Councillor Barry Evangeli in the spotlight

They say that those who live by the sword die by the sword. We are judged by our actions. One of the new crop of Tory Councillors has come into the spotlight this week. His name is Barry Evangeli.  I think that it is only fair that we residents of Barnet know what sort of a man Mr Evangeli is. This blog already detailed his brown nosing of Councillor Brian Coleman to get himself nominated as a Councillor. Mr Evangeli has been a councillor since May 7th. In that time he's done two things which tell us what sort of a man he is.

Firstly the Barnet Council Senior Tories proposed a huge payrise for Cabinet members at a time of austerity and belt tightening in the country. Tory Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps urged restraint. What did Barry Evangeli do? He had a conversation, I can only guess, given what happened that it went something like this. He said "whats in it for me". The powers that be in the local Tories said "Kate Salinger is threatening to abstain. If she does, we are going to sack her from her chair post of the Chipping Barnet Residents forum. If we sack her, there is a nice fat allowance going for a new chair. She says that her principles prevent her from voting for a rise as we urge restraint on council workers. We are looking for someone with rather "more flexible" principles". Barry Evangeli said "Well count me in!" and copped a nice little allowance.

The only trouble is that a week later he had to face the public in the residents forum. The public wanted to know what the justification for the rise was. Mr Evangeli, who clealry had a vested interest should have said "I'm afraid to declare I have a vested interest in this, so I have to step back from the debate". Sadly he chose an altogether different approach. He announced (contrary to the rules of the forum) that he wouldn't take the question. Even worse, he then gave everyone a long and boring lecture justifying the rise.

So what sort of a councillor do we think Mr Evangeli is? A hard working public servant who is in it for the good of the people of Barnet or a greedy parasite who is on the make and prepared to walk over all and sundry in his quest for easy money? I have an opinion, I'm sure you have one too.