Lib Dem Peer, Lord Monroe Palmer leads the Barnet Council audit committee. In June, the committee will meet to discuss the findings of the audit committee investigation into the Metpro Rapid Response Ltd inquiry. Many people, myself included, believed that this inquiry should have been undertaken by an independent team. Lord Monroe Palmer has an extremely difficult job on his hands. At stake is not only the reputation of Barnet Council, but also the future of the Lib Dems in Barnet. At the least elections, the number of Councillors was halved from 6 to 3. These consist of Lord Palmer, Suzette Palmer (his wife) and Jack Cohen. They all represent Child Hill ward. before the last election there were two in Mill Hill (Wayne Casey and Jeremy Davies) and one in High Barnet (Duncan MacDonald).
As I stood for the Lib Dems in Mill Hill, I am on good terms with many local members and voters. It is fair to say that in Mill Hill, many have been alienated by the coalition. Many have said to me "What is the point of the Lib Dems?". I have always stoutly defended the record of the local Lib Dems at Council Level. It is also true to say that many people (especially many local Conservative voters) have told me that they bitterly regret the fact that Jeremy Davies lost his seat. Sadly none of these people are actually ever going to vote Lib Dem next time.
Which brings me to the point. There is only likely to be one issue where the local Lib Dems can actually make a difference in Barnet. This is with Lord Palmers chairmanship of the Metpro inquiry. If he ensures that the whole sorry business is exposed and the lessons of this disasterous outsourcing project applied across the board, then maybe, just maybe, when people say "What is the point of voting Lib Dem?", activists will be able to say "Well look how they sorted out the Metpro fiasco". I am not going to tell Lord Palmer what to do, say or what findings to make. I will tell him this though. If he does an exemplary job, which the fair minded and honest voters of Barnet see to have done the job, then he has made his point for an independent third force.
If he blows it, then as far as I'm concerned, that is it for the Barnet Lib Dems.
As I stood for the Lib Dems in Mill Hill, I am on good terms with many local members and voters. It is fair to say that in Mill Hill, many have been alienated by the coalition. Many have said to me "What is the point of the Lib Dems?". I have always stoutly defended the record of the local Lib Dems at Council Level. It is also true to say that many people (especially many local Conservative voters) have told me that they bitterly regret the fact that Jeremy Davies lost his seat. Sadly none of these people are actually ever going to vote Lib Dem next time.
Which brings me to the point. There is only likely to be one issue where the local Lib Dems can actually make a difference in Barnet. This is with Lord Palmers chairmanship of the Metpro inquiry. If he ensures that the whole sorry business is exposed and the lessons of this disasterous outsourcing project applied across the board, then maybe, just maybe, when people say "What is the point of voting Lib Dem?", activists will be able to say "Well look how they sorted out the Metpro fiasco". I am not going to tell Lord Palmer what to do, say or what findings to make. I will tell him this though. If he does an exemplary job, which the fair minded and honest voters of Barnet see to have done the job, then he has made his point for an independent third force.
If he blows it, then as far as I'm concerned, that is it for the Barnet Lib Dems.
8 comments:
My money says he blows it.
Ditto
Palmer is an honourable man, and will mean to do a good job, but no one can produce an effective enough investigation within the terms and constraints of this process. It is still important that anyone who has evidence should try to contribute to the inquiry, but the fact that there has been no public pronouncement about the date and remit of the audit meeting demonstrates the lack of committment that the administration is giving to the investigation.
Can't disagree with any of the above comments. Palmer is a decent man in an indecent world - he would have been far better off refusing to mop up the Tory ordure.
What is the obsession with so many Barnet Bloggers about 'honorable' and 'decent' etc. All this is most endearing but doesn't really gel with all the campaigning on hard policy.
Mrs A seems to forget that the terms of the enquiry will be set by Lord Palmer and the Committee. If he doesn't like the remit, he should amend it.
Why the pussyfooting around about 'poor' Lord Palmer?
Well, Mr Hope: as I am sure you know, I despise the LibDem party's actions in supporting the Coalition government, and have nothing but contempt for their treachery, so easily bought, on issues such as tuition fees. Locally, however, our three long term LibDem councillors strike me as good, hard working representatives, old school types who believe, unlike the vast majority of your former Tory chums, in public service rather than jumping on the gravy train. I suppose one is struck by Palmer's decency because amongst the rest of the knaves and fools on Barnet Council, he does rather stand out.
Palmer cannot entirely dictate the remit of the committee,there are clear constraints in terms of scope, and time, which are bound by constitutional limits and which mean of course that this matter should never have been shoved into such an inappropriate forum The only reason it has been is obviously for political expediency, because it is the best way of covering everything up.
Lord Palmer, honourable? huh!
My money says DCMD is right.
Don't forget poor old Rinka.
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