Thursday 3 July 2014

Time for Hugh Rayner to resign as Mayor of Barnet

Yesterday Andrew Dismore revealed that Mayor of Barnet Hugh Rayner had received £28,000 from Barnet Council as a landlord, whilst failing to declare it as a financial interest, whilst sitting on council committees deciding on housing policy. The full story is here on the Barnet Times website. We have but one comment. Mr Rayner, it is time to resign, your behaviour is not befitting a first citizen of Barnet.

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/11315272._Do_you_think_that_s_right____Mayor_of_Barnet_receives_more_than___28_000_in_housing_benefits/?ref=var_0

11 comments:

John S said...



Surely there is no debate, eithe Mr Rayner resigns or Cornelius has to sack him. The alternative is to assume Mr Cornelius and our local Conservative councillors believ the allegaed activities of Mr Rayner are acceptable behaviour. However as they collectively accepted the beating of a female Barnet resident on the high street by a former Conservative councillor as being acceptable. Plus the branding of all benefit claimants which include sick and disabled folk, benefit scrounging lscum and lazy bastards, acceptable behaviour. I for one will not hold my breath, .

Rog T said...

Just a small note. The activities are not alleged.They are a matter of public record

Anonymous said...

They Lead we Follow !!! So Buy there own standards !!! Well there Are Non !!! This is what is wrong in our Society !! Corruption , Moral standards Are But Words to these people !! The Sick the Poor ! The Disabled Are of no use to them !! People Need to understand just what they are Dealing with !! To Give you an insight Look up jimmy Sa.. VILLE . Ted Heath . Margaret Thatcher !! Make up Your Own Mind !!!

John S said...

Thanks Rog T for pointing out these are not alleged activities by Mr Rayner and are now a matter of public record which is all the more reason Rayner should go.

As these rumours were circulating immediately prior to the recent elections and Hale Ward residents were kept in the dark. Is there no mechanism available so soon after the election of a councillor whilst being kept in the dark about his activities, to deselect him and demand a new election.

Surely the residents of Hale Ward would have voted differently had they known then what they know now.

Anonymous said...

A precedent exists for calling the rozzers in. If the police were brought in to investigate a cllr failing to declare that Council Tax was unpaid/in dispute, before voting on financial matters then Rayner is guilty of the same 'crime' by not declaring an interest when voting on housing benefit matters. If he's done nothing wrong then he has noting to fear as no further action was the outcome of the precedent following police inquiries.

John S said...

Whilst I accept the precedent you propose anonymous the Cllr involved in the council tax issue enjoyed no personal gain or advantage financial or otherwise. Whereas it would appear on the face of things based on the information that is now a matter of public record, that is not the case with regard to Mr Rayner.. Therefore surely in the light of the precedent you raise, the Labour group have a responsibility to Barnet residents, to insist the police look into this matter as a matter of urgency.

Anonymous said...

A Very Good point John !!! For to Long the Labour Group have Been !!! Well Lame at Best in Opposition & Need to Now !!!! Become a Party to Be Recond with !! I Hope the new crop will show a Bit of Metal !!!

John S said...


Anonymous I think you are being unduly kind to the local Labour group, however unlike your good self I am not hoping they will become a party to be recond with. I am praying they will, and praying even harder the new crop will actually represent Barnet residents, and actually consult with us before making decisions, as the leader has regarding bringing YCB back in house. Sadly I no longer have any faith in politicians, who would have thought the activities of our current Mayor proven or otherwise, would not have required immediate resignation or th sack for example. What do local Conservative politicians have to do to get the sack. The other Hale Ward conservative councillor posts abusive and offensive comments on Facebook calling people benefit scrounging scum and lazy bastards, and he gets promoted into the cabinet, Coleman beats up a female Barnet resident. Just what constitutes unacceptable behaviour in the mind of the right wing moron Cornelius, and his bang od brothers.

Anonymous said...

John I Agree with you ! However with Our Local Blogger Team , There is a very Real opposition !! I think what we Have in this Borough is unprecedented anywhere Else !! & I think that this is a very Real way forward !! The party system as it stands in the present is Not !!!! Representative of the Electrote !! & is Only there to Serve the party Not Us !!! But it was without Doubt the Bloggers who Have Changed the political face of this Borough & you should Be proud to include yourself in That !! If Labour Have Failed to Recognise this Beware it could turn in your DIRECTION !!!!

John S said...

Anonymous.

The reality is the failings of Local Labour are to many to record, failure after failure and but for the bloggers and lets not forget Baps, local Tory councillors would never have had a glove laid on them.

What disappoints me is after the category of failings of the current Labour leader, even the new crop consider it wise to leave a failed leader at the helm. Rather than make a fresh start in the knowledge the current leader is a loser not a winner, and as Leopards don't change their spots. I for one do not believe Alison Moore will change her spots and make local Labour a party to be recond with. The contempt she showed for the bloggers, the trade union and Baps says. It all, she is only there to enforce her opinion, she says one thing then does another. She promises consultation then makes statements about not bringing YCB back in house without consultation, which makes her no better than Cornelius. This is my 72nd year and I have always voted, and now I have no desire or interest in voting at future elections, the apathy of Alison Moore and local Labour has put out the flame.

Anonymous said...

John that's exactly what they want !! People to Be Disintrested !! That's why they have all got away with so Much !! But there is an Answer ! There Are So Many outstanding people in this Borough , yourself included that if THEY the party's will NOT listen then the Good people of this Borough should put up an Alliance of independent candidate s in Ever ward for Every seat !! & Break this God awful party system !!!