In amongst the news that Lynne Hillan beat Mark Shooter for the Leadership was the news that Wendy Prentice beat Brian Schama by 19-18 for the Tory group chair position. Brian Schama is a councillor for Mill Hill. He beat me when I stood for the Lib Dems in May. As we stood on the podium receiving the news (which we'd already been told) that we'd lost, I shook Brians hand. I wished him well and asked him to do the right thing for the people of Mill Hill.
As Brian has been a stalwart supporter of Mark Shooters bid, emailing all Tory Councillors to explain his feelings, a thought occurs to me. As the result was announced, Brian Coleman (then Mayor and returning officer) shrieked with glee "I've beaten Tichborne, I've shown him" ignoring the fact that he hadn't, John Hart, Suri Khatri and Brian Schama had won in Mill Hill. It took Brian Schama less than two months in close proximity to Brian Coleman to reach the same conclusion that I had. In a rather strange twist of fate, Brian Schama has done more damage to Colemans credibility than I ever could have hoped as a member of the opposition.
Things have a funny way of working out. I suspect I'm a better blogger than I would have been a councillor. Brian Schama is a BIGGER THREAT TO COLEMAN AS A COUNCILLOR THAN I COULD EVER HAVE BEEN. Call it the Lord working in mysterious ways, call it Karma, call it the Universe at work, this is justice at work. I like Brian Schama, he's a decent bloke with a good sense of humour. Don't agree with his politics, but can't fault his motivation. I believe that he's done Mill Hill proud. I believe he still has a role to play as this unwinds. Brian Schama has accumilated a solid support in a short time. I have a few words for Brian - Rome wasn't built in a day.
10 comments:
Well, thanks at least for bringing us all the (bad) news, Roger.
I hope the press take up your thought that Messrs. Harper and Shooter should have fought it out properly in an election, and now probably will never do so.
So Tugboat Annie steams along, slowly but surely sinking beneath the waves.
Time to query if the (still awarded) 50% pay increases to committee chairmen had anything to do with it. (Details on 'Barnet Bugle'.)
And some comments from the three MPs?
Why don't we get Barnet taken apart?
Each ward could choose another london borough to go in to.
It did not have to be a borough next door. Church End could go into Richmond, Totteridge could go into Kensington and Chelsea, and so on.
The pictures of our borough leadership may stay on the brent cross website, I expect now - see
brentcrosscoalition.blogspot.com
What borough would you put Mill Hill in to Roger?
Mill Hill,
I'd like it to declare UDI from Barnet Council and run it's own affairs.
I've come to the conclusion the the London Borough of Barnet is wasteful, incompetent and useless. I'd like to see real local (parish council) level democracy for local decisions and cross London issues managed by the GLA. Forcing Cricklewood and Chipping Barnet into marriage has proven to be a disaster.
I like that idea.
Cricklewood into Brent.
Golders Green into Camden.
Chipping Barnet into Hertfordshire.
Roll Up, Play 'Fantasy Local Government'!
Burnt Oak into dull old Brent or Harrow. Figures. Why do we always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop?
I think this is another astonishing result. Like Mark Shooter, Brian Schama has been a councillor for five minutes yet managed to give the incumbent a bloody nose. Wendy Prentice is already a discredited figure by virtue of voting for the abolition of the wardens in her capacity as chairman of the scrutiny committee. Like Hillan, she should take her leave and go. The taxpayer has had enough of her sponging.
UDI for MILL HILL. Brian Scharma as our Council Leader and Roger as his deputy.
Then we would see some joined up thinking that would benefit the ordinary voters.
I sometimes feel Mill Hill is an oasis of normal people in the Raving Looney Council we seem to have had for the last few years.
Broadway Blogger: Just so we can talk about something else (ANYTHING ELSE actually), why does Mill Hill Broadway have so few trees??
Last week, I thought I counted only four, where forty would have fitted in. On Bing maps, I can see I may have missed one, plus two more at the eastern end. The point remains, though.
I remember Roger has blogged about wanting better shops, instead of people feeling they have to go to Brent Cross for major items.
But the Broadway seemed so traffic-choked when I visited (Costa Coffee). Wouldn't there be a net gain if the main road parking was done away with, apart from disabled spaces and, say, 10-minute loading zones? (That exhausts all the 'car parking phrases' I know, by the way.)
Something for the Aldermen of the 'Urban District Council of Mill Hill' to tackle, I think.
@Baarnet, that is a might fine idea for Broadway parking; and then we could extend the south Broadway pavement and have a people friendly zone, all for it..
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