Blog Style - Asian Sunday & Style

Investing in the future of Bradford’s markets

News

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March 24, 2015

Investing in the future of Bradford’s markets

Changes are being made to the Oastler Centre to complement the blossoming Independent Quarter on North Parade and the new Westfield Shopping Centre, due to open at the end of the year.

Bradford Council is consulting with the owners of the Kirkgate shopping centre to establish their plans for the centre and market to ensure they remain a significant retail destination.

The most immediate plans are to make changes to the Oastler Centre to complement the blossoming Independent Quarter on North Parade and the new Westfield Shopping Centre, due to open at the end of the year.

The Oastler Centre will see an expansion in food retail and in October a two-day food and drink festival will run on nearby Northgate to mark this renewed focus on food. This event will promote and support the market area. The Council will liaise with traders, including businesses on North Parade, to look at ways of linking in with their own promotional activities.

East is East favourite Om Puri relishes on his hundred-foot journey

Aalia Khan

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March 24, 2015

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East is East favourite Om Puri relishes on his hundred-foot journey

As perhaps one of India’s most recognisable acting exports, Om Puri has amassed more than 250 feature film critics in his four decades in front of the camera. Born in Patiala, in the north of India, Puri is beloved at home and abroad, having played roles in mainstream and independent cinema in India, the United States and the UK.

His film debut came in 1976, in the Marathi film GHASHIRAM KOTWAL, and Puri rode the Indian New Wave of the 70s and early 80s, starring in some of the country’s most memorable art-house classics and taking roles in some of Bollywood’s biggest successes.

He had a cameo role in Richard Attenborough’s GHANDI, in 1982, but he credits a turn opposite Patrick Swayze and Pauline Collins ten years later, in Roland Joffe’s CITY OF JOY, as kick-starting his English-language career. Hollywood roles include the likes of WOLF, THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS and CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR.

Equally at home in British cinema, few can forget Puri’s turn in 1999 hit EAST IS EAST, in which Puri played the patriarch of a mixed-ethnicity family settling into Salford, Greater Manchester in the 1970s. A sequel, WEST IS WEST, followed in 2010.

In THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY, Puri again plays a proud Indian patriarch, this time leading his family to a sleepy French village in which he intends to open an Indian restaurant and bring a taste of home to a people whose cuisine has been unchanged for hundreds of years. And there’s a catch: he’s opening opposite a Michelin-starred legend

Puri will soon reteam with Roland Joffe for THE LOVERS, alongside Josh Hartnett and Tamsin Egerton, but in London to launch THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY, he discusses his passion for cooking, the stellar ensemble, and his extraordinary cinematic history.

This is a hard film to watch on an empty stomach. The obvious first question is: can you cook as well as the film suggests?

I think I’m the senior of the group when it comes to cooking. I have been cooking from the age of 14. In school I was a Boy Scout, and one of the was cooking. There used to be competitions. I used to watch my mother, and if we went to anybody’s house I would be curious to ask them, “How did you prepare it? What did you put in it?” etc. etc. I find it relaxing. It’s like doing yoga for me.

Do you have a signature dish?

My preference is still vegetarian. I can’t have a full non-veggie meal. I have to have vegetables. I love lentils and I love yoghurt. I can cook chicken and prawns, but it’s mainly vegetarian.

Also, I don’t indulge in cooking where you have to spend a lot of time. There are a lot of Indian dishes where you have to spend bloody half a day cooking one dish. I don’t much use ground spices, which have a mixture of various things. I prefer to use the whole spice. I improvise a lot with food, too, and try to match things. Most of the time I have been successful in making a mixture.

There is one dish, which becomes like a whole meal. In the north we have a state called Uttar Pradesh, and there’s a dish there called Tahri, which is a mix of vegetables and rice cooked together. It’s like a pilau, actually. When the family goes for an outing, they come back home, the children are very hungry, and they don’t want to cook three dishes. They cook this Tahri, which takes about 20 minutes, and you have a perfect meal. You have vegetables, rice and yoghurt.

Most actors are lucky to have one role of a lifetime in their careers. You’ve had many. Did this immediately leap out to you as something like that?

I was excited and absolutely thrilled. Look at the names associated with it, starting with Steven Spielberg who is a master of cinema. He is so diverse and so prolific and versatile in his filmmaking. When I met him for the first time in America, for the premiere, I looked at him and said, “God, such a tiny body and has so much talent inside.” He’s very gentle and very sweet, and he met me very warmly. Oprah Winfrey is another great human being. She visited the set also and it was a great pleasure meeting her. In fact, I gifted her a book I was reading, which was about spiritualism and meditation. She enjoyed reading it; she sent me an email that she loved it. Lasse Hallstrom is a great director. And then finally you had Dame Helen Mirren. To work opposite her is a dream for any actor. I was absolutely thrilled by this project.

You and Helen share a wonderful romance in the film. What did you like about the way that played out?

