tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41423781497584752552024-03-13T11:10:55.029+00:00The King of Bling is backBrian Coleman (51) is one of the most experienced and controversial Politicians on the London Political scene.
Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-86272360421001034532023-07-07T19:26:00.000+01:002023-07-07T19:26:09.954+01:00<p> </p><p>A year of my life I will never get back </p><p>So what do Runcorn, Stourport, Mill Hill and Highgate, Muswell Hill and Islington have in common ? Well from July 1st they will no longer have a Rotary Club . These Clubs along with others have voted to close . Rotary, as fewer and fewer readers will know, is an organisation founded in the USA in 1905 by a group of Chicago businessmen lead by a man named Paul Harris to do good basically. "service above self" is the motto and Rotary spread quickly around the world with the first Club outside America opening in London in 1911 closely followed by the Rotary Club of Dublin.</p><p>The First Rotary Clubs first project was to install a public toilet in Chicago so that shoppers stayed longer.</p><p>Rotary has however become a victim of its own sucesss . In countries where Rotary has celebrated it Centenary USA, Canada , Australia and most of Western Europe it is terminal decline , and by terminal I mean terminal . At the Annual Meeting of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland a few weeks ago, held on line (as the Annual Meeting in person along with the Annual Conference has been permanently cancelled) , Nikki Scott ( more of her later) the Rotary Director for Great Britain and Ireland (not the President that position has also been permanently deleted ) admitted that two thirds (yes 66 per cent ) of Rotary membership of 34,000 were over the age of 75.</p><p>There is just no coming back from this position .</p><p>So why is Rotary in such a terminal decline?</p><p>There are endless reasons . Society has changed . Britain High Streets have changed . There are few privately owned shops run by their owners . Ken Livingstone tells the story of when he used to buy newts as a child from the local pet shop which was owned by a Rotarian. Long gone are the local bank managers and indeed most High Street banks are closing . The internet and organisations like linkedin have taken over business networking indeed many Chamber of Commerces have closed . No working man or woman can spare two hours for lunch . Indeed as District Governor it is my role to visit all the Clubs in the District and I visited Edmonton Club who were complaining about lack of new members but point blank refuse to move from lunchtime or to have hybrid meetings accessed by the Internet and have no social media presence . Message to Edmonton Rotarians which of course meets nowhere near Edmonton just close down now and spare the club the long lingering but inevitable death.</p><p>As Clubs have closed in London we now have 55 twenty years ago we had had over 100 , the calibre of Rotarians has declined . Gone are the days when prominent business men or peers of the realm took office in Rotary . London is reduced to a former Chairman of the London Assembly (ie me ) as District Governor but my replacement is a woman who left her Club and moved to another after they declined to nominate her as District Governor on the grounds she was completely useless and had no social skills . The District Governor Elect for 2023/24 in London has been investigated by Rotary after having been accused of fraud by his own Club President ! Apparently the same man is openly angling for an OBE by asking Rotarians to nominate him .</p><p>The major issue however is National Leadership . Rotary has made a huge mistake in abolishing the Annual Presidency in the UK and replacing it with a two year " Directorship " . The first Director was a woman called Nikki Scott who appeared to me to have no experience of Rotary in the UK (she was a District Governor in the USA ) and who admitted to me that her husband had left her because she spent too much time on Rotary !</p><p>Rumour is that having spent two years saying how wonderful United Kingdom Rotary is she has at last recognised that Rotary is in serious trouble hence her admission that two thirds of Rotarians are over 75, She has been an all round disaster for UK Rotary and has presided over a further decline in the number of clubs . The paid uo UK membership of Rotary is 34,000 far less than even the Conservative Party and dramatically less then the National Trust or the Women's Institute . It is far more than Inner Wheel an organisation founded for the wives of Rotarians that refuses to admit men and is down to about 100 members in London. How on earth Rotary still associates with such an organisation in these days of equality I completely fail to understand and I politely declined invitations from Inner Wheel during my year of office.</p><p>As District Governor I tried and the whole failed to reform Rotary in London . Every District is supposed to have a District Conference and I held a reasonably succeesful one day Conference in London which had the most ethnically diverse audience ever seen at a Rotary Meeting in the United Kingdom . What does my successor do decides to hold a three day Conference in the home of the living dead (Eastbourne) complete with a Golf Day and a black tie dinner like something out of the 1950s .Well good luck with that ! Do you not realise there are many Rotarians in London with child care issues (40 per cent of London Rotarians are women ) and that the nation is going through a cost of living crisis which even affects Rotarians and £50 for a Conference in London is affordable but £350 plus for three days in Eastbourne may not be, </p><p>Rotary worldwide is in trouble as this years Rotary Convention in Australia proved . I was involved in bidding to hold this particular Convention in London and we did so on the basis of 35,000 worldwide attendees .We lost the bid(thank goodness) as in this post Covid world only 14,000 Rotarians turned up. Bizarrely as Rotary is promoting the green agenda there was no way you could attend Convention on line . Whilst on this subject how on earth does Rotary justfy flying 500 District Governor to Orlando in Florida at massive expense to train them (or teach their Grandmothers to suck eggs as one fellow District Governor put it to me ) ? During Covid it was all done successfully on line . Never mind how Rotary justifys spending over two million dollars on flying 500 Past District Governors again to Florida for something called "Council of Legislation " the ultimate talking shop ........</p><p>Anyway the good news is having now completed my year of Office I have been banned from holding any further National or International Office following a complaint of "harassment" by a Rotarain with a a history of mental health issues because I was supposedly made a rude remark to him after a speech I was booked (3 months before) to deliver was cancelled at 24 hours notice without a word of apology. Too right I was sharp with him : I have never been treated so unprofessionally in my 20 years in Politics . A panel to which I was not allowed to give evidence or cross examine the supposed "witnesses" apparently convicted me ! It make the Parliamentary Standards Committee appear open minded </p><p>Frankly that is the best news I could have had . I have never sort Rotary office and having had a dreadful year of Rotary Politics; one Club being chased by the Lottery Commission for misuse of funds ; another Club being investigated by Rotary for holding an Annual Meeting without telling the Club President ; another Club where none of its members live in the UK never mind London ; another Club that had disappeared into thin air with not even the Club President a paid up Rotarian .......I could go on. You can perhaps see why I will not miss holding Rotary office .</p><p>For those if you with long memories you may remember that most UK towns had an "Round Table" of young men who organised charitable and community activities , that national organisation is long gone and despite Rotary's very credible activities across the UK and despite the millions held in the Bank by the Rotary Foundation (who on earth understands the finances of the Rotary Foundation? ) there is just little hope for Rotary . </p><p>I shall continue working in my Rotary Club to do Community service and good works at home and abroad but even if the entire Board of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (who are they Ed?) got on their knees I would never hold office in Rotary again ,</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-58859981629373834612023-05-25T14:18:00.000+01:002023-05-25T14:18:46.896+01:00Here we go again <p>So this Tuesday night I got on the 125 bus, I have sold my car and made my way to Hendon Town Hall as is my want to the Annual Meeting (NOT the Annual General Meeting as the Council Press Office called it ) of Barnet Council .I think this may be my thirtieth Annual Meeting of the Council having been every year since 1993 except of course the year Brian Salinger was elected Mayor . The Town Hall was looking tired especially as the spring bedding has died and the Summer bedding has not been planted yet which was something I used to insist on .</p><p>One of the bright young Conservative Councillors came up to me and asked if I was going to write a blog this year which I was not planning to do but as they say by popular demand here we go .</p><p>The retiring Mayor Councillor Alison Moore has actually been a very good Mayor outside the Chamber . Inside the Chamber whilst chairing meetings she has been a bit too partisan according to one or two Conservative Councillors. She has of course led the Borough over the Platinum Jubilee, the death of the Queen and the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla as well as doing the endless round of visits that all Mayors do and all this she has done with due dignity, grace and in a friendly and approachable manner . I will personally always be grateful to her for sparing the time to attend my late Mother's funeral last June . </p><p>Alison has been ably supported by former Councillor Helen Gordon as her Mayoress . Helen had a "reputation" twenty five years ago as a fierce, determined and a firebrand and was universally disliked by the then Conservative Group, and a significant number of Council Officers and rumour had it by a number of her own side but twenty years off the Council has mellowed her and she has behaved as a complete softee as Mayoress and frankly I have been impressed !</p><p>In my role on the Executive Committee of the London Mayors Association I see all the 32 Borough Mayors in action at London wide events including the Annual LMA Dinner , the Civic Service in Westminster Abbey and the Mayors walk from Whittington's cat statue to Mansion House . Alison has behaved impeccably and not tried to turn any occasion into a "selfie" opportunity ( yes Mayor of Lambeth I am thinking of you ) . I am delighted to say that Alison Moore thought it was totally inappropriate when some Mayors thought they should petition the King and ask for an invitation to the Coronation ! </p><p>The London Mayors Association is by the way a non Party Political members organisation for men and women who have been Mayor of a London Borough which organises social events and has increasingly become the guardian of the Civic Mayoralty which is under attack in many of our Boroughs . In fact next Saturday the LMA will undertake its annual "Mayors Training Day " for all the new Mayors (yes Mayors get trained these days !) and in my address I have had to add a section about Mayors taking selfies and that it is not appropriate for the Mayor to ask the King for a kiss during a Royal visit . </p><p>Anyway back to Tuesday night . The big news was the Councillors robes had been cleaned and repaired and the majority of Conservative Councillors looked very smart . I was particularly taken by Councillor Shuey Gordon who told me he was wearing the robe worn by his late Father Councillor Brian Gordon . I am sure the much missed Brian would have been very pleased . Looking tanned and fit was Councillor David Longstaff who had recently returned from the West Indies where he had married his partner of twenty nine years and his Mayoress Gillian who was seated on the back row of the Chamber with a selection of other former Mayors and Mayoresses . Although quite why former Mayor Reuben Thompstone though it necessary to force his nine year old son to sit through the ceremony was beyond me . </p><p>I was seated for a change in the body of the Chamber between the redoubtable Past Mayor Agnes Slocombe and and the senior Past Mayoress on parade (1993/94) Mrs Shelia Lyon now approaching 89. I suspect Shelia and I were the only people in the Chamber who had any clear memories of Mrs Mary Goodman a Past Mayoress who the Mayor announced had died and for whom Councillor Richard Cornelius got up and paid tribute . Nobody realised that the story Richard told about Mary was a mangled version of a Coleman anecdote about another long forgotton Mayoress.....................</p><p>Councillor Kath McGuirk disgracefully overlooked for appointment to the Cabinet in her eyes anyway , paid tribute to former East Finchley Labour Councillor and indeed Labour Leader John Davies who retired from Barnet before some members of the new Cabinet were born . Kath reminded us that he fought Mrs Thatcher in the General Election of 1987 and how furious Mrs T was that the declaration was not till half past three in the morning . I was told when she heard David Dimbleby on the BBC saying "Mrs Thatcher is on her way back to Downing Street " she yelled at the TV in the Mayor's Parlour " No I am not I am still stuck here at the Town Hall ! " Barnet counts were ever thus ..............</p><p>The new Mayor, Councillor Nagus Narenthira was duly elected and installed and, except that she appears to be a enthusiastic paid up member of the Andrew Dismore appreciation society I suspect she will be fine .</p><p>The Leader of the Council (yes still) Councillor Barry Rawlings announced his Cabinet who all seem to have bizarre and meaningless job titles along the lines of Cabinet Member for Apple Pie and Motherhood. As Councillor Longstaff pointed out the words "Children" , "Education" and "Safeguarding" appear in nobody's job title . The new Labour Members have merrily voted for the Cabinet system like Turkeys voting for Christmas and have consigned themselves to 3 years of powerlessness on the back benches . Do not say you were not warned ......</p><p>Barry's speech on the achievements of the last year was mercifully short (rather like the list of achievements ) and appeared to consist of setting up a Citizens Assembly on climate change and er that is it . Quite what happened to the promised Autumn rebate on Council Tax promised in his speech last year nobody asked but we all know the Officers persuaded him to quietly drop it . </p><p>Well done to Councillor Tony Vourou on being appointed Deputy Mayor . Tony is a fixture on the Barnet Political scene with friends across the Political Parties and rather proves that persistence pays off. Mystery surrounds the Deputy Lieutenant who made a song and a dance of leaving the Chamber early but still managed to be at the buffet afterwards apparently he does not like the Party Politics which creeps into the latter stages of the meeting . I suspect Her Majesty the Queen hated various bits of successive Queens speeches at the opening of Parliament but that is the job . </p><p>Anyway the meeting lasted an hour and twenty minutes and then we all adjourned for the buffet where a good time was had by all and the real business of the evening was done . </p><p> There was a long list five or six of Labour apologies and one Conservative which if you cannot be bothered to attend the Annual Meeting is a sure sign you are pissed off and that old war horse John Marshall told me he was not attending the Annual Meeting as he hated them when he served on the Council and was blowed if he was attending now he did not have to (an attitude adopted by a few ex Mayors ) . So as I boarded my 125 bus I thought do I miss it ? You decide reader ! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-76444218688805804462022-12-23T18:22:00.000+00:002022-12-23T18:22:12.328+00:00<p> The late Councillor Melvin Cohen an appreciation </p><p>A lot of generous tributes have been paid to Councillor Melvin Cohen who served on Barnet Council for an unprecedented 40 years all that time representing the Golders Green Ward.</p><p>Several tributes have come from opponents of the sort Politicians do after death but would never do in life; yes former Councillor Rozenberg I am thinking of you .</p><p>The Melvin I knew was a complicated , private and even secretive man . Even his age was a secret. Twenty years ago the Conservative Political Assistant rang me to say he had just had a to complete a Criminal records check form for Melvin who was being reappointed a School Governor and did I realise he was over 60 ? That makes him over 80 at the time of his death but frankly who knows ? </p><p>Twenty Five years ago it was common knowledge in the Conservative Group that Melvin had left his wife and was living with an employee from his legal practice a nice guy called Stephen in Broadfields Avenue in Edgware, a house Melvin continued to live in even when a few years ago Stephen left him and moved to Brighton with somebody else. I suspect though that Melvin remained married to his long suffering wife until the day he died . Melvin was Mayor twice only the second man in the Borough to have that distinction , the first , the late Councillor Vic Usher always claimed that second time around was just not as good , a view I suspect Melvin shared . </p><p>His Mayoresses were neither his wife nor his boyfriend but his ever loyal fellow Councillors Maureen Braun and Wendy Prentice . I would occasionally accompany Melvin on Mayoral events most memorably on Christmas Day 2003 when after four visits the driver took the Mayor home and we were invited in for a Christmas Drink where Stephen passed the Sherry and mince pies and I thought to myself that Melvin could have taken Stephen out with him and no one would have raised an eyebrow.I remember being at Dean's wedding and seeing Stephen standing at the back of the packed Hall at Kinloss and I thought just how sad that was . </p><p>Melvin enjoyed his black leather as the late Rudi Vis never ceased telling the story of bumping into Melvin late one night on the Northern Line kitted out in head to foot in black leather . Indeed in 1995 before I was on the Council a friend and I and the late Councillor Victor Lyon and his wife were guests with Melvin on Hyde Park for the 50th Anniversary of Victory in Europe and whilst Dame Vera Lynn was belting out "We'll meet again " my friend inquired if the black leather was kosher ?