At this time of deep recession, public spending cuts and austerity, the Leader of Barnet Council tried to give herself a 54% increase in pay. Only a massive campaign by the public and press forced her to shelve the proposal (although she kept rises for her committee chiefs as a sweetner). Last week 18 Tory councillors voted against her in a leadership challenge, instigated by the public campaign.
Last night, these councillors had the chance to remove her, via a vote of no confidence. She would have been replaced by another Conservative, so any hint that this was disloyal was completely ridiculous. What happened. All 39 Tory councillors voted for her. Not a single one against.
What does this tell us? That they are rotten to the core and need to be replaced
2 comments:
@RogT - I've tried to keep out of commenting on this as a whole but my view for some time has been that the Town Hall is so messed up that only a directly elected Mayor with a strong mandate from Barnet people can clear things up.
These recent weeks have been a tremendous effort and Mark Shooter very nearly toppled Barnet's Lynne HIllan. That the Conservative Party is saddled with her when it is clear that 70% of the full Council want her out is the second reason why a directly elected Mayor is the only way.
It's time for someone to get an updated pack, divvy up the petitions and across the borough get people signing.
Dan: What has to happen exactly?
Has it been done anywhere else - that is, without the whole thing being organised by a local authority which actually WANTED a Mayor?
But in any case, cannot local authority power change back to the pre-2000 committee structure, without a cabinet or executive, which Blair brought in?
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