Big hitters out for a duck
Back in Leeds the election campaign has begun to hot up.
New Labour launched its campaign with a group of no-hopers the press have called "big hitters". Blair, Brown and Prescott made about as much impression as the recent efforts of the Leeds United front row. They hardly mentioned anything about local government, which they hate. The only councillor allowed to speak in her own city had to restrict her remarks to a crawling welcome. Despite the fact the local elections and the European Union elections are being held on the same day there was no mention of Europe and no sign of New Labour's Euro MPs.
There was a similar approach at the Tory Party launch and the Liberal Democrats are going down the same route.
In other words the local council and local councillors are not important and they make no difference. They are just there to serve their "big hitters" in London.
What a contrast the Alliance for Green Socialism's campaign launch was. Attended by 200 people the Spring Green Fair saw a coming together of those supporting the environment and peace in the city. Everyone there didn't support all the policies of the AGS but they appreciated the openness and space the AGS provides for the development of their ideas.
Liz Davies opening the Green Fair
Liz Davies ably opened the fair and introduced the AGS Leeds Local Government Manifesto for 2004. This has been distributed to over 500 people and organisations throughout the city. Mike Marqusee signed copies of his latest book Chimes of Freedom which deals with the relationship between politics and Bob Dylan's music.
The main raffle prize of a night's bed and breakfast at Bryn Glover's wonderful Corncrake [http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/accgde/corncrake/] at Cracoe in the Yorkshire Dales was won by a pensioner supporter of the AGS. Another highlight was the "hot" samozas made by Azar's wife. Hundreds of pounds were raised to finance the AGS's election campaign in Leeds.
Twelve AGS Candidates have been chosen to stand in Chapel Allerton, Harehills, Roundhay, Alwoodley, Harewood, Headingley, Moortown, Guisley and Otley.
The AGS is also standing six candidates for the European elections in Yorkshire and Humber.
The future of Public Housing
John McDermott, a member of the executive of the national Campaign to Defend Council Housing talked to the May meeting of Chapel Allerton AGS. He was ably supported by the council tenants there.
It was explained that Arm's Length Management Organisations (ALMOs) were set up by New Labour as the first step to privatisation. All the so-called independents on the boards have been carefully vetted to exclude any one who opposed the system. The tenants were only given one third of seats on the boards. Trade union representation was excluded.
What they have achieved:
- Stopped tenants being able to pay their rent at the offices
- Set up a call-centre system to prevent tenants talking directly to housing officers
- Spent hundreds of thousands of pounds refurbishing the management's offices.
In Leeds North East, the area which covers Chapeltown and Chapel Allerton, they are planning to close one of the housing offices.
Of the big money promised when the tenants were voting there is no sign. New Labour talks of large investment in social housing in its local election campaign launch. This is a big lie. They are giving NO money. In the majority of cases in Leeds, they have even refused permission to borrow money to improve the public housing stock.
And after the General Election New Labour intend to remove housing away from Councils and from democratic control. The situation is so desperate that some Labour MPs (led by my old friend Austin Mitchell) are campaigning for something they call the fourth option; ie let councils run housing. It is called the fourth option because the Government excluded this from its consultations on the future of housing. There is a lobby of parliament supporting these MPs on 12th May. You should ring John McDermott at Leeds Unison on 2458442 if you want to go.
The Alliance for Green Socialism completely supports both council and social housing. The AGS candidates assured the meeting that they are the only party in this election who has supported public housing and opposed New Labour's creeping privatisation through ALMOs.
Below I reproduce the relevant extract from the Alliance for Green Socialism 2004 Election Manifesto
Housing
The "New Labour" council has played a cynical trick on its tenants. They were told that the only way they could get the improvements they desperately needed was to vote for privatisation in the form of "Arms Length Management Companies". Tenants were told they would then be able to access hundreds of millions of pounds of Government money.
Now the tenants find that the change is going to cost them many pounds a week in extra rent - but that they are not going to get the essential upgrading and repairs needed.
The "New Labour" Councillors in Leeds, along with those from the Liberal Democrats and Tories, failed to defend the interests of Leeds tenants. They ignored constructive alternative proposals.
For example, the Scotthall Tenants and Residents Association put forward its own well-researched alternative of a land trust for their area. Their Chapel Allerton "New Labour" councillors first promised not only support but to make the project their main priority. Instead they completely ignored the land trust scheme in favour of the Council's privatisation scheme.
We will hold a fresh, fair ballot in which both sides are given equal resources to present their case. This will include proper independent reports presented to tenants covering the pros and cons of any proposals. There will be no privatisation unless a fair and informed ballot supports it.
Council housing should rather remain with the Council but with estate management boards - with real power - on which tenants would have a majority and on which there would be representative of the trade unions. These estate boards will be directly involved through a joint housing committee for Leeds in overseeing letting policy, development priorities and budget setting. We will seek to expand both the numbers and variety of public housing through out the city and to ensure affordable housing, rented and for sale, in both in the public and private sector.
We will explore further the land trust scheme. For over 100 years Garden Cities have provided viable public social alternatives to council housing, funded by land assets.
The Church of God of Prophecy
The Church of God of Prophecy on Easterly Road, Leeds has two great choirs that lead their packed services every Sunday. Others were given a chance to hear them sing in a standing-room-only Gospel Concert held at the Church. They lifted the roof of the building and were joined by special guest artists and the enthusiastic audience.
The Church also saw two performances of the African Children's Choir. This choir, formed by poor children in Kenya, tours the world raising money to look after and educate orphaned children. The sheer professionalism and drive of these young people took one's breath away. Large sums of money were collected to help their work.
Ridsdale must go
The disgraceful legacy that Peter Ridsdale left at Leeds United continues to unroll. Each of his business deals involving United and its players seems to have contributed to the fall of this once great club. He is seen by the fans as mainly responsible for this season's debacle. He is now running Barnsley Football Club.
