Agenda item

To debate the motions submitted in accordance with Standing Order 41.

 

Members are asked to note that in accordance with Standing Order 41(c), the motions submitted have now been attached as part of the agenda along with any amendments for which notice has been received.

 

NB: Meeting agenda republished on 23 November 2020.

(1)      The following motion submitted by the Conservative Group was rejected:

 

Management of Transport for London (TfL) funding

 

This Council is seriously concerned about the massive waste of Brent and Londoners’ hard earned money by TfL and Sadiq Khan and therefore calls for his resignation.

 

Through mismanagement and incompetence, TfL is virtually bankrupt. Twice Sadiq Khan has gone to the Government cap in hand begging for bailouts, and the UK taxpayer has already given him £3.3bn in bailouts this year so far.

 

Since Sadiq Khan won the Mayoralty in 2016, TfL’s debts have gone from bad to worse, rising to £11.7bn, and this was pre-covid!

 

These include:

 

·                £640m to subsidise tourist travel;

 

·                £1.59Bn debt interest;

 

·                £5.25Bn due to Crossrail delays;

 

·                £45m spent on service contracts including £24m to provide taxis for TFL staff.  I thought the mayor was encouraging people to walk, cycle or take buses and trains;

 

·                £828m spent on pension overpayments;

 

·                Over 100 extra staff being paid over £100,000 per annum.

 

In order to attempt to recoup this wasted money, Sadiq Khan has increased the Congestion Charge to £15 per day every day until 10pm, hitting thousands of people and businesses, including those in Brent, very hard.

 

Sadiq Khan tells us that he’s managed to resist the Government’s demands to extend the Congestion Charge to the North and South Circular Roads, but fails to tell people that the Government never made those demands in the first place.

 

Of course he does not want an extension to the Congestion Charge.  There is an election next year.

But make no mistake; if Sadiq Khan is re-elected, then it is very likely that he WILL extend the Congestion Charge.  He needs the money to fund his incompetence and his main source of income is milking the poor hapless motorist.

 

Sadiq Khan blames Covid for the loss of revenue but conveniently fails to inform people that the Government would cover that loss.  What the Government will not cover is money lost through waste and incompetence.

 

This Council therefore believes that Sadiq Khan is not a fit and proper person to be in charge of London’s Transport network and calls on him not only to resign but also to stop using motorists, including those from within Brent, to fund TfL.

 

Councillors Colwill, Kansagra and Maurice voted in favour of the above motion.

 

Councillor Georgiou abstained and all other members present at the meeting voted against the above motion.

 

(2)      Having rejected an amendment moved by the Conservative Group at the meeting, the following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was approved:

 

Green Economic Recovery

 

The Council Notes:

 

·                That in Brentwe face a looming jobs and climate emergency.

 

·                That unemployment in Brent has increased by at least 3,000 people in the period between June 2019 and 2020.

 

·                Nationally there has been over a million jobs lost due to Covid-19; with the Bank of England estimating this will rise to 2.6 million people out of work.

 

·                Earlier this year in Brent Central, nearly half of all our workers were furloughed – the highest proportion in the United Kingdom.

 

·                That before the pandemic, the poverty rate in Brent was 33% higher than the average; with an unemployment rate 6% higher than the national average.

 

·                The work of the Poverty Commission in Brent has highlighted that far too many of our constituents are reliant upon informal and unstable employment – compounded now by a looming jobs crisis.

 

·                The latest U-turn by the Government to extend the furlough scheme until Marchwill come too little too late for many of our residents now out of work.

 

The Council welcomes this Labour administration’s continued commitment to:

 

·                Support our existing and new businesses to survive in the short term and adapt and thrive in the new post-Covid economy.

 

·                Support residents into employment pathways, through an award-winning council-run jobs brokerage service, Brent Works; aiding over 1,000 residents with employment advice, since lockdown began.

 

·                Enable our residents to unlock their potential through upskilling, reskilling, training provision and apprenticeships through our very own adult education college, Brent Start which regularly provides education and training to around 2,500 learners a year.

