Brian Coleman attacks unpaid community volunteers and big society

Brian Coleman never ceases to amaze me. Why Boris trusts him enough to let him run London's fire brigade is a mystery to me. If Boris loses the Mayoralty by a small margin next year, I suspect that as he pores over the coals, he'll wish he sacked Coleman long ago. Coleman never learns. How many times will he have to be hauled before the Standards Committee before he actually gets sorted out properly? Today we see yet another instance of him using his public office as a Barnet Council Cabinet Member to settle old scores.

So who is Brian Coleman attacking today? The unpaid team of volunteers who organise the Finchley Community Festival (formerly the Finchley Carnival). In an act of total greed, Barnet Council upped the amount it was charging the Festival to use Victoria Park from £140 to £3,500. The committee of volunteers organising the festival had no choice but to cancel 11 events ncluding a blues and soul evening, local drama and dance groups and plans for 30 rides and side shows. As if that wasn't bad enough, Brian Coleman waded in to say :-

"The council has rescued the event and saved it for the benefit of the people of Finchley. We saved it from a bunch of amateurs who failed to deliver. Last year it was sad and pathetic. This year it’s going to be fun in Finchley."

Brian Coleman's comments are a total disgrace. He clearly despises the efforts of ordinary people, working for free for the community, who are dismissed as "a bunch of amatuers".  If I was involved with Finchley Community Festival, which I'm not, I'd be sorely tempted to report Coleman to the Standards board for bringing the Council into disrepute and failing to treat people with respect. I know Vicky Churchill who organises the festival well. My company sponsored the festival for several years and I can attest to the hard work she puts in (for the record, we were not involved last year). It is a thankless task at the best of times organising a festival without rent-a-gob idiots like Coleman putting the boot in.

Brian Coleman is one of London's leading Conservative Politicians. Whilst the Tory Party believes in Big Society and volunteers taking their place in local government, Coleman clearly states that "amatuers can't deliver". It is interesting that at a time when Barnet Council is talking about OneBarnet, they choose to insource a festival such as this.

This is not the first "third sector" organisation to suffer the wrath of Brian Coleman. His comments about a local charity "The Larches Trust", which provides facilities for disabled children are well documented. Coleman took umbrage at the decision of the boss of the Charity, Linda Edwards to stand for the residents party at the last local elections. 

It is inconcievable that Boris Johnson is unaware of the bully boy tactics of Coleman towards local community groups and volunteers. Why does he tolerate them? Why does anybody. The man is clearly a very nasty piece of work.