This blog has had a large number of hits on the story about Jonathan Hoffman picketing the appearance of Miriam Margolyes at the Arts Depot. Mr Hoffman is a leading Zionist campaigner and will let no criticism of Israel or the local Jewish community pass without vocally opposing it. Barnet Tory Councillors also make a big issue of support for Israel and condemnation of any instance of Anti Semitism in the Borough. In fact Mr Hoffman rallied to support Councillor Brian Coleman as a friend of Israel during his recent Standards hearing. The Barnet Eye admires people such as Mr Hoffman who stand up for their principles and put themselves in harms way to get their point across. We don't always agree with everything Mr Hoffman says or does, but it requires guts and determination to stand on the street and run the risk of abuse or even possible violence.
The Barnet Eye has less admiration for the Tories of Barnet Council such as Rams and Coleman, who are sometimes a little more equivocal with their support. It may surprise newer readers of this blog to find out that this blog was founded because of our stance AGAINST AN ANTISEMITIC VIDEO POSTED ON THE BARNET COUNCIL WEBSITE. At the time I was writing a blog on the Hendon Times website. It was (as this blog is) very well read. It also (as this blog does) ruffled the feathers of Councillors on a regular basis. The editor of the Times told me on several occasions that various Tory Councillors (including Councillor Rams) had contacted him asking for the Times to dispense with my services. Amongst other things I was told that I couldn't refer to the then Council Leader, Mike Freer. I was then told that I had to stop mentioning Brian Coleman. All of these things I complied with.
Then I was informed by one of the people who regularly commented on my blog (and who had started his own blog) that Barnet Council had posted an Anti Semitic video on their Youtube site. I was outraged and posted an extremely hard hitting blog demanding that the Council immediately removed the video and apologised for their crass action. What do you think happened next?
Well you may (or may not) be surprised to hear that Barnet Council contacted the Times and demanded that I was sacked as a blogger. The Times duly complied with this request. I set up the Barnet Eye in response to this outrageous behaviour. My return was lauded by the fellow Blogger, Don't Call Me Dave here - http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2008/10/rog-t-is-back.html - Don't call me Dave also blogged about the original video here - http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2008/10/council-refuses-to-remove-offensive_03.html - Don't Call Me Dave was shocked by the behaviour. At the Time, I believe he was still a member of the Chipping Barnet Conservative Association, which he had been an officer of. As far as I'm aware, he was the only Barnet Conservative to express any support for me in response to my sacking for opposing Anti Semitism.
It seemed that the rest of them were quite happy with me to get shafted, because it was rather convenient for them. If such a thing had happened to anyone who was a friend of the Barnet Tories, then we'd have seen more than Mr Hoffman outside the Times office.
That is why I think they are all a complete bunch of hypocrites. That is why I don't trust them an inch.
Showing posts with label dont call me dave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dont call me dave. Show all posts
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Friday, 30 September 2011
An open letter to Cllr Richard Cornelius, Barnet Council Leader from David Miller, former chairman of Chipping Barnet Conservative Association
Dear Richard
I was extremely concerned to read in the local media that Cllr Daniel Thomas claimed that it cost the council £40,000 to respond to FOI requests from just one individual - reportedly the blogger known as Mr Mustard. Unless the council is forced to pay staff overtime in processing such requests, it is patently obvious that there is no marginal cost to taxpayers whatsoever and it is completely dishonest to suggest otherwise. Staff responding to FOI requests are merely using the time for which they are already being paid.
You should be aware that with regard to trying to embarrass members of the public exercising their legal rights, Cllr Thomas has form. In November 2008, he asked Mike Freer a clearly planted question which alleged that I had made the most FOI requests in the preceding 6 months. The stated figure of 29 requests was demonstrably incorrect and, as the Information Commissioner subsequently confirmed following my complaint, Barnet Council had no legal right to publish my name in this report.
The council nonetheless refused to redact my details arguing that the publication of my name did not identify me personally, as prohibited by law. Rather, they claimed that the report referred to all David Millers in the Borough. Somebody in the council was actually paid to write this errant nonsense and this should be of greater concern to you than the cost of complying with an Act of Parliament.
You will recall that when the Conservatives won control of the Council in 2002, the then leader made a speech in which he promised “an open and honest” Administration. Sadly, the opposite has proven true. There is a culture of obsessive secrecy which permeates through every fibre of the council’s being. Barnet is seemingly more concerned with spending money on lawyers in an attempt to keep secret that which should be public, than in allowing greater access to information in accordance with official Conservative policy.
The Information Commissioner’s guidelines state that the council’s default position should be to publish all information without the requirement of being asked. If the council adhered to these guidelines, it would obviate the need for most of the FOI requests submitted. Obviously certain categories of information must, by law, remain confidential but far too much is kept secret on spurious grounds. One such reason often cited is commercial sensitivity. It may have escaped your notice, but the council is not a commercial organisation. It is a public body whose sole raison d’être is to serve the public. Everything the council does is in our name and on our behalf. We have an absolute right to know what you are doing at all times.
It clearly grates on senior councillors and officers that members of the public are rather adept at exposing failures in the council’s processes, but an enlightened authority should thank residents for identifying their shortcomings, rather than indulge in petty obfuscation and vilification.
If any councillors are unhappy with the concept of public scrutiny of the decision making process, they are, of course, free to stand down from public office. It is called public for a reason.
Kind regards
David
I was extremely concerned to read in the local media that Cllr Daniel Thomas claimed that it cost the council £40,000 to respond to FOI requests from just one individual - reportedly the blogger known as Mr Mustard. Unless the council is forced to pay staff overtime in processing such requests, it is patently obvious that there is no marginal cost to taxpayers whatsoever and it is completely dishonest to suggest otherwise. Staff responding to FOI requests are merely using the time for which they are already being paid.