</p><p>In the days when the Conservative Party Conference used to visit Bournemouth and Melvin would stay at a nice gay owned and run hotel called the Creffield (long since demolished ) where he would happily enjoy the totally non kosher breakfast (he avoided the bacon) and presumably ignored the contents of a certain video channel .</p><p>When Mayor if he wanted to do an engagement on the Sabbath (the Lord Mayors Show springs to mind ) he would drive to his office and get the Mayoral Car to pick him up there so the neighbours did not see. My jaw dropped when I heard the Rabbi at the funeral saying Melvin had taken advice about opening a car door on the sabbath.........</p><p>Melvin was a solid Conservative , although Councillor Brian Salinger (in the days when he was still talking to me ) one said he had no idea whether Melvin was on the right or the left of the party as he never expressed an opinion . However the best speech I ever heard Melvin make was when he was being challenged for Group office by Cllr Salinger at a Group AGM and Melvin shocked it to Salinger straight between the eyes and was reelected by a big majority . Melvin was also totally loyal to Mike Freer (and I suspect a little bit in love with him) both when Mike was Leader of the Council and later Member of Parliament . </p><p>Melvin was the go to expert on the Council constitution and indeed the Group rules and of course an expert on Planning . Over the years he reduced the public contribution to Planning Committees and sadly even Councillors contribution as he somehow thought the public and indeed local Councillors were a nuisance to the Planning process. </p><p>Of course he helped hundreds of constituents over the years but in the last 15 years of his life was overshadowed by the phenomenon that is his son Dean who runs Golders Green Ward and frankly works his socks off dealing with not always easy residents . It was Dean who inherited the mantle of the late Cllr Rabbi Aba Dunner in Golders Green.</p><p>Ill health had overshadowed Melvin for the last 15 years of his life so although his death was a shock to his sons, it was a surprise to absolutely nobody on the Council or in the Conservative Party . In 2021 he was interviewed for the approved list of candidates by Zoom from his hospital bed at the Royal Free and anyone who had seen him in the last 12 months thought he was a walking ghost . </p><p>Was Melvin happy ? Who knows ? I am sure his sons and his grandchildren gave him happiness . He was sadly of that generation of older men who had to keep their sexuality totally private and combined with belonging to a community not known for being gay friendly it was far worse . </p><p>Rest in peace Melvin </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-57888485489781200322022-05-25T15:58:00.004+01:002022-05-25T15:58:56.525+01:00<p> A Revolution ? I think not </p><p><br /></p><p>Last night, with some trepidation I attended the Annual Meeting of Barnet Council . For the first time in it's fifty seven year history the Council now has an huge Labour majority with 41 Councillors and the Conservative Party is reduced to in effect a rump of 22 Councillors . In fact only 19 Conservatives could be bothered to turn up last night with one apparently having gone on holiday ! </p><p>Having arrived at the Town Hall nothing seemed to have changed , the red flag was not flying from the flag pole and there were a small group of left wing demonstrators outside protesting against Capita's involvement in Council Services ( Note to demonstrators : you have won ).</p><p>Having been seated in the past Mayors row at the back of the Chamber along with the other long forgotten Past Mayors and Mayoresses, some wearing better then others, (Scharma, Salinger , Rutter, Rayner , the wonderful Agnes Slocombe and the doyenne of former Mayoresses Mrs Shelia Lyon (whom one Conservative Councillor mistook for my Mother ) , Shelia I am sure was thinking of her late husband the distinguished Victor Lyon who in 2002 lead the victorious campaign that brought the Conservatives to power after eight years and started the twenty years of glorious Conservative rulein Barnet now ended by Boris Johnson.</p><p>I settled down to enjoy the meeting . </p><p>The first shock was the Conservative Councillors appeared without robes ! For anybody with any knowledge of Barnet history this is revolutionary. Frankly I suspect the Councillors robes will not appear again ever . If after four years they can be found they will no doubt disintegrate to the touch . As two (male) Conservative Councillors appeared without ties and certainly Councillor Sarah Wardle has been leading the opposition to the robes since she got elected in 2018 , I suspect she has won ........</p><p>The meeting opened with Councillor Melvin Cohen receiving his certificate for forty years continuous service on the Council . Forty years , before most of the bright new Councillors were born . Melvin managed to raise himself from his sick bed for the occasion and made a competent speech . Despite the feeling that the man is a walking by election , I say give him the Freedom of the Borough whilst you can . By the way I noticed John Marshall's name had been painted on the Freedom Board at the back of the Chamber and wish him well as he continues to recover from a broken leg in a nursing home in Hendon .</p><p>Retiring Mayor Councillor Alison Cornelius duly reported she had written to the Queen on the occasion of Her Platinum Jubilee . Poor woman hasn't she got enough to worry about than having to plough though yet another fan letter ........</p><p>Councillor Alison Moore (Labour East Finchley) was duly elected unopposed as Mayor and did the necessary . I have no problem with the very experienced Alison (she came on the Council with me in 1998) being Mayor and I am sure she will continue in the fine tradition of Barnet Mayors . </p><p>The second shock of the evening was the appointment by the incoming Mayor of her Mayoress none other than former East Finchley Councillor Helen Gordon . For those of you with long political memories in Barnet you may recall I defeated her in the first Greater London Assembly election in 2000 by the slim majority of 551 . This rather finished her political career (she had been considered a shoe in for the seat) as she and her husband (former Colindale Councillor Nat Rudolf ) blamed the then Labour Group for not supporting her enough and both retired from the Council in 2002 to pursue distinguished careers outside of Politics . Nat is now apparently a QC no less. Well Helen has lost her frizzy perm and will no doubt have a wonderful year escorting Alison in her engagements and reflecting what night have been (or probably not ) .</p><p>Councillor Alison Cornelius in her farewell speech to the Mayoralty inexplicably failed to thank the Mayoral staff team at the Council . Without the small and dedicated team lead by the excellent Angela Richardson the Mayoralty and much of the Civic life of the Borough would simply fail to happen . </p><p>Councillor Barry Rawlings was duly elected Leader of the Council for the four year term (how many of those years will he complete one Tory Councillor asked me ?) and made a competent speech declaring an immediate "Climate Emergency" . Well what the dickens does that mean ? Of course nobody has a clue but it sounds good on the press release . He also said the Council would refund the one percent Council tax rise "sometime in the Autumn " . This is absolutely daft as the Council will need the money for services and the admin will probably cost as much as the refund and the average Barnet voter will receive tuppence ha'penny . I am told that a long discussion took place in the Labour Group meeting on that decision . Barry well into his flow also announced several welcome decisions ( well by me anyway) , the restoration of the popular Community skip service (abolished by Matthew Offord when my back was turned ) , the abolition of the residents forums (created by the Lib Dems , always hated by Labour ) which I begged Victor Lyin to abolish in 2002 and he pledged to bring Planning back in house (Hallelujah!). He also committed his administration to building a 1000 new Council Houses , a very dangerous commitment as if you build 999 you have failed to meet you target . Of course the question is where do you build when you are committed to defending the Green Belt ?</p><p>Barry failed to mention the Hendon Hub , regeneration or Capita . All three issues which I suspect for contractual and other reasons Labour will be forced to quietly backtrack on . However there was nothing in the speech to frighten the horses or to suggest to the good folk of Totteridge that they rush down to the Estate Agents and put their houses on the market ! </p><p>Councillor Dan Thomas now looking fresh and young again with the pressures of office lifted (was that a new suit Dan ?) made a wholly responsible and dignified speech in reply wishing the new administration well . This was somewhat undermined by a totally inappropriate speech by Conservative (currently) Deputy Leader David Longstaff . Word of advise David , when you have suffered the worse defeat in Barnet Council's history less than 3 weeks ago and when you have a packed public gallery of the great and the good . If I were you David I would watch my back in the Group Leadership elections in September . My money is on Councillor Prager (not a LITTLE prick I am assured by those who know ) or Councillor Sarah Wardle .</p><p>Anyway Alison Moore received full marks for her chairing of the Council Meeting and handled it with charm and courtesy .</p><p>Then on to the Mayoral Reception afterwards where it was good to see a number of former Councillors, Peter Zinkin and Sach Rajput having licked their wounds and Allan Turner , the old socialist warhorse of Burnt Oak and Jim Tierney of West Finchley now looking frail but still kind enough to ask after my mother .</p><p>It was also good to meet new Barnet Conservatives Councillors (the future ?) Councillor Shuey Gordon, son of my good friend the late Councillor Brian Gordon , but please turn your bloody phone off during meetings , Councillor Josh Conway great nephew of anther good friend the late Councillor Anthony Finn and Councillor Michael Mire of Garden Suburb who seems far to sensible and level headed to be a Councillor .</p><p>Oh well for those who remember the crazy days of Labour in the 1980, refusing to stand for the Mayor , attacking the Queen , appearing in the Council in shorts , breast feeding babies in the Chamber the new Administration appears positively moderate and certainly not socialist . Will they make the mistakes of the last Lab / Lib coalition as a result ? Time will tell .</p><p>Meanwhile a revolution it simply isn't !</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-81477648398402655672022-05-09T13:28:00.000+01:002022-05-09T13:28:16.649+01:00<p><br /></p><p>DEBACLE !</p><p><br /></p><p>Ah a new Coleman blog after nearly 3 years ! What monumentos event has prompted this ? Well Thursday's Barnet Council elections which resulted in the Conservatives losing control of the Council for the first time since 1998 and failing to be the largest party on the Council for the first time since the Borough was created in 1964 .</p><p>Apparently the Barnet Conservatives are conducting a review of what when wrong so here are my thoughts .</p><p>The complete re-warding of the Borough by the over enthusiastic Boundary Commission caused endless problems . If it " aint broke dont fix it" has always been a useful moto and Barnet having managed with 3 member wards since 1964 was presented with a mish mash of two and three member wards , some with silly names (where is Barnet Vale or Edgwarebury ) and Councillors fighting each other for the nominations . </p><p>The starting gun was fired, far to prematurely by Hendon Conservative Association last Summer who decided they wanted to get all their nominations done before the Holidays . Combined with a (ridiculous ) change in Conservative Party rules Hendon Conservatives went at selection like a bull in a china shop .A relatively small number of members in Hendon ward managed in a matter of minutes on Zoom to dispose of Councillor Anthony Finn (former Mayor , 32 years service and a nice man) and Councillor Nizza Fluss (loud but very effective ) . Councillor Finn was disposed of without so much as a by your leave let alone a thank you and his death earlier this year may well have been hastened by the disgraceful behavior of his Conservative Association . Councillor Fluss had become a thorn in the side of the Leader of the Council , Councilor Thomas, by her principled and vocal opposition to the so called "Hendon Hub" , the absurd joint development with Middlesex University which post pandemic looks even more unnecessary and which Labour has promised to disentangle the Borough from.</p><p>This was soon followed by Edgware ward deselecting Councillor Linda Freedman (a one term wonder who had achieved very little) and Mill Hill deciding to dispense with the services of Councillor Golnar Bokaei , a Councillor from a Middle Eastern background who did wonders for the diversity of the Tory Group and was not bad at planning . "What has Golnar done wrong ? " asked one Conservative Councillor ?" well all three woman were replaced by men ...................</p><p>Linda decided to not bother anymore , Golnar reluctantly accepted the decision and went on to bravely fight the safe Labour Ward of Woodhouse in the Finchley and Golders Green Association but Nizza appealed citing no less than 18 breaches of the Conservative Party rules by the Hendon Association . The Conservative Party Area Officers found the rules had indeed been breached and ordered Hendon Ward selection to be re run . Nizza knew she was on a loser anyway as a number of new members had been mysteriously signed up and so it proved when at the rerun selection the three candidates were conformed as Councillor Mark Shooter (a cheerleader for the Hendon Hub ) Joshua Conway ( nephew of the aforementioned Councillor Finn ) and the hugely ambitious Councillor Alex Prager who had done the chicken run from West Hendon which boundary changes had left virtually unwinnable . Councilor Prager , "a cocky little P***k " as one of his colleagues described him to me, is a possible future leader of the Conservative Group in the mode of his idol Councillor Mark Shooter .</p><p>Of course that was not the end of Hendon Association's selection problems as in Spring this year the Association took the emergency decision to deselect Councillor Helene Richman from West Hendon Ward . Why bother ? She was not going to win . Most people who had met her realised she was bonkers and yet they had still reselected her . I had lunch with her once and found I could not get a word in the conversation ........imagine it .</p><p>Anyway Helene appealed. The Area Officers allowed her appeal but decided not to tell her till the Sunday to allow for Jewish sensibilities . Helene is Jewish and bizarrely had been deselected for alleged anti Semitic remarks made to her fellow candidate . However meanwhile on the Saturday she had flounced off to join the dustbin of Barnet Politics that is the local Lib Dems with all the resultant bad publicity . The only good news out of the whole Barnet elections is that once again there are no Lib Dems on Barnet Council and former Councillor Gabriel Rozenberg , the son of that great charmer Melanie Phillips, is now a busted flush . He decided to stand in West Finchley Ward where he seriously thought he could win . Lib Dem headquarters said the local Party should put their effort into Church End ward but Gabriel explained it was all about him .................</p><p>Good luck with your parliamentary ambitions in the new Finchley and Muswell Hill Parliamentary seat Gabriel , you certainly have the ego for it ! </p><p>Anyway back to Conservative selections . Finchley and Golders Green were faced with the problem that two of their safe wards Golders Green and Garden Suburb were reducing to two members each .Councillor John Marshall , the great Tory warhorse obliged by announcing he was standing down . Councillor Reuben Thompstone found himself edged out in Golders Green by the hard working and heading for sainthood Councillor Dean Cohen and his increasingly frail father Councillor Melvin Cohen . Indeed Melvin was apparently placed on the approved list of Conservative candidates following an interview conducted by lap top from his hospital bed at the Royal Free . Sadly Melvin appears to be the walking by election of the new Council .</p><p>Meanwhile Reuben found himself rejected by the Conservative members in Childs Hill , Garden Suburb and even Brunswick Park in Chipping Barnet . A bit of advise Reuben ditch the silly moustache and do not talk about "social inclusion " to audiences who have no idea what it is and probably against it anyway ! Reuben finally got selected for Underhill ward where apparently Theresa Villiers MP was knocking up on polling day ! (just why ?ed )</p><p>Chipping Barnet Conservative Association had their selection problems . Councillor Richard Cornelius presided over the East Barnet selection where apparently he knew he was breaking the rules but did not care and the Area Officers once again had to ride to the rescue . Councillor Felix Byers (the cute one) was reselected although I do not believe he told the members that he was going to have his civil partnership ceremony during the campaign and bugger off to Norway for the honeymoon . The resulting deselection of Councillor Nicole Richer led to much crying and wailing from Nicole who had managed to get deselected only one year after achieving a stunning by election win. That is some going ! Nicole who is known for bursting into floods of tears when things do not go right shed a load more on election night when she lost in Brunswick Park Ward (replacing Councillor Roberto Weeden-Sanz (who had wisely buggered off to Kensington and Chelsea .seeing Barnet as a lost cause ) Is she the briefest serving Barnet Councillor since 1964 ? I think she may be. If you cannot cope with the losing do not stand is my advise !</p><p>Anyway candidates finally all in place what were the issues ? Frankly who knows ? A manifesto was produced presented to the Conservative Group for rubber stamping (nothing is discussed in Group anymore ) and appeared to say what Conservative were against . We were against getting rid of the weekly bin collection , against tower blocks (except in West Hendon , Finchley Central and when we are not ) against Low Traffic Neighbourhoods ( but happy to let Officers run riot on the A1000 ) and against high Council Tax (but happy to put it up to the Government maximum in non election years ). T.</p><p>But of course none of all this made a major impact on the results . There was one issue Boris . He has never been hugely popular in this Borough and I have before questioned his fitness to be Prime Minister long before Covid and Party gate . The people of Barnet had had enough of Boris and duly punished their hard working Conservative Councillors .</p><p>The future? with only 22 Conservative Councillors the gene pool is small . Councillor Dan Thomas can stagger on for a year but no former Leader of Barnet has ever made a comeback . No doubt Dan will appreciate the freedom of being able to keep his tan topped up, rumours are he went away for Easter weekend (Shurley not Ed !). A number of bright younger candidates expected to get elected failed . The Conservative Group will hopefully not do a repeat of 1994 when they threw out leadership lock stock and barrel and put in Councillors with little experience who struggled for four years . </p><p>When we won back the Council in 2002 we fought on a manifesto that was firm and strong. I wish the new Labour Council well especially as they undue some of the dafter decisions of the last few years, Hendon Hub , North Finchley regeneration and of course the horrendous partnership with Capita that has proved a disaster and has had Tory Councillors tearing their hair out .</p><p>Oh well annual Council elections anyone ?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-47705635073726798662019-05-28T15:04:00.000+01:002019-05-28T17:47:18.852+01:00Boris Johnson After five years of not posting a blog (although I have been active on Twitter ) I feel moved to write with my views on Boris Johnson as it appears likely that he may well win the Conservative Leadership contest and become our next Prime Minister .<br />