You don’t know where it’s heading, and where it’s going to lead. Things keep on happening, and the least you expected was a relationship between Helen Mirren and my character. The younger love story was going on right from the beginning, but ours was a surprise. It’s a very dignified relationship, with a lot of warmth and compassion.

The cast is from many different backgrounds. Was it easy to bond?

Well, I have to say that for me it’s something that comes naturally. It all started with EAST IS EAST. I have a big family in EAST IS EAST and I got this idea before we started filming. I was staying in an apartment in Holland Park, so I said my exercise is that tomorrow we all meet at my place and we go out shopping to cook. Someone went to buy vegetables, and someone went to buy fruit, somebody went to buy wine. Everybody went shopping separately and we all got together and cooked the meal. We spent the entire day, until 12 o’clock at night and it was wonderful. Similarly I did that on this film. Every Saturday and Sunday my screen family would come to my apartment and I had to cook for them.

Your character is passionate but stubborn. Is that a common trait amongst Indian cooks, do you think?

Most Indians are very enterprising. Way back in the 40s and 60s, the people who came from India were essentially the labour class. Then, gradually, they had families here and became part of this society. But they came here with nothing. You can’t imagine that they come almost penniless, and in 10 years time you see that they’re millionaires. They don’t spend very much – they’re not indulgent. They save and they keep growing their business.

You’ve done more than 250 films. Looking back, what has allowed such longevity?

The fact is that in Indian mainstream cinema a face like mine didn’t fit in. If Anthony Quinn had been born in India, he’d still be struggling; he wouldn’t find a main role to play. Fortunately, during the period I came in the mid-70s, the New Wave cinema was coming up. The films had natural faces and ordinary faces. Pretty, chiselled faces weren’t required to play main parts. I was part of that cinema, and gradually, because of the wonderful performances, the mainstream cinema noticed. They started offering substantial parts – although never the main lead. But there was very little money in art cinema. Art cinema gave me prestige and dignity and credibility as an actor, and commercial cinema gave me bread and butter. I created a balance – the right kind of balance – between the two.

How did you break out internationally?

It started with CITY OF JOY in 1992. I had a big part against Patrick Swayze, and I got very good reviews in America. My producers and director, and the casting director, they said, “You must have an agent in London.” I didn’t know anyone, so they put me onto Jeremy Conway and he’s still my agent today. With that film, gradually roles started coming and I did a lot of work in Britain. I did three or four Canadian films, and six or seven American films. Cameos, but good cameos, you know. I worked only with stars, whether it was Jack Nicholson or Tom Hanks or Patrick Swayze or Val Kilmer or Michael Douglas.

How did you find Lasse Hallstrom’s approach on this film?

I spoke to him about his background and how he got his start. He’s a self-trained man. He didn’t go to school to learn direction. I think perhaps, it explains his behaviour on set, because he discovered things himself, so he expects the actors to discover things for themselves. The most important line which stuck in my head – and I’ve worked with hundreds of directors – was when he said, “Om, the take was nice, but I want you to mess it up.” I got confused, I said, “Why would I mess up a scene?” What he meant was, like in real life, you’re awkward, you’re hesitant, and you’re not always perfect. He meant that. Sometimes he said, “Throw the script away. Don’t speak lines from the script. Think of the situation and make your own lines.” That’s quite difficult, instantly. We’re not writers. But he’ll get something out of that.

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY IS AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY AND DVD ON 9TH MARCH, COURTESY OF ENTERTAINMENT ONE

Health professionals look at improving provisions in Bradford

Health
News

Aalia Khan

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March 24, 2015

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Health professionals look at improving provisions in Bradford

By Aalia Khan

Local charity, Womenzone hosted a Big Health Event in Bradford for health professionals and community groups on Wednesday 18th March.

The event focused on bringing health professionals together to make people aware of the services that are available to them and how they can be used effectively. It was a mixed event and involved speakers from CCG, Better Start, Bradford University and City of Sanctuary who presented their work on what is going on to better the health provisions in Bradford.

CCG project coordinator at Womenzone Nadia Naim said “We’ve been funded by CCG to look at self care particularly with BME women – so that’s Pakistani, Bengali, India and Eastern European because we are a diverse community. What we’ve found is that a lot of BME women who are isolated, they don’t have that ability to get into mainstream health services; so if they are suffering with depression or they are physically unfit they don’t know what to do. Our focus is self-care; we are getting women to think about their health through self-care by being innovative. One of the activities we’ve had at the health event is getting people to post messages on mugs. We have a range of organisations here and we are bringing them together because we want to be more coordinated in Bradford. We want people to think about their health and how we can improve health in Bradford.”

Diana Bird from Shipley College has been working on a project called Mother’s Tongue which is about supporting women in accessing maternity services, helping women who don’t speak English to develop their communication skills so they can interact meaningfully with their midwife and also so that they can learn about what the medical services can offer in the UK. Bird said “I think it is amazing that so many people have turned out, it’s great to know that there are so many people who are working towards a common goal and recognise what the issues are, not just recognising them but also having solutions and ideas about how we can move that forward. “

Gwyneth Balson Chair of the Board of Trustees at the centre said “Today’s event involves a diversity of health professionals who have come together to share experiences in terms of the work that they do, and for us to network which has been good.”

