Author Archives: hmgupdated

As expected Brent councillor and a council cabinet portfolio holder Krupesh Hirani won the race, defeating Momentum backed and a socialist Aghileh Djafari-Marbini by 5 votes despite she seemingly suffered triple jeopardy. Delighted Cllr Hirani is a university graduate in politics and has good experience in the political sector where he held a number ofContinue reading “Labour selects Brent & Harrow candidate”

Over 30% of children in Harrow live in poverty where child poverty is rising to 40% in some wards – but there seems to be no urgency to solve poverty either by public or the authorities. Harrow council report,  Child Poverty And Life Chances, reports that the poverty rises in some of the more deprivedContinue reading “Child poverty”

Majority of Harrow schools, including the state funded schools, are achieving higher, and some much higher, results than England average, according to the school performance data published on gov.uk. However, A-level performance is broadly average.  Average point score per entry and AAB or above with at least two results being in “facilitating subjects”, most valuedContinue reading “Harrow schools latest results”

Consultation meeting to improve South Harrow this month gave rise to concerns how well the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) funds have been used as councillors assertively floated the idea of spending £20k to £30k each on three murals. An attendee later said that the meeting felt like consultation on a pre-determined outcome –  littleContinue reading “NICL”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has instructed councils to fly the union flag on February 19 to mark Prince Andrew 60th birthday. Some councils have already rejected the instructions being “wholly inappropriate in the prevailing circumstances“. Harrow civic centre needs not to take any notice of the government’s directive as they haveContinue reading “Would Harrow council fly union jack on Prince Andrew’s 60 birthday?”

Momentum backed Aghileh Djafari-Marbini (photo with Corbyn) and Brent councillor Krupesh Hirani are on the One Member One Vote ballot where the party members will decide who will be the Labour candidate representing Brent and Harrow. Voting will commence on 5th February. Aghileh Djafari-Marbini, a socialist, mum, school governor, NHS worker and resident of NorthContinue reading “Selection of Brent and Harrow Labour candidate in final stage”

“No one should go to work fearing violence or threats” says Harrow West MP Gareth Thomas. At the Commons debate on Policing and Crime on 29 January 2020, he pointed out that one particular area of crime that is on the rise is crime against retail workers. “They face increasing threats of violence, many involvingContinue reading “Increased crime against retail workers needs focus”

Following the last year’s maximum legal limit increase (4.99%), the council tax rise for 2020-21 is close to 4% which, like previously, has serious implications for those worst affected by government cuts. Harrow follows the London pattern where the poorest pay 8.1 per cent of household income in council tax, while for those in theContinue reading “Harrow to make council tax rise less painful for some”

Opposition Tory group on the Harrow council has failed to produce a shadow budget which they owe to the residents, but instead indulges in political point-scoring about the general election results in Harrow. They asked the forthcoming Council meeting to debate a motion regarding the local outcome of the 2019 general election. The mischievous motionContinue reading “No to Tory play!”

Whilst all councils are expected to develop and implement a Suicide Prevention Action Plan, and many have, Harrow currently does not have an up to date Plan. Documents before the forthcoming Health and Wellbeing Board inform that a coordinated and new Plan is required which will enable a strategic approach to suicide prevention, particularly whereContinue reading “Harrow much behind in suicide prevention measures”