Brent's 2015-16 budget gap could still justify council tax referendum

Reflecting on Muhammed Butt's declaration yesterday that there were 'no plans to change course' on freezing council tax for the 2014-15 budget, I wonder what his plans are for 2015-16. In October the Council forecast a deficit for that year of  £34m (see below) a huge amount that on the council's own reckoning will put essential services at risk.

As political parties are deciding their manifestos for the May local elections surely they should be saying something about this crisis waiting for them in their first year of office.

In that respect a manifesto pledge to have a referendum on increasing council tax would make sense. Rank and file Labour party members and the wider public could than have a say and it could provide a launch pad for similar moves by other local authorities.  I do not think increases in council tax are the answer to the huge cuts in local authority funding, that of course requires the restoration of adequate funding, but a national debate post May 2014 leading up to the General Election in 2015 could feed into that demand. It will certainly put the future of local government on the General Election agenda.

The referendum debate in Brent, unlike in Brighton and Hove, may be closed in terms of the 2014-15 budget but should be very much a live issue for 2015-16. The electorate need to know how the competing parties would tackle the issue.

Meanwhile on February 4th the Budget Finance and Overview Scrutiny Committee will be discussing the draft budget for 2014-15. No details are included on the agenda except for the following statement:

The Budget and Finance Overview and Scrutiny Committee will discuss and make recommendations on the draft 2014/15 budget. Councillor Ruth Moher, Lead Member for Corporate Resources and Deputy Leader of the Council, will present the draft budget and answer questions from members. While the committee will lead the discussion, this meeting is intended to give all non-Executive members the opportunity to participate in the budget scrutiny process and raise any questions or comments they may have on the draft budget.

These are the figures published on Wembley Matters in October 2013 LINK that signalled the upcoming crisis:
 

	2014/15	2015/16	2016/17
	£m	£m	£m
Budget Gap at Council Feb 2013	20.4	17.1	17.3
Reductions in Revenue Support Grant	2.0	13.0	1.0
Business Rate Top-Up	-0.1	-0.4	-0.2
Additional Council Tax Freeze Grants	-1.0	-1.1	2.1
Business Rates - share of growth from baseline	-1.9	-0.7	-0.6
New Homes Bonus	0.5	2.7	-0.1
Collection Fund Surplus	-2.4	2.4
Council Tax Base	-1.3	-0.2	-0.3
Other Grants	-1.1	0.8
Capital Financing	-2.0
Latest Budget Gap	13.1	33.6	19.2

Now Brent Council leader says Council Tax freeze to stay

Brent Labour's democratic revolution seems to have died a quick death. Earlier this week Labour leader Muhammed Butt stated at the Willesden Connects Forum that there was a vigorous debate going amongst the Labour Group about the possibility of holding a referendum about raising Council Tax.

The 100 flowers that Chairman Butt appeared to be allowing to blossom have been struck by a sudden frost, perhaps emanating from on high. An hour ago he tweeted:

Cllr. Muhammed Butt ‏@CllrButt 1h

Brent will freeze Council Tax for 5th yr in row from April & no plans to change course. We must do everything possible to ease #CostOfLiving

This is a pity because it did seem to be a bit of a breakthrough in terms of having a rational and broad debate about the important issue of preserving services in the face of savage cuts. Some of his colleagues will  be disappointed. The posting about it on Wembley Matters has been widely viewed and shared and it clearly created interest beyond Brent.

 I wonder if Muhammed Butt's announcement was arrived at democratically?

KILBURN ANTI-FASCIST MOBILISATION IS OFF

The anti-fascist mobilisation in Kilburn Park tomorrow is OFF, following confirmation that the report that Hungarian extreme right-wing party Jobbik was to meet there was a wind-up.

However the main UAF demonstration against Jobbik on Sunday  is ON. Assemble opposite Holborn Station at 12.30pm

Towards a National Campaign for Education

This week's Education Question Time in Hammersmith which was organised by the Anti Academies Alliance and the group Towards a National Campaign for Education, arose out of a desire to bring together the various campaigner groups under one umbrella. Sharing experiences and strategies and building an alternative model for the organisation and content of education area clearly a formidable task but this meeting, attended by more than 400 people, made a start.

The need for such a campaign was made even more urgent by the news that Hammersmith and Fulham Council had voted to close the high achieving and popular local Sulivan Primary School in order to sells its site to a Fulham Boys' Free School. LINK

There will be a similar meeting in Brixton, South London on February 27th:

A chance to debate and ask questions about the key debates in education

Chaired by broadcaster and journalist Fiona Phillips.

The panel includes:
Professor Gus John, Institue of Education Jenny Landreth, Writer and local parent David Wolfe, Barrister, Matrix Chambers Lib Peck, Leader of Lambeth Council Jess Edwards, Teacher and coordinator of Charter for Primary Education

Register for tickets here: http://educationquestiontime.ticketsource.co.uk/
To ask questions in advance email us: TowardsNCE2014@virginmedia.com  or Direct message @nce2014 with hashtag #edqtime

SouthLondon_QT_27Feb14_A5 (1).pdf

Brent Labour debating Referendum on raising Council Tax

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt last night told the audience at Willesden Connects that a vigorous debate was going on in the Labour group about the possibility of Brent Council staging a referendum on raising Council Tax.

This follows the decision of the Green Brighton and Hove Council to seek such a referendum in order to raise Council Tax to protect Adult Social Services. When I tweeted this story Cllr James Denselow, Brent Executive member tweeted back that he was 'very interested to see how this goes'.

Unfortunately the Labour Party in Brighton and Hove have opposed the Referendum LINK and are to move a vote of no confidence in the minority Green administration.

Brent Labour's discussion reflects the large cuts expected in 2015-16 and London Councils' warning LINK that 'without significant changes to the way cuts are applied many boroughs will quickly reach an unsustainable position, and that will affect local services'.

