Chirstmas is, for some of us, a time of reflection. I started writing the Barnet Eye blog in October 2008. I hoped that in some small way, it might make a small difference and make the world a better place. I suppose that by most measures I've failed miserably. Of course, we've won battles and made a small difference here and there. Some of the campaigns we've been at the forefront of, have made a big difference to some of the most vulnerable people in Barnet. Exposing Barnet's illegal cancellation of Freedom Passes for people with special needs was one that immediately springs to mind. We've also save the Barnet Council taxpayer millions, exposing the corruption and negligence of the Metpro scandal. Although the money saved is a mere drop in the ocean of Barnet Council's budget, the millions that were saved as a result of changes to contracts etc, meant that Barnet Council had a few million quid over the year to prop up budgets that were under severe pressure. Despite even the Tory Local Government secretary Eric Pickles commending the Barnet Bloggers, we never even got a thank you from the Tory administration for the fact we saved them millions. I never got into blogging for plaudits, but looking back at the abuse which various Tory councillors and their lackeys heaped on us, a smallthank you would have been appropriate. Just to remind you of some of the abuse, Former Tory Leader of the council and Finchley MP Mike Freer, referred to me as a "One Handed Blogger", stating I was masturbating with the other hand whilst I wrote blogs, deriving sexual pleasure from exposing council waste. This comment was made to a well respected Podcast. Mrs Angry was called "The Finchley Fishwife" by disgraced former Tory Mayor Brian Coleman. Mr Mustard got labelled vexatious for sending FOI requests to try and undercover council waste. That was the price paid for trying to do the right thing for our Borough and its taxpayers.
In 2022, the adminstration changed. Labour came in. Th emood changed. Rather than insulting me, the adminstration now simply ignores me. Emails go unacknowledged. The only email they've acknowledged of late is one they couldn't ignore, about the sale of Church Farmhouse museum. They had made mistakes in the paperwork associated with the sale. According to their reply, they knew of the mistake! They had however decided to withdraw the sale. You couldn't make it up.
Christmas is the start of a story that changed the world. We all have our own interpretations of the story and the impact it has had. In a down moment recently I had a "what is the point of it all" moment. I was reflecting on this and also Christmas. Then the thought occurred to me that, rather like Jesus on the road to Calvary. Whether you believe the story or not, the aspect that fascinates me is the element of him falling on the road, but getting up, carrying on, even though he knew the end would be awful. It's just what you have to do. This blog will never change the world, but it does a bit of good. If we all try and do a bit of good and pick ourselves up, when we fall under the weight of life, maybe the world will be a better place. That is my Christmas wish.
Have a wonderful Christmas
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