Sunday, 15 September 2013

Brian, you should have listened to me in 2009 - so its goodbye from me

Four years ago this week, I was preparing to attend a hearing of the Barnet Council Standards committee. Councillor Brian Coleman had responded to a perfectly reasonable email, sent to every Barnet Councillor, with a tirade of abuse. I felt that this was not a reasonable response and that as a public official, with an allowance funded by my taxes, Brian Coleman should not respond in such a manner with his council email address. Brian Coleman had a history of abusing people. On the 16h September 2009, the standards committee of Barnet Council found in my favour. Sadly for all concerned, they took no action against Brian Coleman, who was then Mayor. The Hendon Times reported the story in the following article.


In the article, I made a comment to the report. I said
“My advice to Coleman would be to concentrate on being a politician and doing a good job for the people of Barnet because obviously some people like him and respect him and he undermines that by making clearly inflammatory remarks.”

Now sadly for Brian Coleman, he didn't listen to this advice. In fact he did the opposite. Not only did he carry on making obnoxious remarks and sending people rude emails, he assaulted a woman in Finchley High Road, got caught and was convicted. The local Conservatives were left with no choice but to expel him from the party. Whilst still playing an active role, before his naughtyness overwhelmed him, he called a local resident a "TWAT" at a council meeting. This resulted in yet another complaint. For his sins, Coleman was eventally censured by the council. This punishment in effect meant that a statement was read out in a council meeting stating that Brian was not the messiah, he was a very naughty boy. Councillors were given the opportunity to vote on this and they passed the motion, so he is now officially not the messiah ! He is officially a very naughty boy. Somewhere in Brians mind a large copper penny dropped on Thursday. I think he finally realised the game is up. He twigged that his career as a politician is over.

His response to this is to write a lengthy tirade on his blog, lashing out at his former friends in the Barnet Conservative Party. When I write a blog or work on a campaign, I always consider what will happen next. Throwaway comments made months or years ago can come back to haunt you. I should know, I've made a few. I wonder what thought Brian Coleman gave to this as he picked up his poison pen (or should that be malicious mouse). I should imagine that everyone in his circle of acquaintance will now know what happens if you tell Brian Coleman a secret. When you introduce your wife or partner, will they end up as part of a salacious blog? In short, Brian Coleman has destroyed any trust people may have  had in him. The Leader of Barnet Council rightly states that "the political death of Brian Coleman is inevitable" following the latest blog.

There was a time when simply putting the words Brian Coleman in a blog would add a couple of hundred visits to the blog. Not now. People are sick of him. He has become rather like an embarrassing uncle who has had one too many G&T's at a party. All people want is for him to go home and leave the rest of us in peace. It is not just me saying this. It used to be that any story about Brian Coleman would be the most read story on the Hendon Times for days on end. His latest outburst doesn't even make the top ten

MOST READ

  1. Davids: 'I don’t have to explain anything to anybody'
  2. Lincoln equaliser a bitter pill to swallow admits Davids
  3. Driver caught with £85,000 worth of unpaid fines
  4. Dump truck ends up vertical on main road after collision
  5. Last minute goal proves costly for Bees
  6. Eco-friendly hearse 'star of show' at funeral awards
  7. Council 'has nowhere to put' millions of tonnes of recycling
  8. New sergeant to offer 'reassuring' police presence
  9. Woman and baby in stable condition after Finchley collision
  10. Premier League star snapped filling up £120,000 sports car
The truth is that however loud Brian Coleman shouts, no one is listening. His behaviour is embarrassing and he really has nothing very interesting to say. A fine example of just how dull his revelations are is in his comments about Councillor Maureen Braun
Councillor Maureen Braun (Hendon Ward ) Elected in 1998 having previously served 4 years on Camden Council where famously she had a bag of soot thrown over her during a Poll Tax setting debate, now that was proper Politics ! . Loyal to Lynne Hillan and implacable supporter during the Salinger coup had a long term rivalry with Eva Greenspan over the Mayoralty and positions on planning . Has become the target of accusations from the "boys " that she rests her eyes at meetings. 
I use Braun to illustrate the point, because in the 2009 standards case, Coleman stated that I was an awful person because I had drawn attention to the failure of Braun to follow planning rules when she erected a large shed in her garden. Coleman stated that because she was an old lady, she should not be criticised. It seems that like many things, his views change  to suit the moment.

