Update - Email from Barry Evangeli regarding Barnet Eye email to Richard Cornelius re harrassment of Barnet trader

Earlier this evening, I posted an open email I sent to the Leader of the Council, Richard Cornelius concerning the treatment of Barnet trader and opponent of Brian Coleman's parking charges. I did not mention this in the original post, but East Barnet Councillor Barry Evangeli happened to be in Cafe Buzz (not with me I hasten to add) when the incident took place. I copied Councillor Evangeli into the email, as I asssumed that he'd be keen to confirm what I said to Councillor Cornelius. I was rather shocked to see that Councillor Evangeli took a different view of the events. Please make up own mind as to what really happened and as to the mark of the man (Mr Evangeli).

I am really very angry about what happened for many reasons. As Councillor Evangeli stated, I do have the video footage. As the Council official mentioned was merely doing their job and was "the messenger" I believe it would be most unfair to drag them into the row, although it will be clear from, the interview footage I release, that there were more people in Cafe Buzz than myself, Poppy and the cat.

Councillor Evangeli is correct when he states that Helen Michael shared a cup of tea with the Council Official and behaved with a friendly demeanour towards them. This is because she has impeccable manners and recognised the fact that the council official was the messenger, having to do someone elses bidding.  The inescapable fact is that she was given the notice, at work, in full view of her customers. There is no way that this could be perceived as anything other than embarrassing and humiliating. Helen Michael did her best to make the best of a bad situation and succeeded.

There can be no other conclusion than one that this was an attempt to silence Helen Michael and stop her campaign against the parking charges. We can quite clearly add Councillor Barry Evangeli to the list of Barnet Tory Councillors who have no empathy whatsoever with the people they purport to serve. I'd suggest you read the email's bottom to top to follow the sequence.
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From: Roger Tichborne

To: Evangeli, Cllr Barry Conservative ; Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative

Cc: Walkley, Nick

Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 12:22 AM

Subject: Re: Open Letter - Harrassment of Barnet Traders

Dear Councillor Evangeli

I am disgusted by your attitude and your comment. You implied in your email that  was telling lies.

What did I say that was untrue?

Did a council official enter Helen Michael's shop without notification and serve a letter on her, in full view of her customers?

Would a normal human being find this embarrassing and humiliating?

Was this necessary, given that Councillor Richard Cornelius had spoken to Helen Michael by phone?

You tell me what fact I have misrepresented anywhere in my email? You tell me what crap I've written?

Just because Helen Michael, unlike you, is able to be charming and civil when faced with an embarrassing situation, does not make it any less of an embarrassing situation. It is completely clear to me what sort of a man you are from your behaviour and your comment and sadly that is not a credit to Barnet Council or the Conservative Party. My sole concern in writing this email was to draw the attention of the leader of the Council to what I felt was unacceptable behaviour by the people in the organisation he is the leader of. I copied you in, as I mistakenly thought you would also be of the opinion that the council had behaved in a rather overbearing and unappealing manner and I mistakenly believed that you were sensible enough to see why the council were treating a local taxpayer and business ratepayer in an appalling fashion.  

As to making mountains out of molehills, I happen to believe that intimidating political opponents in the runup to elections is a very serious business. The chain of events is quite clear. A council official walked into Helen Michael's shop, served a notice on her in front of her customers and staff, following her campaign against unreasonable parking charges levied by your administration. This was embarrassing and humiliating. I wrote to the Leader of the council  to express my disgust at this and you sent your leader an email which contained offensive comments in regard to me, and were stupid enough to copy me into it. 

If this issue is a "molehill" as you claim, why have the council engaged their legal team on the issue and despatched a council employee to personally deliver the letter? Just out of interest, did you suggest to Helen Michael that, as the issue is a "molehill" in your opinion, you would intervene to ensure that the council treated such an unimportant issue as a "molehill"? Did you enquire as to whether this visit was the first one Helen Michael had received in relation to her leaflet about the parking charges from figures in authority? Did you offer to help a valued local businesswoman resolve her issues with the council?