However he still lingers on in Leeds as Chair of Education Leeds. Leading this, unelected and only accountable in private to the New Labour leadership in Leeds, he oversees the school closure programme. This programme is driven entirely by financial considerations and not by the needs of the children. Every new school development in Leeds is considered solely in terms of how it can fit in to the Private Finance Initiative so burdening the future council tax payers of Leeds with huge debts.
The latest PFI scandal comes over the future of Victoria Park Special School which recently burnt down. The parents were not offered a replacement built to modern standards on the site. Instead they were offered a new annexe built on the site of a local school. The parents support their children using the facilities of other schools, however they want a school where children with special needs can get the dedicated support they need in a safe environment. Typically, at the consultation meeting Education Leeds excluded the school staff so they could more easily browbeat the parents. However the Education Leeds plans were completely rejected.
Two years after its closure Leopold Primary School is still a building site and its once heavily used playing field overgrown. One of the justifications for its closure was that there would be a wonderful new children's centre and at the playing field would be open for community use. This vision has turned out to be slightly less than the truth. The local Sure Start project was bullied into Leopold. It wanted to go to a different building. The Council are moving Frankland Place Nursery from a modern purpose-built building into the School. They are also making all the staff reapply for their jobs. Given that there was already a flourishing nursery at Leopold it is likely there will be no net increase in child provision other than that from Sure Start which would have happened anyway. And the playing field still remains unused.
This is what Ridsdale is doing to Leeds. However the Alliance for Green Socialism has lobbied the Council a second time calling for his removal. This call has been taken up by the MP for East Leeds George Mudie. Several of my friends on New Labour's Cabinet are telling me that the Leader of the Council is looking for ways of removing him. Unfortunately because Education Leeds was set up without any democratic input it is proving rather difficult unless Ridsdale decides to go of his own account. Another problem is that the Leeds's New Labour leadership are incapable of standing up to anyone they perceive as important. They prefer to attack the homeless and Big Issue sellers instead.
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi parade in Leeds
I joined Garth Frankland and Celia Foote for the now traditional Vaisakhi parade from the Sikh temple to Millennium Square. The parade stops at the Ramgaria Board for excellent refreshments. Garth has sent out Vaisakhi cards to his Sikh friends for the last two years and now has become something of minor celebrity. It might even have gone to his head as can be seen from the photograph below where he is with two leading members of the Sikh temple.
I also enjoyed the film at the Sikh Temple on the history and importance of the Golden Temple.
Chapeltown North Residents Association
Edwina chaired the tough election meeting of Chapeltown North Residents Association fairly and effectively. All three Chapel Allerton AGS Candidates - Mandy Munro, Garth Frankland and Beverley Samuals - were there. Mind you, Beverley had to be there as she is Secretary of the group. The Liberal Democrats sent two of their candidates along with a Harehills Councillor as a minder and the Tories sent one candidate with a Tory councillor minder. A local Labour Party member apologised for the non-attendance of the New Labour Candidates: one was at a union conference and the other two had gone to some mysterious meeting which didn't involve the electorate in Chapeltown. There was no sign of the existing shortly-to-disappear (but still being paid) New Labour councillors, Taggart and Moxon.
There was a wide-ranging and good-humoured discussion over the problems getting taxis to come to Chapeltown, the problems of prostitution, policing and housing. Garth Frankland emphasised the importance of democratic control of the police and of a community-based approach. He said the AGS felt flattered that their Manifesto proposal to bring all the anti-crime officers who not in the police together to form a second Leeds police force had been take up both by the Leeds Tories and the Socialist Party in the City. It was an idea whose time had come.
After the meeting Spencer Place was the scene of a major incident involving the police. In a very aggressive manner they tried to drive innocent residents off the streets and deliberately intimidated children. There were half a dozen police cars and police vans involved plus several police dressed in full riot gear. This was the exact opposite of community policing.
It follows on from the raid on the Latvian Club where the police used the same tactics, including a full-scale prison wagon, allegedly to arrest two youth for possessing a small mount of cannabis and for scuffling with the police. These types of raids have nothing to do with law and order and everything to do with intimidating the community.
The leadership at Chapeltown Police Station have abandoned community policing. Instead they have reverted back to a mindset where they see Chapeltown as Indians and themselves as the Cavalry keeping order. This provocative style of policing lets real criminals off the hook and instead goes for criminalising whole communities.
The AGS candidates are pledged to bring this dangerous method to a dead stop if elected in June. The ante has been raised in this election.
Snippets
Chapel Allerton Residents' Association
Their annual coffee morning showed the first public showing of a New Labour Candidate campaigning. This pleasant event gave residents the chance to renew their subscriptions to the organisation which does so much for the Chapel Allerton area. Garth Frankland somehow managed to escape being tied to a stall despite been a member of the committee.
May Day parade
There was a good reception for the AGS banner and our placards calling for Troops out of Iraq on the May Day Parade
Friends of Potternewton Park
Helped by the good weather people came from all over Leeds to this local fair to enjoy the food, music and performances. As with last year the tour of the Parks trees was a highlight. The organisers the Friends of Potternewton Fair are to be congratulated.
Potternewton Park
West Yorkshire Trading Standards
Gruff Wakefield Councillor Graham Clarke's retirement buffet was both sad and happy. Graham had steered the joint Trading Standards, Archives and Archaeology Committee through some difficult times. It is now raising nearly half its income from trading. This is the highest percentage in Britain. Graham helped to keep the committee one of the most enjoyable despite its difficulties. These mainly came from the suspicions of local Council leaders who do not like things which they don't control. I hope that that Graham enjoys a long and happy retirement.
-- Half-Celestial Khan
