99% is ....... The Barnet Eye: Councillor Alison Moore

Showing posts with label Councillor Alison Moore. Show all posts

Monday, 11 May 2015

Alison Moore beats Ross Houston to retain Leadership of the Barnet Labour group

Yesterday Barnet Labour held a private meeting to discuss the future of the group. Leader of the Labour group Alison Moore faced a Leadership challenge from Ross Houston, a long standing councillor and well respected member of the group. It appears that Andrew Dismore, defeated PPC for Hendon, threw his weight behind Moore continuing as Leader, enabling her to retain the Leadership. Not being a member of the Labour Party, I had been unaware that the subject was up for discussion at the meeting. In fact I wasn't even aware the meeting was being held. Had I have been, I would have done what I always do in Barnet when important decisions are being made. I would have written a blog detailing my views on what should happen and why I have formed those views.

It is a matter of public record, that when Richard Cornelius was elected as Leader of the Barnet Conservatives, everyone knew and the merits of the candidates were publicly discussed on this blog. Whilst the actual vote was secret, the process wasn't. I believe political parties should be open and democratic. I believe that important events like Leadership elections should be publicised and that all local members should be given a vote. In a democracy, this is how things should work. Ballets should be secret, but discussions should not be.

Sadly the Labour party is more arcane and secretive thann the Kremlin. When I tweeted the result of the election, I was shocked to find that members of the local Labour Party were actually cross that this had been revealed. Why? Are Barnet Labour not a democratic Party? Do they not believe that the public should know that the Leadership of the Group has been discussed? Do they not beleive that the people who put them into office in the council, enabling them to receive juicy allowances from the taxpayer are worthy of being informed of elections of a Leader?

I have formed the opinion that politics in Britain is rotten to the core. The vast majority of people are completely divorced from politics, completely disengaged from the process. If Barnet Labour had held an open, secret ballot for Leader of the group of all members of the Party, then there would be no discussion, no bitterness and the Leader would be able to claim legitimacy amongst the group. Of course there would be a short period where difficult conversations may be had, but at the end of this the party would be united and stronger. Whilst it is up to the Labour Party to decide how it conducts its business, I cannot believe that a party that believes itself to be open and democratic can seriously defend stitch ups like this. If Moore had carried on as Leader following an open honest discussion and a secret vote of all the membership, then that would be the end of the matter and people like me would have nothing to say.

This blog believes people have a right to know what goes on in our neighbourhood. We believe that dodgy deals behind closed doors are why people are disengaged from the political process and lack trust in politicians. Everyone is entitled to their views in a free and democratic society. Everyone should be invited to contribute to decisions that affect them. As the Leadership of the Labour group has huge ramifications for everyone who lives in the Borough, if they are having a leadership debate, everyone should be aware, everyone should have their say and every member should be given the opportunity to contribute to the process and cast a vote. For the record, I believe the same should be true for the Tory Group. We should know what the candidate stand for and why they think they are fit to be leaders. Sadly we are left with this arcane system, where Barnet style Kremlinology rules.

I invite anyone from the local Labour party (I am not a member) to submit a guest blog responding to this blog.

Monday, 24 November 2014

How good is your councillor? The Barnet Eye League table of councillors - Part 2 - The list of shame

This is the second in our list of blogs, where we look at Barnet Council and we rate our local councillors. This is a purely personal view. On Sunday 16th November we looked at the good councillors in Barnet. Those that we believe are doing a good job, irrespective of their party allegiance. I chose 8 Tories, 1 Lib Dem and 11 Labour councillors as examples of effective Councillors doing a good job. Todays list are the ones we believe don't cut the mustard and should be shipped off to the political wilderness. This list is not a list of personal gripes, it is based on the fact that I believe these politicians can demonstrably be shown to have failed to do a good job. The list is in order of worst first.

