Lynn Hillan - We're all in it together

In a press release yesterday, Leader of Barnet Council, Lynne Hillan claimed "We're all in it together". Here is a list of just how much her and some of her councillors are in it for. All of their posts are "part time".

You can click on their name here to see what they actually do fir their money :-
http://committeepapers.barnet.gov.uk/democracy/council/listcouncillorname.asp?intSubSectionID=13&intSectionID=9

Barnet Council staff have been issued redundancy notices three weeks before Xmas. This list shows how much each of these councillors is entitled to claim and how much they have claimed "because they are worth it"

As an example of how hard they work, Maureen Braun gets the extra £8,852 for chairing the Hendon Planning committee. Last night she couldn't be bothered to turn up. How many times a year do you think she has to go? How many times has she "bunked off".  I picked a random selection to give you a flavour of how much each committee will net you. As you can see all of the talk of councillors not taking their allowances in full was, shall we say, rather wide of the mark (apart from Darryl Yawitch and Alison Cornelius- thumbs up to them).

How many councillors are getting redundancy notices to save costs? Silly question really

The Tories employ a "political officer" called Ricahrd Robeson at my expense (and yours assuming you are a Barnet Council Taxpayer). His job is to meake sure all of the Councillors in Barnet understand Conservative Policy. As Grant Schapps, Local Government Minister derided the increases for Tory Council Chairmen in Barnet, maybe you'd like to discuss this with him and ask him why he hasn't explained national party policy on this matter to the Barnet numpties - in the words of his press release :-

For more information contact Richard Robeson -  0208 359 2004 or Richard.robeson@barnet.gov.uk

Allowancegate : Andrew Harper - The most greedy parasite in Barnet

Ever feel like you've been conned?

You probably thought that the Barnet Council Allowance scandal had gone away. Leader Lynne Hillan announced that the huge rises for cabinet members had been dropped. There is a story in this weeks Hendon Times where she says "she listened to the people". I am sorry to tell you that this is a massive lie. As you will recall Councillor Mark Shooter launched a leadership battle against Hillan in protest at the rises. Hillan immediately claimed she'd scrapped them. She kept the leadership by one vote.

Well how did she get those votes? She bought them. The key player was her deputy, Andrew Harper. He let it be known that what the price of his continued support was. You can see this today on page 17 of the on-line copy of the Press newspaper. This has a full page advert from Barnet Council, telling us of the "new scheme". Click here and go to page 17 :-

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/digitaleditions.aspx?tab=0&pid=f8297918-4e99-4dfb-9199-5ba5cfd6d926#

This is a (rather badly copied because I am in a rush) print of it, direct from the paper. Click on the image for an easier to read version

As you can see, Harper, the deputy Leader has seen his allowance rise from £9,974 to a whopping £27,429 - That is a £17,455 pay rise - That is a whopping 175% increase by my maths. This is at a time of budget cuts, job losses and all round belt tightening.

There is no other word for this than GREED. It is absolutely disgusting. Our poll for Councillor Rams is reaching it's conclusion tomorrow. Sadly it appears that whilst Rams isn't exactly the most pleasant or bright member of the cabinet, he is not the greediest or most parasitic member by a long way. Harper is in a league of his own. The man is a total disgrace and is a shameful stain on the good name of Barnet Council.

Perhaps the most galling aspect of all of this is the lies which the Conservative Leadership have told the good people of Barnet. It makes me sick. The battle goes on

Allowancegate : The Tory Spivs who are up for sale

The Barnet Eye returns to it's role as the Mystic Meg of Barnet politics. I have a prediction. Mark Shooter will fail in his bid to unseat Lynne Hillan on September the 7th. Despite having won the argument on both the moral and the competence grounds, Lynne Hillan has a little rabbit in her hat. It's called a big pile of  (your) dosh. In my absence, eagle eyed bloggers and blogger correspondents (why is it never the local press) have spotted a little bribe which Hillan used to secure the vote in the first place.

I guess I should have cottoned on to the scam when Councillor Hugh Rayner collared me at the Hendon & District Residents forum and urged me to read his press release detailing why the allowance rise was such a good idea. Now me being a naive and stupid person, I just thought this was a coup de grace of brown nosing. How wrong I was. I should have used the old FBI investigation maxim "Follow the Cash". I am endebted to my commenter Baarnet for pointing these out :-

Andreas Tambourides (Licensing Chairman SRA to increase by 50% - meets twice a year - even after supposed u-turn)

Hugh Rayner (Business Management OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

Joan Scannell (General Functions Committee Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

Alison Cornelius (Health OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

Darryl Yawitch (Budget & Performance OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

Brian Gordon (Policy and Performance OSC Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

Wendy Prentice (Planning and Environment Committee Chairman SRA to increase by 50% even after supposed u-turn)

To win the Leadership, Mark Shooter needs 20 Tories to vote for him. There are eleven cabinet members and this mob makes 7 more. Basically this means Hillan only needs to buy three more members (with your cash) and the job is done. One interesting thing, which shows just how unprincipled these Tories are is this letter from Richard Cornelius. Does he mention anywhere that the scheme change gave both him & the missus a 50% pay rise (click on the letter to enlarge).

