Thursday 9 June 2011

Just how useless is Eric Pickles?

Has there ever been a more useless minister than Eric Pickles? The local government secretary is possibly the worst minister ever to darken the doors of Parliament. Pickles claims to be a supporter of localism and empowering local communities to prevent abuse by council executives and dodgy councils. Anyone who has followed the Metpro crisis would know that this is probably the biggest scandal in local government in the UK.

We have sent several communications to Pickles. We have not even had an acknowledgement. Not only is this rude, but it is indicative of a secretary who doesn't want to know. Why? Because he supports the Easycouncil ideology of Barnet Council and so he doesn't want to see it's failings exposed. Has Pickles read the audit report? He damn well should. He may be all for privatisation, but if he is so evangelical in it's support that he doesn't want to know the pitfalls of such a policy, then he just isn't up to the job.

Localism can only work with checks and balances. If Barnet was a school, OFSTED would put it in special measures. As it stands, Pickles is a disgrace and his behaviour could cost David Cameron dear.

4 comments:

Don't Call Me Dave said...

Rog

If I had known you were writing to Eric Pickles, I would have advised you to save the cost of a stamp. As I have said before, he can talk the talk, but he doesn’t walk the walk. Conservative Central Office have been aware of the shenanigans involving Barnet councillors since at least 2004, but they have repeatedly refused to get involved. I was advised by someone very senior within the party that the reason for this was simple: they don’t want to get their hands dirty. Guilt by association.

As a general point, it is worth noting that when politicians like Mr Pickles talk about localism, they don’t actually mean giving power to local people. They mean transferring it from Whitehall bureaucrats to Town Hall bureaucrats. Citizens do not form part of the equation.

On a separate matter, does anyone know why Mrs Angry is censoring my messages on her blog again?

Mrs Angry said...

Oy: DCMD - Mrs Angry will be having private words with you - wait outside in the corridor.

baarnett said...

Give Eric some credit for supporting the Saintly Kate Salinger last summer, during 'Allowancegate', as reported in the 'Barnet Bugle'

And he DID suggest that local authorities that banned recordings being made at meetings were dinosaurs (like Harpersaurus - herbivore, quadrupedal, and Colemanraptor - carnivore, Bipedal).

Moaneybat said...

"Has there ever been a more useless minister than Eric Pickles? The local government secretary is possibly the worst minister ever to darken the doors of Parliament"

Just see what his millionaire muppet Grant Schapps and their Localism Bill is doing for disabled people and their local housing allowances. Don't be surprised to see Barnet's homeless figures increasing by some of the changes very much in keeping with OneBarnet ideas.

Mrs Angry, it's your blog, so you can 'censor' as much as you like, particularly anything from a Conservative roll-neck sweater and jeans Conservatives who call themselves LibDems :>) On the other hand you could give DCMD a 'Milletbrand Labour' membership form. I have to agree with him on " Citizens do not form part of the equation." Have we ever been over the last 30 years?