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I know Boris . I worked with Boris . I was the first Member of the London Assembly to endorse Boris' candidature for the London mayoralty . I last spoke to him a year ago at a Party he threw at No1 Carlton Gardens , the Official residence of the Foreign Secretary to mark ten years since he was first elected Mayor of London .<br />
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Boris was a poor judge of character . I lost count of the many so called "Deputy Mayors" and Senior Aides who passed through City Hall in my four years :Nick Boles (Head of Transition) lasted a month , Ray Taylor (totally bonkers) lasted three months ,Tim Parker (on another Planet ) and of course Ian Clement (fiddled his expenses ) spring to mind . Then there were people with no experience of Local Government Munira Mirza (did not like being called "Dear" ) Isabel Dedring, Transport (hated and ignored by TfL Officers) Kulveer Ranger (who once cried on my shoulder because he had lost his Secretary ), Matthew Pencharz ( a nice boy but well out of his depth) . Pam Chesters , a good choice as health advisor but totally undermined by Boris when he ordered her to reinstate Mars Bars in the City Hall canteen.<br />
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These inexperienced advisors are no doubt partly, along with Boris ego , the reason for so many failed and pointless Capital projects . Boris Island , the East London Cable Car , the Garden Bridge ...<br />
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However he did hire Sir Simon Milton who brought some order to the chaotic situation Boris had created at City Hall, not least by Boles decision to sack everyone who had worked for Ken (except for the excellent Neale Coleman , no relation ) . Boles also ignored all advice from those of us who had been a City Hall for eight years ( Barnes , Evans , Arbour and me ) who knew how the system worked and how to get things done . Apparently Boles said we were "passe" so Roger Evans called us the "passe posse ". Within weeks of Boris taking office we went from being ignored to having Boris appointees asking us out for lunch for "advice" . Once Sir Simon Milton arrived full time as Chief of Staff he ended up taking all the decisions and in my view driving himself to an early grave as a result . A year before Simon Milton died I confronted Boris in the City Hall lift and said that Simon was working too hard ( he was then in hospital ) and Boris dismissed it with a wave of the hand . When Simon died Boris was genuinely upset and took my advice to have a car to attend the funeral as the Cemetery is a long walk from the tube station and I did not want him to be late for that event . In the end Boris was on time (for once) and the dreadful Baroness Warsi (who was representing the Prime Minister) was late and kept us all waiting Sir Edward Lister who followed Simon as Chief of Staff did keep the show on the road and did the detail which Boris never did .<br />
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We all know about Boris's dress sense but at his first City Hall London Remembrance Service when I asked his aide to give Boris a black tie to wear he said "we have tried Brian but he won't" . I recall Ken Livingstone always putting a black tie on before laying the wreath.<br />
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I served for four years as Chairman of the London Fire and Planning Authority , the body since abolished which had control of the 6000 staff and £330 million budget of London's Fire Brigade . As such I, my Deputy and the Commissioner met with Boris "officially" every 5 or 6 months to brief him on matters Fire which usually he was not the slightest bit interested in . The first half of the meeting was often spent telling him what I had told him at the last meeting . During the weekend of the Lakhanal House Fire in July 2009 which killed 6 people , I was told Boris wanted to visit on Monday morning for a photo opportunity . I had to explain that it was a possible crime scene and that neither the Mayor nor anybody else could trample all over it . Boris made do with ill tempered visit to Peckham Fire Station instead .<br />
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His performance at the monthly Mayor's question time at City Hall was dreadful in the early days and to the frustration of Assembly colleagues ( including Kit Malthouse) did not really improve . Kit was a very competent Deputy Mayor for Policing but was distrusted by Boris for being "the City Hall Leaker " . It was Kit who was responsible for getting Boris to sack Met Commissioner Ian Blair . " he was going wobbly right up to the last minute , I gave him the balls " was Kit's comment to me afterwards .<br />
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Boris just simply never read the briefs or prepared for his speeches . At one Lord Mayor of London's London Governance Dinner he could be seen scribbling notes on the napkin during the meat course. At a Board of Deputies Annual Dinner I had actually sent him a three point brief for his speech which was thank the Community for their support in your election , express your admiration for the State of Israel and finally support the role out of Jewish Community Schools in London . Stuart Polak , Director of CFI told me before Dinner he had sent Boris a brief as well . Instead he made a speech about buses to a room full of the great and the good of the Jewish Community who rarely use them !<br />
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At the Annual Lord Mayor's Banquet one year he told me the " only way to get through events like this Brian is drink all the alcohol on offer !"<br />
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At a briefing for the Security for the G20 London Summit in April 2009 at which I was present,as the Police explained how in the event of trouble President Obama would be evacuated by river down the Thames from ExCel Boris eyes wandered after a couple of minutes and he suddenly said "just tell me when will I appear on television ?"<br />
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At a briefing meeting held in Boris' Office in 2011 during the Inquests into the deaths of the victims of the 7/7 bombings I was telling Boris how the Fire Authority was having to spend a sizable sum on lawyers (as were the Met , TfL and everybody else involved ) not least because Mrs Justice Hallett was cutting up rough as Coroner when he suddenly said " I blame Tony Blair for all this , he started it with the Marchioness (Inquest) " Guto Harri, who was Boris' Head of Communications and at the time absolutely devoted to Boris , said " Oh Boris they are really for the families (of the victims) benefit " To which Boris replied "Fuck the families , Fuck the families !" . I was having none of this and snapped at Boris " You didn't have to write eight letters of condolence to families of your constituents or attend the funeral of 31 year old Lee Baisden ( a Fire Authority employee) who had been blown to pieces at Aldgate and comfort his poor widowed Mother " .<br />
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After this meeting the ever loyal Guto Harri rang me up and said "it never happened Brian , it never happened" . Sorry Guto it did and I have witnesses .<br />
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Well since I left City Hall ( you were thrown out by the voters ED) , things have certainly changed sadly I don't think Boris has . As one female Boris aide said to me "Boris' trouble is he cannot keep it in his trousers" . Oh if that was his only problem .<br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-71128775918437808482014-10-15T17:47:00.000+01:002014-10-15T17:47:47.953+01:00A rareity - A nice man in Politics <br />
The death on October 9th at the age of 78 of Sir Sydney Chapman, whilst not unexpected by those of us who saw him at the funeral of his former Association Chairman and President Don Goodman a month earlier, has nevertheless caused an immense amount of sadness to many in Chipping Barnet .<br />
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Sydney came to Barnet in 1979 having been Chairman of the National Committee of the Young Conservatives ( when they were a power in Land) and four years as Member of Parliament for Birmingham Handsworth . Having lost his seat in the "who governs Britain " election of February 1974, Sydney spent 5 years fruitlessly touring the Country looking for another seat until being selected ( unexpectedly beating the local favourite Bob Brum ) in Chipping Barnet following the death of the alcoholic former Home Secretary Reggie Maudling . <br />
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Maudling despite holding two of the Great Offices of State , Chancellor under Sir Alec Douglas Home and Home Secretary, until disgraced, under Edward Heath had an appalling reputation as a Constituency MP . Maudling lived just outside Potters Bar but was seen rarely in his constituency, rumour has it only twice a year for his Association Christmas Bazaar and AGM. Every five years he turned up at his re-adoption meeting . <br />
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This was not a mistake Sydney Chapman was going to make . He was an assiduous Constituency MP moving into Ravenscroft Park and later Salisbury Road, sending his children to local schools and at weekends carrying out endless engagements at school fetes , Church services , community activities and even turning up on Christmas Day to greet the elderly guests at the Barnet and East Barnet Rotary Club Lunch. He was an Honorary Member and assiduous supporter of the Rotary Club and so many other local organisations . However Monday to Thursday and sometimes Friday he was at Westminster as being a traditional MP he believed his constituents had elected him to turn up at Westminster and speak up for them there. Not for him the "glorified Social worker " approach which some modern MPs have adopted. <br />
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This approach paid off not least in 1997 where at the count at Hendon Sports Centre , Sydney saw colleagues from neighbouring constituencies fall on huge swings to Labour . As Portillo , John Marshall and the bone idle Sir John Gorst disappeared under the red tide Sir Sydney became more and more agitated "I'm out, I'm out, I'm finished " he told despondent constituency workers . Having been instructed to pull himself together by his now former wife Claire he survived by 1035 votes after a fraught recount at 5.30am in the morning . The swing in Chipping Barnet was one of the lowest in North London . I lost count of the number of doorsteps in that campaign where voters said we are fed up with the Tory party but will vote for Sydney . That election was a new experience for Sydney as rather than tour the Country supporting friends in marginal seats he found himself defending one , indeed I remember his shock at having doors slammed in his face ( Mayfield Avenue ) although Arsenal were playing a European match that night which probably had more to do with it . His usual relaxed election day routine of touring Committee rooms and have a leisurely dinner was dumped at the urgent entreaties of his more realistic agent , in favour of sitting on the telephone knocking up <br />
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Diligent in dealing with Constituency correspondence his wife Claire was an advert for why MPs should employ their relations , he never interfered or commented on matters which were the remit of his local Councillors . He was always totally loyal to his Conservative Councillor colleagues not least he realised they were his eyes and ears on the ground in the Constituency. Indeed when spending cuts forced the closure of the underused Totteridge Library, constituents who wrote to him received a polite reply in which he pointed out Barnet Council had lost a substantial amount of it's central Government grant and as ever it was the fault of the wicked Labour Government . <br />
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Sydney immensely enjoyed his years as a whip especially in his dealings with Her Majesty the Queen whilst serving as Vice Chamberlain of the Household . His clever, amusing and easy to read memoirs "Back to the drawing Board" clearly show his rapport with HM . When John Major sacked him in 1995 he apparently said to Sydney whilst sitting at the Cabinet table "Sydney , there is good news and bad news , the bad news is I need to make room for younger men but the news is the Queen has approved an immediate Knighthood for you " . The reaction from the newly knighted Sydney Chapman was " I really wanted to be a Privy Councillor" .<br />
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It was rare to hear Sydney say a cross word about anyone . However he was no pushover and had firmly held views. In 2001 I heard him firmly put down Roger Gale MP who was canvassing support for a possible David Davis leadership bid with "Where was David in the 97 Parliament when I had to return to the front bench to be shadow Minister for London ? Off indulging himself as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee ! " A supporter of William Hague's Leadership campaign in 97 Sydney was firmly in the Ken Clarke camp by 2001.<br />
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He enjoyed his work on the Council of Europe and was as supporter of Cyprus not least because it allowed him to travel around Europe with his mates from the House of Commons of all Parties. Indeed his friendship with the late Rudi Vis MP for Finchley and Golders Green was strong and Rudi came to the renaming of the Hadley Green Slip Road as "Sydney Chapman Way" when Barnet Council marked Sydney's 25 years as MP for Chipping Barnet . They both also shared a mutual antipathy to the Borough's then third MP .<br />
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It was no secret that Sydney enjoyed a drink and a convivial dinner. Indeed at Sydney's retirement Dinner at Hatfield House in 2005 the guest speaker William Hague remarked in his speech " that Sydney was so well regarded in Chipping Barnet that the Council had named a road after him , Sydney Chapman Way , presumably the way to the Pub !" That brought the house down with Sydney leading the laughter . However Sydney's after dinner speeches were legendary and it seemed to me the more red wine he had consumed the funnier the speech . At the 2000 Party Conference it fell to Sydney to deliver the speech at the Agents dinner, the then customary black tie curtain raiser to the week and despite it being past 11pm and the end of a long evening Sydney's speech was one of the cleverest and funniest I have ever heard.<br />
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Never stuck in his ways and always available to listen , I am not sure he quite forgave me for getting him out canvassing on a Sunday afternoon in my 2000 GLA election . "Is this really necessary ?" he asked but when I won by a narrow margin of just 551 he conceded it had been ! <br />
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However Sydney Chapman was that extreme rarity , a genuinely nice man in Politics , loyal to his Party , loyal to his friends , and loyal to his constituents. <br />
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Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-32032762377764287222014-01-19T19:46:00.000+00:002014-01-19T19:46:01.607+00:00Seal Hunting Anyone ?It is the weekend before a Tuesday meeting of Barnet Council and any Councillor worth their salt will be spending time reading the Agenda papers for the meeting . Buried in the small print on page 74 of the Council Agenda in the list of vacancies for Local Authority appointed School Governors is Garden Suburb Infant and Juniors where their is a vacancy due to the "self disqualification" of Conservative Councillor Daniel Seal . Self Disqualification means that the individual has failed to attend any meetings of the School Governing Body or it's Committees in the previous six months :it is not a resignation ,it is a disqualification from office under the Education Act . Now most schools only have a termly meeting of their full Governing Body and Governors with busy lives can get themselves caught out if they miss two Governing Body meetings on the trot but as Governors are usually expected to serve on a Committee as well , perhaps Finance or Pupil welfare that sort of thing, it always possible to ensure that you have attended one meeting at the school in six months .<br />
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Indeed if you cannot attend any official meetings in six moths what on earth is the point of serving on a School Governing Body in these days when so many legal and other responsibilities rest with Governors ?<br />
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I have known some Councillors who to avoid the embarrassment of being disqualified from a School Governing Body or indeed other public bodies to which Councillors are appointed and the six month rule applies, have resigned ahead of the inevitable disqualification . <br />
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However Councillor Daniel Seal as they say "has form" .<br />