#1 - Barnets worst Councillor. This was an exceptionally easy choice. This man has been responsible for developing a string of policies so unpopular that they have been slung out by the the council even though the Conservatives have a majority in both the Council chamber and the relevant committees. He championed the hugely unpopular cuts to the Mapledown School after school respite service and the Moss Hall nursery school. His pompous, dismissive and arrogant manner has alienated Councillors of all persuasions and infuriated the public at meetings. I happened to bump into a Tory Councillor in Finchley on Saturday who asked when I would be running this blog. I told them that this would be running today. They asked who I'd picked as my worst Councillor, when I told them, they laughed and said "an excellent choice". Just in case you were wondering, this isn't a councillor who generally endorses the Barnet Eye, if you get my drift. I also notice that this councillor declines to give a contact number in his profile. In his declaration of interests, he doesn't list a single organisation to which he contributes, other than CFI, FGGCA and CBCA - http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=177&T=6 - Now of course this is his business, but most councillors play an active role in their community. If you want a good example of a concerned Conservative have a look at Sury Khatri's interests.

Councillor Reuben Thompstone Golders Green
Conservative - Work: cllr.r.thompstone@barnet.gov.uk

#2 - This councillor is extremely lucky that Rueben Thompstone is a member of Barnet Council, as she most certainly deserves the accolade of Barnets worst Councillor. She is the Councillor who has lead the local Labour party from defeat to defeat locally, when Tory Councils all over London Tumbled in May 2014. Not only has her election strategy failed to secure a Labour Council, she has failed to represent the views of the people who elected her and failed to take advantage of the numerous cock ups of successive Conservative administrations, to deliver a Labour victory. Under her 'wise' Leadership the local Labour Party signed up to a report that stated that returning "Your Choice Barnet" to in house operation was "not an option", even though the outsourcing has been a nightmare and the company required a taxpayer funded bale out. She failed to oppose the One Barnet outsourcing, refusing to ever say that the services would be brought in house under a Labour adminstration. In a spiteful attack on Barnets best councillor, Lib Dem Jack Cohen, she launched a Labour campaign drive in Childs Hill, a seat where Labour had no chance of winning, delivering two out of three seats to the Tories. Had the Lib Dems retained all three seats, Labour would now be leading an administration running the Council. Even worse was the fact that these resources could have been used in Hale ward that Labour narrowly failed to take from the Tories. Perhaps the biggest failure of all, is her signing up to the Tories budget. This policy was justified on the basis that anything else would lose the election. She lost the election and lost her credibility.

Councillor Alison Moore East Finchley
Labour - cllr.a.moore@barnet.gov.uk

#3 - Next up we have the Labour architect of the infamous "keep Uopur Choice Barnet outsourced" policy. This councillor is surely an affable chap, but when it comes down to it he has simply acted as a merkin for ultra right wing Tory policies in Barnet. Where effective opposition was needed, this councillor actually bolstered the Tories. What this meant was that local campaigners, who had broken their backs supporting Labour and fighting outsourcing, were completely undermined. There is no point blaming Conservatives for implementing bad policies if the opposition simply says we agree with them. This councillor has the best attendence record of any in the Council with 24 out of 24, yet the Barnet Eye has to ask, what is the point being there as an opposition councillor, if you simply agree with what the administration do all the time. Barnet needs people who don't just turn up for the tea and biscuits. We need people who will fight for the residents and taxpayers.

Councillor Barry Rawlings Coppetts
Labour - cllr.b.rawlings@barnet.gov.uk

#4 - This Councillor has responsibility for housing in Barnet. He seems to have a complete lack of understanding of the issue and the need for decent quality social housing for working people. Not only that but he's presided over a policy where leasholders on Barnet Council estates have been lumbered with huge bills for maintenance work on their properties, where the properties are earmarked for demolition next year. Some leaseholders will be lumbered with bills of up to £10,000 and find themselves looking for new properties next year. We believe that the primary job of councillors is to stick up for the voters. We believe that any policy which hammers local people such as this, at a time of deep economic hardship, shows that a councillor is simply not up to the job.

