Letters, contributions and comments sent in from Times’ readers this week.

I’m tired of this council

Trevor Ellis, Chalkhill Road, Wembley, writes:

I am writing to express my thoughts on the recent local elections in Brent.

I will start by saying that, in spite of being raised by parents who loyally supported the Labour party in local and national elections, I lost all faith in the Labour party when I saw the state of the country after the Blair/Brown years.

I have lived in Brent for 51 years and I can honestly say at present I feel extremely disappointed with the way Labour runs the borough.

In spite of the support the local electorate has given to Labour, Brent still looks like the borough that the Labour council has consistently forgotten. Right now it seems to me local democracy is a one-way street and I won’t support it.

I am so, so tired of Cllr Butt and his mantra about the Tory cuts. I think the electorate needs to think long and hard about where they put their trust, because right now I can’t see conditions improving while the council is in the hands of a cabinet that seems to spend more time whinging than working hard to put Brent in a better place.

Work on mental health is so vital

Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow writes:

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week. Mental illness affects people from all backgrounds, but sadly too many people suffer in silence.

We want all Londoners to feel confident they can talk openly about their mental health. Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us it’s important to reach out to family, friends and colleagues and put vital support networks in place. I have been actively lobbying the mayor on this issue and am pleased to be engaging with local organisations like Brent and Harrow Mencap and Harrow Mind who do an incredible work in this field.