 

·                Create a skills system responsive to the needs of the future by expanding the range of courses offered by Brent Start, through a £43m investment at Morland Gardens to develop a state-of-the-art education centre, council homes and affordable workspace.

 

·                Working in partnership with our anchor institutions and major employers to use our supply chains and spending power to unlock social value in our procurement processes.

 

·                End low pay - as a big local employer we’ve led by example and have been accredited as a London Living Wage Employer for seven years in a row since 2013.

 

This Council believes in a Green economic recovery:

 

·                Brent and its residents have powered London’s success story as a global city for decades – our borough is home to people with aspiration, ambition and the ideal that if you work hard, your children will have a better future.

 

·                The Government must provide support to Brent to help us rebuild our local economy and help tackle the climate emergency.

 

·                An international comparison of green stimulus packages suggests that the UK has fallen behind many other advanced economies, which are taking the climate and ecological challenge more seriously.

 

·                The Government’s own advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, has made clear, we are not on track to meet our net zero 2050 target.

 

·                Many manufacturers and construction businesses have been at the forefront of the transition to the low-carbon, green economy of the future; and others are keen to engage in that transition, but currently lack the levers to do so.  It has been estimated that to meet the net zero target, sectors such as steel and cement will need to reduce emissions by 94% and 93% respectively, by 2040.

 

·                It's time for a bold and ambitious plan to deliver thousands of jobs in Brent which can also tackle the climate crisis. We can harness the opportunities for green growth and the technologies of the future – but only if the Government makes the right decisions and works with Brent to recover jobs, retrain workers and rebuild businesses.

 

·                With looming unemployment, the right thing to do for our economy is to invest in the jobs of the future now.

 

This Council Resolves:

 

·                To call on the government to support a green economic recovery and with the help of British industry, accelerate energy retrofitting programmes - creating jobs, making homes warmer, reducing bills, and driving down emissions.

 

·                To call on the government to fund a green economic recovery that would leave no worker behind, supporting them to build on their skills through existing programmes like Brent Start and equip our workers with the skills for our future economy.

 

·                To reaffirm our commitment to the interlinked efforts of the council, aimed at improving the prosperity of our communities; from the work of Poverty Commission, the Brent Black Community Action Plan, the Climate Emergency strategy and the Keep Brent Working campaign.

 

·                To request that the Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills write to Government to call for:

Ø   A commitment to a major investment package in employment and skills support alongside the furlough scheme; and raise the wage floor for furloughed workers so nobody is left facing poverty during this difficult period.

 

Ø   An urgent re-think on plans to withdraw the £20 per week boost to Universal Credit, which has been a lifeline to many Brent residents out of work during the pandemic.

 

Councillors Colwill, Kansagra and Maurice abstained from voting on the above motion.

 

(3)      Having rejected an amendment moved by the Conservative Group at the meeting, the following Motion submitted by the Labour Group was approved:

 

Thank you to our Keyworkers

 

This Council celebrates:

 

·                The resilience and resourcefulness of Brent Council staff in responding to the challenges posed by a global pandemic, stepping in as the fourth emergency service to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

 

·                That testament to the tireless work of our staff both before and during this pandemic, the Local Government Chronicle awarded this organisation ‘Council of the Year for 2020 – highlighting the council’s ability to ‘convene communities’ as ‘an antidote to today’s fractured society’.

 

·                The enormous and continuing contribution of our entire family of essential keyworkers either employed or residing in Brent.

 

·                That keyworkers on the frontline – from NHS colleagues, our social care heroes, Transport for London staff, our school teams, council officers, contractors, emergency services, refuse collectors, parking officers, and our retail workers keeping essential services open – have all made personal sacrifices without parallel; for the betterment of our borough.

 

·                That communities across Brent have come together in a rousing display of solidarity to support their fellow residents. This network of mutual aid groups, our voluntary organisations, foodbanks, local businesses and faith groups – they have shown true leadership when it has been found wanting in the corridors of power.

 

This Council believes:

 

We join the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer in his declaration that:

 

·                We can see so clearly now who the key workers really are.