Councillor Tom Davey Hale
Conservative - cllr.t.davey@barnet.gov.uk

#5 - This councillor had been a councillor for many years in the Borough, representing Hale Ward for the Conservatives. When it became clear that the ward was targetted by Labour as a winnable marginal, he moved to the ultra safe Tory seat in the neighbouring Edgware. In the event, Labours Kitty Lyons won the vacated seat, whilst the other two Hale Tories (Rayner and Davey) hung on. His little chicken run activities very nearly cost the Tories control of the Council. One has to assume that this councillor believes the Tories would provide a better council for Hale Ward councillors, but he put his own interests beyond those of the voters who supported him.

Councillor Brian Gordon LLB Edgware
Conservative - cllr.b.gordon@barnet.gov.uk

#6 - This councillor is the Deputy Leader of Barnet Council. In the previous administration, he held the portfolio for managing the Councils portfolio of assets. Amongst the policies he championed were the sale of Friern Barnet library, a policy that came off the rails spectacularly, nearly losing the Tories the election to boot. At the initial hearing at Finchley County Court, he turned up to gloat when the case for eviction of local campaigners was heard. The council had botched the paperwork and the council were sent back with a flea in their ear, to prepare the case properly. At the subsequent hearing, it became clear that the Council had botched the whole issue and the Council were forced to compromise and save the library. As the architect of such a cock up, which cost several colleagues their seats on Council, one may have thought the Tories may have wanted a new Deputy Leader. One would be wrong.

Councillor Daniel Thomas BA (Hons) Finchley Church End
Conservative - cllr.d.thomas@barnet.gov.uk

#7 - According to disgraced former Councillor Brian Coleman, this is the Councillor who is really running the Council. She is the wife of the Council Leader. Mr Coleman rather bitchily says "Not possible to have a short conversation with her it is just easier to say yes and save the phone bill cost . Her husband long ago opted for the easier option of agreeing with his wife . Has turned the Conservative Party in Totteridge almost into a family business." Whilst the Barnet Eye has little time for Mr Coleman or his antics, one suspects that Mrs C is the one person who holds sway over the Leader. As such she must take much of the blame for the mishaps that have struck the council. We really think it's time she started to use her influence a little more wisely.

Councillor Alison Cornelius Totteridge
Conservative - cllr.a.cornelius@barnet.gov.uk

#8 - This councillor has developed a reputation for "no shows" at council meetings and events. He has the worst percenatge attendence rate of any Barnet Councillor, bunking off over a third of all the meetings he meant to show up for. He's a nice chap and a successful businessman, therefore it is with no great joy that we list him in th duds section. The truth however is that if you are elected to serve the people of Barnet, then that is what you should do. If you are building your global empire, do that instead. The people of Barnet need councillors who are prepared to put in the hours, represent the voters and stand up to the executive officers and even their own party when needs be. If you look at the list of good councillors, they've all shown a willingness to work and take the brickbats. So if you don't want to find yourself on this list, do the job!

Councillor Daniel Seal Garden Suburb
Conservative - cllr.d.seal@barnet.gov.uk

#9 - Now we are down to the last two in our list. I have chosen these two purely to make a point. They both have the lowest attendence record of council meetings in the last six months for their respective parties and they have both failed to attend meetings which the council logged them as being supposed to attend. For the Tories, the member with the lowest attendence is our Controversial Mayor, who has managed a mere 6. Now as Mayor, Mr Rayner will be excused the workload of other members, which may be a mitigating factor, but he's still failed to show for 25% where he was expected. When you consider that his colleague Sury Khatri (who is rightly in the best councillors list) made 18 out of 18, one has to say "Come on Hugh, pull your socks up"

Councillor Hugh Rayner Hale
Conservative - cllr.h.rayner@barnet.gov.uk

#10 - At the bottom of the table for Labour and at the bottom of the table for the whole Council we have a Labour Councillor for Burnt Oak. If one part of the Borough needs someone to be a fearless champion, it is this ward. Yet this councillor has managed a mere four out of seven appearances. I must say she's never really registered on the Barnet Eye radar before. Now I think we know why.

