Time for a review of Brent Members' Code of Conduct?

 The Audit and Standards Committee on Tuesday February 4th will received a report on complains against councillors during 2024.

The report gives a commentary on trends in complaints:

During consideration of the previous complaints review report last year, the committee asked that future monitoring reports provide an outline of any trends being identified in terms of complaints and outcomes.

 

The Committee will be aware that the Code only permits the investigation of complaints against Members made in their “official capacity or when giving the impression [they] are acting as a member of the Council”, unless it relates to a serious criminal offence being committed in the Member's private capacity.

 

Accordingly, any decision that purports to find a breach of the Code whilst the Member in question was acting in their private capacity, would be liable to challenge. The Committee will see from Appendix A that one of the main findings at Initial Assessment Stage in respect of the complaints over the past 12 months is that the Councillor “was not acting in their capacity as councillor.

 

This trend may reflect changing public expectations. Members of the committee will note that one element of the consultation referred to in this report [Open consultation Strengthening the standards and conduct framework for local authorities in England LINK] is the possibility of extending the Code to some categories of behaviour by members outside their role as a councillor.

 

The other main reason for complaints not proceeding beyond initial assessment stage is that the complaint "did not disclose sufficiently serious potential breaches of the Code to merit further consideration”.

The main rationale for this finding has been that insufficient evidence has been submitted to support the allegations made and/or when considering the allegations in context, there was no significant evidence to suggest the Councillors had behaved in the manner complained off. Indeed, in some cases the evidence indicated aggressive or otherwise unreasonable behaviour by the complainant towards the councillor.

 

The Committee should note, the main recurring factor in relation to escalating complaints to the Assessment Criteria Stage have been based on the contents of the complaint and that there may be a serious issue to consider, with an opportunity for the councillor concerned to comment being necessary to establish if this is indeed the case.

 

The report is accompanied by a document listing the complaints and action taken.

 

Calvin Robinson, defrocked turbulent priest, has Brent political and religious connections

 

Calvin Robinson at Christ Church, Harlesden, 2022

Calvin Robinson giving a salute, resembling a Nazi salute, at National Pro-Life summit in the U.S.

I first met Calvin Robinson when he was a by-election candidate in Kilburn back in 2016. Tall and lean, of mixed parentage and with a huge afro, he was not your typical Brent Conservative candidate. He did not win the by-election nor the Camden by-election that followed.  His adherence to the Rightwing Henry Jackson Society should have been a warning.

He joined the Brent nest of rightwingers when he became a governor at Michaela School in Wembley, where Suella Braverman had been the founding Chair of Governors. 

Robinson moved on from the Conservative Party to support the Brexit Party as a candidate in 2019 and in August lst year became the lead spokesperson for UKIP. He was dismissed from GB News in 2023 following his support for Dan Wootton who had been suspended over Laurence's controversial comments on Wootton's show.

Robinson was a Free Church of England deacon of Christ Church in Harlesden and then a priest in the Nordic Catholic Church. Moving to the U.S. he joined the Anglican Catholic Church until they defrocked him following the Nazi salute incident.

The Church said:

While we cannot say what was in Mr. Robinson’s heart when he did this, his action appears to have been an attempt to curry favor with certain elements of the American political right by provoking its opposition.

In a personal statement Robinson said:

My attempt at dry wit, in that typical British way, was not a joke at the expense of WWII, nor an admission of my membership in the Nationalist Socialist Party. That would be an incredibly ignorant and bad faith assumption to make. The responses are very telling, though. The people who understand, cheer – those who have eyes to see. The people who do not want to understand, reach for their pitchforks. They have found a new channel for their hated. They remain in my prayers; may the Lord soften their hearts.

Where Robinson will go now is anybody's guess but he will certainly not be avoiding the limelight. The publicity may well have brought him to the attention of one Donald Trump. 

Watch this space.

 

 

Richmond Council says third runway would cause 'significant harm' to local communities

From Richmond Council

The Leader of Richmond Council has today reaffirmed the Council’s long-standing opposition to the expansion of Heathrow Airport, including the construction of a third runway, following the latest announcement from the Chancellor.

Councillor Gareth Roberts stressed the significant harm the expansion would cause to local communities, already heavily affected by flight paths.

Richmond Council has been clear and consistent in its stance: a third runway at Heathrow would have catastrophic consequences for our borough and for London. The environmental damage, increased noise pollution, and disruption to local communities are simply too high a price to pay, especially when viable alternatives exist that can support sustainable economic growth without compromising our health or our future.

We fully recognise Heathrow’s importance to the local and national economy, but a better Heathrow does not have to mean a bigger Heathrow. Growth should never come at the expense of the wellbeing of our communities or the health of our planet. The airport has yet to present a credible plan showing how its expansion would align with the UK’s net-zero targets. It continues to ignore the ongoing issues of noise and air pollution that are severely affecting our residents.

The Chancellor’s decision to prioritise short-term economic growth over the long-term health of our communities and the environment is deeply disappointing. This move fails to consider our climate commitments and disregards the devastating impact a third runway would have on families and households in our borough and across London.

Richmond Council has long warned about the challenges posed by Heathrow’s expansion and remains committed to working with the government to protect local communities and the environment from its harmful consequences.

Councillor Roberts is actively reconvening a cross-party coalition of councils, local MPs, Assembly Members, and community groups to oppose the renewed push for expansion at Heathrow. “This coalition was instrumental in overturning the government’s approval of a third runway in 2020, and by uniting once again, we will continue to fight for the protection of our borough and the wider London community from the adverse effects of this expansion.”

