Barnet Council Tories can afford publicly funded political assistants but not Childrens Centres

On our future shape leaks website, we tonight publish in full a press release from the Barnet Council Conservative Political Officer, Richard Robeson. This man is paid for by your taxes to help Barnets Conservative Councillors with their "political needs". He gets a salary twice or even three times more than carers and teaching assistants.

His job is purely political, he's Barnets Tory Spin doctor. When you read of all the cuts he's trying to justify, what sane person can wonder how they can afford a luxury like him?


http://barnetfutureshape.blogspot.com/2010/12/barnet-tories-publicly-funded-political.html

It really makes me sick.

A simple blueprint to save Mill Hill Village Sports Club

Without wishing to upset all of my readers from other parts of the Borough of Barnet, I've always been a firm believer that Mill Hill is a rather special place. You can jump on a train and be sampling all the delights of central London in less than 15 minutes (on a good day and on the right train). You can eat the finest Chinese food at The Good Earth and Hee's. You can eat the finest Indian food at The Mill Hill Tandoori or The Day of the Raj. You can walk to the museum with the greatest collection of British World War II airoplanes in the world. You can see the last example of a Wellington bomber such as my dad flew on 40 missions over enemy territory. We have some of the best primary and secondary schools in the country. We've some of the ugliest urban scars (the M1 bridge in Mill Hill Broadway) and some of the finest views (The Ridgway).

We've also got a sports club that has 140 years of history. It's in Burtonhole Lane and it is Mill Hill Village. Now I don't have an association with the club, I used to play for Hendon School old boys and my son plays for Watling Under 9's who soundly trounced their Mill Hill Village counterparts this season, but I have a great deal of affection for the club. Many of my friends and their children play there. It's main sports are Football and Cricket. A trip down will show that this is a multi racial and very harmonious and socially beneficial club. It has a beautiful setting and many members.

Which brings us to the question of how Barnet Council think a club like this should be treated? Not very well it seems. They are planning to double the rent from £7,400 to £13,500. This is at a time of rising obesity and related health problems. Sport is recogised as a vital ingredient in combatting this. Part of Barnets waffle about Future Shape talks about "nudging" people into healthy lifestyles. It seems to me that this will nudge them all back on to the couch. As with most things, Mill Hill's Tory's seem to be a bit brighter than those elsewhere in the Borough. Mill Hill's sole Tory councillor, the redoubtable John Hart is leading the campaign to "Save The Village". He says

"I want to help the club survive. With the problems we have with obesity, we’re supposed to be trying to get young people off their botties and playing sport."

I've said it before and doubtless, I'll say it again. John Hart is the finest Tory in the Borough. I have a practical suggestion for John to take to Mike Freer when he goes to see him. One which will achieve a classic Tory goal of saving money, so we all win. It is reported that Barnet council pay a salary of £60,000 a year to a cabinet advisor. This is a taxpayer funded political appointment. His job is to ensure that Barnets Tories stick to the true blue ethos. In my opinion, it is a job for the boys, a method of giving work to someone who can't get elected. There are 33 Barnet Tory Councillors who have been elected. Why do they need a 34th Tory on the payroll who hasn't been.

So here's my plan. Get rid of the cabinet adviosor - This saves £60,000. Then cut the Mill Hill Village rent to 1p a year. This will mean the taxpayer is £46,500 better off. Being a good old socialist, I'd then appoint a full time soccer coach and a full time cricket coach at a cost of £20,000 a year each. The taxpayer would still be £6,500 a year better off. With that I'd cancel the price hike in infant burials. We'd have 2 full time sports coaches so the club would flourish. Oh I said that there would be a saving to the Taxpayer. Well yes, because they would save the employers NI on the salary.

Now you may ask, what if the Barnet Tories need the advice of a political officer to function properly. If that really is the case I'd say they are not up to the job and should resign. I wonder how often, Barnets most sensible Tory, John Hart has availed himself of the services of Mr Robeson (the politcal Officer)?