 

·                When we get through this it will be because of the hard work and bravery of every key worker as they took on this virus and kept our country going.

 

·                For too long they have been taken for granted and poorly paid. They were last and now they should be first.

 

·                In their courage and their sacrifice and their bravery, we can see a better future.

 

This Council resolves:

 

·                To convey this Chamber’s collectivedebt of gratitude to all of our keyworkers and recognise the personal sacrifices made in our borough’s hour of need.

 

·                To do all we can to stand up and speak up for our key workers throughout the continuing pandemic.

 

·                To call on the Government to recognise this moment of opportunity to thank all workers across the public sector, in deeds and not just words – by committing to a sector wide pay rise, acknowledging the vital services that keyworkers sustain and accounting for the decade of real-terms pay cuts since austerity began in 2010.

 

·                To call on the Government to commit to giving the councils a funding package at the Spending Review that puts our essential services on long-term sustainable financial footing. This includes the urgent need for the Government to make good on the promise of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to fund the cost of ‘whatever it takes’ to tackle the pandemic.

 

Councillors Colwill, Kansagra and Maurice abstained from voting on the above motion.

Before moving on to consider the motions listed on the summons, the Mayor reminded members that a total of 30 minutes would be set aside for the consideration of all three motions submitted for debate, based on an initial allocation of 10 minutes per motion. Should the time taken to consider the first motion be less than 10 minutes he advised that the remaining time available would be split between the remaining motions on a rolling basis.

 

18.1    1st Motion (Conservative Group) – Management of Transport for London (TfL) funding

 

The Mayor invited Councillor Maurice to move the first motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Conservative Group.  Councillor Maurice in moving the motion began by highlighting the financial situation currently faced by Transport for London (TfL) despite the recent additional government funding it had received.  He felt it important to note the impact of the increase in the congestion charge and its potential extension to the North and South Circular Road, given the effect this would have on Brent residents. The motion, he felt, highlighted the mismanagement of TfL by the Mayor for London and on that basis he commended the motion to members.

 

The Mayor then invited other members to speak on the motion, with the following contributions received.

 

Councillor Hirani, speaking against the motion, outlined and challenged what he felt to be the misinformed basis of the motion. He stated that 72% of TfL funding came through fares and that, prior to the pandemic, its finances were in a good position as verified by independent auditors.  There was also a need to recognise that at the peak of the pandemic passenger income was down by 90% compared to the previous year.  He also emphasised that the current TfL management had sought to reduce the operating deficit (left by the former Conservative Mayor for London) by 71% prior to the pandemic.  Councillor Hirani also felt it was important to note that the proposals to extend the congestion charge to the North and South Circular roads, as highlighted in the motion, had been raised as options by the government rather than TfL itself.  Having challenged the basis of the motion, he therefore urged all members to reject and vote against it.

 

As no further members had indicated that they wished to speak the Mayor invited Councillor Maurice to exercise his right of reply.

 

In summing up, Councillor Maurice reemphasised his belief that the current financial situation at TfL had been caused by mismanagement rather than the pandemic and that the basis of his motion therefore remained valid.

 

The Mayor then put the motion, as set out below, to a vote by show of hands which was declared LOST.

 

“This Council is seriously concerned about the massive waste of Brent and Londoners’ hard earned money by TfL and Sadiq Khan and therefore calls for his resignation.

 

Through mismanagement and incompetence, TfL is virtually bankrupt. Twice Sadiq Khan has gone to the Government cap in hand begging for bailouts, and the UK taxpayer has already given him £3.3bn in bailouts this year so far.

 

Since Sadiq Khan won the Mayoralty in 2016, TfL’s debts have gone from bad to worse, rising to £11.7bn, and this was pre-covid!

 

These include:

 

·             £640m to subsidise tourist travel;

·             £1.59bn debt interest;

·             £5.25bn due to Crossrail delays;

·             £45m spent on service contracts including £24m to provide taxis for TFL staff. I thought the mayor was encouraging people to walk, cycle or take buses and trains;

·             £828m spent on pension overpayments;

·             Over 100 extra staff being paid over £100,000 per annum.