You should be aware that with regard to trying to embarrass members of the public exercising their legal rights, Cllr Thomas has form. In November 2008, he asked Mike Freer a clearly planted question which alleged that I had made the most FOI requests in the preceding 6 months. The stated figure of 29 requests was demonstrably incorrect and, as the Information Commissioner subsequently confirmed following my complaint, Barnet Council had no legal right to publish my name in this report.
The council nonetheless refused to redact my details arguing that the publication of my name did not identify me personally, as prohibited by law. Rather, they claimed that the report referred to all David Millers in the Borough. Somebody in the council was actually paid to write this errant nonsense and this should be of greater concern to you than the cost of complying with an Act of Parliament.
You will recall that when the Conservatives won control of the Council in 2002, the then leader made a speech in which he promised “an open and honest” Administration. Sadly, the opposite has proven true. There is a culture of obsessive secrecy which permeates through every fibre of the council’s being. Barnet is seemingly more concerned with spending money on lawyers in an attempt to keep secret that which should be public, than in allowing greater access to information in accordance with official Conservative policy.
The Information Commissioner’s guidelines state that the council’s default position should be to publish all information without the requirement of being asked. If the council adhered to these guidelines, it would obviate the need for most of the FOI requests submitted. Obviously certain categories of information must, by law, remain confidential but far too much is kept secret on spurious grounds. One such reason often cited is commercial sensitivity. It may have escaped your notice, but the council is not a commercial organisation. It is a public body whose sole raison d’être is to serve the public. Everything the council does is in our name and on our behalf. We have an absolute right to know what you are doing at all times.
It clearly grates on senior councillors and officers that members of the public are rather adept at exposing failures in the council’s processes, but an enlightened authority should thank residents for identifying their shortcomings, rather than indulge in petty obfuscation and vilification.
If any councillors are unhappy with the concept of public scrutiny of the decision making process, they are, of course, free to stand down from public office. It is called public for a reason.
Kind regards
David
Friday, 17 December 2010
The Don't Call Me Dave Xmas Reunion Tour : Here we are and here we are and here we go !
The Status Quo of Barnet Blogging, Don't Call Me Dave (Barnets most sensible Tory) has just announced his Xmas Blog tour. You may recall that he's retired from blogging 16 times this year. I for one am delighted that he has more relapses than Shane MacGowan !
English Language blogs:
The English Vernacular: http://www.verbumsapienti.org.uk/2010/12/english-vernacular.html
Pastiche, Parody, Lampoon: http://www.verbumsapienti.org.uk/2010/12/pastiche-parody-lampoon.html
English: The World’s Language: http://www.verbumsapienti.org.uk/2010/12/english-worlds-language.html
The Stories of English: http://www.verbumsapienti.org.uk/2010/12/stories-of-english.html
Political blogs:
£100 million. The real cost of BT Vital Vision: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/100-million-real-cost-of-bt-vital.html
Can we have the one with the banana? http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/can-we-have-one-with-banana.html
MPs know what they are talking about: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/mps-know-what-they-are-talking-about.html
We are all Thatcher’s children: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/we-are-all-thatchers-children.html
FA no better than FIFA: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/fa-no-better-than-fifa.html
We don’t need no education: http://www.notthebarnettimes.co.uk/2010/12/we-dont-need-no-education.html
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Leader of Barnet Council Lynne Hillan exposed !!!!!!!
In the first of the two sections she talks about "better services with less money" in the context of youth services. You've got that, the person who just awarded herself a payrise of over 50% thinks the young people of Barnet should find better ways to do things with less money. Not that an old hypocrite like Lynne would actually consider doing it herself, or see the irony in her statement.
In the second section she says "We face hard financial times and difficult choices in the public sector over the next few years". What's with the "We" Lynne. You don't, you've just awarded yourself a huge payrise.
Now she has quite clearly decided to go on the offensive to defend her cash hike. She gave the Hendon Times an interview today (Click here for the full version on this vile crap -
http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8296725.Allowances_rise_reflects_changing_role_of_councillors__claims_council_leader/)
Let me give you a few sickening snippets from our glorious leader. Hillan says :-
The roles are much more professionalised. If you have volunteers, then you are going to get people who are not working, some who are retired. You aren't getting the right sort of people for the right jobs.Hillan is trying to make out that there is a switch from voluntary councillors to a professional breed. This could not be further from the truth. Councillors have been paid generous allowances for part time jobs for years, as she later admits.
If you are in the cabinet, there is no way you are not working in the town hall at least two days a week.This rather gives lie to Brian Colemans claim of working 100 hours a week, exposed elsewhere. My mind went back to the dim distant days when I used to write a blog on the Hendon Times. This was in the days before Don't Call Me Dave had even started blogging, let alone retired from it. He left a very illuminating comment on a blog I wrote called "Three Cheers for Brownite Freer" (about then Council Leader Mike Freer)
(Link - http://www.times-series.co.uk/archive/2008/07/03/Rog+T+Blog+%28Imported+from+blog+module%29/3208917.Three_cheers_for_Brownite_Freer/ )
Davids comment left on 05/07/08 says this about former leader Mike Freer
The same argument applies to councillors. A few years ago, they received only a token allowance and stood for election out of a sense of civic duty. Now it's just a gravy train. A public notice published this week reveals that Mike Freer received over £47,000 last year for what is supposed to be a part time job. Mike Freer himself admitted last year that the Chief Executive does all the work! 55 other councillors received substantial 5 digit sums in allowances. We, the people, have never been consulted about this. Councillors will say that their pay is set by an independent panel but nobody puts a gun to their head and forces them to accept allowances against their will.
Interestingly Hillan does come up with a way to cut the costs of councillors.
There are various ways of doing it. There is a national scheme looking at whether it should be three councillors per ward or maybe it should be two, that would shrink the pot immediately.
