Future Shape (of Mike Freer's head)

It's a terrible thing. Vanity has been responsible for more wars, more cock-ups and more trouble than just about anything. It's not a new thing, the Greeks fought the Trojans over Helen of Troy, the original WAG and trophy girlfriend. My dearly departed Dad used to dismiss certain characters by saying "The Mirror is the best used utensil in that house" referring to those who love preening themselves in front of the mirror.

The Leader of Barnet Council, Mike Freer strikes me as a very vain man. In years gone by, Council leaders were people who beavered away behind the scenes, for no pay, working to improve the local neighbourhood. The reward for Councillors who gave years of service to the Borough was a plaque on a park bench. In years gone by we had Tory Council Leaders such as Dennis Dipple, a neighbour of my Mother in Law. He'd always greet you with a cheery Good Morning. If Mill Hill Park was vandalised, he'd nip round, have a look and make sure it was cleaned up. Having lived in Mill Hill most of my life, I remember Barnet in the 1970's. Neatly tended public spaces. Clean public toilets with attendents. Road sweepers who we all knew. Park keepers on site to ensure the safety of children.

These days, the Council Leader has a different vision. He's been being groomed by BT (a supplier of Outsourced services to local authorities) for a couple of years on a program called "Vital Vision". This is a program run and paid for by BT, where senior council figures are "educated" to think in a different way about provision of public services. Now why would BT spend huge sums on Council leaders? Nothing to do with being a supplier of services, I'm sure. I've seen the letter inviting Mike Freer to join. It plays to all of his vanity "Only the very most senior...." type of nonsense. Members of the scheme are encouraged to think differently about the challenges facing councils.

As a result we end up with the Future Shape program (click HERE to see how this was put together). BT have seconded Barnet a Consultant to help draw up the plan, Mr Max Wide. At the recent Council Cabinet meeting to discuss this, the Trades Unions organised a protest outside. Over 400 people turned up. Was Mike Freer devastated by the strength of local opposition? Actually he was chuffed. The BBC came down and interviewed him. He was on Telly, he's famous now. He clearly had gone to lots of trouble, as he was very nicely scrubbed up for the cameras. I've realised that Mr Freer is not only very vain, but he's very big headed. He loves being on TV, he thrives on publicity. As he's gone on, his head has just got bigger and bigger. I don't know if this is just puffed up self importance, Botox injections or a trick of the light, but we seem to have council leader who's massive head towers above his lesser colleagues (in his own mind at least). He has set up a scheme called leader listens. As part of this he despatches a council film crew to video him speaking to "invited members of the public" (click HERE to check out).

Having read the Future Shape documents (slated by the campaign for plain English, dismissed by all who've read it), I could not possibly understand why Freer was pushing on. Then I realised, lots more protests, lots more opportunities to be on Telly. Lots more opportunity for the voters of Finchley and Golders Green to see old big head on Telly. By the time any of it may be implemented, he'll have gone to Westminster, leaving all of the lesser Barnet numpties (sorry Tory Councillors) to clean up his mess. You see, when it comes down to it, rather like the Trojan's, Barnet is being destroyed by the vanity of it's leader.


Vanity

(thanks to Statler and Waldorf for the lovely piccie of Mike Freer - sorry of you were having your breakfast).