Tuesday 20 July 2010

Tuesday Update : Barnet Eye war on Spongers and parasites : Words of Wisdom ?

In my war on the Spongers and Parasites of Barnet, I have enlisted a rather surprising ally. Read his words of wisdom from The Spectator :-

Some council leaders now receive up to £65,000 per annum and, for being an executive member, the average in London is about £30,000. To keep the backbenchers happy so-called 'Special Responsibility Allowances' now have to be paid for all sorts of minor, functionary positions: £2,500 for being vice-chair of the Trees and Cemeteries Scrutiny Committee or for turning up at a Licensing Committee once a year. In short big money for local politicians. The danger of this, of course, is leaders now win or lost their positions on the strength of who they had promised well paid jobs to. And I fear getting to form an administration in local government has more to do with how all the allowances are distributed than which councillor is best for which job.
Any idea who wrote these words of wisdom - CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT - yes that's right. It's Tory Barnet Councillor Brian Coleman. The man who told the Telegraph on Saturday
I don't have to justify what I earn. Councillors are worth every penny they earn. I'm not interested in this tittle tattle.
He also told the Hendon Times this
We have to look at allowances every four years and have done what 20 other councils have done. They recognise the changing role of the executive and services provided.
The cabinet is getting nothing like its entitled to according to Sir Rodney Brook (report author). I will take the money I'm entitled to. No more, no less.
This is the same man who, to quote his New Statesman article said

The repeal of the 2000 Local Government Act, the ending of executive powers for councillors and a return to proper, accountable, local democracy would be a first step to ensuring that service rather than salary was the driving force for Local Councillors.
Political service should be a calling not a career!
Mr Coleman told the Standards Board of Barnet Council last year that I had unfairly called him a hypocrite. Does it surprise you that they rejected his defence for his bad behaviour and found in my favour. I urge all the Tory Councillors who voted for the rise in allowances to read their beloved mentor, Mr Brian Colemans column in the New Statesman. Is this what he told you when he was asking you to vote for a pay rise. Maybe you feel happy indulging such hypocricy.

Mr Coleman knows exactly what is wrong with the system. Sadly, rather than setting a good example, he uses the very tools he knows to be wrong, for his own twisted ends. I can see no greater reason for sacking him than his own words. David Cameron should summon him, read him his own words and then strip him of the Tory whip for causing such a great embarrassment.

3 comments:

baarnett said...

Maybe it is as someone has commented already - Mr Coleman knows he is on the way out, and just wants to trouser as much as he possibly can, while he still has the opportunity.

He needs to be prepared for a review of his subsidised housing as well.

baarnett said...

According to today's Evening Standard, Our Bri' is only the second highest-paid councillor in the country.

It says:
Tory Brian Coleman is understood to be the second highest paid councillor, on £118,499 a year. He gets £38,177 as a Barnet councillor and cabinet member — up from about £27,000 last year — plus £53,439 for sitting in the Assembly and £26,883 as chairman of London's fire service. He waived £7,200 of his Barnet allowance this year.

Mr Coleman said: “I work about 100 hours a week and have had three days off since Christmas. I'm not pleading some special case, just saying that ... these salaries are not unreasonable.

“Some politicians are doing themselves into an early grave because of the pressure and the hassle.”

I suppose we, the public, are the hassle.

Mrs Angry said...

100 hours a week? Brian, you need to join a union, my dear, and get better terms and conditions.