Told you so ! Anyone who has followed this blog will know that we've been saying all along that Richard Cornelius would win. I have no special inside knowledge as to his plans, but I believe that this shows that the Barnet Conservatives have decided to go for a man who is decent and honest. I believe that Andrew Harper has paid the price for the failures of the previous regime. He is seen as too chummy with senior council officials and has not demonstrated the slightest sign of leadership potential. Ever. I am especially pleased that Richard Cornelius has won, given the fact that he's a small businessman and I believe this sector of the economy has been sadly neglected in Barnet. People tell me that Cornelius is his own man and likely to make a few very sensible and intelligent changes to the way that the Council is run at the highest level.
I feel a bit sorry for Mark Shooter. I'd urge him not to be too disheartened. I suspect that his lack of experience at the Council ultimately counted against him, aligned with a fear of the unknown. I urge Richard Cornelius to give Shooter a senior role. He is clearly a talented guy, who is not afraid to take flak. We need people like that.
Many people, especially those on the left, should wake up to the fact that this is a good result for the people of Barnet. The policies of the old regime hit many people extremely hard. Policies such as OneBarnet have put many people's well being at risk. Someone who is a bit more sceptical and prepared to ask difficult questions can only be good. From my political perspective, I'd rather not have a Tory run Council, but we have one. For the good of everyone, this should be run as professionally and as well as possible. A man such as Richard Cornelius has experience of business and taking decisions. He is seen as independently minded. That has to be good. A supporter and friend of Richard Cornelius told me that he intended to bring some sanity to the OneBarnet process if elected. I wasn't sure what that meant. If it meant that he agreed with me that the whole thing is insane, I'm sure that would be a good first step.
The job is a huge challenge. I am sure that the Council will have a torrid time with government cuts, etc over the next few years. I know for a fact that there are many areas which are mismanaged (see the Metpro report and the latest Audit report). If Richard Cornelius can sort these out, he will save a lot of money and hopefully start to restore the reputation of Barnet Council. I sincerely hope that his colleagues support him and do not start working to undermine him, as they have with a few previous leaders.
The shape of the new cabinet will tell us all we need to know about the direction he's taking. Expect a few interesting changes. I've been told he's not a "big gesture" person and that he doesn't want to rub peoples noses in it. He thinks the job is hard enough, without needlessly making enemies or picking fights for the sake of it.
In six months time, we'll see the true nature of the changes. I believe these will be mainly changes for the better for the people of Barnet. That is why it is a good day for us.
I feel a bit sorry for Mark Shooter. I'd urge him not to be too disheartened. I suspect that his lack of experience at the Council ultimately counted against him, aligned with a fear of the unknown. I urge Richard Cornelius to give Shooter a senior role. He is clearly a talented guy, who is not afraid to take flak. We need people like that.
Many people, especially those on the left, should wake up to the fact that this is a good result for the people of Barnet. The policies of the old regime hit many people extremely hard. Policies such as OneBarnet have put many people's well being at risk. Someone who is a bit more sceptical and prepared to ask difficult questions can only be good. From my political perspective, I'd rather not have a Tory run Council, but we have one. For the good of everyone, this should be run as professionally and as well as possible. A man such as Richard Cornelius has experience of business and taking decisions. He is seen as independently minded. That has to be good. A supporter and friend of Richard Cornelius told me that he intended to bring some sanity to the OneBarnet process if elected. I wasn't sure what that meant. If it meant that he agreed with me that the whole thing is insane, I'm sure that would be a good first step.
The job is a huge challenge. I am sure that the Council will have a torrid time with government cuts, etc over the next few years. I know for a fact that there are many areas which are mismanaged (see the Metpro report and the latest Audit report). If Richard Cornelius can sort these out, he will save a lot of money and hopefully start to restore the reputation of Barnet Council. I sincerely hope that his colleagues support him and do not start working to undermine him, as they have with a few previous leaders.
The shape of the new cabinet will tell us all we need to know about the direction he's taking. Expect a few interesting changes. I've been told he's not a "big gesture" person and that he doesn't want to rub peoples noses in it. He thinks the job is hard enough, without needlessly making enemies or picking fights for the sake of it.
In six months time, we'll see the true nature of the changes. I believe these will be mainly changes for the better for the people of Barnet. That is why it is a good day for us.
3 comments:
Is this the same Richard Cornelius who voted to end the warden service and then refused to meet with residents in sheltered accommodation because he thought it would be too upsetting?
DCMD: Too upsetting to the residents, or to him?
Yes: Richard Cornelius is not the saviour of Barnet, he may be the lesser evil, but let's not get carrioed away with ourselves. He is just another variation on the theme of maverick Barnet Tories trundling along in their own little worlds, a million miles away from Cameron's vision of Tory values. I hope he has the sense to save us all from the doom of One Barnet: let's see.
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