Brent Fightback Agenda for May 1st

• NHS - Reports on Save Our Hospitals demo Saturday April 27th &Town Hall Pensioners' Forum meeting on the NHS changes Monday April 29th. Plans for building London wide NHS demo Saturday May 18th and Hunt for Hunt 15th June, called by Save Lewisham Hospital Campaign. Unite the Union is prepared to finance five coaches from across London and Ealing TUC want to know whether we will be participating if there is a coach from Ealing http://www.savelewishamhospital.com/the-hunt-for-hunt/
• Education - Reports on Michaela Free School, Gladstone Park Primary School's anti-academisation campaign.
• Housing/Bedroom Tax - Reports from Brent Housing Action and other campaigns.
• Council cuts and proposed privatisation including Campaign against Veolia
• People's Assembly 22nd June

4,000 march for West London A&Es

Brent Fightback supporters

400 or so activists from Hammermsmith and Brent assembled at Acton Park on Saturday to march to Ealing Common where they were joined by thousands from the main march which had begun in Southall.

The marchers were campaigning for the retention of the Accident and Emergency facilities at Ealing, Hammersmith, Charing Cross and Central Middlesex hospitals.

Sarah Cox, speaking for Brent Fightback, declared that the campaigners should retain unity in the face of attempts to divide and rule and campaign for ALL the hospitals and resist any closures until they were convinced that any alternative arrangements were in place, secure and more effective than what they replace,

Hands off Our Homes: Brent housing and benefits campaign meeting tonight

Fightback on housing crisis begins to take shape

On Tuesday April 9th there will be a meeting in Brent to discuss next steps in a  local housing campaign. A report of the inaugural meeting follows:

Around 25 people attended the initial Housing Strategy meeting called by Brent Fightback, on Tuesday 19th March at the Brent Mencap offices in Willesden.

Attendees included the lead member for Housing for Brent Council, the Somali Advice Centre, the Counihan Family Housing campaign, Mencap campaigners, a tenants representative, a housing worker, and a high school teacher concerned about the cases arising at her school. Apologies were received from the Brent Law Centre and the Brent Private Tenants Rights Group and from some who attended the Health Scrutiny Committee.

It was a constructive and serious meeting, with information and experiences shared about the current situation and the general background to housing in Brent. Potential strategies and targets for campaigning were discussed, including:

GLA powers to set Rent Caps; advice and signposting training; "Bedroom Tax" strategies; the Right to Buy discounting; helping residents speak out and organise; mutual exchanges on properties; resisting evictions; linking up with other campaigners.

Cllr Janice Long, lead member for Housing has agreed to provide current local information of how changes are expected to affect people locally.

We agreed a next meeting time: 7pm, Tuesday 9th April, Brent Mencap offices, 379-381 High Road, Willesden. We will consider the actions that were suggested at the intial meeting and any further priorities, and estabish the name and aims of a local housing campaign.

Please forward widely.

Robin Sivapalan robsivapalan@hotmail.com 07974 331 053
Ken Montague kenmontague@msn.com