SYRIA: WHAT NEXT?

CAMDEN’S councillors come together again next Wednesday with the Town Hall’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis due to come up at their all-member meeting. Council leader Sarah Hayward remains at the forefront, offering help for at least 20 families at the end of last week. This has all sparked another rush of sharply-worded comments again on the CNJ’s Facebook pages about helping our own first and there is clear some level of division in public opinion, but there is a genuine feeling that the Labour group is committed to what it is doing here, and would offer to ‘take in’ more if they could.

20,000 refugees over 5 years is disappointing compared to our European neighbours. #refugeeswelcome

— Sarah Hayward (@Sarah_Hayward) September 7, 2015

Behind the scenes there are attempts to to stitch together a motion on the subject which everyone can agree on. Labour insiders say talks aren’t going well. Conservatives say they will not be bounced into acquiescing if the words aren’t right. Meanwhile, there are snippy comments here and there about who has been leading on the issue, locally, for longest, and who suddenly became interested when the photo of drowned toddler Aylan Kurdi was widely circulated. It’s true that the Lib Dem-Green tag team of Flick Rea and Sian Berry were raising the issue earlier in this year with a motion calling for help which was never heard. That in itself is an argument for re-ordering the way Camden’s ailing full council meetings are organised. The motions – i.e. the things that the councillors actually vote on – are tucked away at the end of the session as if they are irritating chores.

KEIR, THIS IS LILY, CALL ME 

MODEL Lily Cole has clearly been moved by the Syrian refugee crisis too. Living locally – very local to the Town Hall in the St Pancras chambers – she has been trying to get hold of her new MP Keir Starmer to get his take.

.@Keir_Starmer are you happy w the PM’s response to the refugee crisis today? I am trying to speak to you rgd the role Camden could play.

— lily cole (@lilycole) September 7, 2015

“You cannot kill ideology with a bullet You need a better idea” @QueenRania on the war against ISIS

— lily cole (@lilycole) September 7, 2015

12 years after Iraq war Cameron warns threat from Islamist extremist violence is “more acute today than ever before”. Solution = more bombs?

— lily cole (@lilycole) September 7, 2015

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TWEETS

WATCH out Camden Town publicans, they are back discussing a levy…

Officially a long night at 9pm & @CamdenLabour still debating a late night levy – maybe needed on long running council meetings? ;)

— Rishi Madlani (@RishiMadlani) September 7, 2015

OH Sabrina, was it becoming a councillor that did it?

Facebook Memories has confirmed my suspicions that I peaked in late 2010-early 2011. Sad times. It’s all gone downhill since then.

— Sabrina (@sabfrancis) September 3, 2015