Please can you explain to me how you can possibly think that the council's behaviour today is a trivial matter? Is the letter Ms Michael received something with no potential impact on Ms Michael whatsoever? If it is, then why did the council waste their time sending it? If it isn't and has potential serious consequences for Ms Michael, how can you possibly dismiss it as a "Molehill".

I truly hope against hope, that the Leader of the Council will realise that this is a serious issue and one which portrays Barnet Council in a very poor light. 

Regards

Roger Tichborne     

----- Original Message -----

From: Evangeli, Cllr Barry Conservative

To: Roger Tichborne; Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative

Cc: Walkley, Nick

Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 8:43 PM

Subject: Re: Open Letter - Harrassment of Barnet Traders

Dear Mr Titchborne

Thank you for your email.

If you filmed the whole event, then you should have it all on record! Without making a mountain out of a molehill, let's please stick to the facts as to the chain of events!

Regards
Cllr Barry Evangeli
East Barnet Ward

---

From: Roger Tichborne
To: Evangeli, Cllr Barry Conservative; Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative
Cc: Walkley, Nick
Sent: Thu Apr 26 20:21:19 2012
Subject: Re: Open Letter - Harrassment of Barnet Traders

Dear Councillor Evangeli,

I copied you into the email as you were present as a matter of courtesy.  I assumed you would have a private have a word with Councillor Cornelius to confirm the incident, not call me a liar. As you well know, I spoke to you. I saw exactly what happened and have it on video.

Do you really think that it is anything other than humiliating to have someone walk into your shop and give you such a letter in front of your customers. Helen had a cup of tea with him, because she is a nice polite person. As you well know, I had to shoot off to see a rep. It had been my intention to discuss the matter with Helen, but as you were present I did not want to embarrass you or put you in a position where there was a conflict of interest for you.

I spoke to Helen after seeing the rep by telephone and she was upset by the matter.

I am truly disgusted by your response. You are aware I was filming at the time, aren't you. Maybe you are used to receiving summonses in front of your customers and find it in no way humiliating, but I can assure you that most people would be. I believe councillors should support local people. Sadly it seems that this is not your view.

Regards

Roger Tichborne

----- Original Message -----

From: Evangeli, Cllr Barry Conservative

To: Roger Tichborne ; Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative

Cc: Walkley, Nick

Sent: Thursday, April 26, 2012 7:49 PM

Subject: Re: Open Letter - Harrassment of Barnet Traders

Leader

Absolute b******* (crap)!

I was sitting having tea with Helen Michael at the time.

The gentleman from the council (who is on first name terms with Helen) sat down and joined us for a cuppa and gave her a letter. Present at the cafe were myself, one other table and the cat!

Barry
Cllr Barry Evangeli
East Barnet Ward

---

From: Roger Tichborne
To: Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative
Cc: Walkley, Nick; Evangeli, Cllr Barry Conservative
Sent: Thu Apr 26 19:10:19 2012
Subject: Open Letter - Harrassment of Barnet Traders

To : The Leader of Barnet Council

Dear Councillor Cornelius,

This afternoon I witnessed the most shocking thing I have ever seen in all of my time covering politics in Barnet. I had arranged to meet A.M. Poppy, the Green Party candidate at Cafe Buzz in Finchley to record a video interview for the Barnet Eye blog, as part of our news coverage of the GLA elections.

As I was conducting the interview, with the video camera running, in the middle of the Cafe, an officialf Barnet Council arrived, approached Helen Michael, the owner of Cafe Buzz, and served an official notice on Ms Michael, in relation to distribution of posters concerning the traders protest about Barnet Council parking charges. 

This was done in a most humiliating and embarrassing way, in front of a whole cafe full of people, whilst I was in the middle of an interview with the Green Party candidate. This is clearly an attempt by Barnet Council to intimidate Ms Michael in the run up to the GLA elections. Ms Michael was clearly upset and refused to discuss the incident with me, until she has spoken to a lawyer, although it was crystal clear what was happening.

