Over the years, external inspections of the youth offending work in Harrow have identified need for significant improvements.
Additionally, we reported concerning over-representation of black youth offenders in the youth offending population last September – one year on, there are no obvious plans to address this.
The wordy Harrow Youth Offending Partnership Youth Justice Plan 2015-2018 – Annual Update – before the council cabinet this week, once again informs:
The most notable difference between local demographics and youth offending demographics can be seen in the Black/African/Caribbean/Black British group. This group are considerably over represented, making up only 12.9% of Harrow’s 10-17 population but 32.4% of the youth offending population in 2014/15. Over the past five years this group have been consistently over represented in youth offending services and the figure had been rising year on year from 26.3% in 2010/11 to 36.8% in 2013/14.
However, the strategic aims for the Youth Offending Teams, the Youth Justice Board set outcome indicators or the key priorities for 2015/18 have no mention of addressing the identified over-representation of black youth offenders.
What is also very concerning is that in defending such an omission and coasting, and justifying the over-representation, the council relies on the overall national situation where black people are over-represented in custodial sentences because of the institutional practices within the criminal justice system.
Although the plan informs that a number of staff involved with youth offenders are from Asian or black background, obviously changing a driver does not make a defective vehicle perform any better!

When Keith Vaz MP, chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, was cutting the ribbon at the opening of a vegetarian care home in Harrow last week, who could have known that his political career would come under hammer within days.
Last Sunday a tabloid claimed that Mr Vaz acquired male prostitutes services and asked one of them to bring Poppers, a sex-enhancing drug used by gay men, which the government wanted to ban.
Mr Vaz reportedly did not comment on the truth or otherwise of the allegations but said he was referring the tabloid’s allegations to his solicitor. He has now stepped down as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Sun reported that Tory MP Andrew Bridgen published three letters of complaint about Mr Vaz — sent to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, the Charity Commission and the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Vaz’s Silver Star (diabetic charity) London office is in Harrow – some of its Harrow based activities.
It is not the first time that a MP’s sexual life has surfaced, and normally there is a liberal consensus of opinion that sexual habits of MPs are a personal matter.
However, in this case there are some additional concerns:
The home affairs select committee is carrying out an inquiry into prostitution, focusing on the burden of criminality on those who pay for sex. Also, seemingly Mr Vaz argued in parliament that the Poppers should not be included in a list of substances banned by the Psychoactive Substances Act.
The second point is about the characteristic and expectations of Leicester East constituency that Keith Vaz MP represents.
The constituency has one of the highest Asian populations of any British constituency. In the 2001 census two-thirds of the population were non-white and 58% of people described themselves as Asian. Almost a third of the population here are Hindu, although there are also significant number of Muslims and Sikhs.
It is quite understandable that Leicester East community expects high moral standards from its representatives, in line with its dominant socio-cultural norms and values. Therefore, no difficulty in agreeing with the prime minister that ‘people want confidence in their politicians’, a comment she made after the Sunday tabloid report.

Despite an apparent appeal by the leader of the Harrow Labour group not to bring Corbyn-Smith division to the group, the Labour National Executives, seemingly acting upon a local complaint, have suspended an honest Harrow councillor, well known for her support for Jeremy Corbyn and social justice.
The following public tweets by the Headstone South Cllr Pamela Fitzpatrick are self-explanatory:

I a sitting labour councillor and just received an email to suspend me from the labour group for being rude at a meeting.
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@CllrFitzpatrick) August 28, 2016
No detail is given in my suspension no dates or information about which member I am supposed to have been rude to.
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@CllrFitzpatrick) August 28, 2016
I signed the Cllr letter supporting Corbyn and spoke with him at one of his rallies. https://t.co/ovVQBTqQwP
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@CllrFitzpatrick) August 29, 2016
I tried to stop brexit also but I have been suspended despite being elected councillor. https://t.co/9LVq0pJQKv
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@CllrFitzpatrick) August 29, 2016
Thank you. No MP or other councillors suspended even those retweeting false allegations about Corbyn. https://t.co/yoLFP4NuoZ
— Pamela Fitzpatrick (@CllrFitzpatrick) August 29, 2016

Some Labour councillors, mostly in Harrow East, are actively pro Owen Smith and most probably have a needle for Cllr Fitzpatrick.
In contrast with the Labour NEC taking direct action in a local situation, the Tory Party hierarchy has always turned a blind eye to the Tory group leader Cllr Hall’s doings.

