Author Archives: hmgupdated

In a quiet Harrow, public protests and demonstrations have been rare. But the increasing gap between what residents feel and what their elected or potentially elected representative do regarding the matters like what has been happening in Israel and Palestine, has led to public protests and social media expressions.November 4 – protestors who feel forContinue reading “Harrow follows the national trend to hold politicians to account!”

A judicial review, to overturn the acquittal of two protesters who called Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith “Tory scum” outside the Conservative party conference in 2021, has been unsuccessful. The high court ruled that the protesters were “reasonable” as the use of Tory scum was to highlight the policies of the MP and was relevantContinue reading “Public money wasted on unsuccessful judicial reviews”

Given the increased stabbings in Harrow and the probing question ‘why’, Harrow council Harrow Community Safety Strategy (2023 – 2026) becomes of specific interest. The strategy informs that from December 2021 to December 2022, the number of notifiable offences in Harrow increased by 2.6% including knife crime increased by 24.1%  (cases reported in 2023 mightContinue reading “Harrow Community Safety Strategy – a mixed picture!”

Good to see that the Harrow council is working on a Climate And Nature Strategy, though somewhat behind many other councils, to comply with the government’s 2030 Strategic Framework that sets out how the UK will deliver internationally on its climate and nature goals in this critical decade. The strategy provides a framework of keyContinue reading “Harrow council needs to ‘go faster and further’ in tackling climate change!”

Gareth Thomas MP has welcomed the announcement that Northwick Park Hospital will get a new ward providing 23 new beds as a result of a government investment of £22.6 million. “I am delighted to hear that our campaign for more investment at Northwick Park Hospital has had a success! This new 32 bed ward willContinue reading “New ward for Northwick Park Hospital delights a Harrow MP”

The high court has dismissed a legal challenge by five Tory-led councils against the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ). Out of 32 London boroughs, Harrow was one of the four Conservative held London councils – Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon – that along with Surrey County Council had gone for a judicial reviewContinue reading “ULEZ high court ruling, timely lesson for London’s far right politics”

Labour leader Starmer on Sunday confirmed he would retain the two-child limit, imposed by the Tories in 2013, despite growing calls from poverty campaigners for the cap to be abandoned. The limit bars parents from claiming child tax credit or universal credit for any third or subsequent child born after April 2017. The policy wasContinue reading “2-child benefit cap, deepening poverty in Harrow”

Violent crime makes up 25.8% of all crimes reported in Harrow, and increased when compared year-over-year in the period of May 2022 – April 2023 (Plumplot). The most common crimes in Harrow are violence and sexual offences, with 5,149 offences during 2022, 5% higher than 2021’s figure of 4,886 offences and a difference of 1.05Continue reading “Harrow violent crime has increased!”

In a regulatory notice published on 20 April 2023, the Regulator of Social Housing concluded that the London Borough of Harrow has breached the Home Standard and, as a result, there was the potential for serious detriment to tenants. Mushroom growth of ‘tall buildings’ in the central Harrow were supposed to address but have failedContinue reading “‘Concrete jungle’ not an answer to Harrow’s housing crisis”

Michael Lockwood, 64, is accused of six counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape against a girl under 16. The offences allegedly took place between October 1985 and March 1986, the Crown Prosecution Service said. Lockwood, appointed by a Tory administration in 2007, was Harrow council chief executive until the end of 2013,Continue reading “A Harrow ex-chief executive charged for rape”