Barnet Council Porky Watch : The Brian Coleman 100 hour week

Earlier in the week we investigated Barnet Trougher in chief Brian Coleman and his claim that he worked 100 hours a week and only had three days off since Christmas (presumably New Years Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday). We looked at what work he actually does for Barnet and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. We found that he's a member of a few committees which meet once a month and he meets the fire commisioner once every two weeks. I promised to return and investigate in more detail what he does for the GLA where he gets over £50,000. The Leader of the GLA Tories is Roger Evans. He's one of my favourite Tories in that he writes a good blog and generally appears to be a decent chap. I posted a question about whether Brian Coleman was working too hard for the GLA and whether this was the reason for Brian Colemans huge workload. Roger rather helpfully posted this response  :-

The recent SSRB review concluded that members work an average full time week, which is less than 100 hours of course. I assume Brian was including his work on the Fire Authority and Barnet Council to reach his total. The SSRB recommended no increases for AMs - a recommendation which we have implemented - so I do not believe we are 'underpaid'.

Now unless anyone corrects me, this means Roger Evans is saying GLA members work roughly 35 hours and that the £53,439 is a reasonable amount (ie they are not "overpaid").  We've quite clearly seen from Brian Colemans workload that both the LFEPA role and the Barnet Council role cannot possibly account for the "missing" 65 hours a week he is claiming. I also asked Roger was a slave driver and possibly working Brian far too hard. Roger helpfully added :-

I do not see myself as a 'slave driver' and my team would not recognise such a description.

You can see the full details of the assembly's grilling of Boris, my question and Rogers answer here - http://city-hall.blogspot.com/2010/07/mqt.html .Interestingly Brian and Roger both get paid the same amount by the GLA, even though Roger is a member of five committees whilst Brian is only on three (one of which is the LFEPA which he gets another huge allowance for).

• Member of the Business Management and Administration Committee
• Member of the Confirmation Hearings Committee
• Chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA)

As we mentioned earlier, Brian Colemans last press release on the GLA site was on 17th June.I've made discreet enquiries about some of Brian Colemans work for Barnet in the last year. During his period as Mayor he was one of the laziest mayors in London, with his Deputy doing almost 1/3rd of his engagements (according to the press - http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/4648218.Mayor_Coleman_s_engagements_below_north_London_average/ ). In the first six months of his Mayorship, he performed less than one Mayoral duty a day (123 in total). Compare that to the Mayor of Camden, Councillor Omar Faruque Ansari,who performed 275 duties.

Roger Evans comment gives the game away regarding Brian Coleman and his "100 hours a week". At the GLA he tells them he's busy in Barnet and LFEPA, in Barnet he says he's busy at the GLA and LFEPA and at the LFEPA he says he's busy at the GLA and Barnet.

So the question for us all having reviewed the evidence is this. Was Brian Coleman telling porkies when he said he worked 100 hours a week. I helpfully added the illustration of Brian Coleman hard at work at the GLA (pictiure Courtesy of the Tory Troll blog). I rest the case for the prosecution. Brian Coleman is more than welcome to write a guest blog here to explain why "He's worth it". I could do with a good laugh !!!!!!