It is 100% clear to me that this is a highly political action and the timing is not a coincidence, with the GLA election next Thursday. As Ms Michael told me last week that she had spoken privately to you concerning the matter, I cannot believe that you would seek to publicly humiliate her in this manner. You could easily have rang her and asked her to receive the notice in a less embarrassing manner.

The behaviour of the council you are running becomes more like a repressive Stalinist regime each week. I believe that you should hang your head in shame at such behaviour, as this is clearly a politcally motivated act. Thousands of posters are put up every week in Barnet looking for cats, advertising drug fuelled raves and money lending services in all manner of places. How many of these people receive a visit in such a manner?

I believe a full apology to Helen Michael is in order. Needless to say that if Barnet Council persist with this attempt to silence a vociferous critic, they will doubtless find themselves on the receiving end of yet more awful media coverage. The traders of Barnet are a huge asset, one which is clearly not valued by your administration. I am deeply upset at what I saw today, and I sincerely hope you will be too.

Regards

Roger Tichborne

www.barneteye.blogspot.com

The Man who sold the World

Oh No, not me I never lost control. You're face to face with the man who sold the world.

As I saw the video of old chubbychops Brian Coleman in action at Hendon Town Hall on Tuesday evening, I contemplated making a video of the old David Bowie song with Coleman on. The sad truth is that until May 2006, we had a vaguely sensible Conservative Council. Then Brian Coleman orchestrated the putsch which deposed Councillor Brian Salinger as Leader and selected Mike Freer. I was no fan of Salinger, but I had no idea of what Freer was like. He was unknown and introduced as a "hard Thatcherite". Freer wanted to make a name for himself. As such he started the "Future Shape" project. The idea is simple Thatcherism. Privatise everything. Just have a few people doing the things required by law.

Now what many people don't realise about Thatcherite Privatisation was that it was never about saving money for the taxpayer. It is about the destruction of the power of the Unions. By fragmenting services, it becomes harder to take effective action. Staff know that if they work for a private supplier and they strike, they are far more likely to lose their job and be thrown onto the dole. As private companies exist to make money for shareholders, a profit must be turned. Whilst this is referred to as efficiency, it usually means paying staff less. Whilst public services often have a degree of spare capacity, this is not always the case in private companies. Whilst it results in cheaper operation, when someone is ill, it means jobs don't get done. If a private company runs a sandwich bar and a member of staff is ill, a queue forms at lunchtime and people go elsewhere. If a community care worker is ill and can't work, if there is no spare capacity, someone gets left without care. Often agency workers will be brought in to cover who are not familair with the needs of the people they care for and are solely motivated to collect the cash and go.

A sensible Council, wishing to embark on a program of privatisation would look for services which are not delivering, analyse why and if a private supplier could be demonstrated to perform the service better, give them the contract. What haas happened in Barnet is that they want the whole shooting match privatised. This has created a mad rush, with corners cut. The Council's own auditors Grant Thornton issued a damning report highlighting the fact that no proper project plan existed and no effective controls were in place.

The crazy thing about the whole project is the fact that it is demonstrably a vanity project for the local Tories. A sensible pragmatic Tory would seek to "cherry pick" projects to ensure that successful outcomes were achieved, each building on the success of the previous ones. A methodology for implementing outsourcing would be developed based on real world problems. Expertise and skills would be developed and as each department was picked off, they would be able to cite past success.

What they have done is go big bang. As the wheels are coming off and the Unions find more and more holes. Sadly for the Tories, this lack of proper planning is likely to ultimately destroy the whole case. Legal challenges will follow and rather than making a sensible business case, they will end up destroying forever the concept of flogging off services. Anyone who has read any of Dexter Whitlock's analysis of the Future Shape / One Barnet model would have to conclude that it is rapidly becoming a replay of General Custers last stand.

