The Barnet Conservatives are so useless they are even criticising themselves IN PUBLIC. This screen shot is taken from their own website - http://www.barnetcouncilconservatives.com/ - You weill notice on the feed at the bottom, the comments from Grant Shapps saying they are out of order. I guess they were too busily quaffing bubbly with their new allowances to check what their website said.
As I was driving this evening, LBC was full of people phoning in slating Barnet. The local paper has quite rightly given coverage to the only Tory to come out of the sorry incident with any credit - Kate Salinger, who abstained on principle and was humiliated and stripped of her place on committee - http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8272018.I_voted_with_my_conscience__claims_shunned_Tory_councillor/ -
I suppose it is stating the obvious to say that there is now only one Tory Councillor in Barnet who would inspire public confidence to clean the mess up when they inevitably sack Hillan. It is worth reading Mrs Salingers comments, especially those about how the rulebook states you can oppose group policy on an issue of conscience. I suspect she is the only Tory councillor who has one, which is why they don't understand the concept.
Oh and one other point of interest. I had a huge spike in blog hits today. This is the second highest number of hits ever (the most being the day of the election). If Hillan and Coleman think that no one cares about their shenanigans, they are completely wrong.
Mike Freer MP, now a member of the select committee for local government, has come out in support of Grant Shapps, criticising his former colleagues on his website...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mikefreer.com/
news segment on BBC 1 London News on TV last night @ 6.30, they are getting all the notoriety they deserve!!!
ReplyDeleteI've had a record breaking blog read too, from the most widespread base: I think it is a sign of the great sickness at the heart, wrong word - centre of the Tory group in Barnet that they do not understand how shameful their behaviour is. The vote for the pay rise is one thing: what they did to one of their own councillors is just breath takingly beyond belief. They have lost the right, all of them bar one, to command any respect or credibility in this borough and should be kicked out of office and out of the Tory Party. Bullying a colleague in the way they did should be 'disciplined' by Tory central office so as to teach this dysfunctional, squirming bunch of low life a salutory lesson.
ReplyDeleteI see Cllr Jack Cohen has reported the Council to their own standards committee..
ReplyDeletehttp://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8274011.Council_reported_to_standards_over_way_pay_hikes_handled/
Jaybird
ReplyDeleteIs this same Mike Freer who, when leader of Barnet, removed the cap on Special Responsibility Allowances, allowing him and his former chums to start stacking up the payments?
and what a shame that Mr Freer did not express his disapproval BEFORE the vote ...
ReplyDeleteYup, same Mike Freer, Dave.
ReplyDeleteIt is more than Matthew Offord or Theresa Villiers have done though.
I wonder if either of them will follow suit?
Spoke too soon - Matthew Offord has come out in support of Kate Salinger.
ReplyDeleteOn the main issue he is a bit more muted, saying he would not have been "comfortable" with the decision and would call them to reconsider.
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8274410.Allowances_vote__should_have_been_matter_of_conscience__says_MP/
I like the comment in the Jewish Chronicle:
ReplyDelete"Whether the Conservative group would have proposed such enormous increases under its previous leader and his deputy, Mike Freer and Matthew Offord (both elected to the Commons in May), is debatable.
Whatever residents may have thought of Mr Freer's regime – do not forget the council lost £30m in the Icelandic banks collapse under the stewardship of the new member for Finchley and Golders Green – both men are considerably more in touch with the public mood than Mr Freer's successor."