From the vibrancy of a school to the intensity of the council, Sara Rawnsley speaks about her new role as Recruitment and Retention Strategy Manager

Aalia Khan

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March 24, 2015

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From the vibrancy of a school to the intensity of the council, Sara Rawnsley speaks about her new role as Recruitment and Retention Strategy Manager

By Aalia Khan

Sara Rawnsley, Headteacher at Princeville Primary School, a school that our editor also attended, and newly recruited Recruitment and Retention Strategy Manager at Bradford Council has had a vast amount of experience in spotting fresh talent and helping the developing of individuals. Rawnsley’s ten years of experience as a Headteacher at Princeville Primary will help her in the new role she has recently taken on at Bradford Council.

Rawnsley says the reason why she took on the new role as Recruitment and Retention Strategy Manager was because “It is something I am very passionate about. I am very passionate about spotting talent and bringing careers on. When you are a teacher in a classroom you want every child in your classroom to do really well and as a headteacher I’ve had the same mantra about my staff. I have been a headteacher for ten years and when this post was advertised I thought it is something I am really keen to do; to bring together lots of things that are going on in a cohesive package for Bradford, attract people to Bradford, get the best people in and get the best schools.” Her new role will involve identifying exceptional talent and those who will help in the betterment of education and placing these individuals in the right roles. She will also be looking at staff right from education and teaching up to executive headship.

The two roles vary “As a headteacher you are in charge of your own school, the grass roots from children to education and staffing. This role is very different because it is totally strategic, so it is about bringing together adults who can bring the best outcome for the children. It’s working with many different people and dashing about a lot” explains Rawnsley.

As of summer 2015 Rawnsley will officially be leaving Princeville Primary School as a headteacher and focusing solely on her new role at Bradford Council. She says everyone at the school has been very supportive of this new chapter in her life and she believes that it’s good not to stay at a place for too long, “Always leave on a high.”

Up until summer Rawnsley will be juggling both the roles and she says her time is managed well thanks to her deputy headteacher “I have got a really great deputy headteacher at my school who is leading the school when I’m not here, so I manage it by being quite flexible with my time so that I can work both alongside each other until I leave the school in summer.”

In her new role she says the skills and requirements she will be focusing on are; “With school leaders we are looking for people who have got clear vision, are very strategic and very tenacious and passionate about the outcomes for children and getting the very best for them. Those are the key elements which are crucial.”

Rawnsley has always been passionate about her role as a headteacher and says spotting talent has been a key skill of hers which will be extremely useful in her new role “I’m passionately developed and very good at the succession, planning and process of my school where we spot talent early, such as support staff, developing people and encouraging people to go as far as they can. I have done this very successfully at Princeville and we have really great staff with clear pathways. I want to extend that across the district and develop talent management and have real clear pathways for progression for everybody.”

A few interesting facts about Sara Rawnsley:

Fave film: American Beauty

Fave food: Chicken Pasanda curry or Chicken Tikka Masala

Fave place in Bradford: Picture Ville Cinema

Fave hobby: Reading

Fav holiday destination: Kenya on Safari

Discover unique, chic, contemporary and culture at Artz-i

Aalia Khan

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March 24, 2015

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Discover unique, chic, contemporary and culture at Artz-i

By Aalia Khan

The funky, chic atmosphere and products on offer at the new gift and interior store Artz-i in Bradford town centre grabs your attention from the moment you step in.

From the modern and unique mugs and frames to the exquisite wall of art from across the world, spending 10-15 minutes just to take in everything available should be expected. Artz-i, which has only been open for the last three months on Sunbridge Road, has done very well for itself in drawing in people’s attention, selling many of the high end products and taking repeat orders.

Mohammed Ali Rasul, Managing Director of the store says “Having opened for only three months we have had sell-throughs and I never would’ve expected it. People love quality. And Bradford has lots of trendy people who appreciate quality and art.” Rasul has been in the fashion industry for the last twenty five years when he owned a designer menswear outlet called Zohm in Huddersfield and Oldham, having sold the stores but kept the brand, Rasul wanted to open up a new store and brand of his own selling high quality products for a reasonable price for the people of Bradford.

Rasul has travelled the world and lived in Yemen with his family for 13 years, he recently returned to Bradford to discover that there wasn’t much quality Islamic art and products on offer in Bradford. Along with his two partners he decided to open up Artz-i to offer Islamic art as well as other unique products from around the world and the UK that the people of Bradford may not have discovered.

The first floor which customers step into houses gifts, ornaments, greeting cards, flowers, candles, mugs and a wall of art from artists across the world including Syria, Istanbul and Cairo. Having divulged in all the small treasures on offer you can walk down the stairs to the ground floor which presents interior and home furnishings such as lamps, arm chairs, chic clocks, cushions and cabinets.

