S.O.S. goes out to Labour backbenchers as debate threatens to rock the sleepy Brent Cabinet

 Let's face it, we all know Brent Cabinet is a rubber-stamping body whose calm waters are seldom disturbed by so much as a ripple of discussion, or (Lord Preserve Us!), dissent.

All the decisions are  made at a private pre-meeting of officers and Cabinet members (See LINK) so the meeting, despite an often huge agenda, is over in half an hour or so.   The format after the preliminaries is the Lead Member, in an address often written by their officers, reads out a short introduction to an agenda item. Another Cabinet member then says a few words of praise for a great policy, hard work etc.  Cllr Butt as Chair then says what a wonderful job Labour ia doing for Brent and it is approved.

There is no debate.

The meetings are held at 10am on a Monday morning which prevents working local residents (and working backbenchers) from attending.   A move to have Cabinet meetings out in community centres to enable more public participation was quietly dropped long ago.

But word has gone out that some opposition members have dared to give notice that they are to enter the mutual grooming sanctuary and actually disagree.

Despite Labour's massive majority this has appeared to have freaked out the Labour leadership. 

I understand that  a message has gone out urgently to backbenchers from the Deputy Leader of the Council that some opposition members have requested to a speak on the Council's (fait accompli) Budget Proposal for 2023-24.  Labour Group members are asked to contact 'Mo' (Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council) if they would like to speak to 'balance the debate and 'particularly to highlight the impact of austerity started by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on council finances.'

Just to let you know what Mo knows!

Watch the Cabinet meeting HERE

Brent Fights Back - organising meeting November 30th 7pm Black Music Co-op, Willesden

 

General Election 2019: Did the Greens sell their souls for a few scraps from the Lib Dems?

It is just not the Labour Party that has to undertake a review  of their performance in the General Election. The forthcoming Spring Conference of the Green Party will have to seriously consider its election strategy, including the formulation process, and draw out lessons for the future.

Green Left, the eco-socialist group within the Green Party has today published the following statement on the 2019 UK general election.

The defeat for Labour in the General Election was disappointing, because it happened in spite of Labour supporting countering Climate Change,

The Green Party should welcome the many in the Labour Party and Trade Union movement who now want a green transformation of the economy.

Unfortunately, the Green Party made the mistake of linking up with the discredited Lib Dems over the Brexit issue and, even on this, serious differences emerged over the Lib Dems’ proposal to remain without a referendum. The pact was not based on other shared policies with the Lib Dems.

Many members of the Green Party were surprised that it endorsed Lib Dems in some 20 seats with sitting Labour MPs and candidates near to its policies on austerity, Brexit and the Green New Deal. Why were the Lib Dems allowed to use our good name to fight Labour?

The General Election strategy of the Green Party seemed to be fixated on gaining an extra MP by selling our soul for a few scraps from the Lib Dems; and in the event was of no benefit to Greens

Green Left has asked the Green Party what was the basis for this mistaken strategy? Were its political implications fully thought out?

Green Left believes the task of the GPEW is to encourage debate and discussion with those who share or are beginning to share our perspective on the need to fight climate change and the need for a Green New Deal to transform the economy.

Green Left rejects the Green Party’s remain pact with Liberal Democrats

Only a few days ago

Green Left says ‘no’ to supporting Jo Swinson’s second rate Tories. The Liberal Democrats nationally oppose our Green values.

Green Left believes a step forward for the green movement in the UK has taken place recently, with many people joining both the Green Party and Labour Party, reflecting real concerns about the threat of climate change to our very existence on this planet.

Green Left welcomes the fact that the Green New Deal is gaining support on the left, especially in the Labour Party,  and we believe that Greens should engage with others who share the same policies as us, to build the green movement for change which is the only way to save the planet. 

Green Left believes the mass movement of Extinction Rebellion and the Youth Strikes shows up the pro capitalist parties for what they are – gambling with the planet. The Lib Dems are part of the problem not the solution.

