Barnet Council Leadership Contest - The intrigue deepens as the deadline looms

A passing comment last night at the Cabinet meeting from a friendly Tory Councillor gave a telling insight into the mindset of our local Tories right now. Councillor Richard Cornelius announced in his rather rambling preamble about the Local Development Framework, which was being debated (or should I say rubber stamped).

It's the best that we're going to get for Barnet

This document is highly important. Richard Cornelius stressed time and again that thousands of trees had been chopped down. He stated that the scrutiny committee comments "had been noted". He said that it had taken two years and countless consultations. At the end of it, we've got something that the cabinet member responsible can only sum up in this way.

Word reaches the Barnet Eye of frantic lobbying by both Mike Freer and Matthew Offord on behalf of incumbent leader Lynne Hillan. The body language at the meeting indicated that she needs all the help she can get. She sat next to council officials, with her Deputy sitting opposite. At the end of the meeting, the vast majority of the councillors legged it as soon as humanly possible. Councillor Tom Davey, who had clearly come along for a brown nosing session, seemed to pick up the panic and looked rather disturbed. Today, out of the blue, I got a reply from Barnet Council about my complaint re the election arrangements. It is outrageous. I have chosen not to write a blog about it, as I suspect they could only have sent such an email to try and get me to blog about that instead of the leadership.

I've received quite a few emails and calls today. A couple of other bloggers have had their say - Vicki Morris says she wants Hillan to stay, because she's useless and this is better for the Unions. Mrs Angry seems to want Shooter to win.  Whether we should listen to Mrs Angry given that her grandfather could have single handedly prevented the rise of Nazism and the Second World War I don't know.

Perhaps the most interesting caller was a Barnet Councillor who phoned me to discuss the Leadership Election. He was unaware until I told him that Brian Coleman had bunked off the Cabinet meeting. Following our conversation (this may or may not give you an insight into his identity), I can confidently predict that within four weeks Barnet Council will have a new Leader. I can even tell you who it will be - Councillor Andrew Harper. The succession plan has been worked out. The powers that be know the game is up and that Hillan is dead in the water. Mark Shooter will rock to many boats, put too many noses out of joint and open too many cupboards with skeletons in. He must be stopped at all costs. It seems that deals are being done. Sadly for you and I dear reader, all this means is more of the same. Less incompetent than Hillan, but still completely ineffective and useless. Ineffectual lackies such as Robert Rams will be retained and the status quo will be shored up.

If you were wondering why Harper was so cheerful last night, now you know. What Colemans absence tells us, we can only speculate.

There are going to be a few casualties in this battle though. Watch this space.......

In the meantime, I suspect what Richard Cornelius said could apply to the rise of Andrew Harper - It's the best we're going to get for Barnet