Brent finance officers have warned for some time that continuing the Council Tax freeze risks seriously undermining the council's revenue base.

Muhammed Butt himself said at Willesden Connects that a rise in Council Tax would affect the poorest people who are now expected to pay 20% of the tax. This ironically was the basis of the demonstration at Full Council on Monday when the protesters wanted that group protected - something that has happened in other boroughs and where Brent's poorest pay the second highest rate in London.

Interestingly in Brighton the GMB union has welcomed the Green move. Mark Turner the city;s GMB organiser said:

This new budget would protect frontline services in adult social care. Cuts would have absolutely terrible consequences on people’s lives. It is only right that the public have a chance to vote on this proposal.

In the Local Government Chronicle, LINK after doubting whether the referendum move would get past the combined Labour and Conservative vote(32 against the Green's 21)  Emma Maier nevertheless wrote:

A referendum in Brighton would truly be democracy in action. Whatever the outcome, this is a historic case. The local and national news stories will go some way to disabusing people of the common perception that council services are funded entirely from council tax, and will ensure that more people are aware of cuts to central funding.

If a referendum were to be held a 'no' vote would probably finish off Britain's first Green administration. But it could also open up a conversation about publicly sanctioned services cuts – and a debate about the role of local government in future.

A 'yes' vote, meanwhile, could change the whole dynamic between central and local government, and between voters and the council. The implication would ripple much further than Brighton's beaches.

The latter scenario is unlikely. But if it can happen anywhere, it would be Brighton.

In a letter to the Guardian today Baroness Ruth Lister of the Labour Party, Chair of Compass Neil Lawson and John Hilary write:

The decision of Brighton council to hold a referendum on whether to increase council tax to pay for essential services is a bold commitment to democracy and equality. Everyone is feeling squeezed as a result of the Tories' draconian cuts to local government and public services, but a political contest over which party will manage austerity more effectively won't change the terms of debate. Money raised collectively, spent collectively and targeted where there is the most need is as essential in Brighton as it is across the UK.

Of course the referendum is not the answer in the long-term, and still makes the poor pay for the crisis, but  it does open up a debate about the adequate financing of local government service.  We have to focus on the disastrous impact of funding cuts on the vulnerable, and the possible deaths that may result.  That is why some are referring to the Brighton referendum as the Social Care referendum, rather than the Council Tax Referendum - this puts the emphasis on the provision of vital services rather than taxes.

This weekend Young Greens are descending on Brighton in large numbers to campaign for the referendum. See thir article on Left Foot Forward HERE 

Here is another view from columnist Simon Jenkins LINK

RECLAIM OUR SCHOOLS! Hammersmith.Tonight.

Tonight's Education Question Time at St Paul's Church in Hammersmith could be the start of a significant fightback against neoliberal policies in education. It is a chance to bring together teacher unions, parent groups, community organisations and governors in a concerted campaign to defend progressive child-centred and democratically accountable schools with broad educational aims from privatisation and narrow aims centred on international commercial competition.

Nothing could illustrate the current battle more than the fate of Sulivan Primary School, a walk away from tonight's venue. Hammersmith and Fulham Council has voted to close the successful Sulivan Primary School (ostensibly a merger with a nearby primary academy) and handing over its unique site to a boys' free school.

Staff, parents and pupils have all campaigned for their school and their views have been ignored.

Here are some of the questions tweeted for tonight. Add your own: #edqtime @nec2014

Further funding cuts unsustainable London Councils tell Government

As Brent Council puts the finishing touches to its budget and Brighton moves towards a referendum on increasing Council Tax to preserve Adult Social Care, London Councils issued the following press release which highlights the unsustainability of further funding cuts.

London Councils has issued a stark warning in its submission to the government’s consultation on the Local Government Finance Settlement 2014/15 that year-on-year cuts to funding are unsustainable.

The response, submitted on Wednesday, raises significant concerns about the long-term sustainability of the local government finance system in London as well as the lack of transparency and coherence in the government’s proposals.

Chair of London Councils, Mayor Jules Pipe, said:

There is nothing to reassure Londoners in this settlement. London is facing the double whammy of disproportionately high cuts along with dramatic increases in demand and costs on multiple levels. By the end of 2015/16 we will have seen a reduction of 44 per cent in central government funding and we have worked flat out to protect and, where possible, improve local services.

London boroughs are now being required to shoulder a disproportionately large share of the overall reduction to local government compared to elsewhere in the country and the government must explain to Londoners why this is the case.

Without significant changes to the way cuts are applied many boroughs will quickly reach an unsustainable position, and that will affect local services.

The response highlights a number of specific concerns. Using the government’s concept of Spending Power per dwelling, it shows that London local government is shouldering a significant part of the government’s deficit reduction programme.

Between 2010/11 and 2015/16 the average reduction in spending power per dwelling in England is £300. In London, the reduction per dwelling was £544.00. This is 81 per cent higher than the national average. In 2014/15 and 2015/16 alone, London will face an overall reduction in spending power per dwelling of £294 compared to the England average of £117. (1)

In addition, unlike councils across the rest of England, London boroughs will lose a proportion of the New Homes Bonus, worth £70 million, which funds the additional costs that fall on local services when new homes are built in a borough.

Mayor Pipe added:

For the past two years the settlement has been announced extremely late. While there may be a number of reasons for this, and it may be helpful for central government, it does little to provide hard-pressed boroughs with the certainty and assurance needed to set budgets and council tax for the following financial year.

View the consultation response submission

Protesters take over Brent Civic Centre Grand Hall for impromptu People's Assembly

Demonstrators took over the Grand Hall at Brent Civic Centre tonight for an impromptu 'People's Assembly' after the Mayor, Bobby Thomas, adjourned the full Council meeting to another room.