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His attendance at meetings of the Council is erratic to put it mildly . In 2013 he appeared at the Annual Meeting of the Council in May and then missed two meeting in a row and only appeared at full Council again in November . In the same month he was absent at the meeting of the Pensions Committee of the Council , which he had lobbied hard to get appointed to .<br />
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Councillor Seal , Danny to his friends, of whom I am not one , first got elected to Barnet Council for Garden Suburb Ward in 2010 replacing the adorably beautiful but politically pointless Councillor Jazmin Naghar , who appeared in the pages of "Tatler" more often then she did the "Ham and High" . Councillor Naghar although active at election time was apparently virtually invisible in the Ward the rest of the time, relying on that old war horse Councillor John Marshall to do the Ward work particularly planning, which John enjoys. The selection of Danny Seal, backed by John Marshall was seen as opting for a young ,enthusiastic, ambitious and clever new Councillor over others who applied for the safe Conservative seat but were seen as "the usual faces, hard working but not dynamic" .<br />
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The voters of Garden Suburb ward duly did their duty and sent the handsome Councillor Seal (If you like the sort of puppy dog eyes look ) to the Town Hall. Alarm bells however soon began to ring with many colleagues seeing Danny, whilst sharp, as "cocky" or as some less charitable old hands put it "arrogant, with nothing to be arrogant about". His enthusiastic support for his buddy Councillor Mark Shooter in the various Leadership battles of 2010/11 left many Chipping Barnet Conservative Councillors feeling distinctly cold towards him .<br />
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He is a young man keen to make his fortune in business , and there is of course nothing wrong with that, but the first lesson in Politics , whether local or national is that half the job is turning up. Cllr Seal's has treated his twitter followers over the last few weeks to tweets from his Italian skiing holiday over Christmas and the New Year , his business trip to South Korea , the Executive Lounge at Gatwick, the BA Galleries lounge at Heathrow (the potatoes were cold apparently), Jersey Airport, and this weekend, when most Barnet Councillors were attending Holocaust Commemoration his followers, with impeccable timing , were treated to tweets from Munich , the spiritual home of Nazism ! <br />
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Sadly lacking are many tweets from Hampstead Garden Suburb .<br />
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Councillor Richard Cornelius , the Leader of Barnet Council is telling anyone who will listen that Cllr Seal's attendance record is "a disgrace" and is apparently, so rumour has it, is lobbying Finchley and Golders Green Conservatives to deselect him. Richard is worried that should the May elections go badly for the Tories and they end up with a majority of one or two, Cllr Seal's absence will be a luxury the Conservative Group cannot afford . Cllr Richard Cornelius is of course as usual supported by his wife , Councillor Alison Cornelius who is distrustful of many of the Jewish Councillors whom she sees as a threat to her husband's leadership. <br />
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Meanwhile Councillor Andrew Harper , the third Garden Suburb Member is retiring from the Council having realised he will never be able to bore the Conservative Group into recognising his talents and electing him Leader . He is to be replaced by another bright , young ambitious Jewish guy Gabriel Rozenberg , the son of the "voice of sensible middle England", Melanie Phillips and the distinguished legal journalist Joshua Rozenberg . Gabriel is considered a safer bet than Seal as he is married with a family and not likely to spend most of his time tweeting from Business class airport lounges .<br />
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Finally Councillor Seal's tells us on twitter that in April he will be in New York . So who is going to knock on doors in Garden Suburb Ward ? Ah step forward Councillor John Marshall who as so often in Barnet Politics will be riding to the rescue !<br />
Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-23208002385308021522013-09-23T11:49:00.003+01:002013-09-23T12:33:15.269+01:00Could it happen here ? <br />
The dreadful events at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi where gunmen from the al-Shabab group have murdered innocent shoppers including women and children in a random act of terrorism have inevitably caused questions to be asked if it could happen here in the UK ?<br />
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In the late Autumn of 2010 COBRA , which stands for Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, where it happens to meet , was called after specific intelligence had been received that there was a threat to attack British shopping centres in the run up to Christmas . The intelligence apparently related to Shopping complexes such as Brent Cross, Lakeside , Meadowhall in Sheffield and Trafford in Greater Manchester and those attending COBRA had the events in Mumbai a couple of years earlier at the forefront of their minds . <br />
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In a rare occurrence the Prime Minister lost his temper when he learnt that in any terrorist incident or indeed any incident involving an armed suspect, firefighters and para medics would stay outside the security cordon until the Police stated that the armed suspect had been dealt with . Even if a building was on fire or there were wounded members of the public needing treatment firefighters and para medics would stay outside the cordon not least due to the danger of being shot themselves by a gunman. The Prime Minister had visions of Sky News filming the scene and of firefighters and para medics sitting around and perceived by the viewing public to be taking no action .<br />
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Those who had not seen the Prime Minister lose his temper before realised that he meant business and that the situation had to change and he had successfully put a rocket up the Fire Service (and indeed the Ambulance Service). Indeed one very senior official told me he did not want to be at the end of a "Cameron roasting" again ! <br />
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Meetings were held with Fire Chiefs in several large cities (London , Birmingham, Manchester and others ) , the then Fire Minister ( Bob Neil ) called in the Fire Brigades Union , who for once put the National interest first and a small number of firefighters in our major cities (the majority in London ) were trained in how to operate wearing bullet proof protection and how to behave in the event of an armed incident . This issue has remained of deep interest to the Prime Minister, I recall him discussing it with firefighters when he visited Tottenham Fire Station in the aftermath of the 2011 Summer riots and I have no doubt that David Cameron's personal efforts on this have made the UK better prepared in the event of a Nairobi style attack.<br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-46024941967040249362013-09-13T17:58:00.002+01:002013-09-13T17:58:27.354+01:00Cornelius attacks Coleman : Coleman reponds !<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=Kn_l5WAatwIZgM&tbnid=g95LTSbPYy6McM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpoliticalscrapbook.net%2F2012%2F04%2Fbrian-coleman-calls-nurse-a-twat%2F&ei=uUMzUrjFMeOU0AXj1IGgAw&bvm=bv.52164340,d.ZG4&psig=AFQjCNEYy5KDT5m2_IdAnRfck0pRQSbYow&ust=1379177783211104" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="301" id="irc_mi" src="http://politicalscrapbook.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/brian-coleman-asleep.jpg" style="margin-top: 46px;" width="595" /></a>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-48742743801670590502013-09-13T17:42:00.005+01:002013-09-13T17:42:56.724+01:00Coleman Emergency : Rams takes action !<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=NqKBcuBN0c-HUM&tbnid=ihIoWgiEhlwtkM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcraplondonblogs.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fcrap-blog-no-1-robert-rams.html&ei=5D8zUsz4II6U0QWP4IHwAQ&bvm=bv.52164340,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHMKvSmqK2uvHVVTQj__BvBFlsDEg&ust=1379176793254889" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="190" id="irc_mi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YLwa5flIEZkj215vG82sismc902zVMw6bfIRPCgBy6S2bGP2Uki2RTdzs7sa2srXshilZ8J87w0yohEmrAoPMGPVRL0rqH06iVDiUYBCzuRd26X7hGI5SkqKtZMPmlxw_VmQYFzHmTs/s1600/Robert+Rams.jpg" style="margin-top: 102px;" width="200" /></a><br />
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"Launch Thunderbird Two ! "Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-23331157395100976792013-09-13T17:36:00.000+01:002013-09-13T17:36:01.600+01:00Coleman latest : Leader issues her instructions !<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=_4Ke3RjOHTxlrM&tbnid=YGQH6IfQ-7Ia7M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.notthebarnettimes.co.uk%2F2009_04_01_archive.html&ei=Sj4zUuO3HqK20wWC-YDwAQ&bvm=bv.52164340,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNHZjK3NE8DFDybHD4hIiWEaYxMC9Q&ust=1379176384916575" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="189" id="irc_mi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoH9NEQJsFijYzs7TRA_8AU2kY3BurbHc5HFmDyYwQtRhiJmVaNwMnf6gYxupX0MeatAPDRpSaUIRsG2k9kK9jkW94hyphenhyphen_6QrlV7FAPGBgAfcAlV1NcEJGV0ugDvLUazJlqQpRJ18Tjz6c/s320/RandA.jpg" style="margin-top: 102px;" width="169" /></a><br />
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" Richard , do something about him " <br />
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"Yes Dear "Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-76152374588793970222013-09-13T16:22:00.003+01:002013-09-13T16:22:37.414+01:00Councillor David Longstaff reads my Blog !<a data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jGCWJAa63EDBvM&tbnid=uS4l9YCKb-xyvM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.comedycv.co.uk%2Fdavidlongstaff%2F&ei=Ji0zUormGIWe0QXbsoH4Bg&bvm=bv.52164340,d.ZGU&psig=AFQjCNFuZ-_F8P3-D1C4C3_xkdDNDQK04w&ust=1379172000791439" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="372" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.comedycv.co.uk/davidlongstaff/david-longstaff-2007-march.jpg" style="margin-top: 11px;" width="400" /></a>Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-7586699162031962432013-09-12T03:11:00.000+01:002013-09-12T03:11:30.731+01:00Barnet's Conservative Councillors Ever wondered what the remaining 37 Conservative Councillors are really like ?<br />
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Well here is your short guide in no particular order <br />
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Councillor Brian Salinger (Oakleigh Ward) now 65 served since 1986 with four years on Haringey before that . Had an unpleasant skirmish with the Local Government Ombudsman ( before the Standards Committee was ever invented ) in the late 80s over a planning application . Has never recovered from losing the Council and Group Leadership after the 2006 local elections in a coup organised by the late great Lynne Hillan and others (including me ) which has lead to a long "Ted Heath " like sulk . Whilst Leader was nicknamed by the Officers "Dr Stranglove " (remember Peter Sellers played all the parts ) after his Leadership was nicknamed "Napoleon" , because he had been a very short leader .<br />
Still thinks he will be summoned back from the wilderness (voted against "One Barnet" in the Conservative Group) but was shocked this year when he was well beaten (by Cllr Melvin Cohen ) in the internal Conservative ballot to be Mayor this year. Yes there is a Conservative Councillor more unpopular than me . <br />
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Councillor Mrs Kate Salinger (Coppetts Ward) Kate was elected against the odds in 2006 in what should be a safe Labour Ward mainly through her sheer hard work locally . The local Conservative Association thought she did not stand a chance but let her get on with it anyway. Since her defiance of the whip over Members allowances (seen as the worst betrayal by many colleagues) the Conservative Leadership have done all in their power to ensure she loses her seat in 2014 , trying to close Friern Barnet Library , ensuring a nice big waste facility and depot on Pinkham Way. Made probably the most disastrous Maiden speech on the Council in recent times when she burst into song , something she is known for after a long evening. Her failed Standards Board complaint against her colleague Cllr Andreas Tambourides cost the taxpayer around £50,000 and ensured the enmity between the Tambourides and the Salingers continues. Not likely to survive 2014 despite the respect which many residents in her Ward have for her hard work . More right wing than her husband and more popular .<br />
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Councillor Mrs Wendy Prentice ( High Barnet Ward) Hard working former Mayor (and now Mayoress to Melvin Cohen ) on first name terms with many residents of her Ward particularly in Hadley where she has lived for decades and used to deal with her Ward work whilst walking her dog every morning. No push over and will fight when roused . Saw off the Lib Dems in High Barnet . Her finest hour was Chairing the Group meeting that saw the end of Brian Salinger's Leadership . Safe pair of hands as Chairman of Planning . Quite happy to shock people with her outrageous hair colour . Will top the poll in her ward in 2014 as everybody knows her and likes her . One of the few members of the Conservative Group who demonstrates any loyalty. <br />
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Councillor David Longstaff (High Barnet Ward) former Labour Party member and indeed Parish Councillor , bit part actor . Who can forget his role as a drunken elf in the Christmas edition of Casualty or was it Holby City , I forget.............His personal web site contains a video of his stand up act which is about as funny as his speeches in the Council Chamber . Then there was the episode of my favourite Drama "Lewis" where he played a Friar definitely not a monk !Was a Salinger protege but managed to get appointed to the Cabinet by distancing himself from them . Considered promoted too soon and a lightweight and seems to think that being in charge of "Community Safety" means when the Borough Police Commander says jump you reply how high ? Has no concept of holding the Police to account and did little to attempt to save the two Police Stations being closed in the Borough once he knew that High Barnet in his ward was safe. In charge of the latest misguided attempts at North Finchley regeneration under his leadership the scheme will no doubt go the way of all the rest over the years, which several people think is why Richard Cornelius ( who at heart is a free marketer) put him in charge of it . Upset the Jewish Community big time with a disgraceful anti Eruv performance at the Area Planning Committee that left many fellow Conservatives reeling. Unlikely to get many votes from Barnet Synagogue next year <br />
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Councillor Mrs Eva Greenspan (Church End Ward ) Long serving (1990) former Mayor , hugely popular in the Jewish Community and loves her Planning on which she works hard . Has failed to convince various Conservative Leaders over the years to make her Chairman of the Planning Committee . Was a very generous Mayor but her farewell speech when she described herself as "the Peoples Mayors" did raise a few Conservative eye brows. Has a low boredom threshold and can rarely sit still during a Council meeting . Must have the highest mobile phone bill of anyone on the Council . Known for her elegance and exquisit dress sense . Forms part of the "Orthodox block vote" in the Conservative Group which Leaders upset at their peril . <br />
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Councillor Dan Thomas (Church End Ward) Young , ambitious , blond, good looking and intelligent , Deputy Leader of the Council. Protege of Mike Freer . Known for his frequent exotic holidays to keep his tan up . In 2010 considered jumping ship and was actually interviewed by Bexley Conservatives for a seat on Bexley Council as he was then virtually living and working there. Fought some God forsaken South Wales Parliamentary Constituency at the last General election and no doubt if a winnable Parliamentary seat came up he would grab it with both hands . In his early Cabinet days was not known for his hard work ( in 6 months as Cabinet Member for the Environment 2009/10 he failed to hold one "theme " meeting with his Senior Officers) however his work rate has improved . Ditched the Ferrari and the Porche with the personalised number plate in favour of the sensible Smart car . Paranoid about his receding hair line but a dab hand in the kitchen . His career in Barnet probably hinges on the success of "One Barnet" . He will, I suspect eventually become bored with Local Government and indeed Barnet.<br />
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Councillor Barry Evangelli (East Barnet Ward) Protoege of Andreas Tambourides and to some extent Lynne Hillan . Made a good Deputy Mayor and, if he can hold East Barnet Ward will no doubt be Mayor sometime between 2014/18 . Seems to have stopped the attempts to hold back the years by dying his hair and is just about "out" these days as a "Silver fox" .In the battles in the Group always on the side of the Good Guys ! <br />
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Councillor John Marshall (Garden Suburb Ward) now 73 but this old war horse just keeps on going . Has held every office known to man , Mayor , MP, MEP , Councillor , as somebody once said to me "good thing we don't have Parish Councils or else he would stand for that as well !"<br />
A brilliant campaigner and frankly works twice as hard as most Councillors half his age. Everybody, south of the North Circular is on first name terms with John although many of them stabbed him in the back in the 1997 General Election a fact I suspect he found hard to come to terms with. Has ensured the Lib Dems are now an irrelevance in Garden Suburb ward and will easily top the poll in 2014 . Always at the heart of whatever conspiracy is going on in the Conservative Group in recent years has consistently backed the wrong candidates in Leadership elections .He ran the disastrous Leadership campaign for his ward colleague Cllr Andrew Harper in 2011 and was perceived as a Salinger supporter. Known for a bit of name dropping "As Betty Boothroyd once said to me" .......His well deserved knighthood does not look like it is coming.<br />
