It would be extraordinary if this blog didn't look at this week's borough council meeting. Firstly, I would like to echo Cllr Gerald McGregor's intervention that day asking, on behalf of the Conservative group, for a minute's silence to remember all those who have died in Ukraine defending their country, their families, friends and freedom. Today, as the news worsens, we honour and thank them. We honour and thank, too, all Russian citizens who speak out against their political leaders, for peace and an end to the war.
Not as I had planned
I wasn’t planning to write any of what I am about to say in this blog. We all expected Tuesday's borough council meeting on the budget to go as usual. Councillors in the Labour Group would be required to stand up and reject our alternative budget, whatever it said. We could anticipate who would rise and what they would say. Instead, whilst that is of course what happened in the budget debate, this Tuesday's meeting was one of the most unpredictable and interesting since I became a councillor in 2018.
We, Chiswick Councillors, all keep watch on our local media sources including Brentford Today & TV. We'd seen articles about behind the scenes plotting in the Labour group (deselections, switching wards, stuffing wards with friends and family, changing rules to allow nominations from the floor during selection meetings to out-vote decent, hard-working, popular councillors) and predictions of who was manoeuvring whom into which roles.
So, when I arrived at 6.30pm, bumping into Cllr Shantanu Rajawat and Cllr Samia Choudhary, I congratulated them on being the next Leader and Deputy Leader. They both said I should not listen to rumours or trust what I read – yes, the standard response when there's more than an element of truth behind the speculation.
Upstairs, just as my colleagues Cllr Gerald McGregor, Cllr Joanna Biddolph and I approached the door to the opposition room, a group of four Councillors thundered past, with faces like thunder, pushed open a door and settled into a private meeting room just out of sight. The thunderous four were Cllr Steve Curran (Leader of the Council), Cllr Katherine Dunne, Cllr Lily Bath and Cllr Sue Sampson.
"He's survived the vote of no confidence" someone in our team whispered as we walked into our office. This seemed incredible, given the looks on the faces of the council leader and his chief fixers. It proved to be more complicated than that. We now know that the vote of no confidence was blocked. Without following through with a vote, it would be fair to assume that the prediction was that he'd have lost. No wonder the thunderous four looked so thunderous; they needed to work out how to save their thunderous faces.
Minutes later the council's chief executive was seen striding with purpose away from the chamber, looking down at the carpet, avoiding eye contact and with an unusually grim expression on his face. Something was clearly going on, but it was beyond our imagination.
Then the shock. After apologies and other routine agenda niceties, the mayor invited Cllr Curran to speak. And what an announcement it was: he would not be standing at the May election due to illness.
The full video of the meeting here with Cllr Curran's announcement at around 20.55 minutes.
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Many councillors across the chamber, and members of the public around the side, reached for their mobile phones, texting earnestly with some on the Labour side unable to hide their shocked expressions. I glanced over to the Labour comrades one of whom looked at me and drew a finger from left to right across his neck. The fixers' attempt to save Cllr Curran had failed. He was now irrelevant.
Several councillors poured praise on Cllr Curran's eight years as leader. I wasn't going to speak but, while hearing all the praise, was reminded of my ‘O’ level English literature book, Julius Caesar, and the famous speech made by Marc Anthony at Caesar’s funeral, “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.” I said, adding, "so let it be with Steve Curran".
Unknown to all but one officer who had been forewarned, there was a sting in the tail. Cllr Theo Dennison, a former cabinet member and a Syon ward councillor alongside Cllr Curran, stood up and spoke.
"We have seen the dark side of Steve Curran"
Announcing that he was, that evening, resigning from the Labour group and would be leaving the Labour Party, he said, referring to the damage done to his party by Cllr Curran's absolute control during the selection process, “We have seen the dark side of Steve Curran … and it is with absolutely no regret that I welcome his resignation".
Cllr Dennison added “We have an opportunity at the next election to look to the future, to look to an improvement of our borough and that cannot mean going back to a sloppy, lazy Labour Party that does not trust its values, our residents and our members”.
To hear what Councillor Dennison said view the video of the meeting at around 47 minutes.
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A council budget with "stuff in it that stinks … stitched up in private"
During the debate on the budget, Cllr Dennison revealed that Labour members were allowed a mere five minutes in the Labour group meeting to discuss the budget - after the budget had been produced and distributed, which is why it had "stuff in it that stinks". It was "stitched up in private". We agreed with, and voted for, his amendment to abolish the Labour policy of withdrawing assistance, through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, to some of the most vulnerable people in society – because, as he said, "people can't pay what they ain't got" adding that "it's a lazy way of trying to close the budget gap and it's a way that simply doesn't work because you cannot fill a budget gap with the debts of other people".