As much as looking at nice products is great for a customer, the price is always the main factor, Rasul has kept this in mind and ensured that all his products are sold at a reasonable price. Greeting cards start from £1.75. The average price on the first floor is £10-£15, and downstairs the interior and furnishing floor houses items at £2000, but the average price of products on that floor is £200-£300; this involves quirky furniture. The art work starts from £10 and goes up to £100, which includes large, good quality frames. Rasul says “I wanted to ensure it wasn’t expensive but still good quality. It is about gifts and that is one way to connect with people. I wanted a gift store in which people can afford to come in and spend at.”

Rasul says customers and passersby have loved the store and products on offer and people have said that this type of store should be in Leeds or London, but Rasul argues “No why can’t Bradford have it, we just need to get people’s confidence to spend in Bradford rather than going out, and give them the confidence that we know what we are doing.”

An Artz-i online store is currently being developed which will offer more of the Islamic art and they are also in the process of creating an art gallery which will display art from around Bradford as well as worldwide.

Public opinion on Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for Bradford West Naz Shah

News
Opinion

Aalia Khan

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March 23, 2015

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Public opinion on Labour prospective parliamentary candidate for Bradford West Naz Shah

By Dan Moorhouse

With the General Election now less than 45 days away it is no surprise that the turbulent nature of the selection of Bradford West’s Labour party prospective candidate has aroused much national attention. Having selected Amina Ali, the Party was rocked by her decision to step down as the prospective candidate and the announcement that local woman, Naz Shah, would be her replacement.

Naz Shah is well known. She has worked as an activist and in some well publicised roles in the NHS. She has been outspoken on issues that are incredibly close to her own heart: abuse, inequality, poverty and injustices. In the week following her selection, the national media have pounced on the story. Here is a woman who has had, by any standards, a horrendous set of circumstances to live through as a child. She’s battled back, she’s made something of herself, she is a credit to herself and to her family.

And it is quite right that the national media should applaud the work that Naz has done in relation to women’s rights. She, along with others, has campaigned vigorously for years to right wrongs and to exact change. All highly laudable but not really what an election campaign is about. A seat at Westminster is about more than the life experiences that have shaped a candidates ideals. It is, or ought to be, about political vision, the ability to make change for the good of the constituency and the ability to persuade the electorate as a whole that they are best suited to represent the views of not themselves but of the electors.

Which begs the question, how good a candidate is Naz Shah?

Let’s leave the life story to one side which has little real relevance to being a good MP. It has been so widely publicised in the press that a simple internet search of Shah’s name will provide a multitude of write ups about her background. What though, of the substance? Is she actually any good as a politician?

Naz Shah certainly fits the bill in many respects. Firstly, she is local and has firsthand knowledge of what it is like to live in the constituency. She has been brought up and lived in the area and, as she says herself,

“I know the struggles being faced by families across Bradford West because they are struggles I have had to experience myself too.”

Naz is highly determined. In a local context, she fought a case relating to the ‘Get Connected’ programme in the NHS. This programme was designed to get more Muslim women into leadership positions. As a commissioning manager she became concerned over funding arrangements and became a whistle-blower. Single-handedly and without the support even of her own union representatives she fought a case and won a case against the local government association. Nationally she has worked closely with Southall Black Sisters on issues relating to domestic violence.

Shah also excels at mobilising younger people and women. This is evident in her involvement in arranging a convoy of people to a protest against perceived bias by the BBC in relation to Palestine. A cursory glance at her Facebook public profile demonstrates that she has clearly got the potential to excite and engage a large number of people who may not otherwise have voted. There are numerous followers for her new Public Figure page and the comments from younger and female voters are almost universally supportive and enthusiastic.

However there are issues that Shah will clearly have to overcome. First and foremost she has been imposed from above. The Labour Party chose to determine the new candidate at National Executive level: she is not, and was not at the first vote, the choice of the local Labour party membership. Indeed when the local party first polled their membership on the issue of Prospective candidate, Shah won just 13 votes of 238 cast.

She may also fall victim to biarderi politics. The very people who voted Amina Ali in originally may well now decide that they would rather not support her. And support is an issue. Shah has had to launch a fundraising campaign just seven weeks prior to the campaign. As Bradford West is hardly a ‘marginal’ seat (Galloway has a majority of over ten thousand) it is not a beneficiary of significant funds from Labour HQ.

Of course the usual literature that is distributed by candidates would cover some nationally determined statements along with the candidates views on local issues. This is very much where the jury is out and Naz Shah’s inexperience as a politician may be exploited. Three weeks from being selected to date there have been no statements from Shah about how she would address the issues that she has noted. There are also some early indications that there may be political naivety on her part. As an activist it matters little who you praise, or criticise. As a prospective member of parliament, it does.

