Where are Barnet Council putting the 22 new traveller sites?

Boris Johnson has set a legal requirement on the London Borough of Barnet to construct 22 new sites in the Borough for travellers. This arbitary number has been imposed on Barnet without consultation. Rather hypocritically, Mayor of Barnet, Brian Coleman has accepted a well paid job from Boris running the fire and emergency services. Coleman sounded off about this imposition by Boris, but didn't see fit to actually give up his well paid job in protest.

Unlike Brian Coleman, the Barnet Eye does not go around blindly criticising proposals until we see the details. This requirement has been known for many months and the Barnet Eye has been making enquiries as to the size and location of these camps. We are also interested to know whether they indicated that there will be a massive increase in the numbers of travellers or whether the proposal is just to make proper sites for travellers already living within the borough in less suitable sites.

This blog has long championed the green belt and we have major concerns that several sites have been earmarked which will have a major impact on the green belt within the borough. The council owns huge swathes of land in areas such as Mill Hill and Barnet, and given that travellers do not erect permanent structures, it is far easier to circumvent planning regs for mobile homes.

As this legal requirement has been known for many months, the Barnet Eye has made enquiries as to the location of these sites and been told that they have not been decided. Given that this is a legal requirement why could this be? The answer, sadly, is rather obvious. There are council elections in May and the Conservatives know that many of these sites will be in marginal wards such as Mill Hill and High Barnet. They know that the proposals will not be popular with their voters and they do not want the fact that a Conservative Mayor of London imposed them to become widely known before the election. In short they are hoping to keep it all quiet until after the election.

The Barnet Eye believes that important issues such as this, which may have a huge effect on the green belt and open spaces should be matters of public consultation. Lets be clear about this. Boris Johnson has made the decree, so we HAVE TO HAVE the sites. The Barnet Eye believes that it is hugely important to make sure these are properly sited and that locals have a say in the important issues that are raised. As with many things, I suspect that Leader of Barnet Council, Lynne Hillan will simply wait till after the election, then impose them wherever she feels like it, without any consultation whatsoever.

Brian Coleman vs Travellers - The true story - The Totteridge Invasion

I've been puzzled for some time by the rabid remarks made by Brian Coleman regarding travellers. It's no surprise that a loudmouth bully like Coleman chooses to shoot his mouth off, but why pick a row with his boss & patron Boris Johnson? Boris will have enough trouble pushing through his plans for 22 new traveller/gypsie camp in Barnet without Coleman making trouble. Given that Coleman owes a huge chunk of his wages to Boris, I thought to myself "Why choose this particular spat?".

Anyway one of my "sources" at the town hall explained all over a few pints of my fave "sauces" (if you know what I mean. It all makes perfect sense. Where in Barnet could you put the 22 gypsie/traveller camps? Have a look on Google Earth? How about Burnt Oak (Labours Heartland?), nope that's pretty densely populated. Nowhere to slip in the odd 5 or 6 camps, is there?

Not too many spaces around Childs Hill are there (that Lib Dem Stronghold)?

Where are there a few nice, big green open spaces? I know - Totteridge? Home of Councillor Brian Coleman. It's a Tory stronghold, so no fear of losing marginal seats. It's got plenty of nice spaces to tuck away.

No wonder Brian Coleman is worried, I'm afraid that as a senior member of the council and a senior oppo of Boris Johnson, he's going to take a lot of flack from his friends.

I think it's quite poetic justice really. All of those folk who elected Boris Johnson and elected Brian Coleman will be getting a few new neighbours. Brian Coleman will bleat "I protested as loud as I could" - Not true really. Boris has lost too many trusted sidekicks. If Coleman really was serious in his opposition, he'd threaten Boris with resignation. He'd call the bluff of Boris. Sadly he doesn't really care enough to actually put his big fat allowances on the line. You see Coleman is quite happy to huff, he's quite happy to puff, but he knows that he isn't going to blow the house down.

If you don't believe me, just check out the maps. You can't put camps where there ain't no space for them. Coleman has made a career out of demonising people. Lets just hope that when he has to represent them in his ward, he realises that there are good and bad in all communities and racism is not the way for one to conduct their business.