Councillor Claire Farrier Burnt Oak
Labour - cllr.c.farrier@barnet.gov.uk

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So we conclude our list of shame. Do you agree? Have we been unfair to one of the recipients of the Barnet Timewasters awards? We think if you are ineffective, don't do your job, can't be bothered to turn up or don't have the intellect to make the case for the people you are supposed to represent, then you shouldn't be in the Town Hall and you shouldn't be claiming an allowance from the taxpayer. As to the third list - Well these are the councillors who I are either too new to draw a conclusion about or who have never done anything to get on the radar. If they are not in this blog or the list of good councillors, then I suggest you look at this list - http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?VW=TABLE&PIC=1&FN= - and if they are your councillor, drop them an email and ask what they've been doing to justify the the minimum Ten Grand a year, we as taxpayers are paying them. I would also ask that if they are on the good Councillor list and you agree with me, then you drop them an email and thank them for doing their job well. Finally, if they are on the list above, drop them an email and tell them that they have made the clunkers list. Ask them what they intend to do to pull their socks up. Point out that their job is to serve you!

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Barnet Procurement Scandal - Labour group to push for answers

Last week I revealed details of how Barnet Council is spending over £2 million a year on services with suppliers who it refuses to name as the information is "personal". Such things as consultancy, professional services and organising conferences are being provided by such organisations. This means that the public have no proper audit trail. I have received several emailed responses. Disgraced criminal Councillor Brian Coleman emailed me to tell me that he is not interested and doesn't want me to tell him about anything at the council where he could improve the lot of his constituents. Fortunately I've had a rather more mature response from the Labour group, here is Cllr Alison Moore's response. Lets hope that we get some proper answers. I am a little disappointed that there has been no response from the audit committee thus far.

----

Dear Roger,

Thankyou for your email. I can confirm that I have received and read it, and will of course be asking for an explanation for redaction.

Regards

Alison Moore

From: Rog T
Sent: 20 July 2013 12:31
To: Derek Dishman; Brodkin, Cllr Alex; Campbell, Cllr Anita; Cornelius, Cllr Alison; Mittra, Cllr Arjun; Strongolou, Cllr Andrew; Tambourides, Cllr Andreas; Coleman, Cllr Brian; Evangeli, Cllr Barry; Gordon, Cllr Brian; Salinger, Cllr Brian; Schama, Cllr Brian; OMacauley, Cllr Charlie; Rogers, Cllr Colin; Salinger, Cllr Catherine; Cohen, Cllr Dean; Seal, Cllr Daniel; Yawitch, Cllr Darrel; Greenspan, Cllr Eva; Cooke, Cllr Geoffrey; Johnson, Cllr Geoffrey; Old, Cllr Graham; Sargeant, Cllr Gill; Rayner, Cllr Hugh; Hart, Cllr John; Johnson, Cllr Julie; Tambourides, Cllr Joanna; Tierney, Cllr Jim; McGuirk, Cllr Kathy; Rutter, Cllr Lisa; Braun, Cllr Maureen; Shooter, Cllr Mark; Houston, Cllr Ross; Thompstone, Cllr Reuben; QuigleyTurner, Cllr Rowan; Khatri, Cllr Sury; Rajput, Cllr Sachin; Sowerby, Cllr Stephen; Zubairi, Cllr Zakia; Ioannidis, Cllr Andreas; Finn, Cllr Anthony; Hart, Cllr Helena; Prentice, Cllr Wendy; Harper, Cllr Andrew; Hutton, Cllr Anne; Moore, Cllr Alison; Schneiderman, Cllr Alan; Slocombe, Cllr Agnes; Sodha, Cllr Ansuya; Perry, Cllr Bridget; Rawlings, Cllr Barry; Farrier, Cllr Claire; Longstaff, Cllr David; Thomas, Cllr Daniel; Cohen, Cllr Jack; Marshall, Cllr John; Scannell, Cllr Joan; Cohen, Cllr Melvin; Palmer, Cllr Monroe; CoakleyWebb, Cllr Pauline; Cornelius, Cllr Richard; Rams, Cllr Robert; Palmer, Cllr Susette; Davey, Cllr Tom
Cc: Travers, Andrew
Subject: Urgent - Barnet Council spending over £1 million a year with undisclosed service providers

Dear Barnet Councillor,

It has been brought to my attention that Barnet Council is spending over £1 million per annum with suppliers who it refuses to reveal the name of as it is "personal data". Now whilst some of these, there are clearly good reasons for redacting, such as insurance payouts to private citizens, I can see no justification for withholding the name of companies providing services such as training, consultancy or professional services. In fact the very definition of "professional services" defines it as a business arrangement.

