Brian Coleman cannot keep out of the news. Last week he gets himself arrested, this week he's drawn the ire of the Leader of Barnet Council, Richard Cornelius. Whilst Mr Cornelius is happy to turn a blind eye to Mr Colemans arrest (unlike the swift action of the Barnet Tories sack John Hart from the Hendon and District residents forum after allegations of racisist comments and to sack Kate Salinger for not voting herself a big pay rise), he has finally decided to "havea chat with Coleman" following his refusal to accept the sanction of the Barnet Council Standards committee, who ordered him to apologise for making derogatory comments to members of the public, including calling one a "blackshirt" and calling a Jewish chap a "disloyal Israeli" for refusing to agree with Coleman on Israeli policy towards the settlements onthe West Bank.
Mr Coleman appealed the decision and lost. Sadly he can't bring himself to cross his fingers and say "sorry I've been a naughty boy". As a result Cornelius is left with a huge problem.
The Hendon Times has reported the problems here - http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/9950521.Coleman_called_for_talks_as_political_career_hangs_in_the_balance/
The story has also made the Evening Standard - http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/brian-coleman-i-wont-say-sorry-for-blackshirt-slur-8179749.html?origin=internalSearch
Every day that goes by, Coleman becomes more of a liability. In these days when the Tories have been exposed for thinking of us all as plebs, he is a luxury Barnet cannot afford. What is rather odd is the fact that none of the Tory Councillors I've spoken to recently seem to realise that he is ruining their reputation. They think the public do no associate his behaviour with them individually. Sadly, as they say nothing and do nothing to stop him, even applauding him when he throws sexist slurs at members of the public, they are held just as responsible as he is by the general public.
Unless they want political oblivion at the next council election (they have already lost the GLA election and the safe Brunswick Park byelection), they better wake up and smell the coffee.
The devil is said to look after his own
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