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Councillor Andrew Strongolou (Underhill Ward) Drafted in at the last moment in 2010 to replace Fiona Bulmer in Underhill Ward who had quit in a huff because she did not win the Tory Leadership. Managed to get elected mainly because sitting Conservative Councillor Daniel Webb found it difficult to hide his contempt for many Underhill residents . Has never really taken to the Council and is totally semi detached. Not standing in 2014 . Managed to get done for drink driving ( three times over the limit I believe ) at Hammersmith Magistrates soon after being elected to the Council which the Tory Leadership successfully hushed up , local journalists did not even notice. Looking increasingly bizarre these days and has resisted calls to get his hair cut . Struggled for work but is probably the only Councillor on Barnet to have appeared in a Stephen Spielberg film (eat your heart out Longstaff) .<br />
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Councillor Rowan Turner (as most of us still call him ) (Underhill Ward) elected in 2010 in this highly marginal Ward . A very intelligent young , church going decent guy and suitably right wing . Decided to add his wife's surname to his when he got married (against advise) which makes him sound like a snob or a poof or even worst a feminist , he is none of these . If he survives in 2014 is no doubt destined for high office in the current Administration of "Boys" . Impeccable manners unusual for someone his age, and has been shocked by the rudeness of some residents and bloggers.<br />
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Councillor Graham Old (Church End Ward ) Another nice guy who has been around politically a long time . Served on Merton Council with Theresa May but best known for losing in Hale Ward in 1994 which handed Barnet to the Lib/ Lab coalition . Nicknamed by one senior Barnet Tory as the "Councillor for Narnia " because he is so far back in the closet . Hates the infighting since he came on in 2010 but is no Brian Salinger fan . Nice , certainly not stupid , hardworking but sadly a bit wet .<br />
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Councillor Danny Seal ( Garden Suburb Ward ) Won the highly coveted Conservative nomination in Garden Suburb Ward in 2010 . An early associate of Councillor Mark Shooter to whom he attached his waggon but when Shooter's star burst rather lost interest in the Council. Spends a lot of time in Israel where he apparently has business interests and is rarely seen at the Town Hall . Missed the last two Council meetings and has not attended a full Council meeting since the Annual meeting in May. Always thought that Mike Freer was God . Rumour is John Marshall carries him in the Ward and detailed ward work is not his forte . I suspect more interested in making his first million than chairing a Scrutiny Committee ( and who can blame him ) . Cornelius will not touch him with a barge pole. Seal may well not feature on the ballot paper in 2014 . Cocky and thought he knew it all when elected considered a worthy successor to former Councillor Daniel Webb .<br />
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Councillor Robert Rams (East Barnet Ward ) elected in 2006 and a key member of the Administration of "the Boys" . Rumours are not standing in 2014 as has had quite enough of the mindless abuse over Friern Barnet Library, where the Conservative Group were happy to pile all the crap on him . Is fairly recently married and his wife does not enjoy the nitty gritty , not to mention time commitment of local politics ( not unusual in the Tory Group where the wives either cannot stand the Council or get themselves elected to it). Works as Head of Office for the Conservative GLA Group where his career seems to have stalled (it is a very comfortable job with all the local Government perks) and used to be Chief of Staff to Nigel Evans MP . Was step brother to the late Amy Winehouse but has none of her unfortunate habits, nor for that matter her artistic talent. An operator behind the scenes ( locally and wider afield) was a key supporter of Lynne Hillan and enemy of Salinger . Possesses that key characteristic of Barnet Conservative Councillors , very little loyalty.<br />
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Councillor Darrel Yawitch (Edgware Ward) Elected to the Council in a by election in 2009. Soon became apparent he had one key issue which was to secure VA status and new buildings for Beit Shvidler School in Edgware and that achieved rather lost interest . Not standing in 2014 and I am not sure anyone will notice . Firmly part of the orthodox block .<br />
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Councillor Joan Scannell (Edgware Ward ) Wily Old Bird first elected in 1994 and before that was a Council Officer serving as PA to the Director of Social Services amongst other things. Long time Secretary of the Conservative Group and knows where some of the bodies are buried. Stickler for the rules. Distrusted by Cornelius and actively disliked by "the boys" who see her as part of the Old Guard that has consistently hated the Cabinet system . Was an excellent Mayor . Is a survivor and I suspect will still be there long after "the boys " have all grown up and moved on .<br />
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Councillor Bridget Perry (High Barnet Ward) failed in her initial attempt to get elected at the 2005 High Barnet by election but successfully fought off a Liberal challenge in 2006 . Enjoying being Deputy Mayor having been shafted last year by Kate Salinger. Hard working Ward member genuinely popular in High Barnet with a history of voluntary work with the girl guides. Brighter than she looks and underestimate her at your peril. A rarity in Barnet Conservative Politics in not being interested in high office and having a sense of loyalty, consequently looked down on and patronised by "the boys" .<br />
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Councillor Melvin Cohen (Golders Green Ward) Serving as Mayor for the second time and finds it very difficult to hide his love of the job. Sadly second time around is never as enjoyable as the first. Father of the Conservative Group ( and indeed Father of Councillor Dean Cohen ) having first been elected in 1982. Very rarely expresses an opinion ( I could not tell you if he is on the left or the right of the Conservative Party ) but that is probably how he has survived so long . An acknowledged expert on Planning. Roused to anger when he was challenged in 2011 by Kate Salinger for the Vice Chairmanship of the Conservative Group when he made the speech of life to see her off. Does not always vote with the Orthodox "block vote" . Has now been with his (male) partner for 25 years but decided Wendy Prentice would make a better Mayoress Melvin no one would have raised an eyebrow ....................<br />
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Councillor Hugh Rayner (Hale Ward ) former RAF Squadron Leader elected in 2006 . Solid , dependable, reliable but somewhat naïve, he is considered a safe pair of hands . A good Deputy Mayor ( to me ) but would not put his name in to be Mayor in 2011 as he wanted it in Olympic year , when he did so in 2012 he was surprisingly beaten by newcomer Brian Schama supposedly because Rayner as Chairman of Hendon Association had upset many of the Hendon Constituency Councillors . Was very hurt by that experience . Had a difficult relationship with Matthew Offord MP but rumours that Rayner was busy ringing round North London Conservatives seeking advise on how to deselect his MP seem to have come to nothing . A bit of a fence sitter will become Mayor in due course unless Hale Ward reverts to its former marginal status. <br />
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Councillor Tom Davey (HaleWard) elected on my coat tails in a by election on London Election Day in 2008 , he is the ultimate member of the Administration of the " Boys" . Educated at QE Boys he is clever , ambitious and his saving grace, wonderfully right wing and does not suffer fools gladly . Not for him any namby pamby "consensus" and I cannot see him agreeing to the Socialist concept of a "London living wage". Will go far unless he becomes bored or decides his business career comes first. Like all the boys does not quite manage to hide his disdain for the old timers. One of the few Councillors who can make a decent speech and enjoys winding up the whingers and moaners .<br />
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Councillor Stephen Sowerby (Oakleigh Ward) Elected in 2010 Oakleigh Ward was his reward for failing to get elected in High Barnet Ward in 2006 where despite working his socks off , a pesky Liberal Democrat hung on . Sadly has been a complete non event on the Council and serves as a "Committee place filler" . Did distinguish himself on Area Planning this year where he very effectively demolished Cllr Longstaff's opposition to the Barnet Eruv . Engaged to a very nice girl he met on the Internet . Cornelius considers him not the sharpest knife in the box and Stephen can look forward to a long career on the backbenches filling Committee places and pursuing his interest in military history. <br />
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Councillor Lisa Rutter ( Brunswick Park Ward) elected in 2006 when she was a loyal supporter of the coup against Salinger . Probably the most regal of recent Mayors , she always looks a million dollars despite being no spring chicken and wore more "bling " than I have ever been seen with. Was excellent during the 2011 August riots touring the Borough and dispensing reassurance but sadly it was all down hill from there with her Mayoralty eventually becoming a parody of itself. Sadly finds it hard to accept that that year was the pinnacle of her Council career and she is now on the scrap heap of ex Mayors . Her very pleasant husband Mark was her Escort and I believe there is no truth in the rumour that even he had to call her " Madam Mayor" . However the rumour that he wishes to add to the already incestuous nature of the Barnet Conservative Group be being elected a Councillor in 2014 seems to have more validity. Cornelius considers her a joke and has not forgotten the stroke he nearly had when he discovered the Civic visit to Barnet of "fun loving" Mr Michael Barrymore. <br />
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Councillor Sury Khatri (Mill Hill Ward) Elected in 2010 when 16 years of Liberal dominance in Mill Hill ended. Heavy smoker who dislikes virtually every aspect of Conservative Group policy . Made a speech once in the Conservative Group in which he attacked privatisation , parking policy , One Barnet , Library closures , cuts etc and which colleagues thought was a resignation speech but still he hangs on . Quite happy to tell anyone who asks that "One Barnet" is crazy (as he did at the Audit Committee a couple of months ago ) . Many Tory Councillors think he is barking and wonder if he will sign up to the 2014 Manifesto . Will cause problems if the Tory Administration is reelected next year with a slim majority. The Tory Councillor most likely to defect to Labour . <br />
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Councillor Andrew Harper (Garden Suburb Ward) Rather innocuous gentleman Councillor who having won a 2005 by election got the taste for the rough and tumble of Barnet Politics . A competent administrator rather than a Politician , Council Officers liked him, always a bad sign . Having become Deputy Leader to Lynne Hillan he thought he was a natural shoe in when she retired ill but the Conservative Group thought otherwise particularly after a disastrous speech at the 2011 Annual Council Meeting when even neutral observers thought he sounded desperate for the job and could not wait for her to retire.<br />
Came an embarrassing third in the subsequent Leadership election and promptly resigned as Deputy Leader and realised Politics was not the game for him . Retiring in 2014 to spend more time with his music .<br />
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Councillor John Hart ( Mill Hill Ward) re elected to the Council in 2006 after being ousted by the Liberals in 1994. Is now at 82 enjoying an unexpected Indian Summer of a Political career. A genuine character , popular in Mill Hill ( although surprisingly let down his residents over Saracens ) with a personal vote and reminiscent of Councillors as they used to be . Does not do Political correctness and had one serious run in with the Standards regime . Only Councillor to use the word "Fuck" in the Council Chamber and frankly does not give one either. Out of sympathy with the current Administration ( privately thinks One Barnet is "total crap" ) .Cornelius physically winces every time John gets up to speak and most of "the Boys" wish he would go away as they find him embarrassing . Would make an ideal Chairman for the Allotments Committee , a position that would make him very happy indeed . Will no doubt still be a Councillor when they carry him out in a box for his Green burial .<br />
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Councillor Helena Hart (Edgware Ward) Huge admirer (some would say clone) of the beloved Margaret Thatcher she has become the acknowledged expert on Health . Loyal to Mike Freer he brought her into the Cabinet in 2006 as a reward for her support against Salinger in the coup and because the Group was short of competent women . Would have made a good MP but her heyday in the mid nineties was the time of the Conservative Party's lowest fortune. Hates rows and usually tries to keep a low profile ( less generous colleagues suggest she has a lot of splinters in her nether regions from sitting on too many fences ) Loyal to Lynne Hillan to the end she would make an excellent Mayor but has turned the job down several times <br />
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Councillor Anthony Finn (Hendon Ward) No Jewish wedding , Bar mitzvah or other event in the Orthodox Community is complete without the attendance of the jovial figure of Anthony Finn as his waistline will testify . First elected in 1990 , Tony is a survivor despite an early run in with former Leader Roy Schultz who accused him , Eva Greenspan and another former Councillor of only being interested in Orthodox issues . Has always been the "shop steward" of the Orthodox block . In Group elections will openly tell anyone and everyone who canvasses him that he will vote for them . Deputy Leader for a long period under Victor Lyon he managed to fight off a couple of challenges from Salinger who implied that he was lazy but finally fell to Salinger's sworn enemy former Councillor Kanti Patel . Not a supporter of Lynne Hillan but was very annoyed when Mike Freer dumped him from the Cabinet having had enough of his laid back attitude (which hides a calculating mind) . Despite being reticent about doing it turned into an excellent hard working Mayor . Has lasted as Chief Whip for 2 years which is longer than most of his predecessors. Cornelius is wary of him but needs his support as he has few Jewish friends in the Group.<br />
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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. <br />
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Councillor Dean Cohen (Golders Green Ward) Son of Councillor Melvin Cohen and brother of prominent Jewish journalist Justin , Dean married a couple years ago and already has two children or it may be three by the time you finish reading this . No truth in the rumour he is planning to out do Councillor Brian Gordon who has nine children and an increasing number of grandchildren . Loved in Golders Green as the natural successor to the saintly late Councillor Aba Dunner and therefore ends up with the vast majority of the Ward work to the relief of his Father. Sadly not above a bit of back stabbing and pretending that things that have gone wrong were nothing to do with him ( hiring of parks , remember Dean ?) and does not give the impression of being on top of the huge Environment Portfolio. In his early days on the Council was once shouted at by Nick Walkely (unlike him to be unprofessional ) leaving Dean with a fear of Officers. Likely to be around for years until his son is old enough to join him on the Council . About to preside over the forthcoming bins fiasco that will make parking look like a side show .These days always looks exhausted ,I suspect it is not the children or the business but the bloody parking !<br />
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Councillor Reuben Thompstone (Golders Green Ward) Nice Guy New Zealand born , teacher. Having replaced Andrew Harper at Education clearly finding his feet and another boy promoted slightly too early but apparently Cornelius was under pressure from some colleagues not to appoint his wife to replace Harper. Been around politically in Finchley a few years and not considered a high flyer but solid and reliable . Recently married a nice girl from Nigeria he met on the Internet. Local Politics means you simply don't have time to meet people in other ways. <br />
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Councillor Mark Shooter (Hendon Ward) Arrived with a bang in 2010 and within three months was challenging Lynne Hillan for the Group Leadership . Wealthy , Good looking , charming and intelligent his ill advised Leadership challenge left him a marked man and although in 2011 ran a far better Leadership campaign following Hillan's retirement was never going to get the support of Chipping Barnet Councillors . Cornelius is deeply suspicious of him and will not give him any significant office , Mrs Cornelius, not known for her closeness to the Jewish Community is even more suspicious and appears apparently not to have forgotten a row over the Kosher catering at a David Cameron dinner , "They are eating OUR rolls " she was heard to exclaim. Although easily bored and unable to suffer fools he appears to be biding his time . Is the obvious Conservative Group Leader if Cornelius loses the election in 2014 if he is prepared to put in the commitment. Voted against "One Barnet" in the Conservative Group. Will stay a Councillor to maintain his profile in the Orthodox Community <br />
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Councillor Brian Schama (Mill Hill Ward) Elected in 2010 but you would have thought by the way he behaved in the weeks after the election he had been on the Council for 20 years . Had an opinion on everything . Wrote a simply dreadful letter to the already ill Lynne Hillan at the height of the August 2010 leadership contest which he then e mailed to all Tory Councillors . Stood against Wendy Prentice for the Group Chairmanship as part of that coup attempt and lost by one vote.Die hard Hillan loyalists have never forgiven him . His attempt at the Mayoralty after 2 years on the Council was not taken seriously until he beat Councillor Rayner who was the establishment candidate. Was not a bad Mayor in the Community but hopeless in the Chair , quite killed the budget debate. Fell out big time with Matthew Offord MP with whom he is barely on speaking terms. At 73 his Mayoralty is the highlight of his Council career and anyway Cornelius does not trust him or particularly like him , the rumours were that having been a glorious Mayor he would challenge Cornelius for Leader , however this backfired as he won no friends in the Tory Group by his behaviour in the Chair at Council meetings . <br />