 

In order to attempt to recoup this wasted money, Sadiq Khan has increased the Congestion Charge to £15 per day every day until 10pm, hitting thousands of people and businesses, including those in Brent, very hard.

 

Sadiq Khan tells us that he’s managed to resist the Government’s demands to extend the Congestion Charge to the North and South Circular Roads, but fails to tell people that the Government never made those demands in the first place.

 

Of course he does not want an extension to the Congestion Charge. There is an election next year. But make no mistake; if Sadiq Khan is re-elected, then it is very likely that he WILL extend the Congestion Charge. He needs the money to fund his incompetence and his main source of income is milking the poor hapless motorist.

 

Sadiq Khan blames Covid for the loss of revenue but conveniently fails to inform people that the Government would cover that loss. What the Government will not cover is money lost through waste and incompetence.

 

This Council therefore believes that Sadiq Khan is not a fit and proper person to be in charge of London’s Transport network and calls on him not only to resign but also to stop using motorists, including those from within Brent, to fund TfL.”

 

18.2    (2^nd Motion) Labour Group Motion – Green Economic Recovery

 

The Mayor then invited Councillor Chappell to move the second motion which had been submitted on behalf of the Labour Group.  Councillor Chappell began by highlighting the economic impact of the pandemic on the borough, with nearly half of all residents being furloughed and unemployment rising. He also felt it was important to emphasise the government’s reluctance to provide the required economic support during the pandemic, highlighting concerns in relation to the provision of free school meals over school holidays, operation of the furlough scheme and proposal to cease funding the uplift for Universal Credit.  Given the economic impact of the pandemic and the continued climate emergency, Councillor Chappell felt there was a need for immediate action to support residents into employment and ensure a green economic recovery and therefore urged all members to support the motion.

 

Following the original motion being moved the Mayor advised members of an amendment submitted by Councillor Maurice, which had been circulated prior to the meeting.  Councillor Maurice formally moved the amendment, highlighting that whilst the Conservative Group were not unsupportive of the original motion, they felt it was also important to recognise the government’s efforts to support the green economic recovery and commitment to talking climate change.  On this basis the amendment moved was as follows:

 

“The Council notes:

·             That in Brent we face a looming jobs and climate emergency.

·             That unemployment in Brent has increased by at least 3,000 people in the period between June 2019 and 2020.

·             Nationally there has been over a million jobs lost due to Covid-19; with the Bank of England estimating this will rise to 2.6 million people out of work.

·             Earlier this year in Brent Central, nearly half of all our workers were furloughed – the highest proportion in the United Kingdom.

·             That before the pandemic, the poverty rate in Brent was 33% higher than the average; with an unemployment rate 6% higher than the national average.

·             The work of the Poverty Commission in Brent has highlighted that far too many of our constituents are reliant upon informal and unstable employment – compounded now by a looming jobs crisis.

·             The latest U-turn by the Government to extend the furlough scheme until March will come too little too late for many of our residents now out of work.

 

The Council welcomes the Government’s Plan for a Green Industrial revolution together with this Labour administration’s continued commitment to:

 

·             Support our existing and new businesses to survive in the short term and adapt and thrive in the new post-Covid economy.

·             Support residents into employment pathways, through an award-winning council-run jobs brokerage service, Brent Works; aiding over 1,000 residents with employment advice, since lockdown began.

·             Enable our residents to unlock their potential through upskilling, reskilling, training provision and apprenticeships through our very own adult education college, Brent Start which regularly provides education and training to around 2,500 learners a year.

·             Create a skills system responsive to the needs of the future by expanding the range of courses offered by Brent Start, through a £43m investment at Morland Gardens to develop a state of the art education centre, council homes and affordable workspace.

·             Working in partnership with our anchor institutions and major employers to use our supply chains and spending power to unlock social value in our procurement processes.

·             End low pay - as a big local employer we’ve led by example and have been accredited as a London Living Wage Employer for seven years in a row since 2013.