Update (23.01.2017): We now understand that a police file was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in order that a charging decision could be made. It has now been concluded that there is insufficient evidence to give rise to a realistic prospect of a conviction – there will be no further action taken by the Metropolitan Police Service in this case.

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Update: information is that the police “Advice File” has now been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to this matter – 30/11/2016

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Tory opposition group leader Cllr Hall presented the petition ‘Don’t Force Communities out of Wealdstone’ at the Harrow Council meeting on 25 February 2016.
The petition said that the council plans for a new Civic Centre in Wealdstone at the site of the Peel House car park could force out a community banqueting hall (Premier Banqueting ) etc and undermine local businesses.
Cllr Hall said: “It will damage the entire Wealdstone business community”  (i.e. including her own business in the area as well – therefore, the conflict of interest in presenting and supporting the petition)!
The petition was debated at the council meeting but Cllr Hall who has a shop, business interest, in Wealdstone did not declare the pecuniary interest* and remained present during the debate, despite  that non-declaration of pecuniary interest is a criminal offence. Successful prosecutions can result in a fine of £5000 and disqualification for five years from the local council and from other local authorities (page 24).
{The minutes of the council meeting on 25 February 2016 show that Councillor Hall declared only a non-pecuniary interest – item 4(a) under section 143 of the minutes – and debate was held on the content of the petition submitted by Cllr Hall – 145a (i) (ii)}

(* Agenda of the council meetings give councillors an opportunity to declare an interest early in a meeting. Councillors must abide by the rules of disclosure to declare “disclosable pecuniary interests” (page 23) or “DPIs” that include the councillor’s employment, ownership of land, and business interests while other interests are usually non-pecuniary or personal interests. In the case of the pecuniary interest in an agenda item, a councillor would leave the meeting when that item is discussed to give the public confidence in the council’s decision making)
Alongside Cllr Hall being under police investigation, the implications are:
Since the council had decided to move to Wealdstone and acquire the Premier Banqueting premises (through a commercial deal), does the active protest by Cllr Hall against these decisions and her support for the petition  disadvantage the council in acquiring the premises and negotiating a price – and does all this constitute a breach of the councillors code of conduct that requires the councillors not to endanger council’s interests, including its financial interest.
The politicisation of this matter seemingly made the owner of the Premier House to look somewhere else and now a third party is negotiating with the owners of Premier House, with a view to buying the property.
Therefore, the council could finish up paying far more for the property than whatever was previously negotiated, either in matching the price offered by the new bidder or eventually buying the property from the new buyer – a financial loss to the council in any case (taxpayers money).
Did Cllr Hall fail to safeguard the financial interest of the council in this case – another potential reason for the breach of the councillors code of conduct.

While much of public focus has been on the EU referendum, Bexit specific socio-political division across the country and challenges to the political leadership, Health Minister Jeremy Hunt has been busy with a secret plan to force through changes to local NHS services to cut costs.
Sustainability and transformation plans splits England into 44 areas called ‘footprint’ which will be the basis for how the NHS will be run in future. The plans mean that there will never be funding for the NHS at any point in the future sufficient to fund it to current levels of service.
Therefore, reduction in NHS is eminent with cuts to hospital beds, local walk-in centres or family planning services and so on.
It’s hard to say exactly which services in Harrow are at risk, but the leaked plans for one area show the scale of the threat – it includes axing 500 hospital beds and some emergency ambulances.
In 2013, there were 140 full A&E hospitals in England, there will only be 40-70 left after the STPs are completed.
The plans also mean that people will no longer see doctors as a matter of course and the system would be based around patients using vouchers and personal health budgets – a form of ‘self-pay’!

The council works much better when the opposition works as a critical friend, assisting the administration whenever possible and suggesting healthy alternatives whenever necessary.
In Harrow, the performance of the opposition Tory group,  enjoying over £250,000 public money in allowances per year, is very weak under Cllr Hall’s leadership, leading to inadequate challenge regarding such basic matters as the borough cleanliness, increased fly tipping, and the waste collection and disposal.
Also, as Cllr Hall appears to have no confidence in the chief executive since his return to the post that was “unilaterally and wrongly” deleted by her short-lived administration which forced the chief executive Michael Lockwood to go, it is difficult for the Tory group to play a positive role in providing good services to the residents.
Therefore, it is quite understandable that the Tory group members wish to use their voice to make an impact and expect a real sense of direction to show and demonstrate strength to voters (Tory group lost the councils in 2010 and 2014 as well as two by-elections in between, under Cllr Hall’s leadership) and Cllr Hall now leads a highly divided group where 42.31% members of her group did not vote for her at the recent leadership election.
Furthermore, Cllr Hall is under police investigation.
The outcome of all this is that Harrow council Tory opposition is almost in hibernation for months (the last press release by the group was in February 2016, according to its web blog), effectively leaving the council administration unchecked.
It would be professionally sound for Cllr Hall to step down to give her group a chance of being an effective opposition as well as winning the council.

