Transforming Brent Libraries at Queens Park Books

Transforming Brent Libraries is now available at Queens Park Books at 87 Salusbury Road, NW6. It is also still available online here.

Letter on Libraries in the Guardian

In addition to my new book "Transforming Brent Libraries" I also had a letter published in the Guardian which you read here. It comments on the Guardian's recent editorial on local libraries here.

Transforming Brent Libraries Now Available

I haven't been on this blog for a very long time. I am returning to it now because I have published a book "Transforming Brent Libraries" which goes through the process of how the Libraries Transformation Project was formulated, decided, defended against legal and political objections and eventually implemented. The book is available for sale at a new web site: https://www.jamespowney.com/

More on the Rule of Law

I have just been reading "Fake Law" by the Secret Barrister. In it he recounts that Harriet Harman as Solicitor General said that Fred Goodwin's employment contract giving him a huge pension despite trashing his employer, RBS, "violated the Court of Public Opinion" and should be over ridden. He regards this violation of the Rule of law as shocking, which it was. One Tory MP at the time dismissed it as "leftie inanity". The MP was Boris Johnson. He gives Johnson's own web site as his source. Quite a change from Mr Johnson's views on breaking international law today.

Brexit Promises

Boris Johnson's proposal to over ride existing law to implement the Irish backstop is probably the most self defeating tactic he could pursue. I wonder what all those strict believers in Brexit as the "will of the people" think of it? It is after all quite contrary to the electoral mandate that Johnson won less than a year ago.

Brexit Chicken

Why does it not seem to occur to Boris Johnson and his ilk that if he has decided that the EU will cave because the damage from no deal would be so gigantic, the same calculation may be believed by them about him? These are the exactly the right way to create an accidental no deal Brexit, and exactly the best way to put the EU off negotiating with us in future.

The Climate Emergency is too Urgent for Extinction Rebellion

Yesterday's partial blocking of newspapers exposes how the Extinction Rebellion has been hijacked by people with quite other motives. This not as uncommon as one might hope. Another example might be Palestinian rights. Fringe groups whose main objectives have little public sympathy like the SWP try to latch on to more popular causes and exploit them. In the process, they wreck those causes. This should be allowed to happen with tackling the climate emergency.

Brent Council's New Executive

I gather it is intended to drop three of the existing Council executive from the new one, which is tough on them but otherwise not noteworthy. Brent Council is essentially being run by one man as a family business.

Brent Council General Reserves

Brent Council Audit Committee will shortly meet and find that Brent has a General reserve of about £15 million. Grant Thorton believes that makes it safer than most Councils from catastrophic failure. This is the culmination of many years, arguably starting with Paul Daisley who was leader from 1996 to 2001. Inheriting organised financial chaos the Tories under Bob Blackman, he set the pace for Brent's professionalisation as a Council. This continued once his former Deputy Ann John succeeded him as Leader. There was a short hiatus under the Tory/Lib Dem leadership of Paul Lorber, who cut reserves ahead of the 2010 election. The very tough financial situation then facing the incoming Labour administration, where at one point we faced a projected overspend of £7.1 million but a reserve of only £7.5 million, caused it to follow the auditors' advice and increase reserves again. It also caused the administration to seek increases in revenue wherever possible (with the exception of Council Tax). At the same time there were a number of money saving transformations, improved procurement and in cases quite courageous decisions no longer to fund certain activities. All this work helped Brent Council to maintain relative freedom of action in the ensuing years. Now that Brent is once again facing even more central government cuts it is important that councillors show similar courage and discipline. The alternative is to lose a grip on the finances and therefore the political agenda.

Labour Group Elections

I notice that various runners and riders in the Brent Labour Group elections have been made public. Nothing substantial is likely to change however, especially as the governance mechanisms of the Labour Group remain the same. There will however be a series of extremely brutal changes to Brent Council services as the Councils finances collapse.

Harlesden and Kingsbury Libraries

I am told that Harlesden and Kingsbury Libraries have reopened, although I have been to them myself. I hope all Brent libraries extend their hours soon.

2019 Election Retrospective

I have just been reading today's Sunday Times on the 2019 election, and it is the weirdest account I have ever read. The Corbyn's hatred for everyone else was always plain, but their deep loathing for each other less so. The sheer unprofessionLism of these who refused to speak to one another, accept basic facts, even share details of events is indezcrible. A slogan was even rejected because Tony Blair had used it more than twenty years before. There really is no need to believe in conspiracies to sabotage people who are doing so much to destroy themselves.

Poor Housing and More Covid19 infection

The media is reporting that Brent's poor housing is a key part of why we are a Covid19 hot spot. No surprise. The real question is how do we improve the housing?

Exam Disaster

The size and scale of the English exam disaster is stunning even by the standards of the Johnson government. Whereas I have no doubt Williamson will swing for It, it is worth recalling Michael Gove contributed by downgrading coursework and imposing the lowering grades dogma. His great guru in this was of course Dominic Cummings; now the most powerful man in the government.

Harlesden and Kingsbury Libraries Still Closed

Harlesden and Kingsbury Libraries remain closed although we were told that all Brent libraries would open in July. Interestingly, the various objectors to the Libraries Transformation in 2011 don't seem bothered by this, but it leaves the North of the Borough with very little coverage. What is the reason?

Kilburn Library Services

Yesterday I happened to be in Kilburn Library where a staff member told me that most of the chairs had been removed in order to discourage people from using the library in the name of making the space safer. Presumably it also allows everyone more time to contemplate the futility of human existence.

Brent Museum Reopens

Brent Museum's permanent exhibition appears to be open to viewing again. The interactive bits remain closed, but it is good to see some further progress at Wìllesden Library.

Brent Labour Group Democracy

I have glanced at the Labour Group's Democracy Review, and found it disappointing. Some points at a inaccurate, for instance the Whip can suspend Group members under the existing rules and this has been done in the recent past. Councillors have willingly surrendered their ability to vote nominees to committees and posts, largely because that is what the Leader told them. Most glaringly, only twenty odd actually responded to the opinion survey. It brings to mind the old joke the meeting on combating political apathy has been cancelled because of lack of interest.

Police Stops

Brent Central MP Dawn Butler was reportedly stopped at lunchtime on Sunday. Although the incident appears to have been sorted out fairly swiftly on the spot, it is a reminder that the whole justice system fails to deliver, well, justice.

Restricting Movements by Age

There have been reports that the government ask all those over 50 to shield. I find this very unlikely as 338 MPs in the current Parliament are fifty or above.