Category Archives: Liberal Democrats

Brent Lib Dems to welcome human rights campaigner Lord Avebury

Posted on August 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

Prominent human rights campaigner Lord (Eric) Avebury will be guest of honour at a tribute dinner in Wembley on Sunday 9 September.

Lord Avebury in front of Westminster BridgeThe dinner is being organised by local resident Arvind Patel, who has known Lord Avebury for over 40 years, on behalf of Brent Liberal Democrats. The event will mark Lord Avebury’s 84th birthday and celebrate his tireless work for human rights and the Asian community in particular.

Lord Avebury is remembered by many for the help and support he gave during the East African crisis of 1972 which resulted in many Asian families arriving in London from Uganda in a state of near destitution. Arvind’s family were among those helped by Lord Avebury.

Among his many contributions to public life he sat on the Royal Commission on Standards of Conduct in Public Life 1974-6, and was Liberal Spokesman on Immigration and Race Relations, 1971-83. In 1976 he founded the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, and chaired it for 21 years. He speaks frequently on conflict resolution and human rights. He has been co-chair of the Chittagoong Hill Tracts Commission (promoting implementation of the Peace Accords of 1997 with the Bangladesh Government) since April 2008.

Lord Avebury (then known as Eric Lubbock) was Liberal Member of Parliament for Orpington 50 years ago and served in the House of Commons between 1962 and 1970. He was elected in a spectacular by-election campaign and overturned an enormous Conservative majority.

Brent Liberal Democrat chair Afifa Pervez said:

We are delighted to welcome Lord Avebury to Wembley to celebrate his birthday and pay tribute to his many achievements. He was a champion for human rights and fair treatment of all races and communities at a time when these values were not as widely accepted as they are now. He continues to challenge our society to do better.

The event will take place on Sunday 9 September at the Blue Room Restaurant, 53 Wembley Hill Road HA9 8BE. Tickets for a three-course Indian meal are £20 per person. Speakers will include Lord Avebury and Sarah Teather MP.

Contact Freda Raingold (020 8205 4716 / brentliberaldemocrats@gmail.com) to reserve tickets.

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New Brent Labour Leader needs to show he can listen says re-elected Lib Dem Leader

Posted on May 14, 2012 | Leave a comment

Commenting on the Labour Group’s decision to overthrow Council Leader Ann John and install Cllr Muhammed Butt in her place Liberal Democrat Group Leader Councillor Paul Lorber said:

The face at the top has changed but nine of the ten Executive members who made so many damaging decisions are still in place. If Councillor Butt wants to prove that things have changed he needs to act quickly to reverse Labour’s unpopular library closures and cuts to street cleaning.

Cllr Butt also has the opportunity to turn over a new leaf in the council’s dealings with its residents. I have written to him urging that, unlike Cllr John, he listens to the views of local people and takes rapid action to re-open closed libraries and improve our street-cleaning service.

Last Tuesday (8 May) Paul Lorber was re-elected as Liberal Democrat Group Leader with Cllr Daniel Brown (Alperton) as Deputy. The Liberal Democrats have the most experienced Leadership Team in place with Councillors Lorber and Brown having served local people on Brent Council for around 50 years between them.

Speaking about his re-election Councillor Lorber said:

Over the past two years the Liberal Democrats have consistently held Labour to account in Brent for the damaging effect its policies are having on local people and their areas – culminating in Liberal Democrat Alison Hopkins’s excellent by-election victory in Dollis Hill.

We will continue to represent local residents and fight for their interests in the face of a Labour administration that has turned a deaf ear to local people’s concerns.

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Posted in Clean Streets, Liberal Democrats, Libraries

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Alison Hopkins says thank you to Dollis Hill residents.

Posted on April 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

Alison Hopkins wrote to local residents via the local press following her election as Brent Council’s newest councillor. Her letter was published in the Brent & Kilburn Times and the Wembley and Willesden Observer.

Dear Editor,

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those in Dollis Hill who voted for me to be their new councillor at last week’s by-election. Having lived in Dollis Hill all my life, it is such an honour to represent my community on Brent Council. It is a real responsibility to be elected to serve my fellow Dollis Hill residents and I take it very seriously. I would also like to thank all those who helped me to win here.

During the election campaign I spoke to many people who are disillusioned and fed up with the decisions that Brent Council’s Labour administration is taking. Whether the issue is the closure of half of our libraries or the rubbish on the streets, there is an overwhelming impression that Labour is no longer interested in listening to what ordinary residents have to say.

 I am determined to be a councillor for everyone in Dollis Hill, not just those who voted for me. Along with my fellow Liberal Democrat councillors Javaid Ashraf and Jack Beck, I will be on the side of Dollis Hill residents. I will work to represent their concerns and will continue to fight for cleaner streets, to save our school crossing patrols and to cut waste not services at Brent Council.

Yours faithfully,

Alison Hopkins
Liberal Democrat councillor for Dollis Hill

Dollis Hill residents can contact Councillor Alison Hopkins by email at Cllr.Alison.Hopkins@brent.gov.uk, by phone on 07917 717797 or by post at  9 Humber Road, London, NW2 6EH.

