| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Proposals to Refurbish Brentford Towers | |
| Posted by: | Phil Andrews | |
| Date/Time: | 15/06/17 10:39:00 |
| Indeed. It is much too early to be certain about the cause of the fire, but what is already clear is that residents of the blocks had frequently expressed their concerns over safety and that those concerns had been ignored. Our experience in Hounslow teaches us that neither of the main parties has much to brag about when it comes to engaging with residents. The attitude of the prevailing Labour Group towards any manifestation of organised resident activity has ranged from indifference to rabid hostility (witness the reaction to the ICG when it was active). Whenever residents have refused to be discouraged in their efforts to organise the policy of the Labour council has invariably been to try to take ownership of the process, where possible by filling the groups with party members who can be trusted to represent the party in the community rather than the other way around, and by insisting upon controlling the agenda from the centre. When we went into coalition with the Conservatives and tried to bring the engagement agenda to the fore our priorities were regarded as eccentric and quirky, with the view taken that they would be tolerated and indulged just so long as they didn't cost anyone any money. If anything constructive is to come from this tragedy it should be that politicians, both local and national, of all political shades, should reconsider their atavistic "we know best" mentality in their dealings with those ordinary everyday people that it is their privilege to have been elected to represent. |