The sad truth is that it has cost millions in consultants fees. On Tuesday Barnet implemented  a program of vicious cuts to front line services in the Budget. Rather oddly, they could have avoided all of this if they'd cancelled Future Shape and worked with the in house teams for greater efficiency. There would still have been cuts, but many of these could be directed to the layers of management which have been developed to handle the Easy Council model. There are many services which could have been made had council workers on salaries over £75,000 pa had a 5% salary cut and those on over £120,000 had a 10% cut. This would most definately saved enough to save the Lollipop service and sheltered housing wardens.

Barnet Council have adopted a bizarre stance on the whole issue. Councillors are being whipped in scrutiny committees. They have taken to declaring this at the start of the session. What this means is that they are forbidden from demanding further work on projects they no to be defective. It is completely crazy. If they see something needs fixing, they are not allowed to say. What could be more bonkers than shutting people up who are on your side and are trying to make your schemes work properly.

In Mrs Angry's blog about the Council meeting on Tuesday, the final paragraph explained why we are in the mess. Councillor Barry Evangeli had been elected as Deputy Mayor at the fractuous meeting. Amid all the scenes of Security guards manhandling residents, police, Councillors and Officials disagreeing over who could do what, Mr Evangeli emerged beaming with joy. He was chuffed. Why? He'd managed to snaffle a load of cakes, which had been left over from the buffet. If ever Brian Coleman falls under a bus, it seems we have a ready made replacement (note : it's the bit before the Weds update). The Tories in Barnet may "Sell the World" - you and I will have to pay the price.

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?

Barnet Tories : The Good, The Bad and The Ugly !!!!!!

I was heartened to see that the "conscience" of the Conservative Party is still alive and well in the general membership. It seems that while all of their councillors (bar Kate Salinger) lack backbone, the wider membership is not afraid to speak it's mind. The Hendon Times reports that the Chairman of Hendon Conservatives, Adrian Murray-Leonard has branded Hillan and co "greedy vultures" following their decision to award themselves huge payrises at a time of national belt tightening. Read all about what Mr Murray-Leonard had to say here :-

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/8297992.Conservative_association_member_brands_party_colleagues__greedy_vultures__over_allowance_hike/?ref=mr

It seems to me that we can divide the Barnet Tories up into three Groups when it comes to the issue of awarding  yourself huge payrises -

The Good -
Kate Salinger (who was the only Tory Councillor to abstain and got ritually humiliated for her trouble)
Mike Freer MP and Matthew Offord MP (both criticised the increase)
David Miller (former chairman of Chipping Barnet Conservatives)
Adrian Murray-Leonard (Chairman of Hendon Conservatives)
Every single Barnet Conservative I've spoken to who isn't a Barnet Councillor (and the many who've privately emailed me to express disgust)

The Bad
Council Leader Lynne Hillan who has shown herself to be a complete hypocrite on the issue
Councillor Graham Old who despite knowing Kate Salinger was right lacked the backbone to stand up for her
Councillor Barry Evangeli who used the opportunity to snaffle an allowance, when Kate Salinger lost a committee chairmanship
Councillor Hugh Rayner who was distributing a very brown nosed press release saying that the increase was a good idea, completely ignoring what could have been done with the money had it not been spent lining the pocket of the cabinet
The rest of the motley crew of Barnet Tory Councillors who gutlessly voted for something they know to be morally wrong

And the Ugly

Hard working Councillor Brian Coleman who trousers between £114,000 and £121,000 from the public purse (depending who you believe) and claims he spends 100 hours a week beavering away at his desk.

And last but by no means least

Well if it ain't old Tessie Viler than a blocked drain Villiers. The only Barnet MP to think it's a spiffing idea for her mates to line her pocket. Of course given that she' rather partial to a little bit of troughing herself it's hardly surprising is it.

Sadly all the troughing seems to be taking its toll !!!!!