Dissident Barnet Tory, Ex Councillor Daniel Hope has been detailing all of this on his excellent Barnet Bugle blog. I suggest you take a quick peek at this if you want the full details.

One other thing which may surprise you is the fact that friends of mine who are active in both the Barnet Labour have "unofficially" suggested that it might be a good idea to back off from pressing for a leadership change within the Barnet Tories.

There is a belief that Hillan is a complete liability and there is a chance that the Tories will unravel completely if she's left as a wounded and critically damaged leader. She has clearly "lost" the local party membership and a good proportion of the councillors. My sources tell me that at least 15 Tory Councillors who are completely sick of Hillan. There are another ten who have stated privately that she's, shall we say, not necessarily the best choice, but have reasons to possibly carry on with support for her (lets say that most of these reasons are nothing to do with morality or principles).

It is now a matter of public record that Hugh Rayner gave the Chairmen of Hendon Tories a dressing down after he called the rises "Immoral, disgusting and vile". Did Councillor Hugh Rayner disclose the fact that he'd made a packet out of the scheme, when dressing down Mr Adrian Murray-Leonard? The bottom line in this whole issue is that Mark Shooter is fighting a bunch of unprincipled Spivs who are quite prepared to put cash before principle, put career progression before public service and put lining their pockets before doing a good job.

I have this message for any Barnet Tory Councillors who have a conscience and care about the people of Barnet. Go public with your support for Mark Shooter. He is clearly a far more capable candidate than Lynne Hillan. It is vital that for the good of Barnet, Hillan is replaced and only public declarations of support, rejecting troughing allowances will sanitise the Tory party in Barnet.

I urge all Barnet residents to contact their local councillors and urge them to support Mark Shooter and to go public with this support.

Allowancegate : Now Hillan must go

The Leader of Barnet Council, Lynne Hillan deserves an award. One for bare faced cheek. Having completely destroyed the reputation of herself, her colleagues (except Kate Salinger), her party in Barnet and Barnet Council generally, she has the gall to claim it shows she's a good leader. In the Times, she bleats that she has shown she listens.

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8334142.Leader_claims_retreat_on_allowances_scheme_shows_they_are_listening/

She seems to think that she can spin the debacle into a glorious victory. Now whilst this blog is never one to underestimate the stupidity of some of our Barnet Councillors, surely even they can't possibly have missed the fact that they look like a bunch of prize plums. Can anyone think Lynne Hillan is the Conservative Councillor best suited to run the council after this? Lets review what happened. She sprung the allowance rise on the Tory group, bullied them against vocal opposition, even from cabinet members (I believe Helena Hart argued against the rise), publicly humiliated Kate Salinger for her principled abstention, waited four weeks to do anything, in the face of an absolute torrent of public opposition, unprecedented in both of our local paper groups.

She has allowed blogs like this one to set the agenda and lead the debate. She has revitalised the political career of Andrew Dismore in Hendon, who has collected a massive petition, hugely damaging her colleague Matthew Offord. She has driven a huge wedge between herself and Mike Freer, who has the political savvy to see it's just plain wrong. With her U-turn she's destroyed the public credibilty of Councillors such as Richard Cornelius and Hugh Rayner who put out press releases praising the rise and claiming it was vital. She has destroyed the reputation of new councillors such as Graham Old who ended up looking a complete idiot at the residents forum claiming Kate Salinger was "my hero".

She's also destroyed the reputation of Councillor Barry Evangeli who jumped into Kate Salingers seat at the Chipping Barnet residents forum and was publicly exposed as a toady. Surely she's finally exposed Brian Coleman for what he is. He lead the humiliation of Kate Salinger, who today stands vindicated, the only Tory to emerge unscathed. Colemans vindictiveness against such a principled colleague surely cannot be forgiven by the Tories, can it. Then there's Councillor Andrew Harper. he'd previously been seen as a safe pair of hands, a steady Eddie. Now he's been exposed as Lynne Hillans gimp and a coward with his "No comment" whilst being deputy leader. Prior to Allowancegate, I saw Harper as a potential leader. Now I see him merely as a failed teaboy for Hillan and Coleman. He either agreed with them, in which case he's tainted or he didn't in which case he's too big a coward to ever be trusted again.