It was therefore rather surprising to hear Shah responding to a question at a BME women’s hustings about Education by citing the work of Alyas Karmani over that, for example of Ralph Berry. Karmani is not only a local Councillor but is not a Labour party councillor, he is an Independent who has previously sat on behalf of Shah’s main electoral opponents, The Respect Party. Berry, on the other hand is an example of good work being done by a colleague within the Party. Hardly a politically astute reference.

Similarly there were contradictions in other responses at the hustings. Understandably, she praises the work of the previous Labour Government and cites her own experiences, however if her statements are to be believed, one has to wonder why she supported Mr Galloway, rather than the Labour candidate in the run in to the last parliamentary vote.

The same is true of her stance on Islamaphobia. On the one hand she rightly condemns it, on the other she is disappointed that more funding isn’t in place for the ‘Prevent Strategy’ which local Muslim groups have branded, ‘toxic’.

Shah is clearly determined to do her best for the people of Bradford West and is a rather different kind of candidate to ones that have been put forward in the past. Time and a sizeable Respect party majority are against her, as, perhaps is her own inexperience. Can she overcome the stigma of being second choice, the possible displeasure of those who sought not to have her as candidate and a huge funding issue? Only time will tell.

Here is what the Bradford West constituents think of Naz Shah:

“I know that she is doing that ‘Woman To Woman’ tour and to be honest I do find that a bit sexist that she has jumped on the bandwagon for such a sexist campaign. Do they not want any men to vote for her? I will be voting for her however, because I’d like to see anyone but George Galloway in power. I can’t stand the guy“ Richard Stevens, Pensioner.

“I think Naz is an inspiration to the people of Bradford. She represents a strong independent woman and that is someone that Bradford needs. A lot of people can relate to her struggle and it gives the people of Bradford a role model to look up and show them that things are possible.

With George Galloway doing absolutely nothing for this city, I think she has a good chance of winning. I wish her all the best.” Abdul Latif, 45, Solicitor.

“I think she is an absolute joke. She is using this sob story of hers that has conveniently surfaced to reign in all the votes. Anyone who brings out a sob story isn’t worthy of a vote. Everyone has a sob story in life but we don’t all go advertising it to get what we want. “Adam Powell, 40, Van Driver.

“I think Naz Shah is one of the most inspirational figures in politics right now. I can’t think of anyone more qualified to be a Member of Parliament as this woman. If she wins, Naz will be the first woman Labour MP to represent Bradford West. We need more politicians with passion and drive like hers. George Galloway needs to take note. I really hope she wins because she actually deserves it and she knows more about what Bradford needs.” Claudia Pickles, 38, Admin Officer.

“She isn’t your average politician. It looks like she has been through it all- poverty, abuse, broken family and an arranged marriage. Having heard her story more people will be leaning towards voting for her. She is the definition of an independent woman and Bradford needs someone like her to represent the community. It will be interesting to see what a woman politician from Bradford can do for us. We need more girl power.” Samira Amin, 27, Recruitment Consultant.

“Naz Shah seems like a lady that knows what she’s on about. I think George Galloway should feel threatened by her because she is a woman and if she wins she will be first woman Labour MP in Bradford West. Can she really defeat Galloway who has such a strong following here in Bradford? That is the question. I would like to think she has what it takes. She has a number of strong policies and I really hope that she can deliver them. Bradford have put all their trust in George Galloway and not got much out of it. Hopefully, they will put their trust in someone who is from Bradford, who knows about Bradford and who can change Bradford.” Harpreet Kaur, 23, Unemployed HR Graduate

“I think she is ok and may be able to give Bradford what they want, being from the community. She seems like a strong woman who is able to fight for what she wants and she can do this for Bradford West. And anyone who goes against Galloway has a chance of winning to be fair as I think he has made a lot of false promises which he hasn’t fulfilled and I think he’s all out for himself.” Adam Khan, 30, Youth worker

“I think she’s got passion and she’s an incredibly strong person, and that’s who we need to fight George Galloway. I’m not sure if she has much chance of winning against him as it all depends on the voters. The people who normally vote Labour, they need to get out and vote Labour. Others may vote for Galloway as they have links with him, I hope she gets in.” Mrs. Arnold, 50, ESOL teacher

“I don’t really know much about her but she seems like a strong woman and being a Labour member she has more chances of winning because many people in this area are Labour supporters.” Gul Arif, 60, retired.

“Good for her, I’ve met her a few times and she’s a pleasant lady so I think she’s a good candidate, however I don’t think she has much chances of winning against Galloway as I think he’s got more support from the males in Bradford and politics is very much male dominated in Bradford, it’s about who you know, especially in the Pakistani community.” Sairah Bhatti, 35, full time mother.

“I think it is very good because she’s a female which is good, I think any female who stands as an MP is wonderful and because she’s Asian and knows what the people want. Well I would like to think that she would want because I don’t like Galloway and I think there are a lot of people who would think the same so I think she stands a good chance and I would like to think that she could beat him.” Anne Marie Whitaker, 43, secretary.