Hillan, Lynne - Conservative - 3307
Rutter, Lisa - Conservative - 3353
Tambourides, Andrea - Conservative - 3496
Interestingly, the old rule of elections is that the candidates who do best are the best known and the ones with the alphabetically first name. Hillan as Council Leader and first name should have been well ahead. It really says much about those who know her best.
Lynne Hillan is exposed by her own words and deeds as a greedy hypocrite. She uses the term "we" to talk of cuts in the public sector, whilst planning a pay hike. She pretends that their is more work to do, whilst employing more and better payed Council Executives. She tries to con the public into thinking she used to do it for nothing, by talking about volunteers, as if this was her role prior to the huge payrise. She doesn't care about the people who work for Barnet Council, she doesn't care about those such as the residents of Sheltered Housing who she has a duty of care to, she's even prepared to sack her own back bench councillors to keep her cushy lifestyle. Normally after a couple of days writing about a subject, I run out of things to say. Sadly on this one, there is enough anger, material from correspondents and other background info to keep me running on anger for the next six months.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
My advice to Councillor Andrew Harper - beware of the blog from beyond the grave
Further to yesterdays blog about Barnet Council not flying the flag of St George for the world cup, Don't call me Dave has forwarded me an email from Councillor Andrew Harper. He's performed a swift and sensible U-turn and has now agreed to fly the flag. I actually quite like Andrew, he's one of the more sensible and humourous of the Barnet Tories. My advice to him is this. Before you speak to the press and make silly decisions, take a minute to think. It will save much bother and derision (especially from this blog).
Anyway, it is yet another great victory for the bloggers of Barnet. I suspect that the council were terrified that Don't Call Me Dave might be forced out of retirement by their stupidity and that is the thing they fear most. It would make a great film "The blog from beyond the grave". I think in future rather than David actually writing a blog, all he needs to do is say he'll start again and they'll panic and see sense.
Anyway, it is yet another great victory for the bloggers of Barnet. I suspect that the council were terrified that Don't Call Me Dave might be forced out of retirement by their stupidity and that is the thing they fear most. It would make a great film "The blog from beyond the grave". I think in future rather than David actually writing a blog, all he needs to do is say he'll start again and they'll panic and see sense.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
A message to the Labour Party in Barnet
Dear Barnet Labour Party,
There is no nice way to say this. I am saying this because the people of Barnet desperately need you to change, probably more than any local Labour party anywhere in the UK. I know that this will make me no friends at all, but frankly I really don't care anymore. I am saying this because if no one says it and no one does anything, then it is a total betrayal of the people who have supported you, the working people of Barnet. Every single Labour party member in Barnet should read this and ask themselves "How did we let this happen?"
You are a disgrace and you've let the people of Barnet down badly. Barnet Council is run by a completely useless Conservative administration. Not only have they shown themselves to be financially incompetent, but they have embarked on a war against the poor, the vulnerable, the weak and their own employees. This campaign is called Future Shape. If you are a member of the Barnet Labour party, you either know about this and have done sweet FA about it, which is a disgrace or you don't know about it which is even worse. This is a plan to completely privatise all council functions, sell off all of the councils assets and reduce the council down to a core of highly paid officials and councillors, who sit in Ivory towers allocating lucrative contracts to private companies. This will relocate thousands of jobs out of Barnet, causing poverty and deprivation. Where have the stalls been on the high street to fight this? Where have the leaflets been explaining why it is vital for Labour to kick the Tories out of the Town Hall? Where have the activists been marching up and down the high streets saying to people "Do you agree with these policies, if not join us". What about Barnet Councils war on Sheltered Housing tenants? Have you been marching up and down the High Street saying "They can't get away with this" Have you been saying to everyone you know "We can beat this, but only if we get off our lazy fat arses and do something". Where have the stalls been? Where have the pickets been. Oh yes, I hear you say "Andrew Dismore and Alison Moore were at the front of the March against sheltered housing in Finchley last year". Trouble was that they had no part in the organisation, they just turned up and hijacked it. Did they make sure that there was a Labour stall out in the High Street building on that, reminding everyone, week after week? No, of course they didn't.
What election leaflets did we get from Labour. Lots and lots from Andrew Dismore telling us how marvellous he was. If these leaflets had said "only a vote for Labour will stop the sheltered housing cuts and only a vote for Labour will stop wholesale privatisation, which will bring poverty and unemployment to Barnet, in big, bold brassy letters, then maybe Mr Dismore would have got the 106 extra votes he needed in Hendon". I have no doubt whatsoever that if the Labour party had started it's local campaign against the warden cuts and the future shape program last year, and got a stall out in every High Street in Barnet once a month for the last year, they would have followed the example of Brent,Harrow and Camden and taken control of the council. As it was they were all too lazy.
Oh, I hear them say, we didn't have the activists on the ground to do it. Of course you didn't because you only do that by the leadership getting off their arses, organising local meetings, working hard and saying "get out there and get us some activists". Work breeds success and the Barnet Labour party did none. I don't believe the lie that there was nobody interested. I attended a few meetings of the Barnet Community Campaign and there was huge interest in fighting these policies. The sad thing was that the local Lavbour party wasn't. All they were interested in doing was trying to save Andrew Dismores seat. The sad truth is that if they'd campaigned against the council, they'd have swept Dismore in on the backwash. Dismores campaign was built on sand. There were no solid foundations.
Andrew Dismore won because Labour and the Lib Dems controlled the Council and there was a healthy network of local activists. These people worked tirelessly at ground level to fight on local issues and this engaged local people. The key turning point for Andrew was Edgware general hospital, where a huge local campaign swept him into power. Sadly once he got there, local people and local politics were forgotten. That was why the council was lost and that's why it wasn't regained.
