Here's a little game I enjoy playing. I click this link to the GLA and see how much work he's actually doing (we all know a good self publicist like Brian likes to keep us informed). This is all his press releases - ie all the campaigns etc he's running and things of note he's been up to. Count em up for any given period.
http://www.london.gov.uk/press_releases/assembly-member/Brian%20Coleman
Now check out his free dinner registers and see how many free din dins he's had, because all that work makes Brian a very hungry HUT - He has a couple of free dinner lists because one just isn't enough !!!!
http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/gh_brian_coleman.asp
http://www.london.gov.uk/pls/apex/f?p=135:2:665027378368433:fsp_sort_2_desc::RP&fsp_region_id=10248804584908268
And guess what? Yep, ever one to be fair to our friend, rather amazingly Brian has managed more press releases than free dinners this year. I had you going there didn't I? But you see, that's only really half the story, isn't it. See if you can spot a pattern. On a totally unrelated subject, here's a rather interesting link - if you get my drift
http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/professional/eads/
The conservativehome blog is holding an excellent debate (open to all) on Barnet, Brian Coleman, and money in local goverment.
ReplyDeleteSee: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/localgovernment/2010/08/why-im-standing-for-leader-of-barnet-council.html
Are you hinting at a connection between EADS train technology company and Coleman's desire to get rid of drivers on London Underground and replace them with driverless trains? Why do the EADS items appear on the LFB list rather than the London Assembly list?
ReplyDeleteI notice on the London Assembly list that in July Coleman became much less pernickety about accepting hospitality from the Chinese state - or does he imagine that Shanghai municipality has no links to the Chinese state? I wonder whether - over dinner - he raised their human rights record.
Yesterday I had a nice lunch with two other adults and we spent £51. I notice that Coleman costs £30-£50 to feed.
I see in the council's "Statement of Accounts" (http://www.barnet.gov.uk/statement-of-accounts) to March 2009 that:
ReplyDelete"The council has recently developed a strong online presence, namely through our own social media website, whereilive.org. The council has also established a presence on facebook; twitter, flickr, and the Leader of the Council has launched his own Leader Listens website."
Has anyone been able to see "whereilive.org"? The domain name is still available, with and without a ".UK" at the end.
The "leaderlistens.com" domain name was renewed two months ago (it is not clear if our Council paid for this):
Expiration Date: 2011-06-16
Creation Date: 2008-06-16
Last Update Date: 2010-06-17
Registrant: Yellow Park, 32 Lower Range Road, Gravesend DA12 2QL.
Administrative contact: Easily Limited, 3rd Floor, Prospero House, 241 Borough High Street, London SE1 1GA. 08704 589450, 08704 589458.
The latest entry on "leaderlistens.com" (which uses the Barnet Council logo) is on 15 February 2010, when Lynne Hillan announces she will put details of her expenses on the web site every month. There are no later entries. Furthermore, the site (or its Internet Protocol entry) has recently been altered, to merely redirect to the main "www.barnet.gov.uk" web site.
Every year, under the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003, councils in England are required to open the books for 20 working days. We can see invoices, contracts and everything else to do with money about the council year just ended.
This is more powerful that the Freedom of Information Act - they have to publicly show everything connected with the previous year's accounts. Nothing can be redacted.
There is no sign of the 2009-2010 accounts on the council's web site. Does anyone know if thay have been produced, and when the "20 working days" will apply this year?
T H E 5 0 % C L U B
ReplyDeleteThose little scamps at http://barnetcouncil.net/ have listed twenty of the councillors who might vote for Lynne's regime to continue.
However, I notice the following descriptions there, which seem to indicate the AllowanceGate matter is not over. Can anyone confirm these details? Will these payments somehow affect their voting intentions, perhaps?
Andreas Tambourides (Licensing Chairman SRA to increase by 50% - meets twice a year - even after supposed u-turn)
Hugh Rayner (Business Management OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
Joan Scannell (General Functions Committee Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
Alison Cornelius (Health OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
Darryl Yawitch (Budget & Performance OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
Brian Gordon (Policy and Performance OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
Wendy Prentice (Planning and Environment Committee Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)
@baarnett - it's not very tricky but a lot of media just haven't read the papers properly. As well as the Cabinet and Leader getting big rises, the Chairman of a number of Committees got a big rise too. A lot went up from £9,974 to £15,333 (over 50%).
ReplyDeleteThe focus of the 'Allowancegate' was correctly placed on the Cabinet a) as they had 100% rises and b) they will be imposing cuts in their portfolios.
If you look at sneaky, in my view bare faced liar, Hillan's statement she says that CABINET allowances will be taken back to March levels but nothing else. So the 50% club of Andreas Tambourides, Prentice, Rayner, Alison Cornelius etc - her key backers as Leader and the people who made sure the rise went through in the first place.
So the spin from Hillan's bunker is that there has been a u-turn and the allowance rise has been scrapped. Even the Hendon Times' redoubtable Kevin Bradford seems to have been duped as their front page has that headline. The facts are that there are 50% rises for many. ALL allowances should must be reverted to March 2010.
This battle is not over.