We must give some credit to Hendon Conservative Councillor Mark Shooter who brought the whole house of cards down. Apart from Kate Salinger, he's the only one who has shown any guts at all. His intervention has caused the panic and the U-Turn. Whilst Hillan claims she performed a couragious U-Turn, it was nothing of the sort. It is a last ditch effort to keep her job and retain a fig leaf of credibility. If the Tories want to regain any credibility at all, they need a top team who have public trust. This means that it will be one which contains Mark Shooter and Kate Salinger. They at least have shown some backbone and moral fibre. It is telling that Hillan made no mention of an apology or reinstatement for Salinger, who events have shown to have been right.

Lynne Hillan has got to go ASAP and she's got to take her motley cronies with her. This must be sooner rather than later, preferably before the next council meeting on the 14th September. It is time for decent Conservatives to find their backbones and make their voices heard. I invite any Tory Councillor who believes Lynne Hillan to be the right leader to email me ASAP. They can write a guest blog and explain to my readers exactly what I've missed. Come on Brian, you know you want.

Allowancegate : A positive future for Barnet starts here ?

Whether or not Mark Shooter wins/loses - the question is what is the future for the people of Barnet. Shooter represents the first stirrings in the local Conservatives showing that they are slowly waking up to the fact that the world is changing and the abuses have to stop.

Sadly any bright future for Barnet has to start outside of the failed political elite. It has to start on the streets at ground level. We need to look to the likes of retired sheltered housing resident David Young for inspiration. He stopped the sheltered housing warden cuts in their tracks by taking the council to court. We need to campaign as a united community against the cuts, against the troughing and for the people of Barnet. We need to put aside party divisions and realise that what we are dealing with is a far more fundamental problem. We need to rebuild a sense of community in Barnet and put an end to the selfish "me first" politics of the current batch of leaders.

If we can get a sense of purpose within the community, then maybe somewhere down the line, we'll see a brighter future for Barnet.

ALLOWANCEGATE : Alison Moore Callse Lynne Hillan a lame duck

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8335009.Tories_left_with__lame_duck_leadership__after_allowances_U_turn__claim_Labour/

Several thoughts occurred to me when I read this. Perhaps the only one I wish to share with you is when did Alison Moore start using Cockney rhyming slang to describe her Tory rivasls

Allowancegate : Hillan Cracks and backs down - Update - the text

This is the statement from Lynne Hillan. No mention of an apology to Kate Salinger, no mention of an apology to the rest of us. Interesting times !!!!

One thing for sure though - Barnet Eye, First again

-:^0 ------------------------

Cllr Lynne Hillan, Leader of Barnet Council, is to recommend to the next meeting of Barnet Council that it revisits and revises the system for members’ allowances agreed at the Council meeting of July 13.

Cllr Hillan will propose that Cabinet Members revert to the level of allowances under the previous scheme and receive no increase.

Cllr Hillan commented: “The Cabinet has been listening carefully to the views expressed by residents over the past couple of weeks regarding the change to Members’ Allowances and has taken them on board.

“There will be many difficult decisions about the future of the council to be taken over the coming months. We need to consult widely and take residents with us on those decisions.

I have spent the last fortnight speaking to colleagues and it has become clear that we simply can’t have the conversations we need to have with residents about the future of the council, our services and the decisions that need to be made, with this debate about allowances going on. There are times when leadership is about action and there are times when it is about listening. I have listened and I am acting.

The previous allowances scheme was much criticised and I have no doubt that it was in need of change. Many of the reforms we made should stay, not least for the sake of transparency. But I also appreciate that many residents are unhappy that Cabinet Members’ allowances could increase when service budgets face reductions. Residents have made it clear that they expect elected members to set an example to other parts of the council. The proposal I will put to Council in September will bring an overall cut to the budget for member’s allowances of around £95,000.

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This isn't the end of this, it's actually just the begining. Hillan has now lost any shred of credibility she had. Thanks to everyone who supported this campaign

Allowancegate : Exclusive - Hillan cracks and backs down

10.45am Monday.

I have just received a telephone call from a Tory insider, stating that the leader of Barnet Council, Lynne Hillan has prepared a press release this morning withdrawing the Allowance rise.

More to follow ..........................

If this is true, My friends, we have won. Now lets finish her off

Allowancegate : The revolt grows

News reaches the Barnet Eye that the Mark Shooter Leadership bid has caused some stirrings in other parts of the organisation. The word on the street is that some of the "young guns" have decided that "establishment lackies" such as group chair Wendy Prentice and group treasurer Hugh Rayner are also a big part of the problem. It seems that many Tories (including some rather important figures from beyond the shores of Barnet) have decided that only a new broom will do. It has become abundantly clear that the organisation is not functioning, with vital organisational tasks such as fundraising breaking down. The Conservative party has traditionally done rather well from rich benefactors. Allowancegate has made some of these question whether it's a brand they want to be associated with.