I received an email yesterday from Don't Call Me Dave. He's a Conservative who runs the Not The Barnet Times blog. It is shameful that he's done more to oppose future shape, the warden cuts and all of the other inept actions of the Barnet Conservatives than the entire Barnet Labour Party put together. All the Barnet Labour Party had to do to win was say "Read the Not The Barnet Times blog and see why you cannot vote Conservative. This blog is written by a leading Barnet Conservative". They had all of the ammunition they needed from a source of impeccable trustworthyness.
I know that many angry Labour members will say "Well you are in no position to talk, you jumped ship to the Lib Dems". I did this because I believed that the Lib Dems were the only realistic opponents of the Barnet Tories in Mill Hill ward and also because they seemed to understand the need to campaign locally. Sure we lost, but we worked our socks off. We were squeezed by a general election happening on the same day as the council election. We have issues to sort out and lessons to learn, but there is one big difference between Labour and the Lib Dems in London. Labour had a huge swing in most councils apart from Barnet. The Lib Dems didn't. If you are a Labour party member living in Barnet and you don't like what the Council is doing, then get out and get active. Dust down those tressel tables, get that photocopier going and start telling people why they need to kick the Tories out in Barnet Town Hall. If you start now and you start to reengage with all those lost Labour voters at street level, by the time of the next election you might get there. There will be plenty of local issues for you to fight, given the policies of local and national government. This can only be done from the ground up.
Many people have asked me if I am going to be rejoining the Labour party, following the Lib Dem pact with the Tories. I have thought long and hard about this. As to the deal "I agree with Charles" - Charles Kennedy said he could never vote for such a pact. Having said that, I am Mill Hill through and through and the harsh reality is that only the local Lib Dems offer an alternative to the Tories in this ward. All of my reasons for quitting the Labour party still stand true. As I said to Dont Call Me Dave, the reason that the Tories won in Barnet is because no one believed that the local Labour Party had worked hard enough to prove it was a viable alternative.
I do have one suggestion for the local Labour Party, a parting gift. There is only one person in Barnet who has the skills, capability, knowledge and drive to get you back on the right track. If Alison Moore really is a leader she will lead a delegation around to her place and beg her to become the Barnet Labour party general secretary and not take no for an answer. Give her access to all your cash, all your campaigning resources and let her run the back room show. That person is Vicki Morris and if you do that you will win the Barnet Council back in four years time. If you don't ask her then you deserve oblivion. She knows how to campaign, how to work hard and how to fight.
There is no nice way to say this. I am saying this because the people of Barnet desperately need you to change, probably more than any local Labour party anywhere in the UK. I know that this will make me no friends at all, but frankly I really don't care anymore. I am saying this because if no one says it and no one does anything, then it is a total betrayal of the people who have supported you, the working people of Barnet. Every single Labour party member in Barnet should read this and ask themselves "How did we let this happen?"
You are a disgrace and you've let the people of Barnet down badly. Barnet Council is run by a completely useless Conservative administration. Not only have they shown themselves to be financially incompetent, but they have embarked on a war against the poor, the vulnerable, the weak and their own employees. This campaign is called Future Shape. If you are a member of the Barnet Labour party, you either know about this and have done sweet FA about it, which is a disgrace or you don't know about it which is even worse. This is a plan to completely privatise all council functions, sell off all of the councils assets and reduce the council down to a core of highly paid officials and councillors, who sit in Ivory towers allocating lucrative contracts to private companies. This will relocate thousands of jobs out of Barnet, causing poverty and deprivation. Where have the stalls been on the high street to fight this? Where have the leaflets been explaining why it is vital for Labour to kick the Tories out of the Town Hall? Where have the activists been marching up and down the high streets saying to people "Do you agree with these policies, if not join us". What about Barnet Councils war on Sheltered Housing tenants? Have you been marching up and down the High Street saying "They can't get away with this" Have you been saying to everyone you know "We can beat this, but only if we get off our lazy fat arses and do something". Where have the stalls been? Where have the pickets been. Oh yes, I hear you say "Andrew Dismore and Alison Moore were at the front of the March against sheltered housing in Finchley last year". Trouble was that they had no part in the organisation, they just turned up and hijacked it. Did they make sure that there was a Labour stall out in the High Street building on that, reminding everyone, week after week? No, of course they didn't.
What election leaflets did we get from Labour. Lots and lots from Andrew Dismore telling us how marvellous he was. If these leaflets had said "only a vote for Labour will stop the sheltered housing cuts and only a vote for Labour will stop wholesale privatisation, which will bring poverty and unemployment to Barnet, in big, bold brassy letters, then maybe Mr Dismore would have got the 106 extra votes he needed in Hendon". I have no doubt whatsoever that if the Labour party had started it's local campaign against the warden cuts and the future shape program last year, and got a stall out in every High Street in Barnet once a month for the last year, they would have followed the example of Brent,Harrow and Camden and taken control of the council. As it was they were all too lazy.
Oh, I hear them say, we didn't have the activists on the ground to do it. Of course you didn't because you only do that by the leadership getting off their arses, organising local meetings, working hard and saying "get out there and get us some activists". Work breeds success and the Barnet Labour party did none. I don't believe the lie that there was nobody interested. I attended a few meetings of the Barnet Community Campaign and there was huge interest in fighting these policies. The sad thing was that the local Lavbour party wasn't. All they were interested in doing was trying to save Andrew Dismores seat. The sad truth is that if they'd campaigned against the council, they'd have swept Dismore in on the backwash. Dismores campaign was built on sand. There were no solid foundations.
Andrew Dismore won because Labour and the Lib Dems controlled the Council and there was a healthy network of local activists. These people worked tirelessly at ground level to fight on local issues and this engaged local people. The key turning point for Andrew was Edgware general hospital, where a huge local campaign swept him into power. Sadly once he got there, local people and local politics were forgotten. That was why the council was lost and that's why it wasn't regained.
