Cllr Muhammed Butt and the Kiln Theatre

I opined that the OurTricycle campaign had largely run out of steam, and I still think that is basically true, but it still managed a brief appearance in Private Eye this week.

The piece makes two points.  One is to suggest that there is some form of deception in fund raising for the theatre rebuilding without making a specific point about the name change.  I regard this as really odd, since I think the actual name of the Theatre is a very minor matter compared to the benefits of the rebuild and the potential regeneration benefits for Kilburn. 

The Play's the thing, as someone once said. 

Secondly, it comments on the apparent ignorance of Cllr Muhammed Butt about the name change.  It is said, through a FoI request, that the Council Leader only became aware of the change on 28 November 2017 despite the fact that the Board discussed it much earlier.  I can't help but be sceptical of this.  Cllr Muhammed Butt seems to have had a long and surprising record of ignorance and odd decisions over the Jewish Film Festival, the NHS in Brent, pub protection, Council Tax, Planning, school academies, Brent Council's procurement decisions, the closure of Youth Centres the rules of the Labour Party, efforts to exclude Labour councillors from the Group, whether Labour councillors are suspended and even whether members of the Labour Group he leads are alive. 

To come back to the Kiln, my view would be that however that decision was arrived at, it is now a done deal and there is no real point in trying to reverse it.  I think that anyone who wishes the Theatre and the Kilburn community well should just embrace the new season and enjoy the benefits of the new Kiln Theatre.