The Tories are faced with a stark choice. Have a mass clearout of dead wood or find themselves as bankrupt financially as they are morally.  Whilst several local vested interests are currently "helping out", anyone with half a brain realises that this is only a short term stop gap as this cash will dry up when the favours are no longer needed.

The Barnet Eye predicts that the whole shape of the Conservative Party in Barnet will change over the next few months. Names such as Dean Cohen and Rowen Turner are ones to watch. The big question is what will happen after this bloodletting? Word reaches this blog of some rather apocalyptic prophesies from that well known soothsayer Brian Coleman. The terms "betrayal" are being bandied about and talk of "scores being settled". "Sources close" to Brian Coleman have let it known that he intends to "destroy Mark Shooter". Many readers of this blog may recall he made similar threats aboout me and my blog. That plan worked well. There's a well known Barnet blog called "Brian Coleman AKA Mr Toad has got to go". In my role as the mystic meg of Barnet, I have a prediction of my own about that blog. I predict that it may need a name change some time soon.

Allowancegate : The background to the Mark Shooter Leadership bid

The game of Leadership poker is hotting up. Who knows what rabbit the arseholy Trinity of Coleman, Hillan and Harper are planning to pull out of the hat next? A deferal of the allowance, a statement of contrition? Maybe they'll all visit the Pope on his tour and ask for absolution from their sins. The truth is that they are floundering. Mark Shooters proposal to scrap the hike has caught them with their pants down and they are scampering around looking for a fig leaf.

A councillor very close to Mark Shooters leadership bid at Barnet Council contacted me yesterday. I started this blog because I felt the leadership of Barnet Council had lost touch and yesterday I had confirmation that this is a view held by a substancial number of Barnet Tory Councillors.

The problems for Hillan started at a meeting of Councillors to discuss the councils finances. When the meeting started, Hillan handed out a set of spreadsheets detailing the plans to redistribute the cash into her pocket and that of her cronies. Brian Coleman left all of the attendent Tory Councillors in no doubt whatsoever that they would be "finished" if they voted against it. Rather sadly, the bullying worked. What no one within the Tory group had predicted was the public outcry. Hillan, Coleman and friends hunkered down, knowing they could count the cash. A large group of Tory Councillors felt rather different. They knew they'd been forced to take a decision that they didn't agree with and were at the sharp end of the public reaction. Mark Shooter and a few other councillors soon came to realise that the group had totally misjudged the public mood. It became clear that a large group in the Barnet Tories has no confidence in the leadership and realised that they couldn't sit back and do nothing.

Having lost their political virginity, they then started discussing the whole way Barnet Council is being run. The Hillan cabinet are completely tribal and driven by the need to line their own pockets. To have a Barnet Tory councillor say this rather took me back. He explained that many decisions are taken with no thought to any consequences. Staff are held in contempt. He explained that decisions such as the abolition of the Sheltered Housing wardens are tragically misguided. Rather than engaging with staff to cut costs, expensive consultants are brought in to dream up blue sky schemes which will never work and end up costing money. Areas where savings could be made, without damaging front line services, by cutting middle management are not explored, whilst people at the rough edge are left to rot.

It is also quite clear that the concept of public service is lost on Hillan/Coleman and cronies. In many councils, much business is conducted with all party support. This hasn't happened in Barnet for years. Amendments which will make things better for the people of Barnet are voted down, simply because the wrong party drafted them, sometimes with nearly identical motions then being proposed by the Tories to fix the problem, wasting time and effort for everyone.

Another interesting comment was regarding the Brent Cross scheme. I had long suspected this, but no one had the balls to say it out loud. This is purely being passed because the finances of Barnet Council have been destroyed by the Freer/Hillan years of mismanagement. Barnet is desperate for the section 106 money to plug the hole. There you go. The sad truth is that they are going to destroy the character of the London Borough of Barnet to save their allowances and plug the hole they've made.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I've been saying much of this for years. What I hadn't realised was just how bad the mess is. There will not be a council election for just under four years. Just about the whole cabinet is tainted by this failure. The team supporting Mark Shooter believes that they can sort the mess out, with support of the staff of Barnet Council and the people of the Borough. They will scrap schemes such as the abolition of warden services, engage the staff to work together to cut costs in a way that spares front line services and they will give scrutiny committees more power to change bad schemes. The opposition will not be completely marginalised and where they are pushing for sensible measures these will be listened to sympathetically. In short, all 63 Barnet councillors (who are all paid an allowance) will have a role to play in making Barnet a better place, rather than just eleven cabinet members.