I received an email yesterday from Don't Call Me Dave. He's a Conservative who runs the Not The Barnet Times blog. It is shameful that he's done more to oppose future shape, the warden cuts and all of the other inept actions of the Barnet Conservatives than the entire Barnet Labour Party put together. All the Barnet Labour Party had to do to win was say "Read the Not The Barnet Times blog and see why you cannot vote Conservative. This blog is written by a leading Barnet Conservative". They had all of the ammunition they needed from a source of impeccable trustworthyness.
I know that many angry Labour members will say "Well you are in no position to talk, you jumped ship to the Lib Dems". I did this because I believed that the Lib Dems were the only realistic opponents of the Barnet Tories in Mill Hill ward and also because they seemed to understand the need to campaign locally. Sure we lost, but we worked our socks off. We were squeezed by a general election happening on the same day as the council election. We have issues to sort out and lessons to learn, but there is one big difference between Labour and the Lib Dems in London. Labour had a huge swing in most councils apart from Barnet. The Lib Dems didn't. If you are a Labour party member living in Barnet and you don't like what the Council is doing, then get out and get active. Dust down those tressel tables, get that photocopier going and start telling people why they need to kick the Tories out in Barnet Town Hall. If you start now and you start to reengage with all those lost Labour voters at street level, by the time of the next election you might get there. There will be plenty of local issues for you to fight, given the policies of local and national government. This can only be done from the ground up.
Many people have asked me if I am going to be rejoining the Labour party, following the Lib Dem pact with the Tories. I have thought long and hard about this. As to the deal "I agree with Charles" - Charles Kennedy said he could never vote for such a pact. Having said that, I am Mill Hill through and through and the harsh reality is that only the local Lib Dems offer an alternative to the Tories in this ward. All of my reasons for quitting the Labour party still stand true. As I said to Dont Call Me Dave, the reason that the Tories won in Barnet is because no one believed that the local Labour Party had worked hard enough to prove it was a viable alternative.
I do have one suggestion for the local Labour Party, a parting gift. There is only one person in Barnet who has the skills, capability, knowledge and drive to get you back on the right track. If Alison Moore really is a leader she will lead a delegation around to her place and beg her to become the Barnet Labour party general secretary and not take no for an answer. Give her access to all your cash, all your campaigning resources and let her run the back room show. That person is Vicki Morris and if you do that you will win the Barnet Council back in four years time. If you don't ask her then you deserve oblivion. She knows how to campaign, how to work hard and how to fight.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
"Friends, Romans, Conservatives, lend me your votes"
When I started writing a blog, I didn't have any agenda. I didn't think to myself "if I do this, then in two years time I'll be doing that". For those of you who have followed the blog since the days of the Hendon Times blog, will know that what started as a bit of a rant about what I perceived to be mismanagement and Stalinist tendencies within the ruling Conservative elite in Barnet Council, has grown, like a large snowball being rolled down a hill. There were things that I probably could have predicted, if I'd thought about it. I'd probably have predicted that if I felt like this, then a few other people would. What I would never have predicted was just how many real Conservatives in Barnet agree with me. As the blog evolved and I started to research the things I write, two things became crystal clear. One was a deeply personal issue and one was a far wider issue, affecting the whole of Barnet.
On the personal level, it became clear to me that I couldn't, in good conscience, remain a member of the Labour party. I'd belonged to the party for many years, but how could I support a party that had launched an illegal war, based on lies, in Iraq? How could I rant, day after day, about the local Tories telling us porkies and mismanaging us, when Blair and Brown had done such a thing, leading to tens of thousands of deaths of innocent Iraqi civilians. When Bush and Blair abandoned the UN route, they had stuck two fingers up at international law. When it became clear that Parliament had been mislead, I realised that a line had been crossed. I examined my conscience and found myself and Labour had to go our seperate ways. I have huge respect for some of our local Labour Councillors, such as Julie Johnson. It is the top level of Mandelson, Brown, Johnson, Blair who have shown themselves to be unfit to run the Country. It's not just Iraq. The privatisation of the Post Office, the destruction of our pensions, the retention of the rail franchises such as First Capital Connect, the abolition of the 10p tax rate, the bailout of the big banks, with no safeguard against massive bonuses. I could go on. Nobne of these policies I can in any way agree with.
That was the private issue. Then there was the wider issue. I've lived in Mill Hill all of my life (give or take a year or two in my teens & early twenties). I love the area and I want to make sure that my three children and their children have an even better life than I have had in the area. I care passionately about the green space, preserved by green belt legislation. I care about our schools. These are the biggest guarantee of our future. I care about our local small businesses. I run a small business, a music facilities company. My father started a local crash repair business in 1946 called Mac Metals in Bunns Lane Works. He ran it until he retired in 1984, selling it to his foreman. My brother runs a Welding Company and a storage business, which lets low cost space for small businesses. Another brother and sister are trustees of a trust which owns a small industrial estate in Mill Hill which provides local businesses with premises at relatively low rents. Whilst many such sites have been sold and redeveloped for huge profits in residential housing, we believe in the small business ethic. We look for long term investment, rather than short term gain. When my Father died in 1987, my mother considered selling the site. We persuaded her to retain it and set up the trust. As a result, the asset is far greater now. Had she flogged it and invested the money in the Stock market, who knows how it would work out, but it provided an income and a far better investment. It's all about planning long term, rather than short term. Then there is the issue of family. I believe that families are the bedrock of society. I don't just mean Mum, Dad & two kids. I mean the wider family. We have lost the ethic of the wider family. At Christmas, I went to Sandhurst for a get together organised by my Cousins. It was great to see cousins. old and young. What we need to do as a society, is realise teh huge debt we owe the older members of our families. That is why I passionately oppose Barnet Councils policy of abolishing Sheltered housing wardens. My own mum had a stroke when she was 75 years old and became dependent. For 8 years, myself and my brothers and sisters organised our lives around my mothers care. One sister spent 2 days a week with my mother, coming down from Northampton. Another delayed a move from Edgware to Essex for several years. In the course of this experience, we saw first hand the misery caused by the outsourcing of the meals on wheels to Sodexho. The stress caused by this cock up nearly killed her. This is why I think David Young is so admirable to fight Barnet Council through the courts. Does Council Leader Lynne Hillan care? No, she moved her own mother to a location where wardens were being retained, shortly before the policy was publicly announced.
