Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts

Friday 16 June 2017

How K&C Council tried to silence Grenfell Action Group bloggers

I am sure sure most of WM readers have seen this but in case some of you haven't, here is the letter from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea seeking to silence the Grenfell Action Group's blog.

I admire the group's courage and tenacity in resisting the threat as they persisted in speaking truth to power.

Below is a list of links to blogs they published trying to warn the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, who own this property, and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation who supposedly manage all social housing in RBKC on the Council’s behalf:

https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/fire-safety-scandal-at-lancaster-west/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playing-with-fire/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/more-on-fire-safety/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/another-fire-safety-scandal/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/kctmo-feeling-the-heat/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/why-are-we-waiting/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/grenfell-tower-from-bad-to-worse/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/more-trouble-at-grenfell-tower/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/the-disempowered-of-grenfell-tower/
https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/tmo-still-asleep-at-the-wheel

Friday 28 November 2014

An apology

Following complaints about a previous post I made on this blog, I would like to apologise to anyone who felt it was inappropriate, or contained inappropriate elements. It was not my intention to cause anyone discomfort, distress, or offence, which is why I have, after considered reflection, decided to remove it and the post which followed it.

Comments are closed on this post.

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Wembley Matters wishes you a successful New Year of struggle

Page views May 2007 to Jan 1st2014

I would like to thank all my readers for their support this year which has seen the Wembley Matters readership continue to grow.   In particular I am grateful to guest bloggers and those who have contributed information for my stories.

Later this month Wembley Matters should hit half a million 'all time' page views.

I wish everyone a successful New Year of struggle for environmental and social justice..

Monday 21 January 2013

Butt's blog bites back

Brent Council leader, Muhammed Butt's, New Year blog has on the Council website LINK has received four comments.  He wrote about the Council's strategy on improving and creating employment opportunities:

Posted 16/01/2013 10:05:11 by Shel
It's great to see that the creation of new jobs and getting people into work is a top priority. I hope Brent will be able to fund projects aimed at getting locals into work through training sessions on interview techniques, job hunting, finding relevant training programmes etc... I can-not express the great importance of such programmes. 4 years ago, I attended a 2 day workshop run by Brent Council aimed at getting the long-term unemployed into work. At that point I had been busy raising 3 children. The workshops gave me the confidence to get back into employment and my career has been moving from strength to strength. I feel indebted to the programme.

Posted 16/01/2013 08:56:47 by Jean Roberts
It is good to see that you are concentrating on jobs and growth. Education is also under attack by this government with its drive to make all schools academies or free schools through bribery with our money or by force to big chains who will ultimately run the education system for profit. Brent should be doing more to stand up for our great community schools. We now face a possible free school paid for by the DfE (our taxes) without any consultation with the community, appearing somewhere in Wembley Park. The ruling by the Information Commissioner that this process should be open and transparent will hopefully mean we will find out exactly what is happening.

Posted 15/01/2013 22:34:19 by Tracey Burke
Increasing employment opportunities is a laudable aim but I have concerns that this is being promoted as some kind of panacea for the supposed ills in society. What type of employment opportunities will these be? Will there be affordable housing and ethical private landlords to house these employees? There is a wealth of research that points to perceived ills as being in depth and entwined issues, the underlying commonalities being inequality, low pay scales, lack of affordable housing and statutory services raising the gateways for access to services. We are mindlessly accepting central government cuts that will decimate our most vulnerable members of society. What you don't clarify Mr Butt is how your cabinet will support people who work for disgustingly low pay with little or no employment rights. Nor do you address your strategy for supporting Brent residents who will never be able to work? As you are only too well aware the universal credits system that will hit us shortly is a template for increasing inequality. How are you and your cabinet planing to ensure that this government doesn't impact on the residents who vote for you and for whom you have statutory duties of care?

Posted 15/01/2013 17:41:41 by Michael Calderbank
I'm very glad to hear that jobs are such a priority. In that case, I take it, the council won't be making compulsory redundancies as a result of implementing cuts to the budget? Also, I wonder how many people who work for external contractors procured by Brent Council to provide services are paid less than the London Living Wage, and why paying a living wage isn't a precondition of the tendering process? Perhaps you can let us know on your next blog?

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Thanks for your support for Wembley Matters

It has been gratifying to receive a number of messages from readers over Christmas thanking me for Wembley Matters.  I can't promise to keep it up forever but as the blog appears to be meeting a need I'll keep going as long as I can.

Meanwhile I hope all my readers have a restful break and come back with renewed vigour to fight for environmental and social justice in 2013.

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Butt blogs on his ambitions for Brent

Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt has posted his first blog as Council leader.  You can comment directly on his posting  which is on the Brent Council website LINK

This is what he has to say:

Welcome to my first blog as Leader of Brent Council.

Over the coming months I will be letting you know about the things we are doing in Brent, the problems we face and the solutions we are working on.

I know that the workings of Government, both national and local, can sometimes seem removed from our lives. The language used and the bureaucracy can make it seem like there is a gap between us.

I want this blog to be part of bridging that gap. Please feel free to email me your comments. I genuinely want to hear your views. It's probably helpful to start by telling you a little about myself and what I stand for. I think it is easier to understand the decisions people make when you understand where they are coming from, and what they are trying to achieve.

I am a Brent boy, born and bred. I was born in Wembley, went to school in the borough and studied at the old Kilburn Polytechnic. I live with my wife and children in the ward I represent, Tokyngton. My children go to school in the borough. I started off as an engineer at BT, and worked my way up to a project manager. I am passionate about Brent people because I am proud to be one.

I got involved in politics by helping out in my community. I started by assisting people with what we call 'casework' - getting potholes fixed in roads and ensuring people have access to the services they need. Realising that it is possible to improve people's lives with hard work and experience changed my life.

I work in politics because I want to make Brent a better place, and absolutely believe it is possible. I have a passionate desire to see three things for Brent and its people.

1. Fairness. The inequality and injustice I see as I travel across our Borough makes me angry. It is unacceptable that a child growing up in Stonebridge will live ten years less, have a household income of £28,000 less per year and are 17 per cent more likely to live in poverty than a child in Queens Park. If we have one duty as parents and as a community it is to guarantee that where you are born does not determine the chances you have in life.

2. Jobs, growth and fair pay. I want all residents to have the opportunities and the tools they need to access work that pays a fair wage. I want to attract more jobs to Brent, guarantee our children leave school with the skills they need to access work and ensure people who are unemployed have the support they need to find work again. I also believe in a fair days pay for a fair days work - work must pay enough for a sustainable and fulfilling life.

3. A strong sense of community. Like you, I know my neighbours and we help each other out, but this is becoming harder in the modern world. People who know their neighbours and look out for each other are happier, healthier and wealthier as a result. The bonds that tie us together as a community are our greatest asset. I want to nurture and strengthen these bonds, so that no one in our community feels isolated or alone. I believe we all - the Council, residents, businesses and charities - have a responsibility to make this happen.

These are the things I believe in and fight for. Of course there are many things that make these difficult to achieve - the struggling economy, huge cuts from national Government, increasing fragmentation of society and our ageing population amongst others.

I will explore these in more detail in future blogs. But I guarantee you every decision we make and every penny we spend is trying to achieve one of the three things above.

These are our ambitions and together we will achieve them.