I stated that as I'm not a Tory I won't be formally endorsing Mark Shooter. Whilst I'll never be a Conservative, if Mark Shooter publicly commits to saving the sheltered housing wardens, abolishing the allowance rise, protecting front line services and cutting waste, I will do everything I can to help him kick out Hillan/Coleman and their chums. I suspect that after the Freer/Hillan years, many other people will agree.

I know that Brian Coleman is a regular reader of this blog. I have a little conundrum for him.  Brian, can you guess the identity of the two cabinet members who are trying to butter up Mark Shooter and his team, in the event that he wins, so they can keep their job? As a chief whip, it's your job to know these things - you might be rather surprised when you find out, I didn't have them down as that type. Of course they'll all deny it when you ask. Politics is a rough and dirty business.

Allowancegate : Mark Shooter Leadership Bid - The Empire Strikes Back

It didn't take Hillan and Co long did it? The sixth comment on the following story is absolutely typical of what Mark Shooter can expect as he ramps up his bid.


http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8332019.EXCLUSIVE__Tory_councillor_looks_for_support_to_begin_leadership_challenge/

The actual comment :-

whtvr, hendon says...
7:29pm Fri 13 Aug 10

is this the same mark shooter 

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?sid=aehuMSW1UH0A&pid=newsarchive

lost a few hundred million for his clients but still walked away a multi milionaire himself.... wow what a moral man not taking a pay rise and is nonone concerened about him being incharge of budget
 

http://hf-implode.com/viewnews/2007-11-02_ShooterFundDown28InOctober.html

anyone fancy iceland as an investment

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This comment is absolutely typical of the sort left by "sources close to the Tory Leadership". I'd even put a fiver on the author. It does show that they are seriously worried. Now I've limited knowledge of hedge funds. What I do know is this, they are at the riskiest end of investments. When they work you make a shedload of cash and when they don't you lose it. Anyone investing in a hedge fund should only do so if they can afford to lose the lot. As far as I can tell, Shooter Fund Management LLP Ltd is still trading. It clearly had a bad year 2007-8, but I'm rather intrigued that they had to go back three years to find a bad story. What has happened since then? Well the Hendon Conservative Party selected Shooter to stand as Councillor for Hendon. They clearly know all about him and were happy enough.

If they are saying that running a company which loses money disqualifies you from being Leader of the Council, then surely Hillan must go. The company she was the boss of, Ashurst Direct Marketing Ltd went bust in 2006. Has Mark Shooters business career prepared him for a role such as running a council? Clearly he's got to make that case. He appears to be a dynamic player, a risk taker by nature. Is this what we want from a Council Leader? It is a question Mark Shooter needs to answer. The point is that so far the choice is him or Hillan. Both are clearly risk takers, it appears that Shooter is rather better at calculating the odds. Whilst Hillan is happy to live in an Ivory Tower and take the mickey out of the rest of us, at least Shooter has the sense to listen to what the people who elected him are saying. I'm not a Tory, quite the opposite. I'm not going to endorse anyone, but if it was down to me I'd say the choice between Shooter and Hillan is rather like a choice between a hiccup and a heart attack.

Expect more of this stuff from "The Helpers of Hillan"

Allowancegate : Barnet Eye victory - Councillor Mark Shooter challenges Hillan for Leadership of Barnet Tories

Hendon ward Councillor Mark Shooter, today announced a challenge to the Leadership of Barnet Council. Whilst Councillor Shooter initially voted for the rise, he has clearly thought about it and seen sense.  The Barnet Eye is proud to say that we have played a part in his decision, by keeping the story rolling and helping Ex Councillor Dan Hope launch "The Barnet Declaration" which Councillor Shooter appears to have adopted.

Given that I am not and never have been a Conservative and it is possible that in a narrow party political way, keeping a fatally damaged Lynne Hillan may be good for the opposition, it would be easy for this blog to stand back and say "they are all the same old Tories, they are all just as bad as each other".

I can't do that. It would be completely dishonest and would not be in the best interests of the people who live in my home town.

The Tories have a large majority and are in charge at a time of extreme challenges in public finance. Lynne Hillan championed the destruction of the sheltered housing warden network. She has shown herself time and time again to be a callous operator who cares nothing for the most vulnerable members of society. She didn't have to champion the destruction of sheltered housing, she didn't have to champion the huge rises in allowances for herself and her cronies. We saw both sides of her in these two actions and they are not pleasant. Having campaigned every single day for a month for a change to this policy, it would be hypocritical and dishonest to miss the opportunity to kill it dead in its tracks.