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Councillor Sach Rajput (Oakleigh Ward) hugely ambitious , criminal barrister whose speeches in the Council Chamber often lead you to believe he is addressing the Judge and Jury . Intelligent and competent he has stood for Parliament (in Brent Central ) and is clearly using Barnet Council as a stepping stone to a safe seat or a High Court Judgeship In his younger and slimmer days was known as a "Ladies man" but is now happily married with twins . An active Freemason, always seems to end up on the winning side and has risen without trace , to coin a phrase . Firmly part of "the boys" Administration . Will not let the matter of loyalty get in the way of a stellar career. <br />
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Councillor Andreas Tambourides (Brunswick Park Ward) Long serving and hard working . Has educated the Conservative Group and indeed Party on the issue of the rape of his beloved Cyprus by Turkey and highly regarded in the Cypriot Community especially by women of a certain age who remember his fabulous bass tones from his days on London Greek Radio . Did not fall into the trap of some ethnic minority Councillors of becoming too identified with just one Community. Devoted to his friend Lynne Hillan whose illness and death hit him very hard . Was an excellent Mayor but unfortunate that it coincided with Salinger's brief reign as Leader . No love lost between those two and Salinger and him have not spoken in years , for that matter neither have Salinger and I . Sadly his glory days seem behind him and is widely blamed for the fiasco that was the Brunswick Park by election last year and the unfortunate choice of Conservative candidate but the Conservative Group enjoy picking scapegoats. Strong supporter of Cornelius whom he sees as Lynne's anointed successor and a bastion against any return by Salinger , not a view I share . <br />
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Councillor Joanna Tambourides (East Barnet Ward) Very organised hard working wife of the above . Selected in 2007 when the Conservative Party were desperate for a candidate following the death of the much loved Olwen Evans ( whose memorable speech delived the coup de grace to Salinger during the 2006 coup) . However her promotion to the Cabinet by Lynne Hillan as a favour to her friend Andreas and because of the shortage of competent women was a step too far. Has struggled to grasp the portfolio as Planning Committee Chairmen will tell you , cannot think on her feet , struggles in Council with Robert Rams often whispering answers to supplementary questions to her . Genuinely nice woman who was an excellent Mayoress but clearly not enjoying her current role . However Cornelius desperately needs the Tambo's loyalty and votes . <br />
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Councillor Brian Gordon (Hale Ward) Elected in 1998 in Hale Ward as the only Conservative with two Labour , a result repeated in 2002. Big personal vote and highly regarded in the Jewish Community . Outspoken right winger with principles who says what he thinks and although not everybody's cup of tea is straightforward if sometimes a little naïve and what you see is what you get . Distrusted by a succession of Conservative Leaders, not least for his traditional orthodox Jewish views is not prepared to compromise his principles for Office . Loyal and not interested in taking part in conspiracies . An integral part of the Orthodox block. Rumour is he is switching wards to Edgware in 2014 ( which is where he lives) , Contrary to what some think has no prejudices and treats people as he finds them .<br />
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Councillor Alison Cornelius (Totteridge Ward ) elected in a by election in 2009 when the Ward was desperate and could not find another candidate . Has taken the post of "Leader's wife" to a whole new level .well beyond the traditional one of organising the sausage rolls although she can be relied on to do the catering .Collects Committee appointments and jobs like other people collect Tesco Clubcard points . Has turned the Health Scrutiny Committee into a car parking sub Committee and became the object of ridicule when officials at Barnet General discovered her counting cars and examining car parking passes accompanied by an embarrassed Councillor Graham Old . Not known for her empathy with the Jewish Community she sensibly kept quiet during the debate on the Totteridge Eruv and usually is away or busy when invitations arrive from Synagogues. Her opposition to the initial planning application for the Etz Chaim School in Mill Hill lead to her swift substitution for subsequent meetings discussing that application. Not possible to have a short conversation with her it is just easier to say yes and save the phone bill cost . Her husband long ago opted for the easier option of agreeing with his wife . Has turned the Conservative Party in Totteridge almost into a family business.<br />
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Councillor Richard Cornelius (Totteridge Ward) Elected in 2006 took to the Council like a duck to water. Ended up as Leader after Lynne Hillan's retirement in 2011 as the Chipping Barnet candidate and having amassed the least number of enemies. If he loses the election in 2014 he will be immediately dumped and may well in any case face the "Salinger" treatment once the election is out of the way . Instincts are right wing and anti Officer but as Leader has increasingly fallen under Officer influence . Some of his senior Officer appointments are considered bizarre and just preparing the way for a change in Council control next year .Originally highly sceptical of the whole One Barnet concept he lost his temper in an explosion that could be heard from his French holiday home when he found out about the "Joint venture" proposal in August 2012 and yet within weeks was persuaded. Is increasingly seen as a delay and dither man and entirely ineffective and his U turns are becoming a weekly occurrence . Has no public recognition factor in the Borough and he ( and more so his wife ) is jealous of those local Politicians who have .Has failed to build rapport with the Finchley and Golders Green and Hendon Conservative Associations and thinks he can survive with the votes of Chipping Barnet Councillors . Will no doubt go down in Borough history for signing the One Barnet contracts ( on whose advise did he have his photo taken signing them ?) and will no doubt not be around when a future Conservative or Labour Administration has to unpick the mess as in so many other Local Authorities . He is however no fool and provides the charm and likability in the Cornelius partnership. Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-82734257489170331642013-06-13T17:31:00.000+01:002013-06-13T17:31:09.766+01:00Action needed now !Barnet Council has featured again this week in the national media with the "Daily Mail ", Radio 5 live and BBC London amongst others reporting on the shanty town reportedly full of Roumanian migrants that is flourishing on the former site of Hendon Football Club over in Cricklewood , very near to Brent Cross . <br />
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This problem is not new , in Spring last year , the night of the Mayor's Ball if I remember rightly , there was a major fire on this site and it took the London Fire Brigade a considerable time to confirm that fortunately there were no casualties amongst the derelict buildings, rubble and rubbish which was being used as some sort of shanty town by mainly Roumanian and mostly illegal casual workers . Indeed any weekday morning you can see these migrants workers lined up on Cricklewood Broadway <br />
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The freehold of this site is owned by Barnet Council and although there have been endless legal arguments and even a protracted land tribunal hearing over the last 15 years or so , the site is earmarked for development for much needed housing and no doubt once the housing market picks up developers will get on with it . In the meantime local residents have to put up with this eyesore and the resulting nuisance and people are living in conditions which make war torn Damascus look like a luxury holiday .<br />
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There is no sanitation , the place is over run with vermin and it is an all round health hazard and frankly in the event of another fire a death trap .<br />
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The Council has the power to deal with any dangerous structure any where in the Borough if necessary and take remedial action and send the landowners the bill . In this case never mind any disputes with the leaseholder the Council has an increased responsibility as the freeholder of the site .<br />
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During the media ho ha on Monday apparently " nobody from Barnet Council was available for interview" . Very odd . Where was the Leader of the Council or the Cabinet member for the Environment , Councillor Dean Cohen ?<br />
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Indeed this site lies in Councillor Dean Cohen's Ward , although rumour has it not in an end of the Ward he often visits . When in the Summer of 2001 there was a spate of Irish Traveller invasions of greenbelt land in Totteridge and elsewhere the late Victor Lyon, Kevin Edson and I as Ward Councillors were at Brook Farm before the sun had set and we even had Sir Sydney Chapman then MP for Chipping Barnet return from his Summer break to reassure residents everything possible was being done to move these people on and deal with the issues of abandoned vehicles and dumped rubbish . Once the travellers had left the Council moved in swiftly ,cleared the tonnes of rubbish and spent a not inconsiderable sum securing Brook Farm and several others sites in Mill Hill, Burnt Oak and Arkley from possible future occupation . Indeed the Council Officers swift action was not unrelated to the pressure they were under from elected Politicians .<br />
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Last week after the fire at the Somali Community Centre in Coppetts Ward, which appears to be the result of a disgraceful racist arson attack , there were so many visits from senior Politicians that the place began to resemble Downing Street on Cabinet reshuffle day . Councillors (some of whom had never ventured South of the North Circular Road) had to ask for directions from Council Officers , indeed one Senior Barnet Councillor was heard to ask "surely this place is in Haringey ? " Yet it did not stop them queueing up to give the nation the benefit of their views on this fire before they had any confirmation that it could be arson . <br />
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However what this site in Cricklewood needs is not a ministerial visit but a fleet of Council bulldozers and skip lorries and some of our hard working refuse staff from the soon to shut Mill Hill Depot to clear the site and end the problem .<br />
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Take the necessary action, worry about the niceties and who picks up the cost once you have sorted the problem out .<br />
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It used to be that the Conservative Administration in Barnet was noted for firm and swift action when problems arose , now we seem to have dither and delay .<br />
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As Churchill would have said "Action this Day " <br />
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Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-65197524081548045172013-06-10T17:00:00.000+01:002013-06-11T10:35:49.775+01:00<br />
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I had a wonderful evening last Thursday attending a performance of "The Bodyguard" at the Adelphi Theatre in the Strand . Although I love my musicals I do not normally enjoy " compilation " shows and have never bothered with "Mama Mia " . However although "The Bodyguard " is just a rendition of the Whitney Houston song book it is saved by a stunning performance from the American actress / singer Heather Headley. The audience seemed less of the usual West End audience with the majority female and a sizable "Essex type " contingent with the odd tattoo and bra strap showing and numerous boxes of maltesers's being consumed , but never the less for all that it was an enjoyable evening and even I joined in the standing ovation for Heather Headley. <br />
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On my way to the Theatre I popped in to the Leicester Square headquarters of Global Radio to do a radio interview with my old acquaintance Iain Dale of LBC who has forged a hugely successful media career having given up his ambitions of becoming a Conservative MP.<br />
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During the day I had received several media bids from outlets wishing me to comment on the decision of Chipping Barnet Conservative Association Executive the night before to expel me, which developed into a bizarre bidding war . BBC London offered me the Eddie Nestor show which I accepted but then Iain asked me to appear on his show which I accepted as he has five times the listeners of Nestor and he is an old friend and in the past I have found Nestor ill informed and frankly lightweight when it comes to Politics. The BBC were not very pleased with my withdrawal and phoned back and offered me a television appearance as well ! <br />
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Before going on air I reflected with Iain that we had both been shafted by the Executive of Chipping Barnet Conservative Association , me the night before and Iain in 2003 when he failed at the Executive stage in the Chipping Barnet parliamentary selection process undertaken to find a candidate to succeed Sir Sydney Chapman . Iain had told the Executive that he was openly gay and the sound of elderly jaws hitting the floor was the end of Iain's Parliamentary ambitions in North London. <br />
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Iain's excellent show gave me an opportunity to refer to matters that were mentioned in Court but surprisingly have received very little media coverage including the three attacks on my 89 year Mother and the sustained incidents of harassment mentioned by the Judge <br />
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The decision taken by the 39 Executive Members who turned up ( the Executive numbers over 70 , so there was a long list of apologies), was I understand a very narrow majority but I had no intention of turning up for what was clearly a kangaroo court with the Officers of the Association having already made their minds up . In the current world of rapidly declining Conservative Party membership Councillors are forced to "multi task " with Cllr Richard Cornelius serving as Chipping Barnet Conservative Association President as well as Leader of the Council and his wife and fellow Totteridge Councillor serving as a Deputy Chairman ( this is an elected post as opposed to the five other jobs her husband has appointed her to ) . Councillor David Longstaff who like Cllr Alison Cornelius shares an ambivalent attitude to Barnet's Jewish Community , he opposed the Barnet Eruv , she opposed Etz Chaim School , is also a Deputy Chairman of the Association . Former Councillor, the sensible shoe wearing, Fiona Bulmer is the current Chairman of Chipping Barnet Conservative Association . Fiona spent 8 years on Barnet Council where she valiantly opposed Barnet Football Club's Underhill Stadium and consistently advocated a firm right wing Conservative approach to all problems . Indeed she often undermined former Council Leader Mike Freer considering him not right wing enough and often outflanked even me from the right. Her firm free market views included voicing the opinion that Barnet Market should be allowed to go to the wall . Fiona who is a failed Parliamentary and European candidate is apparently still seeking a Parliamentary seat . Her failure to win the Conservative Group Leadership when Mike Freer retired in 2009 led to a sulk of Brian Salinger proportions as she walked out of the Cabinet and then a few months later suddenly retired from the Council . She is currently serving as a (paid) non Executive Director of the Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital and driving through the much needed reorganisation. A friend of mine who considered her for a Parliamentary seat a few years ago unkindly said " She will never get selected ,she has a face like a bag of spanners !"<br />
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Several of the others present who voted for my expulsion were individuals who have their eyes on my Totteridge seat .<br />
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There is a mystery as to why Chipping Barnet Conservative Officers saw the need to hold this meeting when they took no action against another Chipping Barnet Conservative Councillor who was fined a considerable amount more than me when he was convicted for drink driving at three times over the legal limit. The matter was hushed up during the period that Cllr Richard Cornelius was serving as Chairman of Chipping Barnet Conservatives .<br />
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I have been overwhelmed by the many messages of support I have received from many friends from within and without the Conservative Party and I can assure my residents that I intend to continue to represent them on the Council and to advocate firm Conservative values , opposition to Gay marriage , support for Grammar Schools, Academies and Faith based schools , withdrawal from the EU , opposition to the Stalinist , Soviet monolith that is the "One Barnet " programme and support for all our Communities in Barnet without discrimination . <br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-75918547410698381472013-05-18T16:21:00.001+01:002013-05-18T16:21:31.372+01:00The man of the moment <br />
As my friends will know I have a very limited knowledge of , or interest in Football: however every time I mention the subject for reasons that are lost on me the hits recorded by this blog sore through the roof !<br />
