Labour Group meeting night, and the early part of the meeting was taken up with discussing the agenda for tomorrow’s full Council meeting. I was pleased that my colleagues agreed to support giving priority to my question on cricket development and promotion, so that it is certain to be taken for verbal rather than written answer.
However, most of the meeting was spent in discussion of reports from by Cabinet Members on their current work.
Cllr Liz Brookes (Regeneration) talked particularly about the good news that an external inspection of the Council’s housing management had been very positive – awarding a good “two star” rating with “promising prospects for improvement”. This means that LB Ealing is entitled to £207 million over the next few years to undertake major improvements – bringing all Council homes up to the Government’s new “decent homes standard”. We agreed to support a motion that Liz is putting to the Council tomorrow praising the work of Council staff in achieving such an impressive inspection result.
Cllr Ranjit Dheer (Deputy Leader) gave a very thoughtful report on ‘Community Cohesion” – a concept much talked about at the moment, but less frequently understood or acted upon. Ranjit’s key point was perhaps that “we need to keep in mind that our claims to equality are founded on the certainty of our common citizenship – on what we have in common, not our differences.” He was widely supported by Group members.
We also considered reports from Cllrs Karen Hunte (Independent Living), Sonika Nirwal (Children and Young People) and Ray Wall (Transport and Planning Policy). I went on afterwards to join Lou Kenton and some of his old friends in the pub, where I was able to give him the good news about cricket in the Borough.
The Labour Group leadership at the meeting - (right to left) Leo Thomson (Leader), Dave Bond (Chair), and Chris Payne (Chief Whip)
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