Since winning an extra council seat at the Brunswick & Adelaide by-election in Hove on 4 July, Green councillors have been due to receive an extra seat on the council’s committees.

Despite multiple attempts to meet with the Labour administration and discuss where this allocation should be, Greens were told yesterday (19 September) that their new seat will be on the non-political Licensing Committee, rather than the Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) which helps to oversee the wider performance of the Council.

Greens claim the move is a politically-motivated one, designed to avoid proper scrutiny from the official opposition to the Labour administration.

Currently, Greens have just one seat on the Place OSC – having a second would give them enough councillors to put forward Notices of Motion and propose amendments to items on the agenda, giving them a louder voice and more opportunities to drive the Committee’s agenda.

Earlier this year, Labour changed the council’s governance system from Committee to Cabinet, putting decision-making powers in the hands of 10 Labour Cabinet Members despite making no reference to this in their local election manifesto.

As part of this process, two ‘Overview and Scrutiny’ Committees – ‘Place’ and ‘People’ – were created to scrutinise Cabinet Member decisions.

Steve Davis, Leader of Green Group said: “This is a clear attempt by the Labour administration to stifle democracy and shut out opposition voices. Their switch to the less democratic Cabinet system earlier this year had no mandate from residents, and now they are trying to avoid proper scrutiny by blocking opposition members from the very committees that are supposed to keep the administration in check.”

“It’s more obvious than ever that Brighton & Hove Labour reflect the increasingly authoritarian nature of their national party and are not remotely interested in proper debate and scrutiny. Despite what [Labour council leader] Cllr Sankey may think, people in this city who didn’t vote Labour still deserve their voices to be heard, and to be properly represented within this council.”

Notes

One of Labour’s own councillors, Joy Robinson, is currently under investigation after appearing to brag about Greens having “no voice” in the council, in a now-deleted tweet: https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/09/18/here-are-the-reasons-for-the-latest-complaints-about-councillors/

Seats on committees are allocated based on the number of councillors of a political party. Prior to the by-election on the 4 July, Greens were allocated eight out of the total 63 seats – their win at the by-election increased that number to nine.

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17 September 2024 – Brighton & Hove Green councillors are proposing that Brighton & Hove City Council should award the prestigious Freedom of the City to Brighton Table Tennis Club (BTTC), in recognition of the incredible work they do in the city and their outstanding achievements at the Paris 2024 Paralympics.

Brighton Table Tennis Club has long been a beacon of excellence and inclusivity in our community, creating a space where people from all ages, backgrounds, and abilities can come together and discover a love for table tennis.

The recent triumphs of Bly Twomey and Will Bayley, who together brought home multiple medals in Paris, have been an immense source of pride for the city and speaks to the incredible work that Brighton and Hove Table Tennis club have done over the past 17 years.

The Freedom of the City is one of the highest honours that Brighton & Hove can bestow; it is reserved for individuals and organisations that have made significant contributions to the community.

Brighton Table Tennis Club has not only excelled in their sport but has also played a vital role in promoting physical activity, mental well-being, and social cohesion within the city.

Greens are calling for these proposals to be put before councillors at the next meeting of Full Council on 24 October.

Councillor Pete West, Shadow Cabinet Member for Sports and Recreation, said: “The achievements of the Brighton Table Tennis Club at the Paris 2024 Paralympics are nothing short of extraordinary. Their dedication to the sport and their commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for all players, regardless of background and ability, is truly inspiring. We believe that awarding them the Freedom of the City is a fitting tribute to their hard work and success.”

Table tennis player pic: www.freepik.com

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Wednesday’s counter-demonstration showed hope will always win against hate in Brighton and Hove 

9 August 2024 – Brighton and Hove Green Party were proud to join the thousands of counter-protesters who flooded Queen’s Road in Brighton to protest peacefully against the threat of organised racist and Islamophobia violence on the streets of our city on Wednesday.