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But even I did not fail to notice the wall to wall coverage of the retirement of the Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson . No media outlet was immune from endless tributes to the great man and normally serious and rational journalists ( yes you Nick Robinson) were euogising the man as some sort of modern saint . Indeed as I write I suspect there is a Committee sitting in the Cabinet Offfice under the Chairmanship of Francis Maude drawing up plans for Sir Alex's eventual State Funeral at Paul's Cathedral complete with a gun carriage and Falklands veterans and presumably the obligatory demonstration at Ludgate Circus from a few die hard Socialist Workers supporters claiming Football is a Capitalist conspiracy to control the masses.<br />
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Sir Alex , along with Totteridge resident Arsene Wenger have defied the ridiculous trend in modern football that if you do not achieve instant success you lose your job . The merry go round of football league managers over the last six months has proved that many club owners have more money than sense . Indeed some league clubs have had so many managers in the last year or two that they make Harrow Council appear a model of stable Leadership .<br />
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Back in 2008 I reluctantly accepted an invitation to a Dinner at the House of Lords to mark the 125th Anniversary of the Boys Brigade . Why reluctantly you might ask because I have never had a reputation for declining a decent dinner ? Well the after dinner speaker was to be the aforementioned Sir Alex Ferguson and as I had no interest in football and Sir Alex is a well known and firm supporter of the Labour Party I had no particular desire to meet him or listen to his after dinner musings . <br />
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Indeed in my experience sportsmen are not necessarily the best after dinner speakers . I once endured Kris Akabusi at a Conservative function at the Savoy and after 20 minutes every time he paused for breath the audience applauded hoping he would take that as his cue to sit down , likewise Sir Steve Redgrave may well be a much decorated distinguished sportsman and indeed now earn his living from "motivational speaking " but on the night I heard him he appeared not to be able to motivate anybody to fight their way out of a paper bag . <br />
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However how wrong I was .<br />
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Sir Alex Ferguson turned out to be my sort of man ( Party Politics aside) . A rather competent after dinner speaker he explained how from his working class upbringing in 1950s Glasgow he owed so much to the Boys Brigade and the firm Christian Faith and ethos it installed in him . He produced from his pocket his small Boys Brigade Bible which he carries with him everywhere and which continues to be his inspiration . He may well have a reputation of not tolerating dissent and of throwing a football boot at David Beckham but all great men have a temper and without one you are a complete wimp. His practise of banning journalists who are disrespectful, of in the case of the BBC produce programmes insulting to members of his family seems a sound practise to me and one that other public figures should follow . Certainly Newcastle Football Club have done the same and locally Barnet Football Club have apparently refused to cooperate with the Press Group for many years because supposedly the Chairman took exception to something they printed. <br />
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So I wish a happy retirement to Sir Alex Ferguson , a Christian Gentleman of the first order and a man with a firm determination and a track record of achievement . A genuine "man's man" .<br />
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So what if he was nicknamed the "human hairdryer " , telling it how it is never did anyone an harm !<br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-67998035039330991552013-04-28T11:42:00.002+01:002013-04-28T11:42:53.866+01:00Rejoice ! Rejoice ! The late Enoch Powell recounted how when he came down stairs and picked up the morning paper the day after the February 1974 General Election( which he had opposed and refused to stand as a candidate in ) and saw that Ted Heath had failed to win he sang the Te Deum.<br />
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I did exactly the same yesterday afternoon when I glanced at the football results !<br />
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If I had the power I would be ordering that the Church bells in Barnet be rung this morning in celebration of the relegation of Barnet Football Club from the Football League.<br />
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I know I am not the only Conservative adding a little Champagne to my orange juice over breakfast this morning at what seems like an end to the 15 year saga of Barnet Football Club.<br />
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The Chairman claimed last week that Barnet had been "ushered out of the Borough " well now the Club has been ushered of the Football League entirely due to their own performance and not something they can blame the Council for .<br />
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Apparently the Supporters Trust wish to exlpore the idea of building a 10,000 setter stadium on the now defunct Underhill site : Not a chance ! Anyway why would you need it ?<br />
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No doubt there will be some residual issues to resolve over the future of the site ( Please can the Council have the freehold back for the £10,000 the Club paid for it ? ) but the construction of a housing estate on Metropolitan Open space and greenbelt land is not an option .<br />
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I always believed that the Chairman of Barnet Football Club was badly advised throughout the whole saga but the attempts by some elements to make the whole issue Party Political and extremely personal were always going to end in failure for the Club .<br />
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I wish the fans and players well in the years to come in Harrow in non league football , but forget a return to Barnet , no Politician of any Party or Local Government Officer and few residents are going to want a repeat of the last 15 years .<br />
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Thank you and Hallelujah ! Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-51882882853027942512013-04-25T15:30:00.000+01:002013-04-25T15:30:07.492+01:00The School Nimbys are at it again !Here we go again !<br />
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If there is one issue dominating local and increasingly national politics it is the shortage of school places and the radical reforms being introduced by Michael Gove , the best Secretary of State for Education since Margaret Thatcher . <br />
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Although there is a brief respite this year for children due to enter Primary School at age 5 this coming September due to a blip on the birth rate , from September 2014 Barnet, like most local Councils will have to enable more school places to be created.<br />
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The Gove reforms allowing the creation of Free Schools and the conversion of successful Local Authority schools into Academies are increasingly reaping benefits for Barnet parents . Most Barnet Secondary Schools have converted to Academies but so far only two primary schools. <br />
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One of those Primaries that has become an Academy is Grasvernor Infants in Underhill , the Borough's smallest school that has several times resisted attempts by Barnet Council to close it as totally uneconomic. Indeed its Governor's decision to go for Academy status is no doubt partially influenced by a desire to prevent Barnet Council from closing it in the future, not to mention that Academies do not have any Local Education Authority appointed Governors . Indeed it has become increasingly difficult to sustain long term LEA Governors at that school , several having received an indifferent welcome and raising eyebrows at the alleged practise at the Governors meetings of ordering in Pizzas and opening bottles of wine and going on till half past ten at night !<br />
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The sooner all Barnet Schools opt of LEA control and we can wind up the activities of the Education Department at North London Business Park, with the resultant savings to Barnet Council tax payers , the better. I have long advocated the abolition of the Education Authority role for Town Halls as it is entirely synonymous with the "One size fits all approach " which has lead to so many young people across the Country being failed by the school system . At least in Barnet we have always had a fairly light touch from the Education Authority and successive Conservative Administrations have encouraged a diversity of schools , maintained , Voluntary aided and Grammar amongst them . <br />
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However it seems to me that every time the Community tries to add to the diversity of schools available for parents in Barnet attempts are made by the NIMBY (Not in my back yard) element to prevent progress.<br />
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In my view new schools should be opened slap bang in the middle of residential areas . That is where the demand is and it encourages residents to use and appreciate their local schools. I am entirely pro motorist but would make it a criminal offence for parents to drive their children to school . I and probably the vast majority of my generation were never driven to school , we walked or took the bus. Among the excuses I have been presented with are that it is not save for their precious darlings to walk the streets of Barnet . Well the latest crime figures show another welcome reduction in violent crime and of course Barnet is one of the safest Boroughs in London. The number of random child killings in the UK is dreadful , about one child per year is killed by a stranger , and tragic and appalling as every child killing is , this is the same level as the 1950s ! <br />
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The suggestion that somehow the streets are awash with paedophiles on the prowl looking to kidnap children and that the only answer is that they need to be driven everywhere in huge 4 by 4s by women with only a vague sense of the rules of the road is absurd. <br />
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The suggestion that the Avanti House School should move to the Broadfield area of Edgware should be welcomed with open arms . This successful school run by a Hindu foundation and currently located off the Harrow side of the Edgware Road wants to expand but is already faced by a well organised group of local residents who fear that somehow their area will be ruined by the schools arrival .<br />
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Well I have news for the good folk of Edgware , the area is changing and has changed dramatically over the last few years and one of those most welcome changes is the influx of a new community of middle class , professional families from an Asian , particularly Indian background. This Community is well behaved , law abiding and ambitious for its' children hence the demand for the original establishment of the Avanti School and now for its' expansion . <br />
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We have a successful history in Barnet of welcoming new schools both faith based and secular across the Borough . However whereas the secular Archer Academy in East Finchley received little opposition to its' planning proposals on the disused Stanley Road playing fields , the faith based schools seemed to have had a harder struggle . The opposition to the Jewish Cross Community School ( JCOSS) in East Barnet was vicious at times and yet it was being sited on an existing school site and the outrageous and over the top objections to the conversion of the closed down garden centre in Daws Lane to the new Etz Chaim Jewish School wasted thousands of pounds of tax payers in pointless and ultimately unsuccessful Court cases. Fortunately the Greek Orthodox based school St Andrew the Apostle, due to open on the North London Business Park site in October has yet to attract the NIMBY brigade.<br />
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JCOSS is going from strength to strength and has not brought East Barnet to a halt and work on Etz Chaim goes on a pace. There is actually less traffic in Daws Lane and it is far easier to park with Etz Chaim operating in temporary Council owned premises next door to the new buildings and the doom and gloom mongers have been proved wrong .<br />
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So it will be with Avanti .<br />
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Is it me or are the usual NIMBY objections to any development spiced up in the case of these schools by a dose of old fashioned racism and anti semitism ? I would have hoped that the type of objection I received from one so called Community activist when Akiva Primary School applied to rebuild its' facilities "These people are ruining Finchley " "What people ? " I asked "The Jews" she replied , were long gone . <br />
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I welcome all new schools to Barnet whether Free Schools or Academies, secular or Faith based ( about time we had proposals for a Muslim School ) or even private . I would dance with joy if we could persuade the wonderful Michael Gove to allow new Grammar Schools !!Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-73617441684618157232013-04-09T11:16:00.001+01:002013-04-09T11:16:29.368+01:00She saved the Nation , but she put Finchley on the map !<br />
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I somehow thought she was immortal .<br />
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Only last month I was reading an obituary in the "Daily Telegraph" of an old acquaintance of mine , Sir Fergus Montgomery former MP for Altrincham amongst other places, and recalling that the last time I chatted to him was when he , along with other former Parliamentary Private Secretaries to Margaret Thatcher, acted as an usher at Sir Denis Thatcher's Memorial Service at the Guards Chapel . <br />
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I had a vision then of Lady Thatcher reading the same article over her cornflakes at the Ritz Hotel and thinking "Oh dear another good friend gone" but as many people do a they get older secretly congratulating herself on outlasting someone else from their past.<br />
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Over the last few years Lady Thatcher's declining number of public appearances were mainly restricted to funerals and Memorial Services , the "cocktail parties of the geriatric set" as Harold Macmillan famously described them, and as former friends and foes joined those green benches in the sky Lady Thatcher sailed serenely , although increasingly frailly on .<br />
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I last saw her about a year ago having lunch in the excellent restaurant of the Goring Hotel near Buckingham Palace with three friends . I was delighted to see that I was not the only one who could manage three courses from their first class lunch menu and that age and ill health had not diminished her appetite .<br />
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In Spring 2010 whilst I was Mayor she agreed to attend a Mayoral Charity lunch I was hosting at Mossimon's in Belgravia , we told no one in advance she was coming and of course she received a rapturous reception and enjoyed the lunch . However by that time she could only respond to fairly straightforward questions requiring simple answers and the then Lord Mayor of Westminster Duncan Sands and I kept the conversation going. A year of two previously I had given an interview to the distinguished historian Philip Ziegler who had been commissioned to write the official biography of Ted Heath and I asked him if he had interviewed Lady Thatcher ? "I am told there is no point as she cannot remember " he replied " yes she may have difficulty remembering three weeks ago but she still remembers thirty years ago " was my advise to him .<br />
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Her recent ill health, she struggled to get over the death of her devoted and extraordinary husband Denis who was her complete rock , slightly overshadowed her legion of achievements which will fill acres of newsprint over the coming days .<br />
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However whilst she certainly put Great Britain back on the map after the Nation's decline under Labour in the 1970s she put Finchley firmly on the map !<br />
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When she was selected for the then Finchley and Friern Barnet Constituency ( and many commentators forget the Friern Barnet element ) to fight the 1959 General election nobody could have envisaged her future career.<br />
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Sir John Crowder , the retiring Member of Parliament firmly told his Conservative Association that he was sure they would want to select "a younger man ",but younger members of the Finchley and Friern Barnet Conservatives ( and in those days there were many as apparently it was the best place to met members of the opposite sex ) took one look at this strong , determined young woman who knew how to make a decent speech and decided she was the candidate for them . As a young backbencher she introduced a Private Members Bill ensuring access to the meetings of public bodies although I suspect she would have been applled at the behaviour of some who choose to exorcise the rights that her Act conferred in the Barnet public gallery . <br />
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Indeed over the next 33 years the Constituency always came first for Margaret Thatcher . When Prime Minister she gave the best part of a Friday or Saturday about every three weeks to local matters and events, she missed the Finchley Carnival only once and that was for the World Economic Summit at Versailles , there was virtually no local organisation she was not part of as President or Patron and she never attended any event without ensuring she had spoken to everybody in the room and nipped into the kitchen to lend a hand with the washing up as well . "You can never have enough tea towels " I once heard her remark at a Finchley Conservative Bazaar , somehow I cannot image David Cameron making that remark with total naturalness.<br />