“It’s ok because we can’t do any worse with the current politicians; she hasn’t got much chance against Galloway though as he is well spoken and he is well known, he’s a bit like a celebrity.” Imran Hussain, 29, Sky worker.

“I don’t really like Naz Shah as the story that has been presented in the papers is different to the story I’ve heard from before. So if we can’t believe the story that she’s putting out now how can we believe anything she will claim to do for the community, so I won’t be voting for her, even though I don’t particularly like Galloway I would probably vote for him against her. Her chances are very slim to none as he is so popular and her reputation is not great with the community so I doubt she’ll be getting the votes.” Natasha Khan, 19, student

“I think Naz Shah is an inspiration the women of Bradford, she’s gone through so much and she is a good role model to the people of Bradford. However with her chances against Galloway I think they aren’t very much, he is very popular and has a strong following so she has a lot to live up to. Because she’s a second choice not many people know about her and what she may stand for. I will be voting Labour but let’s see if she wins.” Charlotte Pembroke, 32, Sales executive.

“I don’t think she is a great candidate as she has never worked in politics before and I don’t think she will be getting the votes because Bradford West is very much male orientated and I personally don’t think people will vote for her.” James Brenan, 75, retired.

“Having read about her background I think it is absolutely wonderful that she is standing because I thought wow when I read what she went through and what her mother went through. I’m not too sure that she’ll win as Galloway has a huge following and it depends on the voters, but I do wish her good luck and hope she wins.” Haleema Sait, 26, housewife

“She’s got stiff competition going against Galloway but I think good luck to her and let’s see if she is able to beat him.” Mr Andrew Wright, 70, retired

“I think she is trying and she knows the area, the people and the problems. I don’t think she will beat Galloway because of the majority but I wish her the best.” Mrs Wright, 68, Retired.

“I think it is a good idea and we are moving in the right direction, it is overall good for the women who are suffering from issues such as domestic violence as she can act as a voice for Bradford especially the women. Her chances are slim as he is a bit of a powerhouse, very strong a good speaker. He is well known and well renowned and he always seems to be winning the vote in Bradford when it comes to election time.” Mohammed Khan, 27, housing support officer

“I think it is good and it shows that women are getting the chance to speak about things, there has to be a first and I guess she is the first one so she is making a record. Her chances are not very high in our community but she is helping other women so that’s good.” Iqra Majid, 21, student

“I think it is fine but she was appointed too late which has made a big difference as she hasn’t made the same sort of impact se could have made if she had a longer run up. I’m not sure I think her chances are 50/50, but with her interaction with the press I don’t think she has many chances; he is a winner in that respect.” Amy Cartwright, 65, retired.

“I think it is good for her but she has got a lot of competition however I don’t see why she can’t win if she can win over the public.” Shazia Zafar, 29, Sales assistant.

“Politics is not about emotional stories it is about doing things for the people so although she is winning hearts with her life story what is she actually going to do for the people? That’s what I’d like to know. Against Galloway she may have a chance just because she has a strong disliking from people, but equally he has a strong crowd who like him aswel so let’s see.” Andrew Hawthorne, 40, teacher

Kings Science Academy staff to appear before magistrates for fraud

News

Aalia Khan

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March 23, 2015

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Kings Science Academy staff to appear before magistrates for fraud

By Dan Moorhouse

Upon opening, The Kings Science Academy, Northside, was lauded as being a near perfect example of how a Free School could be established. Gaining praise from no less than David Cameron, the school was seen to be almost a mirror image of what the Government had in mind for it’s concept of Free Schools.

As has previously been reported, flaws in the management of the school soon emerged. A Department for Education investigation into the running of the school highlighted serious concerns in 2010 and a police investigation was conducted into the financial management of the schools funds.

Last week the Crown Prosecution Service reached a decision to press charges against two further members of staff from Kings Science Academy. In a statement, the reviewing lawyer, Julian Briggs, states:

“The Crown Prosecution Service has been working closely with West Yorkshire Police in connection with this case.

“Having carefully considered all of the evidence presented to us, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to charge Daud Khan (former Director of Finance) and Shabana Hussain (former Head of Department) with a range of offences relating to their involvement with the Kings Science Academy, Bradford, and that it is in the public interest to do so.”

Khan and Hussain will attend a hearing at Leeds Magistrate on a date that has yet to be fixed.

These latest charges follow an earlier decision to press charges against the founder of the Academy, Sajid Hussain Raja. Following a lengthy and complex investigation he has been charged with 3 counts of fraud by abuse of position; 3 of false accounting; 2 of obtaining a money transfer through means of deception and one offence of fraud through misrepresentation.

Following the initial investigations into financial affairs at the school, Raja was dismissed by the governing body. Raja maintains his innocence and is determined to clear his name. A statement released by his solicitors states:

“The investigation process has been a difficult period of time for Mr Raza. Now he has been charged, Mr Raza will be working with Rahman Ravelli to try and establish his innocence.”