The Liberal Democrats are a party whose leader, Jo Swinson, received funding from a major fracking company and voted for fracking. She and her party also voted for the bedroom tax, benefit cuts and the introduction of Universal Credit, the scrapping of the education maintenance, increased tuition fees, opposed increasing the tax rate on those earning £150,000, supported cuts to the police and emergency services, supported zero hours contracts, supported the badger cull and did little to challenge climate change, preferring instead nuclear power.

The Lib Dems are also uncritical supporters of the EU, unlike the Greens who want major democratic reform and accountability. The Lib Dems reject a proper further referendum that allows people a democratic say on any EU deal or no deal.

Green Left believes Caroline Lucas was right to warn how dangerous the Lib Dems position of ignoring the Referendum result, and instead going for Revoke, is  : “I certainly think that the Lib Dem way out is arrogant, self-indulgent, cynical and very dangerous. I think that will put fuel on the fire.” LINK

Green Party policy has been for a second people’s vote, and in this case is closer to that of Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party, who also support a second  referendum, than the Liberal Democrats’ Revoke position.

Green Left is very concerned that the implied call to support Liberal Democrat General Election  candidates where the Green Party is not standing and where the Labour candidate was either the sitting MP or is the best placed candidate to defeat the Tory MP is  an incorrect position to take - especially if that person supports anti-austerity, proportional representation, a Green New Deal and a people’s vote.

Therefore, we urge Green Party members and supporters to support the Labour Party candidate in these areas.

The UniteToRemain pact contradicts the Green Party’s initial position that this should be a Climate Emergency election. Instead the pact makes it a Brexit election.

Editor's note: I am a member of Green Left and was involved in writing this statement which I fully support

Austerity hasn't ended! These are the services Brent Council will vote to cut tonight

The Council Meeting is at 6pm tonight at Brent Civic Centre, close to Wembley Stadium. You can watch live a transmission from the Council Chamber HERE Tweet comments using hashtag #BrentLive  There is a public meeting calling for a General Election to end Tory austerity on March 14th (DETAILS)

THE MAIN CUTS & JOB LOSSES IN BRENT

OVERALL REDUCTION IN BUDGET £20,900,000

OVERALL INCREASE IN COUNCIL TAX 5.77% (CHARGE WILL BE £1,582.85 ON BAND D PROPERTY)

CONSULTATION ON OPTIONS TO REDUCE COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT FOR 2020-21 MAKING NEEDY FAMILIES PAY MORE

CUT £180,000 TO END ZONE 5 (RESIDENTIAL STREETS) LITTER PICKING

CUT £70,000 BY REMOVING LITTER BINS IN THESE STREETS

CUT £200,000 BY MAKING PARKS MAINTENANCE REACTIVE ONLY

CUT £60,000 BY REDUCING OPENING HOURS OF ABBEY ROAD RE-USE & RECYCLING CENTRE

CUT £1,524,000 IN 2019-20 & £450,000 IN 2020-21 BY REMOVING 40 POSTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

CUT £400,000 IN 2020-21 BY REMOVING 12  BRENT MET PATROL PLUS OFFICERS FROM APRIL 2020

CUT £250,000 BY HANDING OVER ROUNDWOOD YOUTH CENTRE AND CUTTING TWO POSTS THERE

CUT £250,000 IN EARLY HELP SERVICES INCLUDING LOSS OF TWO JOBS

CUT £250,00 BY REDUCING CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE’S ‘NON-CASING HOLDING STAFF’ BY 5 POSTS

CUT £1,491,000  IN 2020-21 BY REDUCING TOTAL NUMBER OF CHILDREN’S CENTRES FROM 17 TO 8 - REPLACE WITH ‘HUB’ MODEL (NB TOTAL JOB LOSSES NOT SPECIFIED)

CUT £102,000 IN 2019-20 & £158,000 IN 2020-21 BY CUTTING GRANTS TO VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS

CUT £100,000 IN 2020-21 BY REDUCING COMMUNICATIONS STAFF BY 2-3 POSTS

CUT £450,000 BY REMOVING 5 POSTS IN POLICY, PERFORMANCE & PARTNERSHIP TEAM

CUT £60,000 BY REDUCING SCRUTINY COMMITTEE FROM 3 TO 2 & THUS CUTTING ONE OFFICER

CUT £275,000 IN 2019-20 & £225,000 IN 2020-21 BY CUTTING RESPECTIVELY 6 & 5 CUSTOMER SERVICE POSTS

CUT £200,000 IN 2020-21 THROUGH IN-HOUSE TRANSFER OF CAPITA COUNCIL TAX CONTRACT LOSS OF 5 POSTS

FULL DETAILS HERE

Brent Council austerity cuts to hit the old, the poor, the young & the environment

Monday's Cabinet Meeting will be considering 'savings', known to most of us as 'cuts', of some £20million for 2019/20-2020/21 with cuts totally £40 million expected over the four year term of the current administration.

The Council Tax base (number of households paying the tax) is expected to rise by 2.5% per year and the Council expect to raise Council Tax itself by 4.99% in 2019-20 and 3.99% in 2020-21. At the same time there are proposals to cut Council Tax Support by up to 15% over the period.

The Council's Financial Position

Demographic Pressures

The process following the Cabinet meeting is: 

·      These proposals, together with any changes made by Cabinet, will form the basis of consultation between October 2018 and January 2019 with local residents, businesses and other key stakeholders; 


·      The three scrutiny committees will review the budget proposals and report accordingly; 


·      In November the General purposes committee will review the calculation of the council tax base; and

·      After consultation, a budget report will be presented for Cabinet to recommend a final budget and council tax to the February 2019 Council meeting.

The Officers' Report states:

The proposals have been categorised as follows:

Appendix A:

Appendix B:

Appendix C:

Appendix D:

A.  Recommended budget proposals that have relatively minor impact on residents, business and other stakeholders. Typically these proposals represent generating additional income, general efficiencies in order to reduce expenditure and transformation programmes in order to deliver services within a reduced budget envelope.

B.  These proposals are considered to be ‘difficult’ in that they will have a direct impact on residents, businesses, the voluntary sector and other key stakeholders. Typically these proposals represent a service reduction or a transformation in the way in which services are delivered.

C.  These proposals are considered to be ‘very difficult’ as they represent a greater reduction in key council services and will have a greater impact on key recipients of council services, including vulnerable clients.

D. These proposals are considered to be the ‘most difficult’ as they represent a significant reduction in key council services, including to the most vulnerable residents in the borough.

Officers’ expectation is that savings of £40m will be needed over the lifetime o f this Administration. The profile of these is broadly balanced, and so officers’ advice is that the Administration should seek to agree savings of at least £20m in order to be able to agree a balanced budget for at least the next two years. However, it is important to note that, on the current funding estimates, significant further savings will need to be agreed at the Council meeting of February 2021. As a result the current working assumptions is that anything not agreed in this budget round may need to be considered again at the point in time, and further options identified.

There are usually some items in the report that the administration  do not intend to implement but where they can claim in not implementing then that they have 'listened' to residents. (Forgive me for my cynicism!)

There are 161 pages on detail on the proposals so I cannot summarise them hear but I have embedded them below.

Headline items that will impact on the old, the young and all residents include

•  renegotiate adult social care costs to bring them down to the lowest current level (this may mean some agencies will withdraw from bidding),  renegotiate Supported Living and Housing Related Support, and reducing carer visits to 15 minutes.
•  ending Youth Service provision at the last remaining Youth Centre in Brent, Roundwood
• reduce the number of Children's Centres from 17 to 8, transforming into Family Hubs ( there is a further option of closing them all)
• reduction in Early Help Service staffing and increase in fees
• reduce Connexions Service further
• reducing Library opening hours and possibly closing one library
• making 40 full time equivalent Environmental Services staff redundant (producing 'leaner teams' !)
• ending street cleaning of residential streets (Zone 5) and removing their litter bins
• reduce the opening hours of Abbey Road Recycling Centre or close it completely
• reduce or end grants to Brent's voluntary organisations 

Details (click on bottom right square to enlarge):