It strikes me as disturbing that Barnet Council is seemingly using such redaction to avoid transparency. Please review the list of payments below, available from the council website at the following URL - http://www.barnet.gov.uk/downloads/download/786/expenditure_over_500_2012-13 - and see whether you agree that taxpayers money should be spent in this manner with this lack of transparency. I am of the opinion that it is impossible for the Council Taxpayer of Barnet to receive value for money when so much money and so many services are clearly being provided by companies and providers who are unwilling to disclose their details. I can think of no justification at all for withholding the details of companies providing professional services to Barnet Council, being funded by the taxpayer in this manner.

I expect the CEO of Barnet, Mr Andrew Travers, to review this situation as a matter of urgency and insist that unless there is a clear case of risk of identification of a vulnerable individual in Barnet, then the payment details must be disclosed. Furthermore, I call on the Audit committee to instruct the head of Audit to immediately investigate these payments and provide a clear and concise explanation of what is going on here.

It is the duty of councillors to ensure taxpayers money is well spent. With such a lack of transparency, I am sure that you will be alarmed to see these figures. I have requested a read receipt. I will be publishing details of all councillors who delete this email unread. I would also request a response to confirm that you have received this email and whether you agree that this is a matter of concern to you.

I have copied the CEO, Mr Andrew Travers into this email, as one would assume he should also share my concerns.

Regards

Roger Tichborne

www.barneteye.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

In Praise of Richard Cornelius

Set your mind forward to 9th May 2014.

The Conservatives in Barnet have been kicked out and

a new Labour administration is about to take office.

Alison Moore triumphantly leads her army into the town hall for

ameeting of the Labour group to carve up the cabinet jobs.

As she sits down, one of her colleagues stands up and announces

Friends, Barnet residents, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Cornelius, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Cornelius. The noble Alison Moore
Hath told you Cornelius was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Cornelius answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Alison Moore and the rest -
For Alison Moore is an honourable woman;
So are they all, all honourable men (and women) -
Come I to speak in Cornelius's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Alison Moore says he was ambitious;
And Alison Moore is an honourable woman.
He hath brought many activists home to Barnet
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Cornelius seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Cornelius hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Alison Moore says he was ambitious;
And Alison Moore is an honourable woman.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented her a Queenly crown,
Which she did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Alison Moore says she was ambitious;
And, sure, she is an honourable woman.
I speak not to disprove what Alison Moore spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love her once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for her?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Cornelius,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

A vote is taken and hey presto, we have a new Leader !!!! Not the one the people of Barnet elected. It is an odd fact that since Labour lost office in Barnet in 2002, every Conservative Leader who lead the party into an election victory has lost the job before the end of the term. The current Leader, Richard Cornelius took office following the sad and untimely death from lung cancer of Lynne Hillan. Since taking power, Richard has presented a radically different face of the Conservative party from his two immediate predecessors. Wheras Mike Freer was thin skinned and prickly and refuses to engage with anyone who disagrees with him, Richard is quite happy to step into the lions den. He appeared at a public question time organised by the Barnet Alliance for Public Services. Emails get answered politely. One suspects that Napoleon would approve of Richards leadership. The French leader famously said "Give me a lucky General". Richard is undoubtedly a very lucky leader. The biggest problem for every Tory leader since 2002 has been Councillor Brian Coleman. He has been a constant thorn in the side of all of them, causing offence and mayhem wherever he went. Following his arrest for assault in North Finchley and his suspension from the Conservative Party, Richard has been able to get on with the job, without Coleman constantly undermining him.