Along with Cllr Javaid Ashraf and Cllr Jack Beck, Alison holds a regular surgery for residents on the 1st Saturday of each month from 11am to 12 noon at Comber Close Community Hall, Comber Close, Dollis Hill, NW2 7EG.

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Posted in Elections, Liberal Democrats

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Dollis Hill voters give verdict on Brent library cuts and Labour’s waste

Posted on March 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Alison Hopkins, Liberal Democrat councillor for Dollis HillBrent’s newest councillor Alison Hopkins has thanked Dollis Hill residents for their support and for electing her to Brent Council yesterday.

Humber Road resident Alison Hopkins triumphed by 37 votes in the highly marginal Dollis Hill ward, which has been a Lib Dem / Labour battleground for the past ten years.

This is the first Lib Dem victory against Labour in the capital since the General Election in 2010. The Liberal Democrat majority increased from 27 votes in 2010 to 37 votes yesterday (on a lower turnout).

Victorious new Liberal Democrat councillor Alison Hopkins said:

It is clear that a huge number of Brent residents are still very angry at Labour’s decision to force through the closure of half of our libraries in the face of massive public opposition. They are fed up with the increased rubbish on the streets and the overflowing bins caused by Labour’s decision to target cuts at street cleaning. It’s time for the Labour politicians who run Brent Council to start listening to local people.

Now I have a seat in the council chamber I will use it to continue to argue the case for local libraries anc cleaner streets. I will speak up for the thousands of local residents and children who have lost out because of Brent Council’s refusal to listen.

I want to thank my fellow Dollis Hill residents for the warm welcome I received throughout the campaign, and everyone who voted for and helped me.

Dollis Hill has been hit hard by the Labour Council’s library cuts. When Labour councillors voted to close six of Brent’s twelve libraries last year, two of them (Cricklewood and Neasden) served local residents.

Alison Hopkins and Cllr Javaid Ashraf collecting petition signatures with other campaigners outside Neasden library

Alison Hopkins has a track record of campaigning for the local area. She has worked hard to challenge Labour's library closures.

The newly elected councillor collected hundreds of signatures protesting against the library closures last year. Neasden Library currently stands empty at a cost to Brent taxpayers of around £70,000 per year, as the council is unable to hand back the lease of the rented building until 2022.

The unpopular Labour council has also come under fire for its cuts to front-line services, such as street-cleaning, wasteful spending, and its refusal to listen to local residents.

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Posted in Campaigns, Clean Streets, Elections, Labour Failure, Liberal Democrats, Libraries

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Congratulations to Brent’s newest Liberal Democrat councillor: Alison Hopkins

Posted on March 23, 2012 | 1 Comment

Liberal Democrat Alison Hopkins is Brent’s newest councillor. She successfully defended the seat left vacant by the sad death of Alec Castle earlier this year.

  • Liberal Democrat (Alison Hopkins) – 1,205 (46.5%)
  • Labour  – 1,168 (45.1%)
  • Conservative – 140 (5.4%)
  • Green Party – 79 (3.0%)

The result reflects Alison’s record as a community campaigner and the hard work of the local Liberal Democrat team. Thank you to everyone who voted for Alison to be their new councillor and to everyone who helped Alison’s campaign.

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Posted in Elections, Liberal Democrats

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Vote Alison Hopkins in Dollis Hill today

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Residents in Dollis Hill are going to the polls today to elect a new councillor, following the death of Liberal Democrat councillor Alec Castle. The election campaign has been a two-horse race between campaigning Dollis Hill resident Alison Hopkins and Brent Council’s Labour administration’s candidate.

It’s clear that the Conservative and other candidates can’t win. Polling stations are open until 10pm this evening (Thursday 21 March) at:

  • CDO1 and CDO 2: Kingfisher Youth and Community Centre, Crest Road, NW2 7LG – map
  • CDO3:Our Lady of Grace RC Junior School, Dollis Hill Lane, NW2 6HS – map
  • CDO4: Our Lady of Grace RC Infant School, Dollis Hill Lane, NW2 6EU – map

You don’t need your polling card to vote. If you have a postal vote and have not sent it back, you can take it to any of the polling stations listed above or to the Town Hall.

Alison Hopkins

Alison Hopkins, Liberal Democrat candidate for Dollis HillAlison has lived in Dollis Hill for over 55 years. She has a long record of campaigning for local people. As the Neasden representative of the Brent SOS libraries campaign she has fought the Labour Council’s plans to close half the libraries in Brent, including in Neasden and Cricklewood.

She is campaigning against the Council’s slashing of the street cleaning budget that has seen rubbish pile up in Dollis Hill’s streets and she has taken a stand against the Labour Council’s frittering away of thousands of pounds on luxury hotel away-days and expensive meals, money that could have been used to keep the libraries open and the dumped rubbish off Dollis Hill’s streets.

Published and promoted by R Wharton 19 Roe Lane London NW9 9BH on behalf of A Hopkins (Liberal Democrats) 9 Humber Road London NW2 6EH. Printed (hosted) by Automattic, Inc. 60 29th Street #343 San Francisco, CA 94110-4929 United States of America

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Posted in Clean Streets, Elections, Labour Failure, Liberal Democrats

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