Have the Tories become the New Stalinists?

Prior to this afternoon, I'd only ever come across the term "Political Officer" in relation to some rather unpleasant individuals operating in the USSR. These party cadres used to ensure that party will was enforced and ideas that clashed with those of Stalin, Lenin & Breshnev were crushed.

Whilst researching the role of "cabinet advisors" in Barnet, I came across the Conservative Political Officers Network. What do they do?

CPON members have their fingers 'on the pulse' of local and national government issues, so much so that they often know the news before anyone else. They are able to communicate events instantly through Torypols – the fastest, most interactive political web tool in British politics today.

Our collective knowledge and experience of how to run administrations and oppositions, combined with local knowledge of towns and cities, plus our expert media relations make CPON, and its members, essential operatives in today’s political world.

Here is a list of jobs that these people are expected to perform.

• Research & policy development.
• Group organisation and administration - in conjunction with the group.
• Secretary and/or group leader's PA; involves arranging substitutes, group meetings, collecting subscriptions, generally supporting the group leader and group management team.
• 'Social Work' - a shoulder to cry on, sounding board, and general information point.
• Press officer.
• Webmaster to the Group's website.
• Contact for the local and regional Conservative party and the local and regional government Conservative groups.
• Unofficial link into the national party, through CPON, Conservative Councillors' Association, Conservative Central Office and Conservative Local Government Association.

A further description :-

A Political Assistant is a local government officer, employed exclusively to support a local political group in its day-to-day council duties. Political Assistants are 'politically restricted' as per the Local Government & Housing Act 1989, meaning they are not allowed to voice their political opinion in public, nor publicly canvas for a particular political party, although they are allowed to convey their political opinion and advice to the group they support.

The duties of a Political Assistant covers a vast spectrum of professional roles, and cannot be pigeon-holed into a particular category. At any one time a Political Assistant will undertake the duties of a policy advisor, press officer, political operative, researcher, case worker, quasi-councillor, counsellor, secretary, web designer, web master, marketing manager, image consultant, photographer and graphic designer to name just a few professional duties. In essence a Political Assistant is the ultimate communications expert.

.

So there you go. The taxpayer funds these posts. I've highlighted the passages that interest me. Firstly, I wonder whether the first paragraph imposes any restrictions on political officers blogging? This is a public domain. Now I'm sure that no one in Barnet would do such a thing, but in light of the McBride scandal, it makes you wonder?

As to the other words I've highlighted. Are you happy that £60,000 of taxpayers money is being spent so that non elected people can act as quasi-councillors. Do you think that at a time when Barnet is removing wardens from sheltered accomodation, that providing Tory politicians with a shoulder to cry on is a good use of public money. Do you think that, at a time when people across the Borough are losing jobs and homes, the best use of £60,000 is an Image Consultant for our councillors? Do you think our Tory councillors need an Unofficial Link into the National Party.














ABOVE: Some of the CPON team (l-r); Leigh Hooker (House of Commons), Morgan Einon (seated, Vale of White Horse), Andy Wood (Kirklees), Chris Heaney (Bedford), Richard Robeson (seated, Barnet), Richard Ashton (Tameside), Robert Booth (Somerset) & Kate Stinton (Kingston upon Thames)

Well let me tell you what I think. I think that it sounds undemocratic, dangerous and wasteful. I think it sounds Stalinist and having visited the USSR several times in it's heyday, that scares me to death. Most of all though, it sounds UNCONSERVATIVE. Looking at this website scared me to death. I've this question for our Conservative councillors. Do you really think that this role and this organisation is Conservative and compatible with your principles? I thought you believed in small government and self sufficiency, or is that only for the prolatetariat? Is the party different? I doubt that when George Orwell wrote 1984 he envisaged that in 2009 there would be a "Conservative Political Officers Network" there to advise the leader of Barnet Council on his image?