The adjournment took place as a result of disruption when angry campaigners protested at the failure of the Council to allow discussion of the Council Tax Support scheme which this year resulted in more than 3,000 poor people being summonsed by the Council for non-payment of Council Tax bills. Many had to pay court costs on top of the tax they owed.

Campaigners from Brent Housing Action had asked to speak at the meeting about their concerns but were refused by Democratic Services on the grounds that there was 'no provision' for speakers in the Council Constitution, When they discovered that speaking rights could be granted if the three Council party leaders agreed, they wrote to all three, but the Conservative leader reported that Council, officers said that this could only be done well in advance as it had to appear on the meeting agenda.  A last ditch appeal to Muhammed Butt to move suspension of  Standing Orders so that a speaker could be heard was turned down.

When  the Council Tax Support Scheme was reached on the agenda, Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Lorber moved suspension of Standing Orders so that the item could be discussed fully. His request was refused by the Mayor, Bobby Thomas, but eventually he was forced to put it to the vote. The Labour group voted it down but the public gallery showed their view by voting, tongue in cheek, for the suspension.

An exchange then took place between former Labour Councillor Graham Durham and the Mayor in which Durham accused Thomas of reneging on a promise made at a Trades Council Meeting to give campaigners against cuts a voice.

Thomas ordered the self-employed security guards to remove Graham Durham and during the confusion Robin Sivapalan stood in front of the councillors and made a speech about how having to pay Council Tax was causing suffering for Brent's poorest residents already hit by benefit cuts and the hosing benefit cap.

Sivalapan was then man-handled out of the room by the security guards with Graham Durham remaining in his seat. The live feed had been turned off by this point and after hurried consultation Mayor Thomas announced that the meeting was going to reassemble in another room and that the public would not be admitted.

Demonstrators tried to gain entry, expressing the view that the public had a right in the interests of democratic transparency to see Council business being done. Security would not let them enter although at least one of the press was allowed through.

As councillors left the Grand Hall, a red faced Executive member, Cllr Jim Moher, in front of shocked public, launched a tirade against a burly security guard telling him 'it's your fault' for not removing Graham Durham when instructed.

The evening had begun with a peaceful demonstration outside the Civic Centre and if the Labour Group had sensibly allowed the public a chance to speak for 5 minutes all the disruption could have been avoided.

Ironically the Conservative group had tabled a motion which pointed out that unemployed and disabled people in Brent were being asked to pay £5 a week in Council Tax from their JSA/ESA of £71.70 a week and that the figure is the second highest in London. Their motion called on Brent council to 'reduce these charges on its poorest residents' but went on to say that this should be done by eliminating waste and identifying 'alternative financial savings'.

After a discussion in the Grand Hall, which continued even when officers turned off microphones and lights, the campaigners left peacefully escorted by security.

'Let us speak' campaigners urge Brent party leaders

Campaigners opposed to the proposed Council Tax Support scheme being voted on at tonight's full meeting of Brent Council, have written to all three group party leaders urging them to allow a resident to speak at the meeting.

Earlier Brent Housing Action had been told there was 'no provision' for the public to speak at full Council meetings. However campaigners are citing Clause 40a of the Standing Orders which states:

(a) With agreement of all Group Leaders a speaker shall be invited to attend and speak on an issue pertinent to the London Borough of Brent. The speech shall not exceed 10 minutes. 

The three leaders are Cllr Muhammed Butt (Labour), Cllr Paul Lorber (Liberal Democrat) and Cllr Suresh Kansagra (Conservative).

BHA say that it is particularly important that they be given the chance to speak because the consultation over the continuance of the scheme, with only minor tweaks, was poorly handled and the response rate was low.

They point to the Council's own commentary on the Consitution which states:

Purpose of the Constitution (LINK)

1.4 The purpose of the Constitution is to:

• support the active involvement of citizens in the process of local authority decision-making; 

•   enable decisions to be taken efficiently and effectively; 

• create a powerful and effective means of holding decision-makers to public account; 

• ensure that no one will review or scrutinise a decision in which they were directly involved; 

• ensure that those responsible for decision making are clearly identifiable to local people and that they explain the reasons for decisions; and 

• provide a means of improving the delivery of services to the community.  

  
I agree with the campaigners who argue that:

This clearly indicates that the Constitution is there to facilitate public debate and citizen involvement.
 

Greens should support national campaign for education

I have long argued on this blog that because of the broad and fundamental attack on education by Michael Gove and the Coalition that we need a national campaign which both exposes that policy and proposes an alternative.

I hope that the Green Party will be part of the campaign given that we have progressive policies on education which I hope will be strengthened at Spring Conference.

Towards a National Campaign for Education has been formed to promote such a campaign and they have organised a meeting on January 22nd to which they invited the London Green Party. I will be attending and I hope other Greens will come too.

You can order free tickets for this event and a similar one due to take place in Brixton on February 27th HERE

You can Tweet questions with #eqtime @NCE2014

The Campaign has its aims on its blog: LINK:

This blog is aimed at anyone who uses, works or is just interested in our education system. It has two main purposes.

The first is to expose the faultlines in the 'neo-liberal' education reform movement and in particular to target the weaknesses, errors and political ideology in Gove's education policies.

The second is to develop a discussion that hopefully leads towards building a National Campaign for Education. There are many excellent education campaigns in the UK (see our Links page). There are also several different unions representing teachers and support staff. There are governor and parent organisations and a raft of specialist organisations dealing with subjects or specific areas such as SEN. This creates a complex network of organisations and individuals. The danger is that their work is duplicated and their impact is dissipated.

For some time now, people have been arguing that we need a National Campaign for Education (NCE). The NUT and UNISON unions have conference policy calling for the creation of such a campaign. At its last National Steering Committee the Anti Academies Alliance agreed to work towards creating an NCE by engaging in wider discussion and debate, hence this blog.