 

This Council believes in a Green economic recovery:

 

·             Brent and its residents have powered London’s success story as a global city for decades – our borough is home to people with aspiration, ambition and the ideal that if you work hard, your children will have a better future.

·             The Government must provide support to Brent to help us rebuild our local economy and help tackle the climate emergency.

·             An international comparison of green stimulus packages suggests that the UK has fallen behind many other advanced economies, which are taking the climate and ecological challenge more seriously.

·             The Government’s own advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, has made clear, we are not on track to meet our net zero 2050 target.

·             Many manufacturers and construction businesses have been at the forefront of the transition to the low-carbon, green economy of the future; and others are keen to engage in that transition, but currently lack the levers to do so. It has been estimated that to meet the net zero target, sectors such as steel and cement will need to reduce emissions by 94% and 93% respectively, by 2040.

·             It's time for a bold and ambitious plan to deliver thousands of jobs in Brent which can also tackle the climate crisis. We can harness the opportunities for green growth and the technologies of the future – but only if the Government makes the right decisions and works with Brent to recover jobs, retrain workers and rebuild businesses.

·             With looming unemployment, the right thing to do for our economy is to invest in the jobs of the future now.

 

This Council Resolves:

 

·             To call on the government to support a green economic recovery and with the help of British industry, accelerate energy retrofitting programmes - creating jobs, making homes warmer, reducing bills, and driving down emissions.

·             To call on the government to fund a green economic recovery that would leave no worker behind, supporting them to build on their skills through existing programmes like Brent Start and equip our workers with the skills for our future economy.

·             To reaffirm our commitment to the interlinked efforts of the council, aimed at improving the prosperity of our communities; from the work of Poverty Commission, the Brent Black Community Action Plan, the Climate Emergency strategy and the Keep Brent Working campaign.

·             To request that the Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills write to Government to call for:

Ø   A commitment to a major investment package in employment and skills support alongside the furlough scheme; and raise the wage floor for furloughed workers so nobody is left facing poverty during this difficult period;

Ø   An urgent re-think on plans to withdraw the £20 per week boost to Universal Credit, which has been a lifeline to many Brent residents out of work during the pandemic.”

 

The Mayor then invited other members to speak on both the original motion and amendment, with the following contributions received.

 

Councillor Stephens, as Lead Member for Employment and Skills, spoke in support of the original motion highlighting that in his view the government’s plans did not go far enough especially when taken alongside their inadequate economic response to the pandemic.  He also highlighted the work of the Council to support residents during the pandemic and in supporting the creation of green jobs in the borough, and took the opportunity to emphasise the need for the government to enhance their role in supporting a full economic recovery through the creation of green jobs, essential welfare support and investment in skills.

 

Councillor Daly, in support of the original motion, also felt that that government’s plans for a green economic recovery did not go far enough and more needed to be done.

 

Councillor Hirani also supported the views expressed during the debate highlighting that the original motion was focused on the local economic response rather than the national economic response as proposed by the amendment.

 

As a further contribution, Councillor Shahzad thanked council staff for their hard work during the pandemic especially when faced with the challenges needing to be addressed within the local authority and other public sector partners as a result of the government’s ongoing funding restrictions and programme of austerity.

 

At this stage the Mayor advised that the remaining time available for the debate on this motion (within the overall time limit provided) had expired so then invited Councillors Chappell (as mover of the original motion) and Maurice (as mover of the amendment) to exercise their rights of reply.

 

In summing up, Councillor Chappell thanked members for their contributions and asked members to consider rejecting the amendment moved to the original motion on the basis that it was not felt the government’s commitment to a green economic recovery had gone far enough.

 

Councillor Maurice exercising his right of reply on the amendment felt there was a need to recognise the efforts made by the government in responding to the pandemic (including on welfare support) and felt they had done as much as possible to address the issues highlighted under such challenging and unprecedented circumstances.

 

Having thanked Councillors Chappell and Maurice for their closing remarks, the Mayor advised that he intended to move straight to the vote on the motion starting with the amendment.

 

The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared LOST.

