The Mike Freer Battlebanger rolls into town - Updated 14:48 31/8/2010

****** Update ********************
Since this story was originally posted, the Mike Freer MP team have contacted me demanding that I remove the picture (which you can see in the link to the Times) of Mike Freer's camper van, as it was used without permission. Of course I was happy to comply and apologise for any distress caused. If you want to look at the picture, please click on the link below. In the meantime, the Barnet Eye is pleased to supply an image showing how Mik's campervan might look in action *********** End of Update ************

The official story is that Mike needs a £40,000 campervan (AKA The Battlebanger) to travel to the more rural parts of Finchley constituency to hold "monthly advice surgeries". As to why he needs a campervan which "sleeps 4" and has a kitchen and bathroom for such surgeries in Finchley, I cannot quite fathom. 

Maybe there are far flung, backward parts of Finchley I never discovered in my years at school there, without water, sanitation and hours from his flat in church end. 

Here's the Times story :-

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8347422.Van_man_Mike_Freer_takes_MP_surgeries_to_the_streets/

Most London MP's rent a room at the Library (Oh I forgot the Tories are flogging them off) or a Church Hall. Then again, it is good to hear that Mike and the local Conservatives have such huge amounts of cash to splash. In these days of austerity, it is great to see a bit of real extravagance.

Mike Freer became Leader of Barnet Council just over four years ago, in a Palace Coup orchestrated by long time henchman Councillor Brian Coleman. Then Leader Brian Salinger was unseated days after leading the Tories to victory in the 2006 Council Election. This supreme act of disloyalty to his leader reaped rich dividends, landing Mike the plumb constituency of Finchley, notionally one of the easiest target seats in the country.

During Freer's time as Leader, such Barnet Council suffered the following major financial scandals :-

* Lost £27.4 Million of borrowed money in Icelandic Bank investments. These debts require servicing

* Took Barnet council debt to over £200,000,000, saddling every Barnet Council Tax payer with an average of over £1,000 debt each, which we will have to pay back.

* Went £11 Million over budget on the Aerodrome Road bridge replacement project (original budget £12 million).

* Spent £1 million on the Barnet FC Underhill sale enquiry, which concluded that everyone did a marvellous job in the sale of Underhill, although there is a potential loss of several million pounds to the taxpayer.

As to why Mike Freer is so keen on the Hillan Leadership, who knows? I can only speculate that she's the only person he could think of that would make him look like a decent leader. For her part, Lynne Hillan spent several days gloating that she'd put Freer in his place when he asked her to scrap the allowance rise. Sadly for Lynne, she then went on holiday and when she got back, was forced to drop the policy. Happily for them both, Mike now has his camper van and Lynne seems to have his support after a few shaky wobbles - as documented in other Barnet blogs. I suspect that the wobbles are an insurance policy, in case Mark Shooter wins, so he can say "You know I supported you all along". Makes you wonder what sort of insurance policy Brian Coleman and Andrew Harper have in such an event? Maybe Lynne Hillan, Brian Coleman and Andrew Harper could borrow the Mike Freer Battlebanger and use it to take wavering Councillors "for a little ride in the country" before the election, where they could explain a few home truths.