The argument is fairly simple. Gove's attacks on education cover almost every aspect of education. It is not just about academies and free schools. It reaches in to the curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. It also affects the provision of school places and teacher education. It is about when and why our children are educated. On all these issues, the Coalition government have launched an all out attack. The breadth of their attacks require a coordinated and sustained response.

The idea for an NCE is modelled on the 1963 National Campaign for Education. This was an unprecedented education campaign that helped change the education landscape in the early 1960's. More on the history of the 1963 NCE will follow. But we want to make 2014 a year for education, a year of a National Campaign for Education.

For now this blog, will carry articles on a range of education issues with a view to engaging in a debate about how to defend education but, more importantly, about what sort of education system we want, about what sort of system is in the best interests of all our children.

This blog is not about replacing other campaigns. But it will argue more 'synchronicity' between different campaigns. Together we can build a campaign that halts the attacks and outlines the sort of education system that provides a good local school for every child.

Council Tax demonstration at Brent Civic Centre tomorrow

Brent Fightback is supporting Brent Housing Action's demonstration against Brent Council renewing (with a few minor tweaks) the present Council Tax Support scheme which saw many poor Brent residents summonsed for non-payment.

The demonstration will run from  6.30pm Monday 20th January 2014 at Brent Civic Centre. The full Council Meeting which will make the decision on the scheme starts at 7pm. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed over the internet. LINK

The BHA have been denied the opportunity to speak to the full Council meeting, although Cllr James Denselow, Labour's communications chief,  has said he will take this up. With livestreaming local residents will be able to view local residents being denied the opportunity to speak!

The BHA  is seeking a councillor/s to move an amendment protecting the least well off.

The  BHA blog gives further information HERE

Beautiful Brent this morning

After yesterday's not very pleasant picture from Cricklewood I thought readers could rest their eyes on something more beautiful

Snowdrops on grave at Old St Andrew's Churchyard Kingsbury, this morning

Hazel catkins, Fryent Country Park, this morning

Brent unites against Islamophobic mob

Around 27 members of Britain First were confronted by three times as many local activists and residents when they turned up in Cricklewood Broadway today. Ostensibly they were demonstrating against the Muslim Brotherhood office above a shop but their agenda was really anti-Muslim, anti-Mosque and anti- immigrant, using the MB office as a pretext.

(Update: It was never a 'Muslim Brotherhood office' but a small newsagency sympathetic to them)

In fact they had no placards or leaflets to explain to the local community why they were there. Brent people were present, not to demonstrate in favour of the Muslim Brotherhood, but to say that they did not want Britain First to come into the area and disrupt and divide their diverse local community.

Britain First were penned in a small enclosure and made no attempt to string their banners across Cricklewood Broadway and stop traffic as they had intended.

The 'Brent United' demonstration was supported by Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback and Labour Executive member Cllr Margaret McLennan attended as did Liberal Democrat, Cllr Sami Hashmi.

Britain First

Brent and Harrow Unite Against Fascism gave out a leaflet to passers by, many of home joined them,  explaining the origin of Britain First in evangelical Protestantism and anti-abortion campaigns, and its associations with Loyalist paramilitaries. The BNP had found them too extreme and their leader James Dowson is on bail for violence.

Brent united against Islamophonia

Local campaigners and residents told Britain First they were not wanted in Cricklewood and a 9 year old boy used his megaphone to passionately tell them that his best friend was a Muslim.

The numbers of Britain First supporters gradually reduced during the afternoon and eventually the dozen or so remaining were escorted by police to Cricklewood Broadway accompanied by cries of derision from local residents and the chant of 'Brent united will never be defeated'.

Greening Kirklees: Green Motion on Robin Hood Tax succeeds

Greening Kirklees: Green Motion on Robin Hood Tax succeeds

Copland football coach saved at the final whistle

The Kilburn Times  LINK is reporting that the Copland football coach Paul Lawrence who was threatened with redundancy has now been told that his job is safe the day before he was due to leave.. Lawrence coached England player Raheem Sterling from when the player was 10 years old.

In a Guest Blog on Wembley Matters,  'Fourth Estate' made the case for Paul's retention LINK stating:

But, of course, what Paul Lawrence would really like to do at the moment is to simply carry on doing what he’s done so successfully up to now: coaching Copland’s ordinary kids and its prospective England stars to fulfil their potential, so that they may  ‘have that true sense of self-worth which will enable them  to stand up for themselves and for a purpose greater than themselves, and, in doing so,  be of value to society.

The change of heart on Lawrence is welcome  but I can't help wondering how many more people, similarly committed to Copland students, have been lost in the recent cull.

Unity vigil against Britain First's Islamophobia on Saturday from 1.30pm

Britain First's real agenda

More has emerged about Britain First, the organisation planning to demonstrate outside the proposed Muslim Brotherhood's offices in Cricklewood on Saturday afternoon.

It is clear that the demonstration is part of their anti-Muslim, anti-immigration agenda with the Muslim Brotherhood office as a convenient hook on which to hang their Islamophobia.

I have received the following information about Britain First which is the brainchild of James Dowson

This group are not a straight forward splinter from the BNP as your local paper described them, but the key persons were both in the BNP and the man Dowson, unless the police can tell you otherwise is still on bail for his part in the very serious violent disorders in Ulster last year during the marching season. During those riots some of the worst Ulster has witnessed in years many police officers were hospitalised.

Dowson who was described at one time as "The man who owns the BNP" now runs the group that are coming to your neighbourhood, He has a long time record of support various causes such as playing a role in a violent Anti-Abortion Campaign.

They are desperate for publicity and the police are correct to say the EDL are doing something in another part of the country that day. Despite all the false trails they are far from finished and the EDL are still holding regular activities around the country at least every two weekends, on one recent weekend  they were able to mount two activities in different parts of the country.

