Being a thickhead and a dyslexic, sometimes I spell things incorrectly, so please bear with me. Leader of Barnet Council, Lynne Hillan has announced her new cabinet. Full details are here in this press release :-
http://www.barnet.gov.uk/press_releases.htm?id=2212
The most intriguing thing is the way they award themselves ever more meaningless and wordy job titles. Check out some of these :-
Cabinet Member for Customer Access and Partnerships, Councillor Robert Rams
Cabinet Member for Governance and Civic Affairs, Councillor Melvin Cohen
Cabinet Member for Resources and Performance, Councillor Daniel Thomas
Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion, Councillor Joanna Tambourides
Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families, Councillor Andrew Harper
What has this blogs dear friend Councillor Brian Coleman done wrong. His title is vaguely understandable and to the point.
Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Brian Coleman
What is less understandable is Colemans interpretation of the role "My priorities are roads, roads, roads and roads" he croaked. Now like Councillor Coleman, I think sorting out all of the potholes which have appeared due to his administrations incompetence should be a top priority. Having said that, he obviously didn't read the Tory manifesto which said that "protecting the green belt" would be their top priority. So much for the manifesto then Brian?
I do wonder what Brian wants from his role. Does he want to cover Barnet in tarmac? Where are these new roads he wants to build? Maybe a nice bypass through Totteridge valley? Maybe he wants to turn Barnet Lane into a three lane highway? Given that all trunk roads in Barnet are controlled by Boris via TFL, he must be talking about rebuilding and widening existing backroads. Maybe he's planning to up the speed limit outside our schools. There is a theory that if cars drive really fast past schools, parents make sure that their kids keep well clear (well there is a theory now that I just made it up).
One small point though. Given that Barnets Tories lost much of the reserves in Iceland and overspent another chunck on their last major Highways project at Aerodrome Road, how does Brian Coleman plan funding his "Empire of the Roads". I guess he'll fund it the way he funds everything else. He'll get us to pay for it through our taxes.
I do wonder what his colleagues think when he opens his mouth and croaks his bizarre blatherings. Do they think "Good old Brian" or do they groan. Well I'll tell you what I think. I think it's disgraceful that Councillor Coleman has abandoned all of the Tories manifesto commitments to protect the green belt, less than two weeks after the election. Needless to say that he'll soon be agitating for Lynne Hillan to sacked so he can completely take over. It's the job he's always wanted and I hear he has reason to want it now.
3 comments:
I think it is clear that Brian's colleagues have put him where they think he can do the least strategic damage: it's a bit of a comedown, isn't it for someone with such a grandiose vision of his own abilities? There's not really much he can do he doesn't already done to promote the cause of drivers: the speed calming measures have already gone. Perhaps he's sitting at home brooding and plotting the next council coup in revenge ...
come to Barnet Borough, the Empire of Roads. Look good on a tourist poster. Not. Nice one Roger
Brian Coleman Cabinet Counciller for the Environment!! Are they serious? If he does for our environment what he did for roads we are all in deep dudu...
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