Barnets greedy Tories - Troughing update

The Labour party have been busy and rushed out this leaflet. They were distributing it at Mill Hill Broadway Station at rush hour this evening.

It was interesting watching the reaction of the commuters taking the leaflets. Mill Hill hasn't been happy hunting ground for Labour, being split between Lib Dems and Tories over the last few years.

It was probably the first time I've seen any such action from Labour supporters since the 1990's. It gives some sense of the reaction that they think it was worthwhile and that people have given the leaflet such attention. Comments such as "they are disgusting" abounded. I know that any election is likely to be a long way off, but it is good to see that Labour have finally got off their backside and chosen to act like an opposition.

As to the Lib Dems, leader Jack Cohen put out the following press release  (reproduced in full)
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Liberal Democrats Refer Barnet Council to the Standards Committee

Cllr Jack Cohen , Leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats has reported Barnet Council to its own Standards Committee.

Cllr Cohen believes that Barnet has broken the Law by allowing the Item on Members Allowances to be dealt with at Tuesday’s Council meeting

Councillor Cohen points out that The Local Government Acts of 1972 and 1985 set out rules which Councils must follow when Reports are considered by Council. These include provision that reports must be available for inspection by the public (and Members) three clear days before a meeting. The rules also say that the day the report is published and the day of the meeting are not counted. The report on Members Allowances should have been made available, at the latest on Wednesday of last week. In fact the report was not made available until late on the day before the Council Meeting.

Councillor Cohen wrote to Borough’s Chief Monitoring Officer prior to the Council meeting complaining that the Council had breached the law. As a result the mayor announced that he would instead take the Members’ Allowance Item as an urgent item. A Furious Councillor Cohen protested that the Council was trying to use a loophole in the law to get them off the hook. Councillor Cohen says however “they have dug themselves deeper in to a hole. Although the Law is unclear whether an item can be taken as urgent, Whatever the law is four things can be said with certainty if an item “any urgent business” is allowed”

a)     it must be urgent

b)     The Chair of the Council must take the decision that it is urgent. As this is a statutory decision it must be taken properly and not under the dictate of party political pressure, which would render it unlawful

c)      “Urgency “itself is not sufficient. The late item can only be added if “by reason of special circumstances it should be considered “as a matter of urgency” at the meeting

d)     The reason for the special circumstances must be stated in the minutes of the council meeting

The facts are clear says Councillor Cohen, “it was not urgent. We are not talking here about a situation for example where a person or persons would be put in danger if a decision was not taken, we were not up against deadlines which could put a capital project at risk nor were there any budget imperatives as the proposal is cost neutral for the current financial year, and finally there was no reason why the item could not have been deferred to the next Council Meeting.

Councillor Cohen who is a member of the Council’s Standards Committee says

“The Standard Committee is the Council’s Watchdog. Its job is to ensure that the whole Council behaves in an ethical manner. The whole point of having rules about the publication of Council Reports is so the Public (and Members) can have access to papers in good time. Late reports open the Council to suspicion, disrepute and allegations of trying to suppress information. What is made worse in this case is when they were found out they attempted to use a loophole to try to avoid compliance. You do not expect a public body to behave in this way.”

Councillor Cohen says he does not know why the Report could not be published with in the time scales laid down by Parliament. . “The only explanations can be that there were bureaucratic delays or it was done deliberately, either way I believe there now needs to be an enquiry and that is why I have requested the Standards Committee  to investigate”

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Barnets Tory MP's have developed squeaky bum syndrome over the matter with both Matthew Offord and Mike Freer criticising their former Council colleagues in the press :-

Mike Freer -
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8273728.MP_insists_pay_hikes_are__not_justifiable_/

Matthew Offord -
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8274410.Allowances_vote__should_have_been_matter_of_conscience__says_MP/

The most interesting development is the news that Council Leader Lynne Hillan is out of the office. Some reports say she's on holiday (the third one this year if the report is true) other reports say shes "away on business" (Council business?? She's not moonlighting surely) - I await her expenses, which interestingly she hasn't posted on her blog despite a promise in February to do so - check this  link http://leaderlistens.com/ -

Another most interesting development is the Barnet Tory house blog has announced that Kate Salinger is "history" -
http://www.thelondondailynews.com/barnet-tories-stand-firm-vote-cost-neutral-increase-payer-p-4345.html

This is the blog which printed exclusive pictures of Brian Coleman celebrating looking rather ruddy, glass of champagne in hand, when he lost his Standards battle last year (leaving him £10,000 out of pocket and reputation in tatters). The exact quote from this poisonous rag -

A senior member of the Conservative party commented on the stance of Conservative Councillor Kate Salinger who abstained in the vote to increase the allowance of members despite the groups support for the motion, and said that she was "already a marginal figure and her actions have ostracised her entirely and she is now history".

Let me translate into English - A gutless trougher who was to chicken to give his name, expressed his complete lack of comprehension that a Barnet Tory could have a conscience. "She just doesn't fit in with the rest of us" he grunted and squealed.

Piggy in chief Brian Coleman grunted :-

Allowances are payable to recognise the special responsibilities attached to certain positions to which councillors may be appointed.

Well if these allowances are so easy to justify, why wasn't a word of this whispered during the election? Why was the report hushed up until the last minute, breaching their own rules. Coleman claims some councillors work 90 hours a week. I suspect that Brian Colemans definition of work is rather different to yours or mine and involves eating many free lunches and attending fine banquets.

I challenge Brian Coleman to publish his diary to show how long he has spent on Barnet Council business. Presumably he has the info to back up his claim.