He has also been extremely lucky in Friern Barnet. When Occupy took over the Friern Barnet Library, it looked as if a PR disaster had erupted (courtesy of Councillor Robert Rams). As it turns out, what has transpired has allowed the Library to reopen at reduced cost to the taxpayer (if you believe the Councils figures). Whilst the Council has had a battering in the press, Cornelius can go into the election claiming that unlike the Labour administration in Brent, Barnet has not closed any libraries and they have worked with the community to keep open ones under threat. This would be an incredible piece of Chutzpah, but that is what politicians do.

Then there is One Barnet. All of the indications I have from the legal team representing Maria Nash indicate that her challenge will be successful. Whilst the Tories will squeal like little piggies when this happens, it could well be the biggest blessing of all. A hugely unpopular and risky policy could be dumped with minimal political fallout. By the time of the election, it will be a distant memory for much of Barnets population.

One suspects that none of this will save the Conservatives in Barnet. The national party is so unpopular and their policies are so disasterous that we are likely to see an electoral wipeout in many wards. Whoever wins in 2014 is likely to have a huge mess to clean up. Under the Tories, Council debt has increased from £38 million in 2002 to over £600 million according to the latest set of accounts. The mismanagement of the successive Tory leaders is colossal. We all are liable to pay this cash back, yet the Tories are planning another Council Tax Freeze. Nothing could be more irresponsible.

The most alarming thing is that no one in Barnet seems to even be aware of this problem. As the country has found out to its cost, debt cannot be allowed to pile up forever. A responsible opposition would have been battering the adminstration about the issue, but we hear nothing. A complete wall of silence. As Mark Anthony observed in his speech " My heart is in the coffin there with Cornelius" Sadly for Barnet residents it will not be our hearts in the coffin with the political career of Richard Cornelius. It will be our hard earned cash, when we have to pay off the debts that this administration has piled up through its ineptitude.

Friday, 9 November 2012

Barnet Question time - The full story

Last night at the Greek Cypriot Centre in Brittania Road, the leaders of the three political groups on Barnet Council held "Barnet Question Time" or #BarnetQT as the Twitter #Hashtag called it. Along with Richard Cornelius, Alison Moore and Jack Cohen, we had APSE consultant Andy Mudd as an expert and the meeting was chaired by BAPS member Barbara Horn-Jacobson. The hall was completely packed to standing and the audience comprised all manner of people. The event has also been videod for posterity and I do hope anyone who is interested has a look at these. My role was to provide a sound system and act as MC. I didn't participate in the debate, save for one short point, but made the safety announcements and carried the mic around. I was trying to think how best to summarise the night, and decided that rather than try and put my spin on it, I'd just print all of the tweets with the #Barnetqt tag. These give a very democratic flavour of what happened. Of course you can check these yourself on twitter. They have various links etc and I'd suggest you start at the bottom and read up. I will say this. Jack Cohen stated that this was the most well attended public meeting for 20 years. He recalled how when residents area forums had a proper format, hundreds of people would attend, to sort out their community. I do hope that the Tories who were present take on board the fact that local people are interested.

I was very surprised that no Tories tried to argue the case. It was interesting to see that Brian Coleman turned up. The comedy moment of the night was watching Helen Michael arrive and make a B-line for the spare chair next to Coleman only to realise who she'd be sitting next to. She made a swift retreat and sat at the other side of the hall. Sadly Brian did not enlighten us as to his views on One Barnet.

The other item of note was the film crew from the Guardian. If nothing else, they are now aware that the opposition in Barnet to the One Barnet project is not just "5 stroppy bloggers and the Unions" as Deputy Leader of the Council Daniel Thomas had told them.

‏@__Revel

@ReasonableNB @Vickim57 #barnetqt One Barnet Question Time - Richard Cornelius http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHUTp3pJQgw … …

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A little tool to help you defeat the invisible men

I've added an IP address lookup tool. If you get an email or you have a stats counter on your blog, you can see who it is and where they came from using this. If you've got an email from someone, view the email. Click on File, then click on properties, then click on details. Now click on message source

You will see some text as follows :-
X-Originating-IP: [1.2.3.4]

Where I've put 1.2.3.4, cut and paste this number into the IP lookup and hey presto, you know where the email came from.

If it says it's from your bank, but the IP address is Freds chipshop, you know it's a scam.