So what has all of this got to do with the price of fish? Well, when I did a blog saying I'd resigned from the Labour party, local Lib Dem boss Jack Cohen rang me up and asked if I'd like to join the Lib Dems. I'd spoken to Jack a few times to get info about several council issues and found him to be a good guy. I laughed at the idea, until a couple of days later. I was having a beer with a friend, who is a staunch Tory. I mentioned the conversation with Jack Cohen and he said something which really shocked me. "Rog, you should join and stand for the Council. Did you know that Andrew Reid has become a local Conservative Officer?". He then went on to tell me that if I stood, many local Tories who have become totally disillusioned with Barnet Council, would vote for me. He explained "You understand business, you are a strong family man, you care about the green belt and you are honest" He went on to point out that I'd helped many local businesses with rates appeals, done much fund raising for local charities and organised all sorts of local events. I asked him if my political views would put people off locally. "Rog, you would never stand for policies which hurt local business, attacked families and pensioners and you're honest. You are more of a Tory than most of the lot in the local party". Whilst that's not a platform I'm standing on for the Lib Dems, this conversation was pivotal. If you've read this blog over the years, you'll know all about my views on everything. Local Politics, football, punk rock, wasabi almonds.... There isn't any politician in the country who you could find out more about their views. There's 853 blogs on this site. Have a look.
Barnet urgently needs change. When the Tories took over, residents paid far less in Council tax than neighbouring Brent and it was well below the national average. Now it is higher than Brent and higher than the National average. Given that the Tories have always said low council tax is their priority, they are failures. As if that wasn't bad enough, they collect more in parking fees than any other Council. You'd think with such high tax and parking fees, they'd be providing good services, but no. They are cutting services to the most vulnerable. Who benefits. Well check how the allowances for senior councillors has shot up. Check how senior Council officers have been kept in line with big pay rises. Some senior officers have even had tellies installed in their offices. Some officers have been sent to the South of France for property conferences.
This isn't all about me though. This can only be changed if, throughout the Borough, people reject the failed regime of Lynne Hillan.If you want lower taxes, better management, then the Lib Dems offer the only realistic chance of getting it in Barnet. This isn't an idle boast. There is a big difference between myself and Council Leader Lynne Hillan. We've both run small businesses. Hers went broke, mine has gone from strength to strength for over 30 years. All of the Lib Dem candidates I've talked to in Barnet have track records of success. They are people who want change for the better. If you are a Tory living in Barnet and you aren't happy with what Barnet Council are up to, lend us your votes at the next council election. Give us a chance to show what proper management can achieve. Let us show you that budget cuts don't have to hit those least able to cope.
If you are sceptical, read this blog. It tells you all you need to know as to why Barnet needs radicle reform. If you don't believe me, then read Don't Call Me Dave at Not The Barnet Times. He used to be a bigwig in the Chipping Barnet Tory party until he saw whats going on.
On the personal level, it became clear to me that I couldn't, in good conscience, remain a member of the Labour party. I'd belonged to the party for many years, but how could I support a party that had launched an illegal war, based on lies, in Iraq? How could I rant, day after day, about the local Tories telling us porkies and mismanaging us, when Blair and Brown had done such a thing, leading to tens of thousands of deaths of innocent Iraqi civilians. When Bush and Blair abandoned the UN route, they had stuck two fingers up at international law. When it became clear that Parliament had been mislead, I realised that a line had been crossed. I examined my conscience and found myself and Labour had to go our seperate ways. I have huge respect for some of our local Labour Councillors, such as Julie Johnson. It is the top level of Mandelson, Brown, Johnson, Blair who have shown themselves to be unfit to run the Country. It's not just Iraq. The privatisation of the Post Office, the destruction of our pensions, the retention of the rail franchises such as First Capital Connect, the abolition of the 10p tax rate, the bailout of the big banks, with no safeguard against massive bonuses. I could go on. Nobne of these policies I can in any way agree with.
That was the private issue. Then there was the wider issue. I've lived in Mill Hill all of my life (give or take a year or two in my teens & early twenties). I love the area and I want to make sure that my three children and their children have an even better life than I have had in the area. I care passionately about the green space, preserved by green belt legislation. I care about our schools. These are the biggest guarantee of our future. I care about our local small businesses. I run a small business, a music facilities company. My father started a local crash repair business in 1946 called Mac Metals in Bunns Lane Works. He ran it until he retired in 1984, selling it to his foreman. My brother runs a Welding Company and a storage business, which lets low cost space for small businesses. Another brother and sister are trustees of a trust which owns a small industrial estate in Mill Hill which provides local businesses with premises at relatively low rents. Whilst many such sites have been sold and redeveloped for huge profits in residential housing, we believe in the small business ethic. We look for long term investment, rather than short term gain. When my Father died in 1987, my mother considered selling the site. We persuaded her to retain it and set up the trust. As a result, the asset is far greater now. Had she flogged it and invested the money in the Stock market, who knows how it would work out, but it provided an income and a far better investment. It's all about planning long term, rather than short term. Then there is the issue of family. I believe that families are the bedrock of society. I don't just mean Mum, Dad & two kids. I mean the wider family. We have lost the ethic of the wider family. At Christmas, I went to Sandhurst for a get together organised by my Cousins. It was great to see cousins. old and young. What we need to do as a society, is realise teh huge debt we owe the older members of our families. That is why I passionately oppose Barnet Councils policy of abolishing Sheltered housing wardens. My own mum had a stroke when she was 75 years old and became dependent. For 8 years, myself and my brothers and sisters organised our lives around my mothers care. One sister spent 2 days a week with my mother, coming down from Northampton. Another delayed a move from Edgware to Essex for several years. In the course of this experience, we saw first hand the misery caused by the outsourcing of the meals on wheels to Sodexho. The stress caused by this cock up nearly killed her. This is why I think David Young is so admirable to fight Barnet Council through the courts. Does Council Leader Lynne Hillan care? No, she moved her own mother to a location where wardens were being retained, shortly before the policy was publicly announced.