When this blog first started, we felt that Brian Coleman exemplified everything that was wrong with Barnet Politics. He was rude, arrogant, unpleasant and his liking for a free dinner at the expense of rich benefactors was, in our opinion, not conducive to good governance. Now however he is a marginal figure, an embarrassment to everyone.  His blog is purely written to draw attention to himself and settle old scores. As such, the sensible thing to do is to draw a line under this sad individual and waive him adios.

This will be the last blog that I write on the Barnet Eye that mentions Brian Coleman (unless he is readmitted to the Conservative Party) until the day after the Council elections in May 2014. Should I go back on my word, I will donate £50 to the first charity that anyone leaves a comment recommending on any blog which references Brian Coleman.

I will also not be including Brian Coleman in any emails circulated to Barnet Councillors and I will not be mentioning him in any tweets until after the council elections in May 2014. For those of you who are a bit nostalgic, you may be interested to see the first blog I wrote about Brian Coleman, where I revealed he is actually my Dad ! How times have changed. This was back in the heady days when I wrote a blog for the Hendon Times, before Brian Coleman, Mike Freer and Robert Rams got me sacked for complaining about Barnet Council posting pro Nazi Youtube videos on the Council website (I kid you not).

http://www.times-series.co.uk/archive/2008/06/30/3208915.Dr_Coleman_I_presume/

Goodbye Brian. I wish I could say it's been fun, but actually it hasn't.

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Saturday, 14 September 2013

Rog T's Cancer Blog - Important information if you are having a Prostate Biopsy

For those of you who are regular readers and have read the previous posts on Cancer, you can skip this first paragraph.This is the latest installment in my occasional series about how I'm adjusting to living with a big C in my life.  For those of you who aren't, here's a quick summary. I'm 51 years old and in October 2011 I  had a prostate biopsy following two "slightly high" PSA tests - 2.8 & 4.1. The biopsy took ten tissue samples and one of these showed a "low grade cancer" which gives me a 3+3 on the Gleason scale. I'm now on a program of active monitoring.  In early February, I got the results of the a PSA test - down to 3.5 and an MRI scan which found absolutely nothing, two more tests in 2012 were at 3.5 and 3.9. My latest PSA test in August was not quite so promising,  back up to 4.0, in other words the downward trend has stopped. I've no symptoms and sadly for a few people, if I'm gonna die soon, it won't be from Prostate cancer. Got the picture? 

So yesterday I had a prostate biopsy. This was the second time I've experienced this procedure. I wrote about the first one here - http://barneteye.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/psa-tests-and-prostate-biopsy-blog-you.html - back on the 25th October 2011. Before writing this article, I reread this. When I wrote the blog, a week after the procedure, I didn't know I had prostate cancer and didn't expect a positive result. In fact I was convinced I was Ok and the whole thing would just be a a passing fancy in a midnight nightmare. Sadly, for me at least, it wasn't and I have had a lot of things to get my head around. Perhaps the most important thing I wrote in that blog was the key questions to ask your doctor

So what should I have asked?
a) Can I be knocked out or at least doped up?
b) When is it safe to have sex/masturbate?
c) How many samples will they take?
e) What happens if the test comes back as negative. What happens then?
f) How much fluid should I drink (I've been drinking as much water as possible)?
g) What should I avoid?

Yippee, I thought as I reread this. A strange response you may think. Well no not really. You see I learned one thing as a result of the first procedure. Question a). I asked this time. The doctor said I could have a general anaesthetic, but advised against it. Well let me tell you something very important. When I had the first procedure under local anaesthetic, I found the experience as disturbing as anything I've ever experienced. It has confirmed something I knew since I was given a suppository when I was four years old, having my tonsils out. I don't like having things shoved up my bum. As if that wasn't bad enough, as each of the ten samples was taken I had the sensation of someone flicking my testicles from the inside. By the time the procedure was over I was traumatised. I discussed the issue with my brother in law, who is a doctor in the USA. He informed me that they would never perform such a procedure under local anaesthetic. So this time I insisted on a general.