There will be a peaceful static demonstration outside 113 Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday January 18th from 1.30pm celebrating the unity of our diverse community. It is supported byt Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback.

Latest on Far Right Cricklewood demonstration

UPDATE from Brent Police on the intention of Britain First to demonstrate against the Muslim Brotherhood's Office on Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday afternoon.

To update you, it now appears the EDL will not be attending as they are demonstrating elsewhere in the Country; however I cannot rule this out.

The organisation that are confirmed as demonstrating is Britain First

Supporters of this event have been asked to muster at CRICKLEWOOD BR Station at 1400 hours.

From here the group would like to march the short distance in the road to the offices of the MB and then hold a static protest for approximately 1 hour and then disperse.

They intend to address the assembled group with a loud hailer.  They have confirmed that union and St George flags will be displayed and a new  BRITAIN FIRST banner which will take up the entire width of the road.

It is believed that approximately 30 activists will support and attend this event.

Although there is no intelligence to suggest that the group will go elsewhere we are still open minded.

We are aware how close this event is to a Mosque, the local Safer Neighborhood Sergeant has visited and will be in regular contact.

The MPS has public order trained officers on duty and Superintent Springer will be in attendance and in charge of the Police officers.

Nick Davies
Chief Inspector
Brent Police

    

Protest at Council Tax Scheme that hits the poor: Monday Brent Civic Centre

The protest outside Willesden Magistrates Court when non-payers were summonsed by the Council

Brent Housing Action will be holding a protest at Brent Civic Centre before the  Brent Council meeting on Monday January 20th from 6.30pm.

They are protesting against the Council Tax Support Scheme proposals for 2014-15 that will be discussed at the meeting. The proposals only slightly modify the scheme that was in place for 2013-14 which led to the Council taking many residents, who had not previously paid Council Tax to court for non-payment.

A full account of the issue can be found on the Brent Housing Action website HERE and the Officer's Report, by Andy Donald, can be found HERE

EDL threaten demo in Cricklewood on Saturday

The Mapesbury Safer Neighbourhood Team have circulated the following information:

*  EDL Demo Cricklewood Broadway on Saturday

Update from Mapesbury SNT

The media has published details on the 14/01/2014 regarding the Muslim Brotherhood setting up an office above an old Kebab shop in CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY. A photo of the venue shows a disused premise with the number 113 visible on the front.

Further enquiries have identified the building as 113 CRICKLEWOOD BROADWAY NW2 3JG which is covered by BRENT borough.

The right wing response has been for a national call out for persons to attend the venue on Saturday 18/01/2014 in opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood setting up office in LONDON 

The Britain First right wing group has organised the event and have asked people to meet at 1400 hrs on 18/01/2014 at CRICKLEWOOD STATION and bring flags.

This has also appeared on the main ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE facebook page It this stage there is no indication of people who will attend but it is guaranteed that people will attend on Saturday

I will keep you up to date with developments; we will develop an appropriate Policing response.

Mapesbury SNT contact details:  

mapesbury.snt@met.police.uk

NOTE FROM WEMBLEY MATTERS The latest intelligence suggest that the EDL will be mobilising in Slough on Saturday and I have been told there is nothing on their Twitter feed about Cricklewood. It looks likely that it will be a small demonstration (perhaps no more than 20) by Britain First. This information is not definitive so please check Wembley Matters, Brent Fightback Facebook for updates.

Brighton Greens throw down gauntlet to Pickles and Labour on Council Tax Referendum

Brighton Greens have decided to call the Coalition's bluff and hold a referendum on raising council tax to protect adult social care in the city. The controversial move will also put Labour on the spot and is likely to lead to debate amongst anti-cuts activists between those who see the priority as saving services and those who see the rise as yet another burden on a population who have seen a cut in benefits, rises in prices and rents and a reduction in wages in real terms.

The decision to let the people decide is a radical move and whichever way the vote goes will bring the debate about the impact of the Coalition's cuts to local authority funding right out into the open.

The decision to hold the referendum has been backed  by all Brighton's Green councillors, by Caroline Lucas MP, Keith Taylor MEP  for the south East, and party leader Natalie Bennett.

This is the statement on the Brighton and Hove Green Party website:

The UK's only Green council administration – in Brighton and Hove – is proposing a referendum of local people on a council tax rise to protect services for the city's most vulnerable.

As a response to central Government cuts, the minority Green administration has been working to find ways of funding local services threatened by coalition cuts, including care for the elderly.

It is asking people to consider a Council Tax increase of 4.75%, which would be used directly to fund adult social care services, including care for the elderly, and grants to third sector organisations. Residents would be asked to vote on the possible increase in a referendum - the first of its kind in the modern era.

The proposal for a referendum, announced today by Green council leader Jason Kitcat, was a unanimous decision of Green councillors and has the full support of Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas, South East Green MEP Keith Taylor and Green Party leader Natalie Bennett.

It comes as Eric Pickles, for the coalition government, is paving the way to restrict councils to a rise of 1.5% or less, on top of draconian cuts already announced. Three quarters of county councils and a third of other councils have already indicated that they plan to increase council tax to meet growing need and mitigate the worst of Westminster's cuts.

Councillor Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said:

The Coalition’s cuts mean we cannot deliver the services we were elected to provide and which our consciences say we should provide. We have no choice but to seek the views of local people on funding these services through a tax increase.

Westminster's ideologically driven cuts to local councils are huge and relentless while demand for our services continues to grow. Vulnerable people who depend on our services are being threatened from Westminster like never before.

We have so far been successful in saving tens of millions of pounds but we can no longer find enough efficiencies to absorb all the cuts. Without today's proposal, I fear for the serious impacts on the most vulnerable in our city from the Coalition's cuts.

Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:

This is a bold move and one that I know the Council is taking very reluctantly. The people have not voted for austerity. They have not chosen to have services they rely on destroyed by draconian cuts.

This is an appalling situation, for which the Coalition Government is alone to blame. A referendum would allow the people of Brighton and Hove, including my constituents in Brighton Pavilion, to decide on the best response 

 Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party, said:
  
As Greens we believe that decisions should be made closest to the people who are affected. Instead of letting Whitehall impose cuts on vulnerable people in Brighton & Hove, this announcement takes the decision to the people.

It reflects Green principles being campaigned for around the country. Our Oxfordshire county councillors, in opposition, last year made a bid for a 3.5% rise to protect social care, and I know other local parties will be putting forward similar proposals this year.

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, candidate in the 2014 EU elections and former city councillor, said:

Across the south east we're seeing councils cut to the bone and all too often it is the most vulnerable who suffer. This announcement gives the people of Brighton & Hove a chance to decide for themselves what they want and to consider the best way to protect the vulnerable in the city from vicious Tory cuts.

The proposal for Brighton & Hove will pass in Council, in February, unless opposed by both Labour and Tory councillors. It would then proceed to a ballot on 22nd May - the same time as elections for European Parliament, which would significantly save on administration costs.

Jason Kitcat continued:

The other parties, especially Labour, will need to decide whether they trust the people of Brighton and Hove to make this decision. The Green administration I lead did not seek an election mandate to raise taxes in this way and in previous years I have opposed going down this route. But the unprecedented pressure on our budget from Westminster can no longer be absorbed, so we are seeking a democratic opinion from local residents - those who pay council tax and those who rely on the services it funds.

Westminster is threatening services for the elderly, who have worked hard all their lives and deserve our support in their old age — not reductions in the services which are often a lifeline for them. The city’s charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations provide essential services across our city’s communities. We must be able to support them.

Current calculations show that a 4.75% increase means a rise for a Band C property by £5.30 a month and for a Band D property by £5.97. Those claiming Council Tax Reduction will still be protected by the existing scheme.

Councillor Leo Littman, Lead member for Finance, said:

This is an increase of less than £6 a month for the average household and nothing for those on low incomes who claim under our extensive Council Tax Reduction scheme. We know many Brighton and Hove residents are hard-pressed but we hope they will see this level of increase – equal to less than half a pint of beer a week - a reasonable price to pay for maintaining key services.

The storm clouds ahead for next year’s very severe financial picture mean we need to act now. We are of course continuing to work on saving money through reviewing fees, generating new business and selling off spare buildings. But that won’t be enough in the next two years to protect the city’s elderly and vulnerable from Osborne’s austerity agenda. Fortunately the upcoming European elections mean we can hold this major consultation with our residents for less than it would have otherwise cost.

Key elements of these revised council tax budget proposals, which will be published in full for the Policy & Resources Committee meeting of 13th February, include:

• Protecting service delivery for key adult social care services, including home care, residential community care, day services, learning disabilities employment support and restoring subsidy to Able & Willing service;
• Protecting full amount of funds to third sector grants programme and sports grants programme;
• 4.75% council tax increase which would raise £2.75m more than December’s draft budget which assumed 2% tax increase;
• Referendum to be held on 22nd May along with European Parliamentary Elections.

Preston Manor covenant costs approach half a million

Brent Council has incurred legal costs payable to Druces LLP of almost £170,000 including VAT and disbursements in the legal case over restrictive covenants at Preston Manor School an FoI request by Wembley Matters has discovered.

The covenants forbade any new school build on the land and residents had objected to plans for a new primary school on the site. After a risk assessment the council decided to go ahead anyway and seek a removal of the covenants at the Land Tribunal. Residents then objected to the removal of the covenants at  the Tribunal and a negotiated settlement is in process which if successful would remove the necessity of a hearing.

Druces was instructed by the school but the council agreed to indemnify the school's legal costs so that the borough's families and children could benefit from 'the new much needed school building'.

In addition the council's legal services have spent 142 hours on the case. The response states that officer time in other departments involved was not recorded.

The council refuse to give the compensation costs involved in settling the case quoting legal advice that the information is exempted from disclosure under section 42 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In fact I revealed in a previous posting that according to a reliable source, residents had been offered £303,000 to settle their claim. LINK

This makes a total of £473,000 excluding the hours of officer time but this may not be the end of the matter. The council state:

If the matter is not concluded by negotiated settlement before the hearing, the Council will incur further legal costs and fees for the attendance of expert witness at the hearing.

The failure of Children and Families officers to exercise due diligence over the original proposal is proving very costly.

The full response to my FoI request can be found HERE

Muhammed Butt 'not prepared to ride roughshod over parents' concerns'

Some might dismiss it as a pre-election gambit but there was a vote, with Executive members taking different sides, at last night's Brent Executive.

The vote was on the officer's report on the proposed expansion of Princess Frederica Primary School. As reported below expansion was opposed by the great majority of parents and some local residents. There were concerns over the limited pavement space for pedestrians around the site, impact on the school's outdoor pay space and disruption during building.

Muhammed Butt said that  extra school places were needed 'but we are committed to listening to the voices of residents and are not prepared to ride roughshod over parents' concerns. In the face of so many opposing views, it is our duty to listen and re-think proposals to see if we can accomodate as many people's views as possible.'

Other campaigners in Brent such as those in Willesden Green and parents at Gladstone Park will wonder why he did not show the same respect for their concerns.  However, his statement still allows for a revised plan to come forward, probably after the local elections.

Cllr Michael Pavey, lead member for children and families,  said that they had learnt from the parents' campaign and would now take a step back to look at the expansion programme anew.

Councillor George Crane, lead member for regeneration and major projects,  however supported the officers' report and said local reservations should be dealt with through the planning process and wondered why Princess Frederica should be different from Newfield, Harlesden and Robert Southwell primary schools that were expanding without problems.