Last month, Richmond Council restated its opposition to a third runway and updated its policy position on Heathrow’s planned developments, including opposing any increase in night flights, challenging airspace modernisation, and supporting renewed efforts on easterly alternation.

Tower Block Tatler's successor on Brent Cabinet named. Teo takes over.

 

Cllr Teo Benea

 

Cllr Muhammed Butt has appointed Cllr Teo Benea who represents Sudbury ward, alomng with Lib Dem leader Paul Lorber, to the Cabinet as lead member for Regeneration. Planning and Property. This is a slight variation on Shama Tatler's portfolio that has been held by Cllr Butt for some months. Presumably 'Property' refers to Brent Council property which is currently under review to achieve maximum market rates.

In a message to fellow Labour councillors, Cllr Benea wrote:

I just wanted to let you know that I am delighted to have been appointed Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Property and I am looking forward to working with colleagues, officers and residents to support regeneration and planning projects that benefit all residents across the borough

Brent Labour's website gives details of her background including working at a consultancy on planning and regeneration:

Teo has lived in Brent for several years, she has long been the champion for closer relations with our European neighbours. As a first-generation migrant herself, she is also particularly passionate about supporting under-represented groups to vote – including EU and Commonwealth Citizens. She currently works in a public-affairs consultancy in the planning and regeneration sector. When the war started in Ukraine, Teo coordinated the collection of donations and organised the logistics for these to be delivered at the border between Romania and Ukraine in partnership with other Romanian organisations and partners. Teo and the then Sudbury councillors managed the donations that came in at St Andrew’s Church in Sudbury over 4 days. Donations were collected from all locations across London and 5 trucks of goods were loaded and sent to Ukraine.

Teo has a strong track record in campaigning and working hard for local residents and has a background as an Organiser for the Labour Party and also previously worked for a Labour MP in Westminster. In council Teo advocates for Sudbury to get its fair share of investment – including more new roads and pavements, cleaner streets and improved green spaces in Barham Park, Vale Farm and elsewhere. Another priority is to ensure that the Eastern European communities have a voice on the council, building community cohesion among the diverse communities that live in Brent.

 

Watford Road water mains works due to the volume of developments around Wembley Stadium

 Affinity Water Ltd, in an email seen by Wembley Matters, has confirmed what to many seemed obvious:

This work (Watford Road) is to enable us to carry out 1.7km of mains reinforcement for the area. Breaking that down, we need to carry out 950m along Watford Road. This reinforcement job is vital due to the volume of developments in the area close to Wembley Stadium, our Modelling Team estimate circa 8,000 customers across 6 DMA’s  (District Metering Areas) may experience supply issues if this work is not carried out as soon as possible.

 

Green Party: Expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.

 

Responding to the news that Rachel Reeves is backing the expansion of Heathrow Airport, Green Party MP, Sian Berry MP said:

 

The Chancellor talked about the ‘costs of irresponsibility’ but expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.

 

Worst still, we’re also expecting formal planning decisions from ministers on Gatwick and Luton airport expansion, which the Chancellor pre-empted today. Giving these permissions in the month before vital new advice is expected from the Climate Change Committee, today’s speech is nothing short of reckless.
 

The carbon cost of expanding Heathrow, Luton, and Gatwick together will cancel out the benefits of Labour’s keystone clean energy plan, making Net Zero minister Ed Miliband’s task almost impossible.
 

The Chancellor’s stated goal is ‘raising living standards in every part of the UK’ but more and bigger airports will serve only the very richest aviation bosses and the most frequent flyers whose wealth doesn’t help people’s daily lives get better.
 

Tackling inequality and building a greener future should go hand in hand. That must mean investment in warmer homes, green energy and the local transport people use every day, not these bleak proposals.

Friends of the Earth - Tell Rachel Reeves: don’t put plane profits before planet. Sign our petition.

 

From Friends of the Earth

BREAKING: Chancellor Rachel Reeves has given the green light to airport expansion while we're in a climate emergency. 

Expanding airports like Heathrow won’t do much, if anything, for the communities that need growth the most. Instead, benefits will be enjoyed by shareholders and the wealthiest few who fly frequently.  

Airport expansions mean more subsidies for a heavily polluting industry - when we desperately need to be doing all we can to reduce emissions. Greenlighting a third runway at Heathrow alone could jeopardise the UK’s ability to meet our climate promises and put us all at risk of more extreme weather. 

Add your name now to this petition to demand no more airport expansion while we’re in a climate emergency. LINK

Rachel Reeves' statement that growth trumps everything is the short-sighted kind of thinking that has led to the climate crisis. And the growth that would come from expanding airports like Heathrow is questionable.

• Airport expansion doesn’t make flying cheaper. According to the Treasury’s own analysis, the costs of expanding Heathrow airport could add £40 to the cost of an airline ticket.
• More money leaves the UK from outbound flights than is spent by incoming tourists. Tourism spending is concentrated in London and a few hotspots, with little benefit elsewhere.
• Emissions from flights are growing while the aviation industry receives at least £10 billion in subsidies annually, due to tax breaks on fuel. This costs taxpayers and allows the sector to pollute without meeting climate targets. And the burden of climate action is shifted onto other sectors.
• Analysis by the New Economics Foundation shows that if expansions at 4 UK airports including Heathrow are allowed to go ahead, they will cancel out the carbon savings of this government’s clean power plan in just 5 years.

 

Rather than planning to trample over nature protection rules and binding carbon reduction targets, the government should be investing in a bold and fair climate plan. A plan that means we can all benefit from cheap energy, widespread public transport, thriving nature and well-paid green jobs.

 

Sadiq Khan: I remain opposed to a new runway at Heathrow airport