So what happened yesterday. I arrived at the day procedure department at Barnet General hospital at noon. I'd brought the Guardian and the Express to read during the wait. At around 1pm, I was called through. A nurse took my BP 128/88 and pulse - 51. All was good to go. Then I saw the anaesthetist.. I was asked a whole stack of questions. My name, date of birth, allergies etc. I was told that if it went wrong, I'd loose a few teeth (a bit like a bad night at the Bald Faced Stagg in Burnt Oak). Then the surgeon came down and started the consults. Each patient had the curtains drawn. There were four of us. Rather bizarrely, the curtain is drawn, but you hear every detail. One guy was having his forskin "eased", another guy was having a circumcision, the third was having a vasectomy. Then there was me. Now tell me if I'm wrong, but I was not impressed. We were all able to walk. Why on earth should our deepest medical secrets be discussed in earshot of other people, strangers? There was no earthly reason why we couldn't have the consult in a room with privacy. I am the worlds greatest defender of the NHS, but such matters should be dealt with in a manner that gives respect to the patient.

I was told I'd be the last patient to be treated. The doctor explained that they always started with the most problematical patient. The diabetic with high BP was clearly in front of me. I took the opportunity to read and have a snooze. The anaesthetist commented that I was extremely calm and relaxed. I replied that I relished the chance to chill out and relax. I think he concluded that I was a lunatic. A nurse fitted a line into my hand, through which anaesthetics would be administered.

Eventually I was taken to theatre. I walked down. I was asked to lie on my side. Monitors were fitted and then the anaesthatist announced they were giving me a gin and tonic to help me relax. I replied "Good". I looked up at the monitors and thought "this is having no effect at all". The next feeling I was aware of was one of warmth and comfort. I felt great. Then I woke up. I was back on the ward and it was all done. I felt absolutely fine. A nurse came up and asked if I wanted a tea. I asked for a bottle to relieve myself. I got a nice cup of tea, had a couple of biscuits and did a wee. The surgeon then came up and said "It all went well, your prostate was normal sized. You'll get the results in 3/4 weeks". I had a rather odd feeling in my nether regions, but apart from that I felt absolutely fine. The contrast with the first biopsy could not be more marked.

In 3-4 weeks, I will get the news. I am hoping and praying that this will be good. Whatever happens, I know that opting for the general anaesthetic was the right decision for me. I have been dreading the procedure. I can imagine that many men simply refuse to go back. The down side of that is that you will not know whether your cancer is developing and you are putting yourself in grave danger. Here is the answers to those questions as best I can find out

a) Can I be knocked out or at least doped up? Yes - the procedure can be done under  a general anaesthetic
b) When is it safe to have sex/masturbate? The consensus seems to be 3-4 days
c) How many samples will they take? At my hospital ten, don't know if this is standard. 
e) What happens if the test comes back as negative. What happens then? They monitor your PSA
f) How much fluid should I drink (I've been drinking as much water as possible)? At least an extra litre of water
g) What should I avoid? Vigorous exercise for 1 week

Of course we are all different. Some of the people I've spoken to have taken the biopsy procedure in their stride under local. If you genuinely think that it won't bother you, then have it under local, there are far less risks. People have asked me why I choose to share this private information on a public blog. The reason is quite simple. I was never offered the option of a general anaesthetic and I was discouraged from having one when I asked. Given the feelings of dread I had about the procedure, I had put it off for nine months. Having had the procedure under general anaesthetic, I now know that I have nothing to fear from it. The idea that anyone may not be getting necessary treatment out of the same fear chills me to the core. Our health is the most important gift we have. Cancer robs that gift from us, therefore anything which can help in the fight is the right thing to do. The reaction I've had to this series of blogs has been overwhelmingly positive. I believe that we should respond to cancer as a community, not as scared, frightened, lonely individuals, overwhelmed with fear.

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Friday, 13 September 2013

Who'd be a Barnet Tory

Yesterday we saw one of the most bizarre pieces of exhibitionist willy waving by an ex member of the Barnet Tories seen in a long time. As this was clearly being done for attention, the Barnet Eye has chosen not to explore the matter further. It does ask the question, why on earth would anyone want to be a Barnet Conservative? I know quite a few of their councillors. Most of them I get on reasonably well with on a personal level. Most of them are not horrible people. This year I supported the Mayor of Barnet's appeal as best I could. We arranged a fundraising event at our studios and I attended one of the events organised by Brian Schama, having a good meal and listening to an excellent talk by Martin Bell.

