Brent's first African-Carribean Mayor is to defect to the Conservatives later today. Bob Blackman, Conservative Councillor for Brent and Harrow will make a formal announcement later. Labour Councillor Bertha Joseph, who represents Kensal Green was first elected to Brent Council elected in 1986. Cllr Joseph was the borough's first African-Carribean Mayor, holding the post for 12 months in 1998 and 1999. She was also Mayor for 2006/07 during Brent's celebration of the abolition of the slave trade.
UPDATE: Mrs Joseph has issued the following statement:
“I have decided to cross the floor and join the Conservative Group on Brent Council because I became frustrated with the inaction of the Labour Group in Brent. They are not addressing the recent spate of murders and shootings in Kensal Green through a structured intervention programme and through new measures. They have also failed to address the poor representation of BME staff at the highest level of the Council by initiating a positive action programme. I have joined the Conservative Party as I feel that it is the natural thing to do because of David Cameron’s views and attitudes towards youth and crime. During his leadership he has embraced our multicultural society in a way that I have not seen projected by the Labour Party.”
Iain,
ReplyDeleteQuite true, I've seen the letter that she has issued. On the other hand, I'd be wary about this one if I was the local Conservative Association... unless she's been encouraged by an offer of something...
Can Sean Fear enlighten us?
That is great news! Looking forward to the Conservatove Party setting the agenda again over the next week and on. The clunking fist can keep stealing all of our ideas but we have so many policies to come out he will end up looking like a fruit loop if he is not careful.
ReplyDeleteHis copycat speech is coming back to haunt him, his promises on crime and health are aspirational nonsense without proper conservative reform.
It would be folly for him to call an election. A 4 week campaign is a long time. The old hats in his party know this which is why they are advising him against.
I am an upbeat Conservative at the moment.
P.s If Labouot do call it now they may avoid the full wrath of our marginal seats campaign.
What's it gonna be - come on then!
one 'r', two 'b's
ReplyDeleteThink you'll find this is my story...
ReplyDeletewho???????
ReplyDeleteits not exactly a household name.
Oops, someone must have forgot to tell Bertha that the Black community aren't allowed to support those wicked Tories, according to Doreen Lawrence.
ReplyDeleteWhat's with all this cross-dressing?
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the BBC stories about how this means the Labour party is in trouble/falling apart/don't vote for them etc etc
ReplyDeleteWe have a name for floor crossers down here regardless of party: Crostitutes.
ReplyDeleteI realise things are different in a constituency based system like Britain, as opposed to a pure pr system, but I still can't shake the feeling that if an elected representative has a crisis of faith he/she should resign, provoke a by-election and restand on his/her new ticket.
Sorry, I know I should be celebrating any erosion of NuLab's power but that's just the way I feel.
Now didn't we get our nuts curried in a similar outbreak of intra-communal strife, a short while back? Where was that, again? Somewhere like Southall?
ReplyDeleteAbsit omen.
Is Bob Blackman changing his sex as well as his politics? I don't understand this post. He is going to announce his defection later today and suddenly seems to have morphed into Bertha Joseph for the occasion.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, where did Bob Blackman go? What is this post all about?
Alright, now I'm confused.
ReplyDeleteBrent Council is run by a Lib Dem/Conservative coalition. So how is the Labour Group supposed to act as she wishes it to?
When did she write her resignation letter? 2005?
I guess she isn't a supporter of BLINK then? Looking forward to seeing Bertha campaigning for Boris in the Mayoral election.
ReplyDelete"he has embraced our multicultural society in a way that I have not seen projected by the Labour Party.”"
ReplyDeleteoh dear. That's another 10 000 Tory activists refusing to deliver CAMERON'S LEAFLETS, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT TIS IS NOT TRUE AT ALL.
Mark - I was under the impression Camden was LD/Tory and Brent was LD/Labour?
ReplyDeleteEither way it seems very silly of her to move to a party with such a poor history over relations with all kinds of minorities and which has so little chance of ever being relevant to the voters in her area. Smacks a little of a local politician with an overinflated opinion of her own electoral power vs her party's.
I am not at all surprised to learn that Cllr Bertha Joseph from Brent has joined the Conservatives. They certainly seem to be the party that listens to the people. As Chair of the Kensal Green Community Safety Forum, I held a meeting with local residents to discuss sadly another shooting in Kensal Green. I invited Dawn Butler our local Labour MP to attend, as I did when I held a meeting to discuss the murder of the late Tom ap Rhys Pryce. Sadly on both occasions Dawn Butler our MP failed to turn up to listen to her constituents concerns. However, our local Ward Cllr, Bertha Joseph was the only local Ward Cllr who together with the KGCSF called for the recent meeting which saw our local Borough Commander, Chief Supt. Mark Toland and our GLA Member, Cllr Bob Blackman (who just happens to be a Conservative) attend and listen to the concerns of local residents. I believe local residents will not be too concerned that Cllr Joseph has decided to change party, because, as the only active Cllr in our Ward, they will support her whatever party she now represents; so as long as she puts her residents first, which is clearly what she is doing. As Chair of the KGCSF I hold no allegiance to any political party, my allegiance is to the MP or Cllr who best serves its people, and if that means supporting Cllr Joseph, so be it.
ReplyDeleteRocky Fernandez
Chair
Kensal Green Community Safety Forum