The difficult questions for Barnet Labour at the Council elections

In May, we will see elections for Barnet Council. For the past 12 years, we've had a Conservative administration. The Barnet Eye has covered in depth many of the failings of this administration, but the important question is whether Barnet Labour would be any better? So the Barnet Eye has some questions that we'd like Barnet Labour to answer, because their position is less than clear.

1. Your Choice Barnet. The Labour Party representatives on the task and finish committee investigating the failure of this company concurred with their Tory counterparts, stating that there is no alternative to the outsourced model. This is a huge issue for many disabled people. Labour has to state what its plans for Your Choice Barnet are.

2. The Committee system. The Tory administration has recently voted for a return to the Committee system, abandoning the Cabinet system brought in by Labour/Lib Dems in 2001. We believe the Cabinet system is undemocratic and corrosive. Alison Moore, Labour Leader stated she prefers the Cabinet system. We believe this system is the reason for One Barnet. What is the official Labour Position.

3. One Barnet. Labour has not said what its plans are for this. Will they modify the agreement, try and scrap it or accept the status quo.

4. Parking. Cashless parking has been a nightmare for residents. Will Labour restore it?

5. NSL Parking contract. We have seen aggressive cash raising parking enforcement by NSL in Barnet, with ticketing being seen as a cash cow by the Council and NSL. What are Labours plans for this and the NSL contract.

6. Green Belt and Overdevelopment. Sadly Labour seems even worse than the Tories in this respect. The Brent Cross scheme and much other overdevelopment was originally instigated by the Labour party when in control. What is there official position on this?

We know from their record what the Tories will do. Now Labour must demonstrate that they will be different. We invite the Barnet Labour party to tell us their position on these issues.

BarneteyeTV - These are the people running the Council - Council meeting 13/9/2011

For those of you who want to know why at times this blog is rather, shall we say, impatient with our councillors, please have a look at this Barneteye TV broadcast. We have four answers to ordinary Councillors from Council cabinet members (a cabinet member gets a big extra wad of dosh and makes decisions, which the sheep then rubber stamp.

There are 4 questions & answers. Here's a brief description of what happens.

Q1. Labour Councillor Barry Rawlings asks a question about transfer of community assets. He asks a perfectly reasonable question on behalf of a community group. Tory Cabinet member Councillor Robert Rams summarily dismisses Rawlings & the Taxpayers he was asking on behalf of in a most rude fashion.

Q2. Just to show that it isn't only Labour Councillors who get patronised. Here is Tory Councillor John Hart, who has for many years been involved with the allotment associations and is an old school Tory Councillor (so old school that he can't operate the microphone).  He asks about the allotments which don't want to go into Self Management. Tory Cabinet member Brian Coleman explains his plans to ride roughshod over the wishes of these Barnet Taxpayers. Coleman explains how that any allotment holders who don't want self management will be forced to, because he knows best.

Q3. Labour Councillor Geoff Johnson asks for a clarification on the issue of a review of parking charges, following contradictory answers from various cabinet members. At this Tory Cabinet member and Councillor Tom Davey calls Councillor Johnson a liar. Uproar ensues, with people exclaiming they heard the contradictory answers at the sub commitee last night. Councillor Brian Coleman says no review will take place. An affronted Johnson says "I'm not a liar, I take umbrage at that" . The Mayor insists that Davey withdraw the accusation of lying. Davey, like a rather irritating teachers pet says "I believe Councillor Cook (???) is mistaken with the truth". Most revolting of all is the smug way Tory Councillor Hugh Rayner turns around and laughs at Councillor Johnson as Davey says his piece. Shameful (I am glad I video'd this so you can see this moment).

Q4. Labour Councillor Alison Moore asks what is done to ensure that when the private sector takes over a service, they also take over responsibility for the risk. Tory Cabinet member Councillor Daniel Thomas replies that "in this instance it is part of the contractual arrangements that the risk gets passed back to the Council". In other words, the private sector takes the profits but not the risk. This is why One Barnet has become such a toxic brand.


So having watched the clip, what do you think. Are these highly paid cabinet members providing a decent public service. Is this what you voted for? Is this how you thought these people represented you.

When you hear that when services are outsourced to contractors, the council keeps the financial risks, do you think this is a good way to run the council? There were dozens of other questions. These are just a few. In virtually all of them the pattern was the same, apart from a few patsy planted questions from Tory brown nosers such as Daniel "Imber" Seal.

