Welcome to Monday Morning at the Barnet Eye. Here in sunny Mill Hill I had a wonderful weekend. Friday night, my band the False Dots did a really good gig at The Water Rats in Kings Cross. Saturday I watched a bit of my boy playing Gaelic Football at Copthall, for St Keirnans, had a great Chinese meal at Hees, Dropped a faulty mixing desk off in Surbiton. Sunday, had a lie in till 9.45 am, took the dog for a walk, cooked a barbeque lunch, went to 6pm mass, then played football at Powereleague.
Did I forget something? Oh yes, I dealt with a deluge of emails about our sponging parasitic councillors. I've never known anything like it. I've been swamped with info about what went on (from the most unlikely of sources as well). I've had the most disturbing reports from the most diverse of sources corroborating all sorts of funny business. In short I've got enough material for a years worth of blogs on the subject. The past week has been by far the busiest on the blog. I had a huge spike of hits during the election week, but this week has far surpassed that. I am saddened that there hasn't been more coverage by our local papers, but what they have said has been dynamite. One major omission from the Hendon Times is that they've said nothing about what our Third Barnet MP, Theresa Villiers ahas to say on the matter. She's posted nothing on her blog - http://www.theresavilliers.com/ - I urge the Times and the Press to contact her and get her views. She is not a trappist Monk, she owes it to the people who voted her in to tell us what she thinks. If she refuses to comment, then we deserve to know. Come on guys, do the job properly, this is a huge story.
The most interesting thing is that the Barnet Tories seem happy to go to war with the national party (of which Villiers is a minister). I have had one email from a very trustworthy source which reported the most extraordinary comments by a certain Barnet Councillor, well known for his shenanigans, which are well documented in many a blog. Now it is not my job to tell the Leaders of the Conserrvative Party how to run their affairs, but I'd suggest that they call him in (they can email me if they can't guess who he is) and have a chat about what his priorities as a politician are. No one is bigger than the party they belong to. He says he is keen on Party discipline. Well he has publicly insulted a minister. Surely that in itself is grounds to have a quiet chat. If David Cameron and Grant Shapps allow such people to undermine them, they will fail. Sorting this out will be good for them, good for the people of Barnet and ultimately good for British Politics. We are just starting to recover from the MP's expenses scandal. Does David Cameron really want to send out the message that the pond life in Barnet can get away with tricks which he's doing his best to squash in Westminster? Over to you Dave.
The present regime, post Mr. Mike Freer, is, I can only assume, little different to in his day.
ReplyDeleteI am told that, following the Icelandic banking catastrophe, someone was made a fall-guy, and left with a big pay-off and a gagging order.
I am also told that, following the Railway bridge rebuilding fiasco that someone was made a fall-guy, and left with a big pay-off and a gagging order.
Is either of those things true? What on earth is the legal basis for the right of a public body to do this?
Can we insist that documents relating to such things are put in the public domain?
I have also heard these rumours but Barnet Council refuses to say one way or the other and the Information Commissioner has supported the council claiming that the officers have a right to privacy.
ReplyDeleteOur right as taxpayers to know whether there has been a reward for failure apparently doesn’t count.
I was given details claiming that one officer walked away with £250,000. See: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2009/10/barnet-council-in-secret-250000-payoff.html
The same source has now told me that, when the Mike Freer Cabinet met in the refurbished Town Hall (after a 50% overspend on the budget for that), the microphone system continually failed to work.
ReplyDeleteThe head of Democratic Services was "made a fall-guy, and left with a big pay-off and a gagging order."
I put quotation marks around that above, because it is a phrase I seem to KEEP having to use.
Can anyone confirm that as well?
Keep it up Rog !! good to hear that you are eating at HEEs and campaigning for all of us here in Mill Hill.
ReplyDeleteIf there is any justice in the world then you will be voted in as Councillor for us next election. I will certainly vote for you regardless of party you stand for because you LOVE Mill Hill and the people of Barnet - and that is all that matters.
Sadly these TROUGH swilling councillors do not. Go get them !