No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs

When my Grandfather came over from Dublin, that was a common sign to see at some of the "Better" boarding houses around London. Have you ever heard the term INNA or Irish Need Not Apply? Again common for the "higher class" jobs. Then there are the jokes. "Heard the one about the paddy who was so thick he thought......". But it's alright isn't it because good old thick Mick can take a joke? What about the scene in the Commitments where Jimmy Rabbitte says "The Irish are the niggers of Europe and the Dubliners are the Niggers of Ireland". You don't remember that bit? You probably wouldn't unless you read the book, they changed it to "Blacks" for the film. Just a bit too harsh for a nice family film.


But us plastic paddies and you real ones can't get upset about all of this, oh no. You see, if you get upset you've got a chip on your shoulder. Now if you are a well balanced plastic paddy like me, you have a chip on both your shoulders. So I'm 1/4 Irish - how Irish do I feel? Well I used to share a pint or two of Guinness every night with my mum. I go to Church. I go and see the Pogues every year at Brixton Academy? How Irish is that?

I'll tell you how Irish I am. I'm Irish enough to feel proud of my ancestry. I'm Irish enough to have read about the Celtic Church and how that was the intellectual hotbed of Christian thinking, when freedom of thought was the trademark of a Celtic Christian. I'm Irish enough to know about the famine. I'm Irish enough to know about the struggle for freedom. I'm Irish enough to know about my mum's cousin, Kevin Barry, who was executed by the British government at 18 years old.

I'm Irish enough to know that when the British politicians start saying that the Irish are British, there is something bad afoot. There was a BNP - That's BRITISH National Party broadcast on TV today. In it the BNP leader included the Irish in the "British Family". I'm Irish enough for this to ruin my evening. I know all about the contempt with which the British Aristocracy hold the Irish in. I've seen Irish friends racially abused for their nationality. Probably the only acceptable form of racism is against Irish Travellers.

Given my Australian/Irish background, I've always felt more comfortable in the company of immigrants of all shades than with self styled "British Patriots". Strangley I've usually found immigrants often to be more patriotic. My Dad was proud to be a Commonwealth Citizen. The BNP talked in their broadcast about the sacrifice of the British - again they airbrushed out the contribution of the Commonwealth soldiers & the Imperial Army.

My Dad flew a Wellington on 40 missions for the RAF over enemy territory. On his 40th mission, the last in his tour of duty, he was shot down over Romania. His best Friend and rear Gunner was killed - his name Flying Officer Andrew Murphy. Any guesses as to his ancestry?

Britain has moved on. These days it's only the poor old doggies that don't get into guest houses. To any Irishmen tempted to Vote BNP in the Euro elections I say this. If the blacks get banned, who will be next? If you need reminding get the DVD of the commitments out, it's a great film for a Friday Night !

Anti Irish Racism in Barnet - Update

At cabinet Questions Tomorrow, a member from the sensible wing of the Tory Party has tabled the following question. He received the following answer from the relevant cabinet member.

Q19 - Would you welcome the undertaking(as published in The Press January 29) of the then acting Borough Commander David Tucker that the Barnet Police will "deal robustly with anyone identified as having committed racist, anti-semitic or other crimes, whatever their alleged justification". Is not the councils close working relationship with the Police most important on this issue?

Answer :Yes, I am glad to say there is a real partnership working between this administration, The Metropolitan Police Authority under the excellent leadership of Boris Johnson and the voluntary sector not least the Community Sector Trust.

Well as regular readers of this blog will know, comments have been made in the press by a Barnet cabinet member, who's name escapes me. I recently had to complete a questionnaire for Barnet Council. It asked me to identify various people's racial groups. One of the groups were WIRT's = White IRish Travellers. Barnet recognises travellers as a distinct racial group.

As such they should not be subject to racist abuse and if they are surely David Tucker should investigate. Maybe someone should ask him why this policy doesn't apply to WIRT's unlike all of the other racial groups in Barnet.