The anti-racist crowd vastly outnumbered a tiny group of anti-immigration protesters. 

The racist protesters in the city on Wednesday were few and believed to have come from outside Brighton and Hove, as part of a targeted online campaign.

Greens are clear that these people are not welcome in our city and we are proud to have stood with the people of Brighton and Hove in opposition to these attacks on our communities. 

Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, Sian Berry, was among the counter-protesters along with city Green councillors Steve Davis, Kerry Pickett, Sue Shanks, Pete West and Ollie Sykes. 

Brighton and Hove is a proud ‘City of Sanctuary’, which celebrates diversity and is a safe, welcoming place for refugees. These values are embedded in our communities and across the city and will remain so.

Pic: Green city councillors Kerry Pickett and Steve Davis at the anti-fascist counter-rally.

Greens are clear that what is happening on streets across the country is not ‘thuggery’ but organised political violence perpetrated by fascist, domestic terrorists. This cannot stand and it is imperative that the Labour government starts to call out this violence for what it is and take action accordingly. 

Steve Davis, leader of the opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe living in our city. We want to support our residents in countering the wider impacts of this hatred that has made some people feel they cannot belong here if they do not fit within a fascist’s view of society.”

Greens stand in solidarity with every community that has been attacked or threatened by organised political violence on our streets in recent weeks.

Greens also support the police and emergency workers who are protecting the people in these communities as well as the community leaders and individuals working to bring communities together in the face of a political campaign that aims to divide us. 

Please reach out personally where you can to show solidarity with Muslim people and members of other ethnic minorities in your community. Together we can show that solidarity and love are stronger than hatred and fear.

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2 July 2024: The Green Party of Brighton & Hove warmly welcomes and thanks the many Labour voters and activists across the city who are joining us in voting or endorsing one or more of our three Green MP candidates: Sian Berry in Brighton Pavilion, Elaine Hills in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven and Sophie Broadbent in Hove & Portslade.

Writer and influencer Owen Jones and former Labour Party member: “Vote for Elaine Hills in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven.”

Other endorsements from former Labour supporters from within the city and across the UK for Elaine Hills include:

Pic: writer and former Labour Party member Owen Jones endorses Elaine Hills as Green MP candidate for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven

Rupert Wilkinson, Brighton & Hove Labour Party organiser: “The Labour Party is set to win a majority nationally, but without progressive voices in Parliament there will be no one to hold them to account. We need Green representatives in Brighton, Bristol and other parts of the country that can offer Real Hope and Real Change to ordinary working people.”

David in Kemptown: “I’m now voting Green…. On a wider picture Labour are reneging on almost every manifesto pledge ie: climate change reversal, taxation  of the rich, becoming pro car, keeping the two child benefit cap. They have a populist obsession with militarism and the arms race, an over-nationalistic use of the Union Jack [flag], a refusal to commit to safe & legal routes being the most effective economical and humane way to stop the boats. .”

John in Queens Park: “I voted for Lloyd Russell Moyle in the last election. To vote for [new Labour candidate] Chris Ward would be to endorse the obviously underhanded removal of an established local MP…”

Mike Davies, ex-Campaign Coordinator for Hanover & Elmgrove branch of the Labour Party, Brighton Pavilion Constituency Labour Party, said: “I have voted Green this time…”

Thelma Walker, former Labour MP, Colne Valley: “So we will only get the change this country needs if there’s political pressure, and that can only come from the Greens. So please vote Green so we can help the new Labour government move in a better direction.”

Thelma Walker, former Labour MP for Colne Valley, West Yorkshire, 2017-2019, said, “I was a proud Labour Party member for almost fourty years but recently that has changed, let me explain why.

“Labour have changed to try to win power but they’ve gone much too far: back-pedalling on their climate commitments, opening the door wider for NHS privatisation and continuing the Conservative’s cuts to education.

“And it’s for these reasons that I’m no longer a Labour Party member, and why I believe we must do what we can to stop the new Labour government going further in the wrong direction.  Our children and our grandchildren depend on it.”