 

The Mayor then moved on to put the original substantive motion, as set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“The Council notes:

·             That in Brent we face a looming jobs and climate emergency.

·             That unemployment in Brent has increased by at least 3,000 people in the period between June 2019 and 2020.

·             Nationally there has been over a million jobs lost due to Covid-19; with the Bank of England estimating this will rise to 2.6 million people out of work.

·             Earlier this year in Brent Central, nearly half of all our workers were furloughed – the highest proportion in the United Kingdom.

·             That before the pandemic, the poverty rate in Brent was 33% higher than the average; with an unemployment rate 6% higher than the national average.

·             The work of the Poverty Commission in Brent has highlighted that far too many of our constituents are reliant upon informal and unstable employment – compounded now by a looming jobs crisis.

·             The latest U-turn by the Government to extend the furlough scheme until March will come too little too late for many of our residents now out of work.

 

The Council welcomes this Labour administration’s continued commitment to:

 

·             Support our existing and new businesses to survive in the short term and adapt and thrive in the new post-Covid economy.

·             Support residents into employment pathways, through an award-winning council-run jobs brokerage service, Brent Works; aiding over 1,000 residents with employment advice, since lockdown began.

·             Enable our residents to unlock their potential through upskilling, reskilling, training provision and apprenticeships through our very own adult education college, Brent Start which regularly provides education and training to around 2,500 learners a year.

·             Create a skills system responsive to the needs of the future by expanding the range of courses offered by Brent Start, through a £43m investment at Morland Gardens to develop a state of the art education centre, council homes and affordable workspace.

·             Working in partnership with our anchor institutions and major employers to use our supply chains and spending power to unlock social value in our procurement processes.

·             End low pay - as a big local employer we’ve led by example and have been accredited as a London Living Wage Employer for seven years in a row since 2013.

 

This Council believes in a Green economic recovery:

 

·             Brent and its residents have powered London’s success story as a global city for decades – our borough is home to people with aspiration, ambition and the ideal that if you work hard, your children will have a better future.

·             The Government must provide support to Brent to help us rebuild our local economy and help tackle the climate emergency.

·             An international comparison of green stimulus packages suggests that the UK has fallen behind many other advanced economies, which are taking the climate and ecological challenge more seriously.

·             The Government’s own advisory body, the Committee on Climate Change, has made clear, we are not on track to meet our net zero 2050 target.

·             Many manufacturers and construction businesses have been at the forefront of the transition to the low-carbon, green economy of the future; and others are keen to engage in that transition, but currently lack the levers to do so. It has been estimated that to meet the net zero target, sectors such as steel and cement will need to reduce emissions by 94% and 93% respectively, by 2040.

·             It's time for a bold and ambitious plan to deliver thousands of jobs in Brent which can also tackle the climate crisis. We can harness the opportunities for green growth and the technologies of the future – but only if the Government makes the right decisions and works with Brent to recover jobs, retrain workers and rebuild businesses.

·             With looming unemployment, the right thing to do for our economy is to invest in the jobs of the future now.

 

This Council Resolves:

 

·             To call on the government to support a green economic recovery and with the help of British industry, accelerate energy retrofitting programmes - creating jobs, making homes warmer, reducing bills, and driving down emissions.

·             To call on the government to fund a green economic recovery that would leave no worker behind, supporting them to build on their skills through existing programmes like Brent Start and equip our workers with the skills for our future economy.

·             To reaffirm our commitment to the interlinked efforts of the council, aimed at improving the prosperity of our communities; from the work of Poverty Commission, the Brent Black Community Action Plan, the Climate Emergency strategy and the Keep Brent Working campaign.

·             To request that the Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills write to Government to call for:

Ø   A commitment to a major investment package in employment and skills support alongside the furlough scheme; and raise the wage floor for furloughed workers so nobody is left facing poverty during this difficult period.

Ø   An urgent re-think on plans to withdraw the £20 per week boost to Universal Credit, which has been a lifeline to many Brent residents out of work during the pandemic.”