Oh, by the way, let me share a little snippet of gossip with you. Apparently Mike Freer MP has been telling his friends that he's rather enjoying the experience of not being beholden to certain friends of his at Barnet Council - this is my interpretation of his exact words - I'm sure you get the gist.

Has Graham Old found he's grown testicles?

What is this? The blogs of Barnet were awash with reports that Graham Old publicly stated that Councillor Kate Salinger was "his hero" at the Finchley Residents forum last night. We can but imagine how this went down with his chum Brian Coleman. I was preparing a "Graham Old - the human jellyfish" special to highlight his absence of backbone. Could it be that he has however sprouted testicles and belatedly decided to show that he cares about more than lining his pocket. Mrs Angry does a fine write up of the Finchley residents forum - http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.com/2010/07/funny-thing-happened-on-way-to-forum.html - if you want the full story. I wasn't there.

The Barnet Bugle displays a nice picture of the Salingers meeting Eric Pickles, probably the most powerful (not so) coded message yet as to where the sympathy of the Tory cabinet lies  - http://www.barnetbugle.com/journal/2010/7/27/eric-pickles-meets-cllr-olds-great-heroine-and-her-hubby-at.html

I'm off to see what happens at the Hendon Forum. This is the third in the series of forums ( I like forums - I used to have an unhealthy obsession with a magazine of that name as a teenager)  - at the moment the score is 1-1 between the pusilanimous creeps (captained by Barry Evangeli) and the Oh my lord I've grown some nuts brigade (captained by Graham Old). Which way will crusty veteran John Hart swing? Watch this space.

Calling Barnet voters - Is this why you elected Tory Councillors?

Let's have a little discussion as to why any allowance or salary is set at a certain level. The whole idea is to attract the most suitable people for the job. If lots of people can do it and it's fairly mundane, salaries tend to be low. If it requires a high level of unique talent or it is a job not many people could do or would want to do, then it tends to have a high salary. Generally salaries are reassessed when organisations are looking for fresh talent. If they have had trouble attracting the right quality of people, then you up the salary. If there are a surplus of people who want to do the job, maybe you are paying too much.

Now the argument that the Tories in Barnet are using to justify the salary is, well "because they are worth it". Now if 18 months ago they'd said "We've had to put up with a completely useless idiot of a leader who lost £27.4 million in Icelandic banks (Mike Freer), another idiot of a deputy Leader who overspent £11 millon on a budget of £12 million at Aerodrome Road (Matthew Offord) and we've got a cabinet member for Social Services who has lead us on a disasterous policy of abolishing Sheltered Housing wardens which has lead us into a court case which we've lost (Lynne Hillan), they might have got some agreement from me. If they'd have said that the Barnet Tory Party was full of useless placemen and they were throwing the selection process for new councillors completely open to all with the promise of 100% pay rises if they won (as part of their manifesto) justified by the need to replace the likes of the failed team, I wouldn't have disagreed when they implemented the policy.  There would have been a justification and a popular mandate for change.

But the truth is that is the opposite of what they did. They hid the fact from the electorate that their first major action would be to award themselves huge pay rises. They didn't sack the failed old guard and try and recruit fresh blood. The only Tory councillors who were replaced were those who lost their seats, those who had legged it abroad, those who had fallen foul of the regime and been shafted and those who left to become MP's.  The replacements were specially selected lackies such as Barry Evangeli, who had dedicated his time to writing letters to the press saying that Brian Coleman is marvellous.

It is quite clear that there is a large surpless of Tory Councillors who would love to become cabinet members at the old rate of allowance. The Council Leader, Lynne Hillan fought like a polecat on heat to get the leadership, at the old rate. If she stepped down tomorrow, I know of at least three Councillors who would immediately snap up the job regardless of whether it was at the old rate or new. The whole grubby saga sums up the way allowances are paid in Barnet. They are not used to attract new talent, they are used to stifle competition and bludgeon Councillors into supporting the morally bankrupt policy of the leaders.