“I’ve been in Parliament and I can tell you how it works: no matter how big Labour’s supermajority is, they won’t take the bold action required unless they’re pressured to. Labour MPs are whipped to follow the party line and cabinet ministers are bound by a code of conduct that means they cannot speak out.  

“So we will only get the change this country needs if there’s political pressure, and that can only come from the Greens. So please vote Green so we can help the new Labour government move in a better direction.”

“PS – in many areas voting Green is a win-win, you get a Labour government and a Green MP.”

The post Former Labour supporters in city back one or more of our Green MP candidates appeared first on Brighton & Hove Green Party.

Luke (pictured) and Ricky say that residents are frustrated by the poor performance of CityClean and that the toxic culture exacerbated by previously sacked workers being re-employed is one of the causes of this poor service.

They echo Green councillors who recently called for a ‘root and branch’ reform of the way employment appeals are managed and the relationship between councillors and union representatives. 

An independent report by senior barrister Aileen McColgan KC commissioned by the council last year concluded there was a culture of bullying, misogyny, homophobia and violent intimidation in the CityClean workforce at its main Brighton depot.

Labour councillors who were members of the GMB union which represents many waste service workers served on employment appeal panels to consider cases where the GMB appealed a decision on behalf of one of its union members, which could be a conflict of interest.

Greens say that it cannot be right that Labour councillors who were members of the GMB Union, including some who made declarations about receiving donations from the union, played such a significant role in employee decisions about GMB representatives who had been accused of unacceptable behaviour at the depot. 

The KC report makes clear that allegations of political interference extended beyond member appeal panels and it is not acceptable for Labour councillors to refuse to address conflict of interest concerns that have impacted on such an important service in the city.

Three CityClean employees were reinstated by Labour councillors who served on a personnel appeals panel, despite the Labour Party’s close links to GMB union. 

Luke Walker: “There are questions to be answered by Labour on its councillors’ union affiliation and possible biased decision making when serving on these employment appeal panels which the McColgan report was very clear needs addressing”

Queen’s Park Green candidate Luke Walker said, “Greens will defend workers’ rights. We strongly support trade unions and their members. With CityClean, the evidence of a prejudiced workplace and bullying culture identified in Aileen McColgan’s report must be sorted. We believe this goes to the heart of the poor performance of the service over recent years.

“We welcome the decision to end the practice of councillors voting on employment appeal tribunals given the potential for conflict of interest.

“Councillors should not be involved in an employment dispute where they are linked to one side or another by political, professional membership or other affiliation and did not recuse themselves from participating.

“But we need to go further. There are questions to be answered by Labour on its councillors’ union affiliation and possible biased decision making when serving on these employment appeal panels which the McColgan report was very clear needs addressing.

“As Labour are now running the council, they have a duty to be transparent about their links with unions and other interested groups and what that means for workers’ welfare and for people’s waste and recycling services in the city. 

“These independent reports into the actions of Labour councillors, which Labour tried to cover up and are only now emerging through Freedom of Information requests, show that there is a public interest to know more about the relationship.”

Luke added, “We also urge the Labour-run council to publish a 2019 union investigation into workplace culture at CityClean (the Doherty report) which we believe may help the council address some of these workplace problems. So far the Labour administration has refused to release the report. The waste depot’s workplace culture is failing and the city deserves full disclosure if public confidence is to be restored.”

ends 

The KC report into the CityClean workplace culture is available at: https://www.11kbw.com/knowledge-events/news/brighton-hove-investigation/

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2 April 2024 – Ricky, 45, is a community campaigner, disability sports teacher and a dad. Brighton-born, he has lived in the city for most of his life and in east Brighton for the last eight years. 

“Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”

Ricky said: “I have been involved with disability sports for years and have been campaigning to get better leisure centre facilities here in Brighton, with our public services, charity and community services being hit hard by cuts.