I often see John Hart in Mill Hill and will always pass the time of day with him. He generally tells me a highly inappropriate joke or two and we have a bit of banter. Lisa Rutter and her husband Mark visited the studios during her reign as Mayor and were highly supportive of a youth project we were running. I introduced Dan Thomas to the TS Broadsword Sea Cadets and he has been doing what he can to help them. Joan Scannell is on the Mill Hill Music festival organising committee. Richard Cornelius and Melvin Cohen attended the festival and I sincerely hope they had a great evening, we certainly had a pleasant chat. I have a rule that if I meet anyone from the Council in a social setting, I don't talk politics and I don't pick fights. It is called good manners. I don't dish the dirt on people when they have confided things or let things slip. It is called trust.

This morning many of the Barnet Tories will presumably be feeling a bit upset and let down. I strongly urge all of them from the temptation to respond in kind. It may seem strange for me, as a blogger who has spent the last few years criticising Tories to say this. The point is that I have never criticised any of them for anything outside their role as a councillor. I have not dished the dirt on peoples private lives, even though I know plenty of "dirty secrets". I have been very harsh in regards to their dodgy policies, but this is a different thing completely. It does no one any favours and is completely irrelevant. I don't want to see a situation where people refuse to get involved in local politics because they are scared that their linen will be washed in public.

Much as I disagree with many Tory policies, I would hate to see good people on all sides scared off by such obnoxious behaviour. I urge all of the Councillors who have been besmirched to rise above it. The cold shoulder should be retaliation enogh. Machiavelli stated that "revenge is a dish best served cold". In this case, I suspect that revenge will be handed out by the electorate in May next year.
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Thursday, 12 September 2013

George Osborne is building a victory platform for David Cameron

Yesterday I watched Prime Ministers Question Time at the gym. It is the first time I've bothered to watch it for months. I would suggest that everyone who is interested in how the next election is shaping up should do the same. By the end of the show, I was completely convinced that David Cameron will lead the Conservatives to an outright victory at the next election. The biggest mistake anyone with an interest in politics can make is to bury their heads in the sand. For the past two years, Ed Milliband has had a fair political wind. The economy has been a shipwreck and the numbers have been appalling. The credit ratings agencies downgraded the economy and George Osborne has had the demeanour of the president of the flat earth society.

It was bound to happen and it has. The economy has picked up. In all likelyhood, there is only one way this will go and that is up. By the time of the election in 2015, accidents apart,  we will have had two years of sound economic growth. George Osborne will have cash in the kitty and the prophets of doom will be faced down. As if that scenario is bad enough for Labour, from what I saw yesterday, they will be lead by a man who is not up to the job. Ed Milliband was awful. I've never seen Ed Milliband be good on TV, Radio or in the Commons, but when the economic figures were dire, he was able to be less bad than Cameron.

Yesterday I watched Cameron and I realised that his great strength is that he is a cheerful affable chap, who presents good news very well. In the past when figures have been bad, he has been wooden, almost like a rabbit in the headlights, descending into techyness. Yesterday I saw a new Cameron, confident, strident and brimming with cheerfulness. For the last couple of years, Labour has blamed everything on Osborne. By the same logic, as the Tories will beat endlessly, if things are good, Osborne must be doing a fine job.

Labour are faced with a massive problem in responding to the new political landscape. There strategy of the last two years is in tatters. Everyone knows what they are against, but as Cameron pointed out yesterday, they have not said a single word about what they would do. I believe that this has been a mistake. My work writing this blog has taught me a few things. The major lesson has been that you can change peoples voting habits, when you convince them that something is unjust. In Barnet, tens of thousands of staunch Tory voters deserted the party to vote for Andrew Dismore at the GLA elections because they felt deeply aggrieved by the unfair parking policies of Brian Coleman. Many voted Dismore for GLA and Boris for Mayor. I don't believe that the British public like injustice. I believe Labour has failed to capitalise on this, choosing instead to campaign on all manner of issues that are subject to changes in economic wind direction.