What now then for Kings Science Academy?

The school has been criticised by Ofsted and HMI inspection reports since it first opened. Issues relating to management in general and the design of the curriculum were raised as being of concern, and a lack of progress was noted by follow up inspections. However it must be noted that the school have now become part of the Dixons Academy Group. This group have a wealth of experience in management of schools in and around Bradford and the shared leadership experience on offer from the Dixons group ought to be of benefit to the school.

David Green, Leader of Bradford Council also hopes for a quick resolution to the issues surrounding the Kings Science Academy, saying:

“For the good of the children attending the school and for the good of the education system in the district, we would hope this can be resolved as quickly as possible to allow the spotlight to fall on education rather than this unfortunate story.”

About Free Schools:

Free schools are public-private educational institutions.

They report directly to the Minister of State for Education, rather than to Local Education Authorities.

A Free School can design it’s own curriculum rather than following the National Curriculum.

Free schools are a key element of the Conservative party manifesto.

Some teaching unions have vehemently opposed the concept of Free Schools.

A vote for education?

Aalia Khan

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March 23, 2015

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By Dan Moorhouse

Why is Education likely to play a large part in the forthcoming general Election campaigns?

Both Nationally and locally Education has been big news, for all the wrong reasons, over the past few years. There have been scandals relating to governance, financial issues and concerns over standards. There’s ongoing pressure from Teaching Unions about standards and working conditions; and parents and pupils left confused and bewildered by the vast array of different options and systems in place in schools. Locally we have seen scandals in relation to two schools and results in Bradford at GCSE level last year were the second lowest in the country.

The Teaching Union, NUT, has launched it’s own Manifesto for Education. In it, they call for a number of key changes to the current system. Namely stopping state run schools being run for profit, ensuring that all teachers employed in the state sector are qualified, restoring the authority of Local Councils over local schools, changes to the curriculum to ensure a balance between vocational and academic routes and reducing the bureaucracy within the education system to allow teachers to concentrate on planning exciting lessons, rather than completing bureaucratic tasks.

This is fairly standard from a teaching union. Raise standards and reduce bureaucracy are common themes. However they are quite at odds with some leading parties in relation to how this should be achieved.

What the parties say:

The Conservative policy for Education is essentially more of the same. Plans to launch additional Free Schools were announced just last week; further adaptations to the National Curriculum have been identified: namely around the issuer of Sex Education and child safety. Examinations would continue to be single, terminal examinations: something heavily criticised by many within the Education system.

Labour, on the other hand want to place control of schools back into the care of Local Authorities. They describe the Free Schools programme as flawed and are critical of a system that they say now only serves 50% of pupils. The Labour manifesto says that they are committed to additional apprenticeships, power being devolved from Whiehall to local authorities and improvements to standards of teaching and learning.

The Liberal Democrats cite their record as a coalition partner. The expansion of free school meals for the youngest children; increased number of apprenticeships and the Pupil Premium budget – which is aimed at areas of deprivation, are all cited as being the result of their work in Government. Locally, David Ward MP has spoken out in Parliament about local Education issues.

George Galloway MP, of the Respect Party, has been highly critical of the state of Education in Bradford. He has called for the introduction of a Bradford Challenge to tackle what he calls the ‘deplorable’ GCSE results. He also raised a series of questions in Parliament about the issues at Kings Science Academy.

UKIP are supportive of the Free School concept and have stated that they would like a grammar school in every town. They also want to introduce the option of an apprenticeship to be available as an alternative to the non core GCSE’s. UKIP policy is also to remove tuition fees for Science, Technology, Engineering and mathematics courses at University.

Politics in Planning… Maybe!

News

Aalia Khan

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March 23, 2015

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By Dan Moorhouse

Allegations of the council planning permission process being abused have been made. Apparent contradictions in the application and decision making process have come to light amid accusations of abuse of position.

In December 2013 Mr Ayaaz made an application to change the designation of his Legrams Lane premises. Ayaaz’s application was to create a taxi booking office at his premises, with off road parking for the three taxi’s that he intends to operate from the site.

Despite their being no objection from the council’s Highways department, the application and subsequent appeal have been refused by the planning committee.

During his application process the Highways department were consulted. The response from the department was:

“The applicant states that there will be three taxis and these will not be parking at the premises but elsewhere. On this basis I would raise no objections to the proposals from a highways point of view subject to a condition restricting the number of taxis.” Highway Consultation response to Planning Application 13/05153/FUL

However, the application was refused on the grounds that the application: “would lead to an increased demand for on street parking leading to indiscriminate parking, and vehicles manoeuvring in the highway obstructing the freeflow of traffic and resulting in conditions prejudicial to highway safety.”

The refusal also stated that: “This proposed private hire booking office is located close to residential properties…”

There is very clear guidance made available to the planning committee to refer to when making decisions about the suitability of a proposal. Indeed, the planning committee refer to this in both the refusal and the following appeal letters. At first glance then, all appeared to be above board but unfortunate for Mr Ayaaz.

