Silly old me. I thought that local MP's were meant to stand up for local residents. Every time a factory shuts in Derby or Sheffield, we hear the local MP on the radio saying how terrible it is and how they are working to try and reverse the decision. This week Barnet Council announced that it is "outsourcing" many of its functions and that 300 staff face the sack. These jobs will have a devastating effect on the local economy, during the worst recession in decades. These 300 sacked people will have no cash to spend in local shops, their children will suffer financial hardship and the council will in some cases be left to pick up the pieces.
What have our local MPs Matthew Offord and Theresa Villiers had to say? Nothing. The reason is that Mike Freer was the man who first came up with the idea of destroying these jobs and peoples livelihoods. He was the leader of the Council when the One Barnet project was first dreamed up. He has been a constant supporter. Mr Offord was his deputy at the Council and as recently as two weeks ago was sending emails to local councillors supporting the concept of sending Barnet jobs to Doncaster and Delhi. The message to hard pressed families facing job losses, from this undynamic duo, could not me more stark. It is "I'm alright jack, on my parliamentary salary, with my perks and my allowances, you can get stuffed".
Of course we have the chance to answer back at the next election, but sadly by then, for many families the damage will already be done. In Barnet we have a plutocratic Tory elite who are completely out of touch with the trials and tribulations of ordinary families, traders and working people. They care nothing for the local economy and nothing for local people. Their silence is damning.
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I received a response to an email from a "Conservative voter", who claims that Mike Freer cannot be held accountable for this as he ceased to be leader of the Conservative group in Barnet in 2009 and ceased to be a councillor when he became an MP in 2010. Is it possible that Mike Freer MP no longer wishes to be associated with "his baby"? Well Mike, you could always issue a statement asking for One Barnet to be brought to a halt and the council to drop the plan.
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ReplyDeleteDid Andrew Doesmore stand up for local residents juggling 2 homes while staying ahead of the game to become a thin layer of teflon? Did he really offer unequivical backing to Labour supporters in 2002 or spin the housing debate in 2002? Jobs went to the newly created "private" company registered in Companies House as Barnet Homes? Did Barnet Unison get Dismore's support at that time? don't recall that. Look where he is now having hung around in hope so long, as to be grateful these days for the opportunity at the GLA, nice little earner in addition the pension. He may well be back as an MP. You can say what you like or not in Parliament. Is Offord saying anything different, safe in the knowledge that he can in there?
ReplyDeleteI hear too often the idea of One Barnet is Mike Freer's, but it was called something else when Brian Salinger was the "tainted" leader that Labour would have thrown that Local Government Ombudsman's report and Councillor Kanti Patel's resignation in Tory faces over "Socialist" policy at every Town Hall meeting. Freer's coup was a calculated move. It has kept opposition quiet or clutch at straws in order to win the point.
Some of the key people who arrived in Barnet's key Executive Officer positions in the key departments to deliver that "Change" of efficiency, savings and downsizing, arrived under a strong Labour leadership of, A Williams, and not from the current Labour crowd nor her predecessor Phil Yeoman, he also took off with an offer he could not refuse and leave it to the likes of Moore, Crawlings and McGurk. Did the last mentioned of the trio tout like Rajput, for a parliamentary seat elsewhere, how principled, do correct me, if I'm wrong I appologize?
Short memories are truly short when it comes to politics and politicians in Barnet. Circumstances conspired to hand the flawed concept to the incoming Conservative administration while not affecting the two Labour MPs to any extent.
When short portly and now wealthy Brian Coleman recently stated "One Barnet was a Labour idea,"it went over the radar of middlebrand local socialists.They're loyal to any rose tint.
London Councils had to have Local Development Frameworks. Hammersmith called it something, Labour Lambeth Council had John Lewis Council, Barnet changed from Easy Council and ended up with One Barnet. Nothing original in Freer (note MBA University etc) but a chancer. he made it his chance
Conservative, Blue Labour or UKIP Council in Barnet. The outsourcing would have happened, the ideas began way before 2000 under Labour while Tory councils were looking at similar plans, but in post May 2010 something happened to Blue Labour. It's now Pale Blue not even Pale Pink
Labour has a leader amongst it's ranks but its no good talking about a tool, a sword and a shield being under attack that potential Labour leader has to decide, Town Hall or the Bar, or continue in Chirpping Barnet.
The Conservative silence maybe damning. equally damning has been the lack of coherent opposition, from the opposition for the past 10 years other than, when gate-crashing the local campaigners efforts, marches and protests
As for the damage to families. That also began a long time ago in 2000, when the Tories and Freer were truly " Out of Touch" and when social engineering began with the "R" word in all boroughs Regeneration, Renewal, Re-Development and Labour would give us the money but only if we also agreed to Re-location. In 2002 something happened to Blue Labour Barnet. In 2006 it could not find itself. It won't be any different at the next council elections.
At a guess, this flawed project will be going through quicker than we can blink. The people making that decision are the sitting Council and its leader Councillor Cornelius.
What complete and utter rubbish. Mike Freer stepped down as leader in 2009 and ceased to be a councillor in 2010. I suppose that Mr Tichborne will be blaming John Major for the credit crunch next. Disgraceful
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs T,
ReplyDeleteAre you seriously claiming Mr Freer lives on another planet to the rest of his Tory cronies. Hilarious
The anonymous poster called "Mrs T" is nothing more than a cowardly troll. At least Rog puts his name behind his posts.
ReplyDeleteMr Logue if you look at her blog details you might understand why. She claims to like wine and sex.
ReplyDelete