 

18.3(3^rd Motion) Labour Group Motion – Thank you to our Keyworkers

 

The Mayor invited Councillor Johnson to move the third and final motion submitted on behalf of the Labour Group. In doing so, Councillor Johnson highlighted the contribution and commitment of key workers during the pandemic and expressed concern at the way they had been treated by the government especially as a result of the recently announced public sector pay freeze for the coming year.  In seeking members support for the motion he also took the opportunity to call on the government to honour their original commitment to fund local authorities for the full cost involved in them responding to the pandemic.

 

Following the original motion being moved the Mayor advised members of an amendment submitted by Councillor Maurice, which had been circulated prior to the meeting.  In moving the amendment, Councillor Maurice advised that whilst supportive of the sentiments expressed within the motion the Conservative Group felt that specific political reference needed to be removed in order to highlight the cross party nature of support for the work being undertaken by all key workers.  On this basis the amendment moved was as follows:

 

“This Council celebrates:

 

·             The resilience and resourcefulness of Brent Council staff in responding to the challenges posed by a global pandemic, stepping in as the fourth emergency service to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

·             That testament to the tireless work of our staff both before and during this pandemic, the Local Government Chronicle awarded this organisation ‘Council of the Year for 2020 – highlighting the council’s ability to ‘convene communities’ as ‘an antidote to today’s fractured society’.

·             The enormous and continuing contribution of our entire family of essential keyworkers either employed or residing in Brent.

·             That keyworkers on the frontline – from NHS colleagues, our social care heroes, Transport for London staff, our school teams, council officers, contractors, emergency services, refuse collectors, parking officers, and our retail workers keeping essential services open – have all made personal sacrifices without parallel; for the betterment of our borough.

·             That communities across Brent have come together in a rousing display of solidarity to support their fellow residents. This network of mutual aid groups, our voluntary organisations, foodbanks, local businesses and faith groups – they have shown true leadership when it has been found wanting in the corridors of power.

 

This Council believes:

 

We join the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer in his declaration that:

 

·             We can see so clearly now who the key workers really are.

·             When we get through this it will be because of the hard work and bravery of every key worker as they took on this virus and kept our country going.

·             For too long they have been taken for granted and poorly paid. They were last and now they should be first.

·             In their courage and their sacrifice and their bravery, we can see a better future.

 

This Council resolves:

 

·             To convey this Chamber’s collective debt of gratitude to all of our keyworkers and recognise the personal sacrifices made in our boroughs hour of need.

·             To do all we can to stand up and speak up for our key workers throughout the continuing pandemic.

·             To call on the Government to recognise this moment of opportunity to thank all workers across the public sector, in deeds and not just words – by committing to a sector wide pay rise, acknowledging the vital services that keyworkers sustain and accounting for the decade of real-terms pay cuts since austerity began in 2010.

·             To call on the Government to commit to giving the councils a funding package at the Spending Review that puts our essential services on long-term sustainable financial footing. This includes the urgent need for the Government to make good on the promise of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to fund the cost of ‘whatever it takes’ to tackle the pandemic.”

 

The Mayor then invited other members to speak on both the original motion and amendment, with the following contributions received.

 

Councillor Naheerathan, speaking in support of the original motion, took the opportunity to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic and felt the government also needed to consider providing tax allowances alongside the furlough scheme.

 

Councillor Chan, also speaking in support of the original motion, expressed his concern and disappointment at the government’s recently announced public sector pay freeze given the impact on key workers many of whom had worked tirelessly in leading the response on the pandemic whilst also having been had hit hardest by the virus.

 

At this stage in proceedings, the Mayor advised that as the remaining time available for the meeting was shortly due to expire he would be moving the suspension of Standing Order 44 (Council Guillotine Procedure) in order to extend the time of the meeting by five minutes and enable the conclusion of this motion as the final item on the agenda.  In accordance with Standing Order 42 (d) the procedural motion was put to the vote without further discussion and AGREED.