Mark Shooters letter to his fellow Tories is reproduced left (click on this for a readable version). Shooter cites the following reasons for standing.

•    The appalling way Cllr Kate Salinger was treated following her conscience driven abstention. We should not need to use bullying tactics to control people.
•    The attempts to limit discussions at the residents’ forums, which I entirely disagree with as I believe it undermines democracy.
•    The recent statements of senior politicians who are doggedly trying to convince the public that they are worth their pay increases despite criticism from our central government colleagues and in the face of an enormous public outcry. From private discussions, I know that I am not the only Conservative Councillor to feel very alarmed and I believe that I have the support of a significant number of my colleagues in taking this stand.

I don't expect Mark Shooter to be the answer to all of my dreams for Barnet. I just think he'll be significantly less bad for us all. The Lynne Hillan regime have let the people of Barnet down badly. They have united just about everyone against them and they now have caused an open revolt within their own councillors. As I'm not a Tory, I don't have a vote and Hillan would probably use my endorsement against Mark Shooter, I'm not going to say anything else apart from this. Nothing would be better for Barnet than for Lynne Hillan to get the sack. I wish Mark Shooter the very best of luck. Given the record of the rest of Barnets Tory councillors he's going to need it.

The fact that the campaign, spearheaded by the Barnet Eye has made one Conservative Councillor see sense is a huge victory. If another 18 of them can be persuaded, it will be a great day indeed for the citizens, because it is their pressure which has made this happen. 

Allowancegate : James Cleverly on Fat Cat Hypocrites

Tory GLA member James Cleverly yesterday berated Bob Crow on his "fat cat 12% payrise".

http://jamescleverly.blogspot.com/2010/08/fat-cat-bob-crow.html

Well James, if you don't want to look like a complete hypocrite yourself, let's have a blog criticising your fellow GLA member Brian Coleman for his 100% allowance increase at Barnet Council.

If you can criticise Crow for a 12% increase, then surely Brian Coleman is 8 and a bit times worse !!!!

Come on James, take a stand against something where your views may actually carry a bit of weight

Lets face it, Brian Coleman is making you look like a bunch of berks (that's rhyming slang you know).

The Barnet Declaration

1. Unacceptable rise. We find the increase to top Councillor's pay unacceptable, especially in the light of the public sector pay freeze.

2. No publicity for proposal. We agree with the GMB Union that the way the Council proceeded to alter the allowances was disgraceful, publishing the proposals just one day before the meeting.

3. Whipping was wrong. We agree with Matthew Offord MP that it was wrong that Conservative Councillors rigorously whipped to support the Leader's proposed pay rise but also that a Councillor was publicly stripped of her positions for abstaining in the vote.

4. Support opposition. We support the views expressed by Conservative MP Grant Shapps who roundly condemned the Council's move that have been endorsed by Mike Freer MP, Matthew Offord MP, Councillors Alison Moore and Jack Cohen.

5. Allowance rise must be reversed. We call for a special meeting of the Council to be called, with appropriate publicity, to consider either nullifying the decision of the last meeting of the Council and / or reverting to the March scheme of allowances with a 5% reduction to show leadership at this time.

What do we want?
The increase reversed!
When to we want it?
Now!

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Thanks to Anon for the poster. Thanks to Former Tory Councillor Dan Hope for drafting the Barnet Declaration. As Dan has rightly pointed out, these principles are supported on all sides of the political divide. It is, rather sadly, only the greedy senior councillors in Barnet Council who are marching out of step - The declaration was originally left by Dan as a comment, but it sums up our campaign and has been drafted in such a way that only a greedy trougher could possibly disagree.

Allowancegate : How many people in Barnet get to set the level of their own pay rise

As regular readers will know, the Leader of Barnet Council Lynne Hillan has awarded herself a whopping great pay rise this year. Who pays for this? We do. Do we get a say in this? Nope, they kept the scheme quiet until after the election. Mind you Lynne Hillan doesn't only get to decide her own payrise. She also gets to decide the payrise for her mates in the cabinet, who have to OK it. Guess what? They all got a payrise as well. Then there's her "lesser mates" who are the ordinary Tory councillors. They got a pay cut, but Lynne told them if they didn't back it, they'd get an even bigger cut, because she'd strip them of their jobs such as committee chairs (a la Kate Salinger) and they'd get even less. She knew there would be plenty of Barry Evangeli style toadies, just waiting to take the jobs.