They used a three line whip on Councillors to ensure that they voted for the payrise and the one Councillor with the guts to say no, Kate Salinger was ritually humiliated in a public council meeting.

So if you voted Conservative in the elections in May tell me this. Did you vote Tory because you wanted an administration that behaves in this way? Do you think that it is acceptable for politicians to hush up a huge payrise until immediately after an election and then bludgeon it through, at the same meeting where they said everyone else would suffer from cuts.

In Mill Hill, where I live, we elected two new Tories to join John Hart. There names are Sury Khatri and Brian Schama. They've been councillors for nearly three months now and I only know of one thing they've done. They voted for this big payrise for their political bosses.  Do you know who your Tory Councillors are? Do you know of anything useful theyv'e done since being elected? Unless there name is Salinger, they voted for the rise. Is that why you voted for them (if you voted Tory)?

I received an email yesterday from the Hendon Times. They have reported that they've had an overwhelming response to their petition against the rise. If the Barnet Tories think this is going away any time soon, they can add deluded to their list of faults.

Intrigue at Barnet Council

Following the masterful performance of twattery at the Chipping Barnet residents forum by Barry Evangeli, I've been receiving reports of even worse behaviour at the Golders Green Forum. Sadly this is not only from the Chairman, Dean Cohen, but also from various council officers. One resident reported a most unfortunate incident where David Howard of the residents association challenged an assertation by another official. Jeff Lustig, Borough Solicitor took exception to this and demanded that David leave the meeting or withdraw his comment. Now the good people of Golders Green took exception to this. Uproar ensued and Jeff Lustig backed down. It strikes me that these people seem to have forgotten that they are PUBLIC SERVANTS. They are employed using our taxes to serve us to the best of their ability.

Now contrary to a big porkie put around by Brian Coleman that I attend every residents forum in the Borough, missing no opportunity to slag him off, I've never actually been to the Chipping Barnet or the Golders Green forum. I have been three times to the Hendon Forum. It is fair to say that I've no issue at all with the Chairman Brian Gordon or his deputy John Hart. They have thus far seemed to me to be even handed and fair. I've not seen any of the displays of stupidity displayed by Dean Cohen or Barry Evangeli. Council officers have behaved themselves pretty well.  The worst display was when former Edgware Tory Councillor Richard Weider tried to stop Vicki Morris from questioning them on future shape. He said "she can't ask this because she works for the council". Cllr Gordon said "She's a resident, there's no reason she shouldn't" and let Vicki proceed. Whilst it made no difference to the implementation of future shape, at least it showed Councillor Gordon has sound judgement as  chair of such a forum.

I asked myself what the difference was between poor chairmen such as Cohen and Evangeli and good ones such as Hart and Gordon. I think the answer may be that the latter first became councillors in an age when it was about public service. They know what they are supposed to be there for. Amongst the private emails I received about the hike in allowances, was one from a Tory councillor. I don't accept his argument, but it gives some idea of the climate in Barnet. He said he fundamentally disagreed with the rise, foresaw the furore and argued against it. He said that the reason he voted to implement it was because had he voted with his conscience, he'd have been completely marginalised and unable to have any input whatsoever for future discussions. He also felt that it would allow a certain useless lackey(my description) to exploit the opportunity for career advancement.

Perhaps the most interesting comment was the one explaining the reason for the rise now. "Brian wanted the business out of the way before he takes over" and the prediction of a new leader before the end of the year. I don't necessarily think this is a done deal. I suspect that the succession will be fought between Coleman and Harper, although it is less than clear whether Harper has the cojones for a tough battle. Coleman is pretty ruthless and will make it clear that it will be the end of Harper if he wins (a la Bulmer).  Interesting times

Councillor Barry Evangeli in the spotlight

They say that those who live by the sword die by the sword. We are judged by our actions. One of the new crop of Tory Councillors has come into the spotlight this week. His name is Barry Evangeli.  I think that it is only fair that we residents of Barnet know what sort of a man Mr Evangeli is. This blog already detailed his brown nosing of Councillor Brian Coleman to get himself nominated as a Councillor. Mr Evangeli has been a councillor since May 7th. In that time he's done two things which tell us what sort of a man he is.