“I have felt for a long time that our elected officials locally and nationally do not represent people that rely on these public services. At a time when our public services are being stripped back with budget cuts, the people of Brighton and Hove are footing the bill for the by-elections here in Kemptown and in Queen’s Park, due to the previously elected people who won these seats allegedly not living in Brighton.

“Not only should the preceding councillors pay back any allowances or tax-payer money they received, but the party that selected them should pay all the costs to hold this by-election. Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”  

Ricky added, “It should not have to be ordinary people  paying for these by-elections during our cost-of-living crisis and as child poverty and homelessness are rising in the city. If elected, you will find me in and around the community, at the end of an email or a zoom call to highlight the things that matter to all the people of Kemptown ward.” 

Ricky is passionate about protecting local services from the massive funding cuts to local authorities carried out by the Conservative government. He is critical of the decision by Brighton & Hove’s Labour-run council to close schools and axe vital voluntary and charity sector funding. In Ricky’s view, Labour have abandoned many of the promises they made to residents in last year’s local elections and residents in Kemptown deserve a strong opposition voice to hold the Labour administration to account. As a wheelchair user, Ricky also has first-hand knowledge of NHS services. 

The Greens were the closest challengers to Labour in the May 2023  local elections.

The Kemptown by-election is taking place due to the resignation of ex-Labour councillor Bharti Gajjar. Ms Gajjar was expelled from Labour last December alongside former Queen’s Park councillor, Chandni Mistry after the party investigated claims that the pair were living in Leicester. Both councillors have allegedly claimed thousands of pounds in allowances, despite barely attending any meetings; they are reported to have been unresponsive when contacted by residents. Questions still remain about how two individuals believed to be living outside the city were selected by the Labour Party. 

Ricky Perrin’s longer personal statement is below ‘Voter Information’ if of interest.

Ends

Notes

Voter information

• The election will take place on Thursday 2 May – polls to open from 7am to 10pm. Remember to bring valid voter ID.
• Voter deadlines: deadline for council to receive new postal vote or proxy vote applications is 17 April, 5pm. 
• More information from Brighton & Hove City Council Elections Department https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/voting-and-elections/kemptown-and-queens-park-elections-thursday-2-may-2024
• Residents in Queens Park ward who wish to vote in the by-election and need to register please visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Or call council electoral services on 01273 291 999 (Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm) or email: electors@brighton-hove

To help with Ricky’s campaign contact the Brighton & Hove Green Party on our site: https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/contact/

Personal statement from Ricky Perrin

I was born in Brighton and have spent almost my whole life living in different areas of the city, living in east Brighton for the last eight years. In my early 20s, I had an injury that left me paralysed and using a wheelchair; my insurance did not pay out and I spent many years relying on the NHS, doctors, pharmacies, social housing, charities, and community services.

I have first-hand experience of needing our local services, and I feel they need protection so that if you or your family need them one day in the future, they are there for you in your time of need.

I am always getting involved in community bits and pieces, from food co-ops and food banks to community sports and community hubs; many people see me out and about walking my dog around the streets of Brighton, the seafront or in local parks.

Having always lived by the sea I get very upset by the levels of sewage being pumped into our rivers and sea and this led me to get more involved with the Green Party as they highlighted the issue. 

I have a teenage son, now 17. As he has grown up, I have become more concerned with climate issues, thinking about the world we leave behind us for future generations.

I currently work for a local disability charity in the mental health lived experience team. On my days off I take sports wheelchairs to schools and get children playing wheelchair sports like basketball, tennis and rugby. So if your child has returned home from school saying they did wheelchair sports in the last eight years then that could have been with me! I hope meeting them changed the perception of people with a disability they had before meeting me.

A year ago I missed out on being elected in the local elections in Brighton. While  I am really happy to have another go at being elected, I am upset about the reasons why these by-elections are being held! 

I hope that running as a candidate for a second time will inspire more people with mental and physical health conditions and disabilities to get involved in politics. 

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