When the issue came to the vote Muhammed Butt (leader), Michael Pavey, James Denselow, Krupesh Hirani, Aslam Choudry and Jim Moher voted against the officers' recommendation.  to expand the school. Ruth Moher (deputy leader) and Margaret McLennan abstained and George Crane voted for the recommendations.

Parent power overthrows school expansion plans

I had a clash of meetings tonight so was unable to attend the Brent Executive. However Cllr James Denselow has tweeted that they rejected the officers' recommendation to expand Princess Frederica Primary School.  An unusual event.

Congratulations to the parents who fought a well informed campaign and managed to persuade Councillors Pavey and Denselow of their cause at a public meeting just before Christmas.

Officers, schools, the Diocesan Board and governors were thanked for their efforts and a review of current needs, to include community feedback was promised.  A new programme of expansion, including more creative solutions, will be developed during 2014.

The problems and limits of expansion on existing sites makes it even more important that local residents, parents and Brent Council support the School Places Crisis Campaign which seeks to reinstate local council's right to build new local authority schools where they are needed. LINK

Earlier coverage of the issue HERE

Greens back independent grassroots candidate for Willesden Green

Several members of Brent Green Party attended the Make Willesden Green campaign's policy discussion on Saturday as observers. The participants were local activists and residents, mostly non-party but with some disillusioned Labour supporters, who were concerned about their lack of say in local issues, poor consultation, the loss of some key local amenities, and the feeling that Willesden Green was being changed into a featureless dormitory which would squeeze out poorer people.  The Council was seen as remote and unresponsive.

The meeting was highly positive and very participative and people left determined to exercise some People Power at the local elections in May 2014.

Alex Colas is standing as an independent grassroots candidate in Willesden Green ward. He has worked alongside Green Paty members in several campaigns including the Keep Willesden Green campaign over the redevelopment of the Willesden Green Library and the loss of the Willesden Bookshop and the open space, as well as the continuing campaign against the forced academisation of Gladstone Park Primary School which serves many children from Willesden Green,

Alex wrote a Guest Article in the last edition of Brent Green Party's Willesden Green News.

At the beginning of the well-attended  meeting Alex explained the relationship between MWG and the Greens. MWG is standing on an independent platform and is not a political party and welcomes support from supporters of all parties and none. The 'Green' in Make Willesden Green stands for the place and not the party.

However, the Brent Green Party believe that an independent grassroots councillor for Willesden Green would enhance local democracy and has issued the  following statement:

Brent Green Party welcomes the candidature of Alex Colas who is standing as an independent on the Make Willesden Green platform in Willesden Green ward in the local elections.

We believe that the election of Alex Colas, arising from his principled participation in local campaigns, would be healthy for local democracy.  In recognition of this we will stand only two candidates in the ward and recommend that our supporters give Alex their third vote.

Further information on the Make Willesden Green campaign can be found HERE

Copland teachers stage unprecedented 5th strike against forced academisation

Copland Community School teaching unions remain solid in their determination to stop the ARK academy chain taking over their school in Wembley. They will be taking an unprecedented fifth day of strike action tomorrow (14^th January). The IEB continue to refuse to take part in any negotiations let alone even reply to communications from the Unions.

Hank Roberts, Immediate Past national President of ATL said:

The IEB have yet to respond to an offer of further talks nor even yet able to respond to staff and parents demand to be given a proposed timetable for the proposed conversion! The massive strength of feeling is because staff know that this is really about privatisation and Gove intends to allow those running academies like ARK to make profit out of state education. Their intention is to impose a third world education system in England.

Our intention is to continue and increase the level of resistance to stop them.

 Tom Stone, Acting NASUWT Brent Secretary said:

Copland staff are showing amazing tenacity in continuing to be prepared to stand up for their school by taking yet another day of strike action. The NASUWT fully supports members taking action at any school where management try to impose academisation.

Jean Roberts, Joint Brent Teachers Association Secretary said:

By standing firm staff have won on a collective grievance over job titles and also, through the threat of further strike action, the threat of compulsory redundancies for teachers has been withdrawn. At the well attended joint unions meeting last week staff were up beat and fully behind the campaign to defeat ARK. Just today there were revelations in The Guardian after freedom of information requests showed taxpayer-funded academy chains have paid millions of pounds into the private businesses of directors, trustees and their relatives.

Leaflets will be handed out today outside Copland for pupils to take home to parents explaining why the action is taking place. This leaflet from the school’s anti academy working party has been translated into the most common languages used by pupils. 

This has not been done for any letters sent out by the IEB.

There will be a mass picket outside the school from 7.30 am tomorrow until 9.00 and then there will be a letter writing session to the local councillors and MPs. There will also be discussion on what further action will take place to further the campaign.

Loos, libraries, Humpty Dumpty and the fight against austerity

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/

As local people fight against cuts here in Brent  there is often much to be learnt from other parts of the country. In this Guest Blog (first published in 'Speakers Corner; in the Bristol Post, Green Party member Julie Boston writes about a creative campaign to save public lavatories. Not a glamorous topic but a practical one that affects the daily lives of parents, the pregnant and the elderly and one that links to the whole austerity agenda as Julie shows.

 On Saturday 21 December 2013, a group of us spent an hour in central Bristol asking people to sign a petition headed ‘Save Our City’.

The Save Our City’ campaign is supported by trade unionists and people on the Left. In case the words Left and Right are vague, here’s a fellow pensioner’s definition to her grand-daughter. “People on the Left think things should be fair. People on the Right think things should be unfair!

For the past 100 years people have tried to make their cities fair. Bristol can be proud of owning more Council housing than many cities. Bristol City Council (BCC) still owns green open spaces, allotments, twenty five branch libraries, part of the Central Library, the M Shed, museums, some Primary Schools, public toilets, cemeteries, the roads and endless car parks.