I could say so much about why I think these people are failing us, but I'm sure if you've watched the video, I don't have to, do I. This is why it is vital we record these meetings.

Exclusive: Mike Freer has a good idea !!!!!!

Mike and his Friends


It had to happen sooner or later. As with a chimpanzee with a typewriter and an infinite amount of time, sooner or later something sensible must emerge. I'm not sure whether Mike has realised what a good idea he's had, that's where I come into it - ever keen to help our illustrious Council Leader do his job. Now as regular readers of my blog know, Mike Freer has his very own blog. In some ways it's a bit like this blog, in as much as it has rather badly written pieces of rambling prose, written by someone who is a bit thick. In some ways it's not - Mike doesn't allow comments he doesn't like, he doesn't update it very often and he doesn't really use it to comment on what the latest things going on in Barnet are.

Let me give you a couple of examples. The second last blog Mike posted was on the 5th February. What was this hot story all about - it was Mike detailing a Leader listens meeting he held on - wait for it - the 18th November - 2 1/2 months ago - Here's the whole, highly exciting story, which I'm sure you've been dying to read - http://leaderlistens.com/2009/02/05/leader-listens-woodhouse-18-november-2008/

Mike has now surpassed himself with his latest entry, posted today. This one is from his meeting on, wait for it, come on, wait for it - The 23rd of September 2008 - Yup nearly five months ago - http://leaderlistens.com/2009/02/09/leader-listens-golders-23-september-2008/ - riviting stuff.

Now one may think that that as Mike has got the local Council taxpayer to fund the sorry venture, he'd put himself out a bit more. Clearly he really isn't cut out for this blogging lark so he needs some inspiration. He needs some way to refresh and renew the Leaderlistens initiative and engage the local residents of Barnet in the decision making process. Well it seems that he has come up with a great idea, rather inadvertantly, here on this very blog.

Now those of you who follow the blog will have noticed there is a group of people, known to us regulars as "The Friends of Freer". We can't be sure exactly who they are, but they only post on blogs about Mike. They regularly make the same mistakes with spelling and grammar as Mike makes. They take the exact same point of view as Mike takes. They have the same urbane, witty way with words as Mike has. Now we have no way of actually knowing whether they are Mike, but lets for a moment take a wild guess and suppose that there is a possibility. The very best one of these is "Amanda". "Amanda" is the only follower of the highly witty, very well written and extremely informative blog "The Friends of Freer". Now far be it from me to suggest that Mike Freer has no friends and that he's his only follower, but my good friend Inspector Dick of Scotland Yard is currently investigating. Anyway if we make the assumption that "Amanda" is either Mike or a very close confidant of Mike, then we should be getting very excited about "Amanda's" latest suggestion on a comment here on this very blog. "Amanda" says :-

Blogger Amanda said...

Ooh lets have a debate about who is better than... Alison Moore or Jack Cohen - that'll get the pulses racing!

09 February 2009 01:20

I say - what a great idea Amanda/Mike. Lets have a debate. Alison Moore is the leader of the Labour Group. Jack Cohen is the Leader of the Lib Dem group. You already have a LeaderListens blog - paid for by the Taxpayer - and a leader listens series of meetings - paid for by the taxpayer. All you need to do is ask Alison and Jack along and then you can have three leaders for the price of one. Rather than the rather sterile droning of one point of view, we could have a bit of debate. The public could then decide who really is better Alison, Jack or Mike. You could post messages to the blog and each of them could have their say. If Mike doesn't want to then fine, I'm sure we'd be intrigued to see what Jack and Alison think.

We could then decide which leader really is best as Amanda/Mike suggested. The voters of Barnet could make an informed decision. Now from Amanda/Mike's comment, he seems a tad dismissive of Alison and Jack. He clearly thinks that they are no match for his superior wit and intelligence. Well don't hide your light under a bushell Mike, let it shine. I can give you three great reasons for doing it.

1) I'd have to shut up about Leader Listens being a waste of Council Taxpayers Money
2) I'd have to stop calling you a coward for not allowing any opposing views
3) With your wit, intelligence, charm and charisma you could destroy the Barnet Labour and Lib-Dems for a generation - you'd become a Tory legend

How about it Mike? Not a tad chicken are we. It would be such a shame to waste your first ever good idea as leader.