Then there are the senior executives of Barnet Council, who she needs to keep sweet. They've all had massive pay rises in the last year. Now you might think that a job at Barnet Council like a winning lottery ticket. Well it is for the elite. Sadly for the average worker, the person who mends your street or wipes your grannies bum when she becomes incontinent, a different set of rules apply. Budgets are being challenged, overtime cut, jobs lost and services withrdrawn.

Who in Barnet gets to set their own pay rise? The Barnet Elite. Is it wrong.  Yes. Can we do anything about it? Yes, sign the petitions in the green bar at the side. Tell them what you think.

Here's a few comments from the Residents association petition

"This is disgraceful behaviour in the light of the cut backs that will effect so many residents of Barnet""

"We have already written to Cllr Hillan with copies to David Cameron, Eric Pickles, Michael Freer and Theresa Villiers expressing our outrage and disgust. So far have received reply from Michael Freer who agreed that increases were unjustifiable. Hoping he will take it further."


"I support this petition to the utmost. I think that we should call for a re-election and strive to get genuine councillors who stand for local democracy and decent standards in public life - something the Conservative councillors seem to know nothing about."

"At this credit crunch time it is unpolitical and outrageous to increase the allowances by even the cost of living index let alone by a huge amount."


 "As a pensioner I am feeling the effects of the recent rise in prices and drop in interest rates. While I reluctantly accept the necessity of this I am disgusted by the greed of Barnet council members."

Sign the petition and have your say.

Coleman on Ken - Firemen to be given 90 days notice

Brian Coleman has just told Ken Livingsone on the LBC 97.3 radio show that he's going to give all of Londons firemen 90 days notice if they don't accept new shift patterns and other changes. That's Brian Coleman who earns between £114,000 and £130,000 per annum depending on who you believe. The same Brian Coleman who voted himself and other cabinet members a huge payrise of 100%. The same Brian Coleman who used his role as chief whip of the Barnet Tory group to publicly humiliate Kate Salinger for abstaining in the vote. The man is a bully and a menace

Allowancegate : They are all at it now !!!!

What happens in an organisation when the people at the top are discredited, there is a captive market for the revenue and the people who make the decisions have no principles whatsoever. Something like this maybe?

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8316297.Acting_deputy_chief_executive_paid_more_than___15k_a_month/

It seems that Mr Andrew Travers, an acting deputy chief executive of Barnet Council is receiving £15,000 a month through a shell company. A statement from Barnet Council said: 

“The use of staff on a contractual basis gives the council flexibility when planning for the future. This specific contract was put in place after a rigorous recruitment process failed to find a suitable candidate. When filling posts in this way, the council makes sure that contracts stay within the existing budget for the post."

His job? Mr Travers has been leading on recruiting new financial directors to the council, with three jobs worth nearly £200,000 between them. From what I can see, Barnet Council is having a "trough Fest" at the top, whilst the people delivering care on the front line are being chopped mercilessly. One thing is clear. If Mr Travers had been a permanent employee, it would cost us just as much, as it's within existing budgets for the post.

Earlier this week, I detailed how only people with "Critical Care Needs" are receiving Council care and "reviewing managers" are scrutinising all budgets.

Are they scrutinising the salaries of these executives. Mr AT Ravers is receiving £180,000 per annum - I wonder how many incontinent bums you can wipe for that. I wonder how many baths for the bedridden you can buy. I wonder how many meals on wheels you can provide. I wonder how many home visits for vulnerable children you can buy.

In a Council where the Leaders have just voted themselves a big rise, because they are worth it, is it any wonder that when Mr Travers says he's worth it as well they all agree. I'm rather interested why Mr Travers doesn't want to be a permanent employee of Barnet Council. Maybe it's because by using a shell company, he pays less tax, earning even more money. Maybe it's because he doesn't think a job at Barnet Council will be an interesting and fulfilling career. Or maybe it's simpler, maybe he just doesn't want "Executive at Barnet Council" on his CV. To be quite honest, who can blame him? Could it be that the reason Barnet Council can't attract a permanent employee for the role, despite a salary most of us can only dream of, is because it really is a basket case Council which is the kiss of death on your CV if you want a long term career. How much would you have to earn to make it worth working for the likes of Brian Coleman?

Allowancegate : You villify yourself, mate

A quick public response to the Barnet Tory Councillor who privately emailed me to say that I was "unfair" vilifying "hard working councillors" who are doing their best. If you vote yourself or your bosses a big payrise, at the same time as telling public sector workers we all have to suffer cuts, and then refuse to justify this when asked, quite frankly you deserve a bit of vilification. In fact, I'd say your actions vilify yourself. My message to you "Diddums, you poor little puppy. Grow a backbone and stand up for the people who voted for you".