Watching Milliband ask question after question, which Cameron easily swatted back by saying "The economy is brilliant and it's all my work", it should have been obvious to anyone that a change of direction is needed. The fact that Milliband can't think on his feet to do this, calls into question his leadership. David Cameron came to power saying that the NHS was safe in his hands. There are clearly major issues with this. Healthcare is one area where Labour retain far more confidence than the Tories. The system is in chaos, yet Labour say nothing. As to the education system, many children were starting at new schools. Tory Ideology has seen a plethora of "free schools" spring up, set up by well heeled parents in affluent areas. At the same time, tens of thousands of pupils are starting at totally inappropriate schools. Why no mention of this? Then there is transport. Train fares have risen massively over the last few years. Has your commute got better? The only thing which matches the rise has been the rise in profits for the private companies. Why the whole caboodle has not been nationalised, I know not. We have seen several cases where private companies hand back franchises because they are not making profits. In all cases, service has improved and the taxpayer has been better off when run by the state. Then there is the state of care for the elderly, the handicapped and the vulnerable. Anyone who's life is affected by the requirement for care, knows that this is becoming ever more precarious and stressful. Surely a civilised country shouldn't tolerate this. The chosen method of attack for Labour is to highlight "bankers bonuses". I find this strategy to be stupid and know it is doomed to failure. The reason is that whilst some bank bonuses are scandalous, they are not the only sector to get all manner of financial rewards way beyond their worth to the economy. As I mentioned above, shareholders of non performing train companies do rather well, as  do their directors. The governors of the BBC do rather well at our expense. The CEO's and executives of local authorities do rather well at our expense. Then consider Council Tax. The current system means that the more your house is worth, the less the relative cost of Council Tax. I believe that residents of the smallest house in Barnet should pay the same percentage of value of their house as the richest. Who would sympathise with a billionaire, when he complains that he has to pay the same rate of council tax as the bloke who empties his dustbin. In this country, property taxes are unique in that the richer you are, the lower the percentage you pay. Given that they are the easiest to collect, this is scandalous.

The sad truth is that Labour isn't interested in fighting these battles. From what I could see, they were still basing their strategy on a failing economy. If Labour are serious about winning the next election, they need a new leader and a new strategy. As far as I am concerned, one which is interested in fairness would be a good place to start. If they don't, we'll have a Conservative government returned in 2015. This will not be a coalition, as the Lib Dems will be wiped out. Whatever you may think of the Lib Dems, they have taken many of the most jagged edges of the right wing Tory policies. Anyone who believes a Tory administration would be fairer than the coalition is deluded. I would predict that there are a whole raft of Uber Right wing policies lurking in Camerons briefcase, for the day when he can wave adios to Clegg and his merry men.

I don't belong to any political party. I doubt I ever will again. What I do know is this. If I was a Tory I'd be very happy right now. If I was a Labourite, I'd be thoroughly depressed. If I was a Lib Dem I'd be suicidal. And UKIP? Well they are the protest vote for disaffected Tories. If the economy continues to pick up, they are likely to look like a tad stupid.
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Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Brian Coleman censured by Barnet Council and tales of castrated boars from Belarus

Barnet Council held a full meeting last night. A motion of censure was passed against Independent Councillor Brian Coleman. This was his punishment for calling a member of the public a "Twat" during a council meeting. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it is a colloquial expression for a vagina. The Barnet Eye could not attend the session, as we mistakenly thought more entertainment would be had watching Ukraine vs England (how wrong we were).

Our spies at the meeting report that Coleman flounced out of the chamber to avoid the embarrassment of listening to the decision being read out (watch this rather entertaining video).  As ever Coleman has used his twitter account to launch yet another sexist blast at female members of the public




Colemans defence seems to have taken two strands. The first is that because he was elected as a Councillor, he can do what he likes and the second was that because the Council had changed their standards complaint system since the offence, he should be let off scott free. The whole sorry case has rumbled on for months on end and in reality the punishment was that Mr Coleman got told off. I have spent time in the Replublic of Belarus, prior to the breakup of the USSR, where there is a saying which I am reminded of in this case. Roughly translated it says this "The castrated boar can mount the sow but neither ends up happy". It refers to the fact that when a Boar is castrated, it takes the stupid beast rather a long time to realise he's lost his virility and in the meantime, everyone else suffers. Rather like Coleman since he was kicked out of the Conservative Party.

The Barnet Times has a report on the events here http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/10666495.Coleman_storms_out_of_meeting_as_swearing_breach_is_upheld/ - Brian Coleman will stand for election as an Independent Councillor in May 2014. The Barnet Eye sincerely hopes that this will mark the end of a very sorry chapter in the history of Barnet Council.
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Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Barnets Natural Habitat - lets work together to make a wildlife map of Barnet


Mill Hill The Hale - 80 years ago a busy rail station, now totally reclaimed by nature
The Barnet Eye are about to commence a major project. We are looking at the natural habitat in Barnet and we are asking for pictures and stories of wildlife in and around the Borough. We are especially interested in sightings/picture of rare breeds, protected species and also encroachment of invasive species.