 

Continuing with the debate, Councillor Kennelly also expressed his support for the original motion highlighting the role of key workers throughout the pandemic despite the challenges created by the government’s longstanding programme of austerity in relation to public services.  He also felt it important to draw attention to the work of volunteers in supporting residents in the borough, providing an example of the mutual aid group covering Ashfield Place and worshippers at Neasden Temple in delivering meals to vulnerable residents.

 

Councillor Shahzad in supporting the motion, also took the opportunity to congratulate and thank all frontline workers including nurses, doctors, ambulance staff, cleaners and mental health workers who had worked so tirelessly and in such difficult circumstances responding the pandemic.

 

Councillor Georgiou, also speaking in support of the original motion, felt it was important to place on record the Council’s gratitude to the full range of key workers across all sectors for their contribution and effort in responding to the pandemic.

 

As a final contribution, the comments expressed during the debate were also supported and commended by Councillor Afzal who felt it was important to not only recognise the efforts of key workers throughout the pandemic but also looking forward in terms of the effort that would be required once the pandemic was over.

 

As the additional time available had expired, the Mayor drew the debate to a close and thanked all members for their contributions.  He then invited Councillors Johnson (as mover of the original motion) and Maurice (as mover of the amendment) to exercise their rights of reply.

 

Recognising the support expressed for the original motion, Councillor Johnson advised that he had no additional comments to make in summing up.  Councillor Maurice was then invited to speak and reiterated his gratitude and support to all key workers for what he felt had been their outstanding effort and dedication during the pandemic.  In urging members to consider accepting his amendment he ended by highlighting what he felt was the potentially negative impact of the healthy neighbourhood schemes on those key workers relying on motor vehicles for work.

 

Having thanked Councillor Maurice for his closing remarks, the Mayor advised that he intended to move straight to the vote on the motion starting with the amendment.

 

The amendment, as set out above, was then put to the vote and declared LOST.

 

The Mayor then put the original substantive motion, as set out below, to a vote which was declared CARRIED.

 

It was therefore RESOLVED to approve the following motion:

 

“This Council celebrates:

 

·             The resilience and resourcefulness of Brent Council staff in responding to the challenges posed by a global pandemic, stepping in as the fourth emergency service to support the most vulnerable in our communities.

·             That testament to the tireless work of our staff both before and during this pandemic, the Local Government Chronicle awarded this organisation ‘Council of the Year for 2020 – highlighting the council’s ability to ‘convene communities’ as ‘an antidote to today’s fractured society’.

·             The enormous and continuing contribution of our entire family of essential keyworkers either employed or residing in Brent.

·             That keyworkers on the frontline – from NHS colleagues, our social care heroes, Transport for London staff, our school teams, council officers, contractors, emergency services, refuse collectors, parking officers, and our retail workers keeping essential services open – have all made personal sacrifices without parallel; for the betterment of our borough.

·             That communities across Brent have come together in a rousing display of solidarity to support their fellow residents. This network of mutual aid groups, our voluntary organisations, foodbanks, local businesses and faith groups – they have shown true leadership when it has been found wanting in the corridors of power.

 

This Council believes:

 

We join the Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer in his declaration that:

 

·             We can see so clearly now who the key workers really are.

·             When we get through this it will be because of the hard work and bravery of every key worker as they took on this virus and kept our country going.

·             For too long they have been taken for granted and poorly paid. They were last and now they should be first.

·             In their courage and their sacrifice and their bravery, we can see a better future.

 

This Council resolves:

 

·             To convey this Chamber’s collective debt of gratitude to all of our keyworkers and recognise the personal sacrifices made in our boroughs hour of need.

·             To do all we can to stand up and speak up for our key workers throughout the continuing pandemic.

·             To call on the Government to recognise this moment of opportunity to thank all workers across the public sector, in deeds and not just words – by committing to a sector wide pay rise, acknowledging the vital services that keyworkers sustain and accounting for the decade of real-terms pay cuts since austerity began in 2010.

·             To call on the Government to commit to giving the councils a funding package at the Spending Review that puts our essential services on long-term sustainable financial footing. This includes the urgent need for the Government to make good on the promise of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to fund the cost of ‘whatever it takes’ to tackle the pandemic.”