In Brent, we don’t do anything by halves. So today we elect all of our Councillors. Over at Brent East Campaigning there are a few last posts and a really great graph… when I post again we’ll know what we’ve got for the next four years…

what do I think? I think the Green’s have won it really. I expect them to gain two seats, well, at least one in Queen’s Park. Also, I think that Cameron may have spoken to a lot of people at a local level and Team Blue will make a few gains. Team Yellow (Look for the Bird!) will also make gains, probably bringing them level with the Blues… These gains will be to someones loss: Team Read.

The result is, I hope, consensus driven local politics. And it looks a little like this….

well tomorrow is the day when Brent will select its councillors. I’ve heard many a rumour (and started a few) and seen many a bun thrown. Could I call Mapesbury, Queen’s Park or Brondesbury now? And the others in Brent East? Could I tell you have the council will look by Friday?

If you are into political betting then you’ll have seen the odds offered by one bookmaker. Here’s the Lib Dems story, bouyed as odds on them winning the council are slashed.

I do have a few thoughts - but its probably just subliminal psychic channelling; my prayers.

Want to see what I can do with a spreadsheet program? Coming right up…..

Over at stopthetower a recent email news update has been posted by Barney Cokeliss. Go read it for the stopthetower campaign group’s update on the proposed tower block development in Queen’s Park.

Barney, Will and the gang have not yet got the hang of the idea that as the web is always on, 24hrs a day they can update their website with information as it happens, without having to wait for lots of things to report and then produce a newsletter. I am not against the printed word, in fact I help various groups deliver print newsletter - what I am against is a newsletter that could have been distributed by posting the information on the website weeks ago.

Here’s some words from Barney on the politics of stopthetower and the forthcoming elections.

“We’re a non-politically-aligned organization. And some of us are life-long Labour voters. But we have to tell you that the towerblock is very much a Labour project. Council Leader Anne John (LAB) is the driving force behind it.”

He highlights that Cllr Jonathan Davies decision to defect from Labour to the Liberal Democrats (as previously reported) was in part due to the failure of Labour to engage with residents over the tower block plan.

“The most important thing you can do to stop the tower is to vote against Labour in the May 4th Local Elections.

“It doesn’t matter what the Labour candidates say themselves about the tower as individual councillors they will be powerless to stop it. The key thing is to change the balance of power in the council, so that Anne John’s pro-tower Labour group no longer has a majority.
If Queen’s Park elects Labour councillors even ones who say they’re anti-tower the Labour majority will remain and the tower will be built. Once again, a vote for Labour on May the 4th is a vote for the tower.”