reduce emissions most and that protect the most vulnerable residents
- Annual monitoring and reporting
- A new Climate and Ecological Emergency Scrutiny Committee
- A new Brent Climate Assembly and regular reports to open meetings
Ace Brent have also drawn up a list of specific demands covering cycling and transport, insulation and retrofitting, divestment, planning, renewable energy, food, trees and green space.
They have written to all Brent councillors with their requests, and have organised a deputation to the full Council Meeting on Monday 20th Nov, Brent Civic Centre, at 6pm.
Members of ACE Brent are Brent Cycling Campaign, Brent Friends of the Earth, Brent Parks Forum, Brent Pure Energy, Brent XR and Divest Brent.
Christine Smith, from Brent XR, says:
This is an emergency. Act now!
Simon Erskine, Co-ordinator of Divest Brent, says:
Divestment of the council pension fund from fossil fuels is an example of a climate action that has been a very long time coming despite active discussions with members and officers.
Sylvia Gauthereau, from Brent Cycling Campaign, says:
According to the council's own statistics, road transport is the largest contributor to air pollution in Brent, accounting for over 52% of emissions in the borough. The Council urgently needs to implement some specific measures, that are known to effectively tackle road pollution. This cannot be achieved without significant changes to the built environment, to enable anyone who wishes to actively travel, to choose so. The time for talking about it is over, now is the time to act. The evidence is there, the 'how to' examples are plenty, the guidance is available, the opportunity and appetite are there. It doesn't have to be massively costly. Just get on with it now.
Suzanne Morpurgo, from Brent Parks Forum, says:
It's Brent's stated intention to be ‘one of the greenest, most biodiverse and climate resilient boroughs in London’ by 2030' . This needs an increase in tree cover and green spaces, including sports ground provision. At the moment there is no clear plan for this, or any form of 'FiT' status for sites. We are happy to help.
Elaine Sheppard, A Co-ordinator of Brent Friends of the Earth, says:
It's 4 years since Brent Council declared a climate emergency. We are experiencing flooding and extreme weather in Brent. Our relatives and friends in the Global South are facing much worse. We have come together to request a stronger response as appropriate to the emergency. We need bigger change to reduce emissions, proper reporting and proper involvement of Brent residents in the actions being taken. We are looking for more action, ambition and accountability.
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