This report in the Barnet Press says it all
http://www.edgware-today.co.uk/tn/News.cfm?id=28098&headline=New%20Tories%20keep%20tight-lipped%20about%20allowance%20decision

Allowancegate : We name the guilty MEN of Barnet

As promised, we are looking more closely at the press coverage of the Allowancegate Scandal in this weeks Barnet Press newspaper. At the last Council election in May, the people of Barnet Elected 11 new Tory Councillors. Rather strangely for a party in the year 2010, all of these Councillors were male (can't the Tories replace high Calibre women who've left such as Fiona Bulmer and Jane Ellison). They all shared one other feature. None of them possess a backbone. Apart from the Salingers, who publicly disassociated themselves from the rise, all of the Tory Councillors share some guilt for this awful decision, but these 11 hold a special share of the blame.Why? because there are eleven of them with no baggage. Of all the councillors, this group should be most in touch with the man in the street (although as not a single girlie amongst them, clearly not the women of Barnet). They should be at the stage of learning the ropes, getting their feet under the desk.

So why did they vote for the rise? Well we'll never know because the lilley livered chickens won't tell us.As the press reports, they were all unavailable for comment. That says it all. You may say that these guys couldn't have changed anything. Well that is untrue. If they had have voted with the opposition, the motion would have fallen.

Their names are there, along with their pictures - the Guilty men. They veer from the risible Graham Old "Kate Salinger is my hero, but I'm too cowardly to actually back her" to the conniving Barry Evangeli "Well if she's going to make a stand, I'll 'ave 'er job". My special favourite at the moment is Daniel "Imber" Seal. Apparently good old "Imber" was asked about it recently. His response "If we didn't give people like Lynne Hillan a decent wage, they'd leave and get  a better job somewhere else".

Well my Dear Imber, pray tell. Where is this better job. She's been at the council for how many years on far less money???? Has she left for a better job ???? We all know about the last better job she had. She was the managing Director of Ashurst Direct Marketing Ltd. My Dearest Imber, do you know what happened next? Well Ashurst Direct Marketing Ltd went bust owing it's creditors a small fortune. So my Dearest "Imber", here's an offer. Why don't you write a guest blog explaining what Talent Councillor Lynne Hillan brings to the Council to justify her allowance. Tell us why, if you ran a company (as I do) you'd employ Hillan. As ever guest blog rules apply. No editing and no comment on the blog from me. Prove to the people of Barnet that you are not quite as dumb  (literally) as you make out.

My thanks to the Barnet Press for their valuable role in the war against these spongers. Thanks to their article, everyone in the Borough now knows who these lackies are, what they look like and just how completely gutless they really are.

Allowancegate latest : grim reading for Barnet Tory Party

The Barnet Tory Party are conducting something akin to the charge of the light brigade, but with all of the honour and courage removed. This weeks BARNET PRESS is starting to plop down onto peoples doorsteps and if you thought last weeks copy made bad reading for the Tories, check what they are saying today  - Here's the online version -

http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/launch.aspx?referral=other&pnum=&refresh=F0a23X1gr4T1&EID=9d4d6537-ad1c-4af9-8156-58268b8878bc&skip=

I will be reproducing a few of the choice moments over the next few days, but the here's the Highlights :-

Page 4  - 3/4 page article on Hillan -"She lives on another planet"
Page 5 - 1/2 page story about the gutless new intake  -Evangeli, Shooter, Old, Khatri et all. The cowards refused to comment
Page 8 - Editorial & Letters -  another scathing editorial and a hatful of letters.

We await the Times tomorrow.

The opposition parties have spotted an opportunity. The Labour party have realised that this is THE ISSUE in Barnet. They have online links to all sorts of petitions - Check Here


http://www.labourforbarnet.co.uk/

The Lib Dems have also devoted their website to fighting this issue - Click Here


http://www.barnetlibdems.org.uk/

Rather sadly, there is only one major party in Barnet which doesn't seem to mind (or at least have been a bit slow off the mark, if we are being charitable) - Barnet Green Party have so far said nothing. Come on guys, this is a cross community campaign. Either you are against the rise or you're not. According to your website 20,000 people in Barnet voted for you, so please at the very minimum let us know where you stand on this.

http://www.barnetgreenparty.co.uk/

I would be amazed if the vast majority of voters of all Parties didn't object to this rise. I'd love to see a Tories against the rise campaign. We can stop this if we all pull together. This blog is doing it's bit. The local papers are doing there bit (in a way I've not seen for years) and the main opposition parties are doing there bit. Let's keep those letters rolling in and those petitions going. Please can all of the major parties update their websites, email their members and keep the pressure up.

Sooner or later the penny has to drop with the backbench Tory councillors- doesn't it?