Demonstrating Labour's factional, bloody-minded ‘couldn't care less’ attitude about poorer residents, the discussion was stopped by Labour councillor Corinna Smart by immediately moving the motion to the vote. Democracy really is dead in Hounslow.
Later during a debate on councillors' allowances, and referring to Chiswick councillor Joanna Biddolph's comment - there are too many councillor posts that attract an additional Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA). As she put it – “to shore up the leader's wobbly majority", Cllr Dennison said "we have to abolish the patronage of the leader of the council". Referring to the £229,000 a year, or £1m in a term, that is "entirely in the gift of the leader of the council" to buy support, Cllr Dennison said this put the Party above the public. It is your money, as we nine Chiswick Councillors always recognise.
"Money will talk, money will buy votes, money will corrupt"
Because decisions are not taken by the Labour cabinet in a public meeting but are decided in private beforehand. Cllr Dennison called for the council to adopt the committee structure. He concluded by saying, “until we do, there will always be the danger that money will talk, money will buy votes, money will corrupt”. We agreed with enthusiasm – it's in our manifesto for the elections this May. Democracy can be revived in Hounslow.
The Conservative group's budget and a moment of light relief
Cllr McGregor presented the Conservative Group Alternative Budget , supported by Chiswick Councillor John Todd. As anyone could predict, it was rejected by the Labour Group though Cllr Dennison and Cllr Devina Ram both abstained. As mentioned earlier, their amendment to delete proposed changes to the council tax reduction scheme, was rejected by the entire Labour group but supported by the entire Conservative group.
The Labour Group had, of course, been instructed to vote against everything proposed by the Conservative Opposition. Knowing where we are with amendments and motions can be confusing. When it came to voting for their own budget, the first Labour councillor called on to cast their vote had lost her place and voted against the Labour budget much to the horror of the other Labour councillors but to the great amusement of the Conservative councillors.
It was a much-needed moment of light relief in what was certainly the most interesting Borough council meeting I have attended. You can watch the whole thing here.
Deselected, reselected – what's going on?
Just an update on selections/deselections. As with the Conservative Party, there are two stages: selection at party group level followed by selection at ward level. If you aren't selected at party group level, you can't stand for selection by a ward. So, Cllr Richard Eason who, alongside Chiswick Cllr Todd, brought a call-in of the cabinet decision to create Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) across the whole of Hounslow, was not selected at party level and is therefore excluded from any and all ward selections; he is out. In contrast, Cabinet Member for Transport Cllr Hanif Khan, whose resignation Cllr Eason called for because of the LTNs policy, was selected at party group level but not by his current ward; he is still in and free to stand for selection in other wards.
It is a very unattractive truth that these rules now exclude popular and hard-working Cllr Eason from all wards, but that Cllr Khan can keep trying, though there are hints that he might now be considered to be on the wrong side and either not want to stand to avoid being further humiliated, or not achieve selection and be further humiliated. We shall see. Having said that, he is one of the most polite and well-mannered councillors on the other side, even though we can't commend his attitude towards Chiswick.
Gambling on a gambling policy
Also, on the Borough Council meeting agenda was the licensing committee's proposed gambling policy, concerned about risks from gambling especially to vulnerable people. At 122 pages long – representing a lot of work, effort, time and money – and with around 45 licensed gambling premises in the borough, Cllr Gabriella Giles (a member of the licensing committee) wondered if the policy was proportionate. Recognising the risks of gambling, that it can create a huge amount of stress and is one of the highest contributors to male suicide in the country, and that it can be both cause and effect of poverty, Cllr Giles was concerned about whether we are working smart in the best interests, or whether we are condescending to our residents and saying, "oh, well we've done this analysis, you live in a poor area so therefore you are at risk of gambling". She said the new Local Area Profile (LAP), doesn't sit well with her. The LAP is new and categorises areas at risk of gambling based on many socio-economic factors which can all be simplified into “you’re poor, or vulnerable, you live in an area where unemployment is higher, so you’re a higher risk". She asked if we are focusing our energies in the best way to make sure we are maximising what we are able to deliver to our residents.
Another respectful note
Tuesday's meeting also marked the end of Cllr Bishnu Gurung's term as Mayor of Hounslow. I cannot but be impressed by the way he mastered the role with deep respect for the work and for its symbolism. Cllr McGregor, on behalf of the Conservative Group, led appreciative applause for him at what was his last appearance in that role.
And, of course, I wish Cllr Curran, who remains Leader of the Council until 10th May, a speedy recovery and good health ahead. I have also sent him a private email to wish him well.
It's been a week of endings and I look forward to new beginnings.
Councillor Ranjit Gill, Turnham Green ward