All is not as simple as that though. Mr Ayaaz was contacted by members of the panel who make the planning decisions as he made his way to the initial hearing. These messages implied that a decision had been made before he presented his case. If true, this would be very unusual and would show disregard for the process. Mr Ayyaz said “I felt as though I was in a Pakistani court room”

In addition, Mr Ayaaz was told by one District Councillor that they couldn’t help him because of the May 2014 Local Election. They feared that supporting an application could lose votes.

This is quite worrying. If it is the case that a District Councillor is choosing not to fulfil duties on a committee to attempt to gain extra votes, or ensure they are not lost, this is a failure to undertake the role for which they have been elected. Party politics and electioneering simply should not interfere with their work on these vital committees.

In an attempt to successfully appeal the original decision, Mr Ayaaz then undertook research into similar planning applications. The results were startling. Similar applications had been accepted in the months immediately before he had his application refused. These were in residential areas located at various sites around the district and on roads with limited off street parking. Details of all such applications, both successful and refused ones can be found on the Bradford Planning website.

This at first looks like an inconsistent approach to similar applications. This can be the case as different locations in the district are subject to different needs and development plan requirements. There was one striking similarity between many of the successful applications though: the applicants are often related to Councillors who are involved in the decision making process.

In discussions about the decision with other local businesses, Mr Ayaaz has been given the impression that the approval can be ‘bought’. Whilst this cannot be proven it is very worrying that members of the local business community believe this to be the case. The fact that other similar applications were approved adds weight to that suggestion.

As well as the change of designation to a private hire office, there have been other applications that caught the eye.

One such example was made by the proprietor of a Shisha bar. Smoke Free legislation is very clear about the requirements for any smoking environment and specific guidance is also widely available online. A minimum of 50% of wall spaces have to be ‘open’ in order to comply with the law. (Source: Ivy Legal) In the case of of one application this clearly is not the case, yet the application was approved following a minor amendment.

It is quite clear that all of these examples could be perfectly legitimate applications and approvals. However the relationship between some of the successful applicants and those involved in the decision making process raises doubts in the mind of Mr Ayaaz and others in the local community. A conflict of interest of this nature should be declared and the persons involved removed from the process for any such application. Anything else can, and in this case has, result in question marks being raised over the fairness of the process. Is it a case of one rule for friends and family and another for other businesses?

Another similar application to Mr Ayaaz’s was lodged on 3 February 2015 and passed on 03 March 2015. In Mr Ayaaz’s case there was designated parking for the three private hire vehicles he wanted to use. For the application that has recently been made, there is no off street parking. The application is for a site close to Mr Ayaaz’s premises and was lodged by Uber Private Hire. As this applicant has received plaudits in some local publications, there is a fear that favouritism may influence the panel. Clearly this would be very unfair on Mr Ayaaz and would suggest that the process is not as transparent as it should be.

Moreso, companies like Mr Ayyaz’s are embedded in the community. He is a Bradford born and raised man. He lives here, he wants to employ people here and he supports charities here. Mr Ayyaz has been in the private hire business for over seven years and has an excellent track record. Whereas American owned Uber has been banned or fined in pretty much every major American city, and now, regulators are looking for ways to make the hire-a-car business illegal in all of the United States. Not only that the company also faced problems in India, where a woman said she was raped by an Uber driver; in Sydney where fares rose because of increased demand during the cafe terror siege; and in Germany where some services were banned for failing to comply with German law. Although this has nothing to do with granting planning application, it still begs a question, as to how Uber was granted planning, and Mr Ayyaz wasn’t. What was different about the two planning applications?

For full details of the planning process for both residential and commercial properties visit the Bradford council Website. Full details of current and previous applications can, usually, be found using a simple but effective search function. The planning website is online at http://www.bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/the_environment/planning_service

Bradford Council were asked for a comment about these issues. They declined to comment beyond referring to decision letters that can be found on the planning website.

Woman Dies After M62 Bridge Fall

News

Aalia Khan

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March 23, 2015

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Police are appealing for witnesses following an incident where a woman died after falling from a bridge over the M62 at Gomersal.

At 10.17am on Thursday (19/3) police were called to reports of a road traffic collision involving a female pedestrian on the M62 between junctions 26 and 27.

It was then established that the 63-year-old woman had in fact fallen from the Oxford Road bridge above the motorway and had not been in collision with any vehicles.

She sustained significant injuries and was taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment but was later pronounced dead.

Detective Inspector Stef Wiseman, of Kirklees CID, said: “It is believed there were a number of vehicles on the bridge at the time including a white van with blue writing, a ‘smart’ car and a white Mercedes Sprinter-sized panel van and the occupants of these vehicles may have witnessed this lady fall.

“We are trying to establish the exact circumstances of this incident and we are appealing for those people to contact us. We would also like to hear from anyone else who witnessed the incident or the circumstances leading up to it.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Huddersfield CID via 101.