So what has all of this got to do with the price of fish? Well, when I did a blog saying I'd resigned from the Labour party, local Lib Dem boss Jack Cohen rang me up and asked if I'd like to join the Lib Dems. I'd spoken to Jack a few times to get info about several council issues and found him to be a good guy. I laughed at the idea, until a couple of days later. I was having a beer with a friend, who is a staunch Tory. I mentioned the conversation with Jack Cohen and he said something which really shocked me. "Rog, you should join and stand for the Council. Did you know that Andrew Reid has become a local Conservative Officer?". He then went on to tell me that if I stood, many local Tories who have become totally disillusioned with Barnet Council, would vote for me. He explained "You understand business, you are a strong family man, you care about the green belt and you are honest" He went on to point out that I'd helped many local businesses with rates appeals, done much fund raising for local charities and organised all sorts of local events. I asked him if my political views would put people off locally. "Rog, you would never stand for policies which hurt local business, attacked families and pensioners and you're honest. You are more of a Tory than most of the lot in the local party". Whilst that's not a platform I'm standing on for the Lib Dems, this conversation was pivotal. If you've read this blog over the years, you'll know all about my views on everything. Local Politics, football, punk rock, wasabi almonds.... There isn't any politician in the country who you could find out more about their views. There's 853 blogs on this site. Have a look.
Barnet urgently needs change. When the Tories took over, residents paid far less in Council tax than neighbouring Brent and it was well below the national average. Now it is higher than Brent and higher than the National average. Given that the Tories have always said low council tax is their priority, they are failures. As if that wasn't bad enough, they collect more in parking fees than any other Council. You'd think with such high tax and parking fees, they'd be providing good services, but no. They are cutting services to the most vulnerable. Who benefits. Well check how the allowances for senior councillors has shot up. Check how senior Council officers have been kept in line with big pay rises. Some senior officers have even had tellies installed in their offices. Some officers have been sent to the South of France for property conferences.
This isn't all about me though. This can only be changed if, throughout the Borough, people reject the failed regime of Lynne Hillan.If you want lower taxes, better management, then the Lib Dems offer the only realistic chance of getting it in Barnet. This isn't an idle boast. There is a big difference between myself and Council Leader Lynne Hillan. We've both run small businesses. Hers went broke, mine has gone from strength to strength for over 30 years. All of the Lib Dem candidates I've talked to in Barnet have track records of success. They are people who want change for the better. If you are a Tory living in Barnet and you aren't happy with what Barnet Council are up to, lend us your votes at the next council election. Give us a chance to show what proper management can achieve. Let us show you that budget cuts don't have to hit those least able to cope.
If you are sceptical, read this blog. It tells you all you need to know as to why Barnet needs radicle reform. If you don't believe me, then read Don't Call Me Dave at Not The Barnet Times. He used to be a bigwig in the Chipping Barnet Tory party until he saw whats going on.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Barnet First? I'd rather have wardens
I had a little email exchange with Barnets most sensible Tory, Don't Call Me Dave yesterday concerning Barnet First, the rather boring magazine that will be landing on your doorstep sometime soon. Don't Call Me Dave reckons that Hammersmith and Fulham Tories saved £400,000 per annum by privatising there equivalent. Theirs is funded by advertising now, as everyone gets a copy.
Strikes me that this would pay for Barnet to keep the wardens. Is Don't Call Me Dave the only Tory in Barnet who sees that this is on place where Future Shape might work. Why is it that Barnets most Tory Tory is ignored by his colleagues in power?
Strikes me that this would pay for Barnet to keep the wardens. Is Don't Call Me Dave the only Tory in Barnet who sees that this is on place where Future Shape might work. Why is it that Barnets most Tory Tory is ignored by his colleagues in power?
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
No 2 in the charts !
The blog has also been inundated with hits. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the story is the second comment left, which was left by "AmandaB" ( a name used by Barnet Tories to leave comments when they aren't brave enough to use their real name).
Haaaaaaaa what next Don't Call Me Dave standing too? Seriously though Rog will have plenty of time to brush up on his geography of the Borough given recent ramblings!As for the Lib Dems - well erm... where are they? Not even a glowing comment from Jack Cohen welcoming him - charming!
It seems strange that the Tories are attacking a member of their own party ("Don't Call Me Dave" Miller) on a story announcing the Lib Dem candidates, where he hadn't even left a comment. If the highest priority for Barnets Tories is to rubbish members of their own clan, for the heinious crime of campaigning for Conservative policies in Barnet, then I suggest that they'll have plenty of time to brush up their own geography in May.
******************* Update *******************************************************
Thanks to all of you who've sent me private emails of congratulations on my selection. I really hope I can repay your faith in me.
I must say something about my two fellow candidates. Kim is an excellent candidate who has a depth of knowledge about Child protection issues. She's got a proven track record in business and she will make a fantastic councillor. She brings many talents to the Lib Dem group and I sincerely hope she's given the opportunity to bring them to the Council. I have no doubt that anyone who is a parent in the Borough of Barnet will reap great benefits if shes elected. As for Jeremy Davies. He's been a councillor for 16 years. He's got a proven track record and is universally respected by colleagues and adversaries. I'm humbled to be able to join them as a candidate.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Tribute to the Sheltered Housing Warden Campaign
A musical video explanation of the Campaign to Save Sheltered Hosuing Wardens in Barnet.