We are interested in habitats of reptiles, fish, birds, mammals and plants and are just as interested in what is happening in your back garden as in the rolling fields of the Totteridge valley. If you have an interest in local wildlife etc and would be interested in writing a guest blog, highlighting your pictures or experiences please get in touch. It is our intention over the next two weeks to bring you some interesting and unusual pictures of the environment outside your front and back door. Email us via the link on the right hand side with stories, picture sand guest blogs

Our ultimate intention is to have a full wildlife map of the London Borough of Barnet.
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How good is your council - results

Last week the Barnet Eye ran a survey of all Barnet Councillors - The good council test - Rate your council. We were trying to ascertain their commitment to good governance, value for money and high standards of behaviour.  Of the 63 Barnet Councillors,  we received a read receipt from 29, indicating they had bothered to read the survey.  Of those 8 actually bothered to send some sort of response.

The Lib Dem group faired best with 2 out of three responding, although Jack Cohens response stated that he never responded to online surveys. Cllr Palmer used the survey to draw attention to his efforts as chair of the audit committee to be inclusive towards the public and deal with the concerns of residents. The majority of other answers indicated a negative view of the behaviour of Barnet Council.

The rest of the responses were from Labour Councillors. All believed the council to be undemocratic and badly run, with all responses indicating a negative view of the council. Personally I find it appalling that our Conservative Councillors cannot between them muster a single response. One has to assume that they know they have nothing to shout about and are embarrassed. This blog gets over 40,000 page views a month. The majority of these visitors are people who are concerned about the place they live. When we last asked our readers, 35% of the readers identified themselves as Conservatives.

The Barnet Eye invites guest blogs from readers. We are more than happy to publish guest blogs from critics of our stance on issues. We do not edit these and so long as they are not libellous we publish them. No Conservative Councillor has aver even asked. Of the Barnet Conservative Councillors, only Robert Rams bothers to write a blog about Barnet and regularly engages with Twitter. Matthew Offord MP protects his tweets so only people he selects can see them. There is a massive problem with engagement in Barnet between the ruling administration and the public.

Please take a minute to look at the list and identify your councillors. Do you recognise them? Are you aware of anything they have done in the last three and a half years? Have they served their community? Have they protected the rights of the vulnerable? Have they blocked unsightly, unattractive and unwelcome planning proposals? Have they taken the time to ensure value for money for the taxpayer.

Some have at least tried. The Barnet Eye has praised Conservatives when they have done the right thing. Examples of this are Kate Salinger for breaking Party whip and declining to vote for a pay rise for councillors. We praised Robert Rams for his blog raising awareness of the issues associated with diabetes. We have praised Sury Khatri for his efforts to ask questions about One Barnet. There are many other examples. On the Labour side, Kath McGuirk, Barry Rawlings, Alan Schneiderman, Andreas Ioannedis and Pauline Coakley Webb have particularly caught the eye for involvement in community campaigns. For the Lib Dems, Jack Cohen and the Palmers have been exemplary local councillors. The Barnet Eye does not belong to any party or represent any particular view. Whilst we are left of centre on social issues and provision of public services, we would class ourself as right of centre in issues relating to small business. We believe small business is vital to a vibrant economy. We would like to see deregulation of many areas affecting small business (specifically companies with less than 30 people on the payroll). Our views on transparancy are in line with the stated view of senior conservatives (although we see scant evidence of any commitment to implement them). We would like to see the highest standards of behaviour in politics. We believe that it is necessary to draw a balance so that people can benefit from the efforts of hard work, but those in need, or who are vulnerable have a safety net to ensure they have a decent quality of life. We do not believe that the poor, vulnerable and disturbed should sleep on the streets and rely on charity handouts for basic shelter and sustainance.  We would hope that in a civilised society this is not seen as an extreme or controversal view.

 Here are the full results of the survey. Please note that "didn't read" means didn't return a read response. It is possible that councillors chose not to send a read response. As we specifically stated we would publish the results, we assume that if they did read the survey and wanted to be identified as such they would let us know. 


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