But what happened to the buildings which used to house Bristol Day Centres, Care Homes, swimming pools and Youth Centres? I remember visiting some of them before the last round of BCC cuts. They were attractive and the atmosphere calm but busy. Did their sale generate profit to fund current services?  Does anyone know? Once they are in private ownership, information is protected by ‘commercial confidentiality’.

I am not convinced that the Mayor of Bristol appreciates the culture of public ownership, the need for the public sector and the need for elected councillors. He certainly does not understand the concept of paid public sector workforce which brings a certain amount of security to the individual and commitment to the job.  The Save Our City’ campaign aims to reject £90m of council cuts and protect up to 1,000 Bristol City Council jobs.

As a pensioner with a lifetime’s experience, I can say ‘public service good, private service bad’. My husband’s family of 5 children lived in rented accommodation until their dream of a council house came true in 1948. Our children were educated under the auspices of London County Council. The many benefits included reasonably funded buildings, school dinners, no homework and no stress.

As a bus pass holder, I can travel free and attend BCC meetings and am increasingly alarmed. At the Neighbourhoods and Communities Scrutiny Commission on 20 November 2013, Councillor Peter Hammond pointed out that BCC Property Officer’s promotion for renting out two floors of Bristol Central Library sounded like a holiday brochure. The low rent from Bristol Cathedral Free School and the 125 year lease is an insult to Bristol.

At BCC cabinet meeting on 5 December, the 126 pages long executive summary on re-tendering of Home Care, was accepted in 4 minutes ! Anyone with any experience of working in the privatised ‘care’ sector knows the long hours, low pay, lack of tea breaks and the deathly long daily commute.

However people are moving. The Council meeting on 17th December was inspiring and chaired humanely.  St Paul’s Learning Centre, Felix Road Adventure Playground, the Anti Bedroom Tax campaign, the Iliminster Road School and Hengrove Play Park all made their case strongly. Hengrove youtube, supported by all local councillors, was especially inspiring. But we need to go back to basics.

You cannot cut you way out of a recession. Austerity does not work.Save Our City’ does not accept that government’s austerity programme is necessary. The banks and the major corporations should be taxed at a rate which can provide the necessary resources to provide for the public sector.

The Mayor’s hostility to Bristol City Council (BCC) is confirmed with the appointment of Max Wilde ‘who will join the council in February as Strategic Director for Business Change, tasked with overseeing back office services and working as part of the council’s push to become a more efficient and less costly organisation’. These efficiencies sound remarkably like Barnet Council which has outsourced most of its activities to one of Private Eye's regular incompetents, Crapita.

For the past three years I have supported National Libraries Day as branch libraries are vital and branch libraries everywhere are threatened. In preparation for National Libraries Day in February, I arranged to meet a couple of friends from Anti Poll Tax days in Hartcliffe library only to find that loos not libraries are even more crucial.

Deb Smith, a care worker and UNISON member texted this to me:

Humpty Dumpty needed the loo

Humpty Dumpty needed a poo

George Ferguson had shut all the loos down

So Humpty Dumpty turned his pants Brown.

Local campaigners join in Cambodian garment workers protest

Yesterday, workers’ rights, anti-poverty, student groups and members of Brent Fightback joined together  to condemn the Cambodian government’s violent repression of garment workers’ strikes that led to four people being shot and killed  demanding an end to the repression, the recognition of unions’ right to strike and an increase in the minimum wage – the issue that sparked the workers’ protests.

The demonstration took place outside the Cambodian Embassy in Brondesbury Park.

The Cambodian garment workers’ strike began on 24 December, following a government announcement that the minimum wage would only rise by £9 to £60 a month, far short of workers’ demands for a living wage of £100 ($160) a month. The garment industry in Cambodia employs 700,000 people, 90% of whom are women, producing clothes for a huge range of UK high street companies, including H&M, Gap, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and Levis, who profit from the workers’ low pay.

On 2 January police blocked the route of a workers’ march, then attacked workers, union organisers and bystanders. The following day armed forces fired live ammunition at workers, killing at least four people and injuring many more. 23 people, including a 17 year old, have been arrested, many of whom were severely beaten prior to arrest. Recent reports suggest they are being held in a notorious detention centre some distance from Phnom Penh.

The demonstration, organised by Labour Behind the Label, War on Want, People and Planet and the Asian TNC Monitoring Network took place as part of an international week of action, with protests staged outside Cambodian embassies in Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the USA.

War on Want campaigner Murray Worthy said “The violence and repression used against demonstrators by the Cambodian government is completely unjustifiable. Resorting to violence and repression of legitimate strikes and workers’ struggles can never be the answer; the government must end the violence, release those arrested and launch an immediate independent investigation into the police attacks and shootings.”

Sam Maher from Labour Behind the Label said “These strikes were the last resort for workers whose legitimate demands for a higher minimum wage have been consistently ignored by the employers and brands alike. Workers in Cambodian garment factories face economic violence on a daily basis and are prisoners of a system that they cannot escape. This violence must also end.”

Rob Abrams from People & Planet said “This crack down on organised labour is done in the name of so-called ‘progress’, to ‘free’ markets from external pressures, but in Cambodia we see what this means in practise. It means that workers demanding something entirely uncontroversial, a living wage that would afford them the basic right of living comfortably, are treated worse than criminals. All the while, the message coming from multinational companies remains the same undemocratic mantra: ‘if you treat your workers with respect, we see that as a burden on our profits, and we will move our operations to someplace else’. This is a flagrant disregard of human rights, one we will keep working to end. "

H&M,  Gap, Marks and Spencer all have stores in the London Designer Outlet in Wembley and H&M have a distribution depot in North Wembley opposite the Bakerloo Line station.

Teachers turn on Labour after Tristram Hunt announces licensing scheme