Firstly the Barnet Council Senior Tories proposed a huge payrise for Cabinet members at a time of austerity and belt tightening in the country. Tory Cabinet Minister Grant Shapps urged restraint. What did Barry Evangeli do? He had a conversation, I can only guess, given what happened that it went something like this. He said "whats in it for me". The powers that be in the local Tories said "Kate Salinger is threatening to abstain. If she does, we are going to sack her from her chair post of the Chipping Barnet Residents forum. If we sack her, there is a nice fat allowance going for a new chair. She says that her principles prevent her from voting for a rise as we urge restraint on council workers. We are looking for someone with rather "more flexible" principles". Barry Evangeli said "Well count me in!" and copped a nice little allowance.

The only trouble is that a week later he had to face the public in the residents forum. The public wanted to know what the justification for the rise was. Mr Evangeli, who clealry had a vested interest should have said "I'm afraid to declare I have a vested interest in this, so I have to step back from the debate". Sadly he chose an altogether different approach. He announced (contrary to the rules of the forum) that he wouldn't take the question. Even worse, he then gave everyone a long and boring lecture justifying the rise.

So what sort of a councillor do we think Mr Evangeli is? A hard working public servant who is in it for the good of the people of Barnet or a greedy parasite who is on the make and prepared to walk over all and sundry in his quest for easy money? I have an opinion, I'm sure you have one too.

Barnet Eye war on Spongers and Parasites : Barnets biggest Brown Noser gets his payoff

I must confess I haven't meticulously studied the names of all of the new intake of Tory Councillors. That is why today when I read the report in the Barnet Bugle of how Barnet Councillor Barry Evangeli (one of the new boys) shut down debate at the Chipping Barnet residents forum, I was surprised to hear that he was a councillor. It seems Mr Evangeli wouldn't let residents speak (rather oddly for a residents forum) about the allowance rise but was quite happy to bore them with his long and dull self justification.

Now the Barnet Eye had heard of Mr Evangeli before. We have a little black book where we meticulously log the details of everyone who we think has "a contribution" to make in Barnet. Mr Evangeli's entry in our little black book is that of Councillor Brian Colemans leading "supporter" in the press. Here is one example of his stout defence of Brian Coleman


http://www.times-series.co.uk/opinion/letters/4725172.I_applaud_his_frank_speaking/

Here is what he had to say :-

I applaud his frank speaking

12:28pm Friday 6th November 2009

I applaud Brian Coleman for speaking his mind.
I was present in the public gallery recently during Mayor’s Question Time when Labour Assembly Member John Biggs was continuously berating the mayor.
His constant interruptions were both irritating and obnoxious and nothing short of a feeble attempt at political point-scoring.
Perhaps Brian Coleman’s description of him as an “odious toad” should be regarded as a compliment, as I would have described him more akin to something a little more primate.

Barry Evangeli, Monkville Avenue, Golders Green

So there you go. Mr Evangeli's idea of a good day out is to go and watch Brian Coleman in action. It seems that if you want to be a Tory Councillor, having a rather brown nose is a good way to get through the selection panel. Anyway congratulations to Mr Evangeli on his election as a Councillor. It seems he has a bright future in the Barnet Tories (at least as long as his hero Brian Coleman has anything to do with it).

As Mr Evangeli seems to applaud plain speaking, I have some for his benefit. I hope he likes it.

Councillor Barry Evangeli, you are a complete disgrace. The sooner the people of Barnet are rid of you and your ilk the better. You've only been in the job five minutes yet you are already in the trough up to your neck. The purpose of Residents forums is to listen to the residents rather than to bore them to death. Do us all a favour and crawl back into whichever hole you emerged from. You clearly are not cut out for public service.