As Harrow East MP Bob Blackman has swiftly changed his direction from opposing Theresa May’s position to ‘remain’ in EU, to backing her, now prime minister, would he be able to remind Mrs May about the deprivation in Harrow, a place she visited to unsuccessfully uplift Tory profile at the elections.
London poverty and the council reports point out:
Harrow had the highest rate of low paid jobs of any London borough, having grown significantly between 2010 and 2014 (from 21% to 37%), but about average for low paid residents (21%).
By the end of last year, over 15000 families in Harrow were receiving Tax Credits, which helped the lowest paid families in Harrow with the cost of essential items such as food, child care and heating – as the cuts to universal credit will only compound the social and economic divisions , would the government now commit to reversing those changes so that our children do not have to pay the price of his government’s political choices.
Harrow had a high rate of under-attainment at GCSE level among pupils receiving free school meals (60% didn’t attain 5 A*-C GCSEs or equivalent), suggesting that while the majority of children do well relative to the rest of London, being from a low income family has a very significant effect in terms of educational attainment in Harrow, not being able to afford private tutoring.
Wealdstone is Harrow’s most deprived ward based on the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation.

London March for Europe on 2 July 2016 (click here to watch the video) packed the Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Parliament Square and adjoining streets – estimated over 50,000 people at a very short notice – giving clear messages:

Because of such  strong feelings nationally, in Harrow, that overwhelmingly voted to remain in EU, it would be democratically sound for the Harrow MPs like Mr Blackman, who promoted the divisive Brexit for selfish reasons, to vote ‘ignore’ referendum outcome, if he respects Harrow’s democratic majority vote.

Remain 54.6% 64042 votes      Leave 45.4% 53183 votes

Good that Harrow reacted moderately to the right-wing politics of hate/ fear/ and scaremongering.
However, Harrow has to face the adverse impact of ‘leave’ like more expensive goods and holidays because of a low pound not seen since 1985.
Describing the economic climate, Dennis de Jong, managing director of UFX.com said, “Britain’s EU referendum has been a cloud hanging over the global economy for the past few months and that cloud has got very dark this morning”.
Harrow politicians now need to resist conceding to UKIP on immigration and challenge far right nationalism as leave vote is seemingly a reflection of anti-austerity anger directed at immigrants.
We glean mixed feelings about the David Cameron resignation.
However, his dignified resignation makes many in Harrow to question why the leader of the Harrow Conservative group Cllr Hall is lingering on, despite a chain of her leadership failures; losing the council in 2010 and 2014 and two by-elections as well as now leading a highly divided group as 42.31% members of her group did not vote for her at the recent leadership election, the group researcher leaving and she being  under police investigation

Quite understandable why the Harrow council opposition is almost in hibernation – Cllr Hall, who now leads a highly divided group as 42.31% members of her group did not vote for her at the recent leadership election and the group researcher leaving, is under police investigation – but odd that Harrow council is too quiet about its successes.
For example, the cabinet papers inform about some recent initiatives to improve the place, including the investment in the borough’s infrastructure:
Re-surfaced 22.5 km of Harrow’s 460km road network and carried out 2,000 repairs to carriageways including potholes related work.
Reconstructed 22,129 linear meters of footways and carried out 3,500 repairs to footways to improve safety to residents and visitors.
Replaced around 2,150 lighting columns with LED technology to improve safety and energy efficiency.
Planted over 200 street trees to green the environment.
Refurbishment work at Headstone Manor pavilion – Headstone Manor project is ongoing, and the Great Barn work has been completed in 15/16. The site will be used as for holding events and weddings, providing an income stream going forward.
Improvement to the public realm, creating an identity for the Station Road corridor and engaging businesses and their employees to achieve a sense of ownership, relevance and sustainability.
Master planning work has commenced at various sites and a design team has been appointed for Station Road Quarter to take forward the scheme.
An online platform for local businesses to promote their businesses and offer discounts to Harrow residents.