If you are a Cameron Conservative vote Lib Dem in Barnet

There was a fascinating article by David Cameron in The Observer on Sunday. Cameron talks about various policy initiatives which he's introduced (and I suspect that many of his party would rather die than actually implement).

As I read the article, I wondered whether any of our local Tory councillors have ever listened to a single word their Leader actually says.

He speaks about how both parties oppose the third runway at Heathrow. As we all know the Lib Dems have been against this for many a year, the Tories? Lets just say, I doubt Maggie Thatcher would have jumped on this bandwagon. Cameron talks about the Tories and the Lib Dems commitment to the environment and alternative clean energy. Again this is something that David Cameron has come rather late in the day to. Old Millhillians such as me will remember that for many years, if you wanted to recycle your newspapers you left them at a house in Flower Lane. They used to collect them and sell the paper for recycling. The cash raised was used to fund the local Liberal party. Cameron talks about the shared commitment to civil liberties. I well remember the Tories implementing section 28 legislation.

The most striking thing Cameron says is this :-

For many years now, we've both been arguing for a radical power shift in our country away from big government and to individuals and communities. That's why we worked closely together on the Sustainable Communities Act to devolve power and introduce greater transparency over government spending.

Which rather nicely brings us to my point.

Nationally, Cameron Conservatives talk up "Green Transport" and better railways, instead of air travel. Locally Mayor Brian Coleman insults the campaigners for the very green Brent Cross Light Rail scheme, which would link the Borough of Barnet with Heathrow, mainly using disused and freight only rail tracks.

Nationally Cameron talks about the environment and sustainable development, locally Council Leader Mike Freer wants to concrete over half the borough and put up rabbit hutch flats, causing pollution and traffic gridlock (have a look at the Cricklewood redevelopment plans).

Nationally Cameron talks about recycling, locally an incinerator forms part of the Cricklewood redevelopment plan, championed by Mike Freer. I'm not an expert but there is strong evidence that waste incinerators and large populations don't mix. You get all sorts of nasty diseases popping up.

As to greater transparency and devolution of powers. Ask yourself this. When Barnet asked the tenants of sheltered warden accomodation if they wanted to lose their wardens over 80% said no. Did Barnet Council listen.

Now if you like the Mike Freer brand of Conservatism, where the 11 man Tory cabinet in Barnet make all of the important decisions, usually behind closed doors, then Mike Freer and his band of Tories are just the party for you. I'd suggest that if you are a Tory who's impressed by David Cameron and feel that the direction he's taking the Conservative party is the right one and you live in Barnet, I'd seriously consider voting Lib Dem at the next Council election, if I were you. Remember a vote for the current Tories on the Council is to support the man who lost £27.4 million of your money in Iceland, then blamed everyone else. David Cameron is clearly closer to Lib Dem values and ideas than he is to Mike Freer's. Freer made the national newspapers with his Easycouncil scheme. Was David Cameron impressed? Did he see this as a policy to be adopted by the National Tories? No, he ran a mile. In his own words, he's more impressed with all the stuff the LibDems have been promoting in Barnet for years.

One interesting footnote on Freer's Easycouncil scheme. If you check his Leaderlistens.com website, he makes some bizarre comments about the press interest in the scheme. He says that he's surprised anyone was interested in what he had to say, implying they only picked it up because nothing else was happening. Barnet Council has spent millions on consultants to concoct this scheme. Freer claimed at a Council meeting I attended that everyone had their eyes on Barnet to see what happened. The reason it made the news was because the papers recognised straight away that it was a suitably crackpot scheme for the silly season (as the Newspapers call the summer months).

So there you have it. If you want a bunch of nationally recognised purveyors of crackpot schemes, suitable only for the Guardian in the silly season vote for Mike Freer's Conservatives at the Council elections. If you like David Cameron's policies and the direction he wants to go, Vote Lib Dem. I'd suggest that a big swing to the Lib Dems from the Tories in the local elections is probably the only thing that would make the sensible local Tories do something to regain their credibility.

In the Observer article mentioned above, Cameron sends this message to progressive and forward thinking Lib Dems who are serious about improving Great Britain

if you want rid of Gordon Brown and the big brother state, and if you care about our schools, our quality of life and our liberties, then join us in one national movement that can bring real change.

If I were David Cameron, I'd tell this to Barnet's Tory Councillors as a matter of urgency, because anyone who lives in Barnet who agrees with him, and knows anything about the local party, can only vote Lib Dem given the what Barnet Council are trying to do with their current policies.