Many thanks to Don't Call Me Dave at the excellent Not The Barnet Times Blog for putting the clip together. Also thanks to the Members for writing the Theme tune (I've got the original 45 on clear vinyl and sow their first London Gig at The Marquee club). I trust that if anyone needs reminding why Lynne Hillan really should never even be considered to be the new Leader of Barnet Council.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Who do you trust? Brian Coleman or Don't Call Me Dave
Today Don't Call Me Dave, Barnet's most sensible Tory, has a great blog exposing the secrecy culture eating away at the heart of Barnet Council. Although I'm a swivel eyed Trotskyite and David is a dyed in the wool Tory, we both agree that transparency in government is vital. There is only one reason that in this day and age that a council wouldn't want to record council meetings and let the public have free access to these. That is because they don't want us to know what they are up to. Councils such as Barnet do not plan clandestine operations against foreign powers. They collect our waste, run our schools and arrange for carers to look after our sick and elderly (at least they are supposed to). Little of their business warrents secrecy. The public can attend council meetings (except when councillors decide to chuck them out) but no wider record of this is available.
What would happen if Barnet recorded meetings and made them publicly available. Well one thing I can guarantee is that people like Don't Call Me Dave and myself would regularly draw your attention to what they've said and they wouldn't be able to deny it. Decide for yourself whether that would be a good or bad thing. I consider Barnet to be rather lucky. We've got several blogs which represent all political views. DCMD and Richard Weider are Conservatives, VickiM and myself are left wingers. There is balance. I've read every single blog DCMD has ever written. As a result I know 1,000 times more about the workings of Barnet Council than I did before he started it. Unlike Council Leader Mike Freer's Barnet Pravda.com blog, it is interesting, informative and readable.
Whilst DCMD and myself disagree about many things political, we both passionately believe in open, honest and clean administration. We both write blogs because we want The London Borough of Barnet to be a better place. We both love the area with a passion and we both want to see our Council be well run.
Today in the Ham & High, Brian Coleman launches an unprecedented attack on bloggers. He calls us a Cancer. Why? Because we've highlighted his shenanigans. He claims we undermine the publics faith in politicians. It doesn't occur to Mayor Coleman that people don't like taxpayer funded excess. If Brian Coleman wants bloggers to write nice things about him, maybe he should stop saying outrageous things, reign in his expenses and start acting as if he was a "public servant".
The reason Great Britain is a successful country which is a mostly fantastic place to live is because we have a free press and people can express their opinions. Brian Coleman himself used European Human rights legislation as his defence for insulting and smearing me. Coleman lost this case because whilst we all have a right to free speech, no one is allowed to make libellous accusations if they are a public servant. I don't know if Brian Coleman suffers from a rare form of Tourettes syndrome, but was he really incapable of telling someone he didn't like them without being abusive and making wholly unsubstantiated allegations.
And therin lies what I perceive the problem to be. Whilst Barnet Council is dominated by people such as Brian Coleman and Council Leader Freer who descibes his opponents as "nutters" and other more repulsive terms, it is probably quite a prudent move for them to ban recording of meetings. I mean heaven forbid if we could actually hold them to account.
So who do you trust more? Dont Call Me Dave who campaigns for open government and honest policies or Mayor of Barnet, Brian Coleman who fights it tooth and nail and wants even more censorship of the Internet than the Communist government of China has introduced.
What would happen if Barnet recorded meetings and made them publicly available. Well one thing I can guarantee is that people like Don't Call Me Dave and myself would regularly draw your attention to what they've said and they wouldn't be able to deny it. Decide for yourself whether that would be a good or bad thing. I consider Barnet to be rather lucky. We've got several blogs which represent all political views. DCMD and Richard Weider are Conservatives, VickiM and myself are left wingers. There is balance. I've read every single blog DCMD has ever written. As a result I know 1,000 times more about the workings of Barnet Council than I did before he started it. Unlike Council Leader Mike Freer's Barnet Pravda.com blog, it is interesting, informative and readable.
Whilst DCMD and myself disagree about many things political, we both passionately believe in open, honest and clean administration. We both write blogs because we want The London Borough of Barnet to be a better place. We both love the area with a passion and we both want to see our Council be well run.
Today in the Ham & High, Brian Coleman launches an unprecedented attack on bloggers. He calls us a Cancer. Why? Because we've highlighted his shenanigans. He claims we undermine the publics faith in politicians. It doesn't occur to Mayor Coleman that people don't like taxpayer funded excess. If Brian Coleman wants bloggers to write nice things about him, maybe he should stop saying outrageous things, reign in his expenses and start acting as if he was a "public servant".
The reason Great Britain is a successful country which is a mostly fantastic place to live is because we have a free press and people can express their opinions. Brian Coleman himself used European Human rights legislation as his defence for insulting and smearing me. Coleman lost this case because whilst we all have a right to free speech, no one is allowed to make libellous accusations if they are a public servant. I don't know if Brian Coleman suffers from a rare form of Tourettes syndrome, but was he really incapable of telling someone he didn't like them without being abusive and making wholly unsubstantiated allegations.
And therin lies what I perceive the problem to be. Whilst Barnet Council is dominated by people such as Brian Coleman and Council Leader Freer who descibes his opponents as "nutters" and other more repulsive terms, it is probably quite a prudent move for them to ban recording of meetings. I mean heaven forbid if we could actually hold them to account.
So who do you trust more? Dont Call Me Dave who campaigns for open government and honest policies or Mayor of Barnet, Brian Coleman who fights it tooth and nail and wants even more censorship of the Internet than the Communist government of China has introduced.
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