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Her support for Finchley Memorial Hospital was unstinting and we knew that the hospital would never be earmarked for closure, ( yes NHS cuts are nothing new) , whilst she was Prime Minister .<br />
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She had that unique gift possessed by few Politicians ( Tony Blair has it in spades as well I have to say ) that whilst you were talking to her YOU were the most important person in her life , she was not looking over your shoulder for someone more important or interesting to talk to . <br />
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She fought a last ditch campaign to save Grammar Schools in Barnet and when Secretary of State for Education clashed with a number of Conservative Members of Barnet Council who wished to rush headlong into comprehensive education . Indeed on the whole she had little time for the then Conservative Adminstration of Barnet considering several of its leading members wet and far too patrician in their approach and she could not understand why her own Borough Council was constantly increasing the rates and was not like Wandsworth and Westminster in the vanguard of Conservative local Conservative local government innovation . When Council Leader the late Leslie Pym would explain that Barnet did not receive the same level of grant as Westminster and Wandsworth he would be dismissed with a waive of the hand , he still got his CBE . She supported those of her Councillors who kept to proper Conservative values ( the formidable Barbara Langstone, wife of her long term devoted Constituency agent , who stood for no nonsense , John Tiplady who carefully controlled planning and the great Frank Gibson whom she credited for her selection and whose funeral at All Saints she attended even though there were pressing National issues to be dealt with ) and accepted their explanations that they were always out voted by the wets from Hendon and Chipping Barnet .<br />
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Her support for the State of Israel and the local Jewish Community fundamentally changed local Politics in Finchley . Memories of the "Great Golf Club scandal " of 1962 which saw Jews excluded from Finchley Golf Club and was blamed on the local Tory establishment leading to the loss of the Finchley Borough Council were well and truly banished by Mrs Thatcher's barnstorming appearance at a hastily arranged "support Israel " meeting at Moss Hall Junior School during the Six Day War . Her decision to allow American planes to use British bases to bomb Libya in 1986 ensured a record number of subscriptions for the Finchley Conservative Association.<br />
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There were many thousands of ordinary Finchley and Friern Barnet residents who benefited from her advise and help over the years , from my late Father who in the 1970s had difficulties with the Inland Revenue over tax on properties he owned ( a helpful letter from the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury Robert Sheldon soon arrived following Mrs T's intervention ), to a fellow Finchley Methodist infamously imprisoned in Moscow by the KGB for alleged Bible smuggling who to this day recalls Mrs T's support of his wife and keeping up the Parliamentary pressure on Harold Wilson which eventually lead to his release in a spy exchange .<br />
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Whatever the world crisis her constituency correspondence was dealt with quickly and efficiently and across Finchley there are hundreds of people who have fading Prime Ministerial correspondence on every subject under the sun siting in the back of draws waiting for the grandchildren to inherit it . She found time for her constituents as individuals.<br />
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Her contribution to the Borough was recognised by the award , just after she was elected Prime Minister, of the Freedom of the Borough. It needs a two thirds majority of the Council and Labour had done so badly in the 1978 Council elections, being reduced to a rump of nine seats, that they could not block it . Her death leaves only two living Freemen of the Borough , Lord Sacks and former Councillor John Apthorp founder of Bejams and Majestic Wine. <br />
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Prime Ministers of course enjoy total power except for that brief period during a General election when the polls have closed and they are waiting for the count to be declared in their own constituency , Lady Thatcher of course could not stand incompetence and inefficacy and Barnet Council who to this day are renowned for their slow election counts would feel the wrath of her anger as she sat in the Mayor's Parlour at Hendon Town Hall sipping scotch and watching the clock tick forward into the early hours . In 1987 as David Dimbleby told the Nation on the BBC that "Mrs Thatcher was heading back to Downing Street " she yelled at the telly " No I am not , I am still waiting for this Bloody count !" <br />
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Some were disappointed when she choose the area of her Lincolnshire Birth place (Kesteven) in her House of Lords title rather than Finchley and certainly had she continued the (now abandoned ) tradition of accepting an hereditary Earldom for ex Prime Ministers,being Countess of Finchley had a certain ring to it but that geographical designation remains available for a future political star .<br />
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When I used to serve on the Council of Europe and visit Eastern Europe to monitor elections and when asked where I came from I would say "Finchley" always the reply came " Ah, Have you met Margaret Thatcher ?"<br />
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In a hundred years time when all of us are forgotten, Margaret Thatcher will still be remembered and revered on every continent and the North London Suburb of Finchley will have earned its' part in world history .<br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-84376342476857337962013-02-19T14:20:00.001+00:002013-02-19T14:20:41.408+00:00A rare win , win situation !Some issues in local government just go on and on and whatever effort successive Councillors and Council Officers put into resolving them there is often no end in sight.<br />
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So it is a pleasant change to report the ending of one long running saga in Barnet affairs , the Stanley Road Playing fields issue which has been occupying the minds of Barnet's finest for about the last 10 years . This site is bang in the middle of East Finchley near the Grange Estate and adjacent to the Northern Line .<br />
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Next week the Cabinet Resources Committee will be asked to agree the disposal of the Stanley Road Playing fields and the site of the former Herbert Wilmot Youth Centre to the Department for Education for the construction of facilities for the new "free school" , the Archer Academy due to open in September .<br />
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This non denominational school created very much by parent power and lobbied hard for by Mike Freer in a clear justification of Michael Gove's policy , in East Finchey has already acquired the Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute Building round the back of East Finchley tube station and will fill a huge need for secondary school places for East Finchley children . The other Secondary School in the area , the Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Bishop Douglas has long been recognised by local parents as a disaster area in Education and it is a complete and abject failure of the Catholic Arch Dioceses of Westminster that this long running disgrace has not been sorted . Repeated attempts by the Borough over the years have been rebuffed by the Arch Diocese and the only solution now for Bishop Douglas is closure or a relaunched Academy ( a la Wren Academy in North Finchley ) .<br />
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Over the years I did not win many friends in the Conservative Cabinet by constantly objecting to the sale for a housing estate of the playing fields , first we had to see off a Cllr Brian Salinger scheme and then a Cllr Dan Thomas scheme . Back in 2005 Cllr Salinger won himself few friends by sending in the bulldozers one weekend to knock down the former Herbert Wilmott centre on the pretext of Asbestos issues, hoping for a quick sale of the site and Cllr Thomas , I suspect badly advised by his Officers saw only the pound signs of a Capital receipt .<br />
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What East Finchley does not need is more social housing . As a Ward it has more than its' fair share. What the area is desperately short of is green space , sports facilities and Community assets. <br />
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The Archer Academy proposals will provide a sports centre , an all weather pitch , and ancillary community facilities available outside school hours and protected by a proposed deed of dedication with the local organisation Sport EF . The local Community have worked hard to try and acquire the site themselves but were always doomed to failure as many organisations gave them warm words of comfort but no hard cash and their plans were unfortunately over ambitious and there seemed a reluctance to compromise . <br />
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East Finchley as an area is changing dramatically . Young middle class families unable to afford Muswell Hill and needing to be in easy reach of the tube are moving arriving in large numbers . Now the facilities they demand are following, with the creation of a decent Secondary School to which they can send there children . All they need now is a Waitrose ( and they could have had that , together with a new Library if Councillor Brian Salinger had not derailed the disposal of Park House near the station back in 2002) .<br />
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The Stanley Road proposals are a win for parents wanting secondary places for their children ; for the Community who want sports facilities ; for those opposed to yet more dense social housing and for the Council where the £3 million odd ( according to my source at the Dfe) capital receipt will compensate for the delayed receipt for the eventual sale of the Friern Barnet Library site .<br />
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I am rather proud of my small role in this saga and look forward to the new Academy being a huge success .<br />
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No doubt one or two whingers will emerge and the Hendon Times will adopt its' usual sour attitude to good news but to quote a Finchley icon "Rejoice at the news " !!!<br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-6315556433516738762013-02-12T16:51:00.000+00:002013-02-12T16:51:05.446+00:00The Underhill Soap Opera drawing to a close ?<br />
News that the Football League have given Barnet Football Club permission to play their League matches next season at The Hive facility at Edgware in the London Borough of Harrow seem to herald the end of the longest running Political saga in Barnet Politics , the future of the Underhill football ground. <br />
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I will not bore readers with all the background but since 2001 when a Government Planning Inspector refused permission for Barnet Football Club to redevelop Copthall, what happens at Underhill has occupied the minds of Barnet Council Officers , Councillors , successive MPs and hundreds of local residents . <br />
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The support of the Labour Party for a planning application on green belt land at Underhill for a new stadium actually cost the then Labour / Liberal Party coalition control of Barnet Council in 2002 as local residents took the Conservative Party at their word when it was made clear a Conservative Administration would not allow a 10,000 stadium on Green Belt land. Anyone who has knocked on doors in roads around the football ground will know residents are eternally grateful that successive Conservative Council Leaders have kept their word.<br />
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The decision by Barnet Football Club to move seems the only sensible solution as the Chairman of the Club must have realised that no Politician of whatever Party would support a substantial redevelopment of Underhill . The Labour Party who in the early years of the decade appeared supportive of the clubs planning proposals has in recent years distanced itself from its' earlier position .Successive Council Leaders, have endured endless meetings with the Barnet Football Club Chairman and his acolytes but on many occasions just as deals appeared close the goalposts would move , sometimes literally !<br />
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Alan Williams , the late Victor Lyon , Brian Salinger , Mike Freer , the late Lynne Hillan are among those who had the scares on their backs having dealt with the Football Club issue.<br />
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Negotiations were never helped by the habit of the late Dennis Signey OBE ,former Editor of the Hendon Times and a distinguished sports journalist and media adviser and director of Barnet Football Club leaving confidential meetings at the Town Hall and immediately ringing local journalists with a complete briefing , I suppose once a journalist always a journalist. <br />
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The sale of the freehold of the club ground by the Labour / Liberal Administration during the 2002 local election campaign purdah period ( a timeslot when no important decisions are suppossed to be taken ) left a huge suspicion in the air over the behaviour of the outgoing Labour Administration and lead to endless Enquiries that cost the taxpayer thousands and never really proved anything except possible Council incompetence . <br />
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For someone who has little interest in Football , although I did attend Barnet v Port Vale at Underhill a couple of years ago , and once slept with an Arsenal striker , I am not fussed if Barnet survive in the Football League or bothered where they play . However I did have some sympathy with the Chairman of the Club when he thought Barnet Council were applying double standards over Copthall by granting Saracens Rugby Club a lease and planning permission.<br />
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Saracens undertook a smooth PR and lobbying operation with Councillors and threw money at the local Community . They received a far friendlier reception from many Councillors because Rugby Union is followed on the whole by middle class Tory voting Barnet residents . Indeed the average age of a Saracens' attendee is apparently 59, hardly the age group known for rowdy behaviour. The lobbying worked as Councillors , with one or two noble exceptions forgot about their scruples and principals about green belt development and duly voted it through .Although I think few realised they were going to get a stadium named after a German Insurance company with a rather dodgy history under Nazi Germany including one former Director General serving as Hitler's Economics Minister . Mill Hill residents have already begun to complain to their local Councillors about the huge Controlled Parking Zone with yellow lines stretching across a vast area of Mill Hill. <br />
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Guarantees made to the Hendon MP by the Mayor of London were simply ignored . Not much unites Andrew Dismore, Matthew Offord and I, but opposition to this redevelopment of Copthall did.<br />
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The key factor that ensured Barnet Council eventually saw off Barnet Football Club was that successive Council Leaders and ordinary Councillors stood firm in the face of sometimes appalling intimidation . Who can forget the Coffin paraded through the streets of Chipping Barnet during the 2006 Council elections of the leaflets handed out by Football Club supporters at tube stations advising people not to vote for specific candidates on the basis of their perceived support or otherwise for the football club or the dreadful behaviour of gatecrashers at the 2006 Mayor making and buffet.<br />
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Saracens are being a little more subtle.<br />
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Last week the Club sent me an invitation to attend their match against London Welsh in March . I declined . I may be a lot of things but a hypocrite I am not . I assume that no Councillor who has accepted such hospitality is able to vote on future planning and licensing hearings involving the Club. The "sponsoring " of all the Town Centre signs across the Borough gives the impression that somehow Saracens has the Borough "bought and paid for" . The constant positive coverage in the Hendon Times is of course unrelated to the money spent advertising in this increasingly desperate publication . No doubt the details of the " deal" being given by Saracens as they host the Mayor's Charity dinner at the end of his year will appear in the register of members' interests in due course and is unrelated to the fact the Mayor as a Mill Hill Councillor seems to have failed listen to many Mill Hill residents who objected to the planning application . <br />
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However suddenly Barnet Political Leadership has woken up and told Saracens " enough is enough" <br />
The Leader of the Council , Councillor Richard Cornelius told the last Conservative Group meeting that Saracens had been told in no uncertain terms that any further planning application to add 5,000 more seats ( on top of the current 10,000 ) to satisfy European Club competition rules would be given short shrift. So how much longer before Saracens follow the Barnet Football Club route and claim the Council are uncooperative on attempts to extend their stadium and will have to consider moving elsewhere ........................<br />
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I suspect the Council has not heard the last from Saracens nor from Barnet Football Club . The Chairman has a ground to sell and quite for what development the green belt Underhill site will be sold for may ensure the Underhill soap opera still has some distance to run ! <br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-14775995930233731812013-02-07T16:48:00.001+00:002013-02-07T16:48:10.894+00:00scratch the surface and see what you find <br />
A few weeks ago the United Kingdom marked Holocaust Memorial Day . Since the introduction of this commemoration in 2001 ( due in part to the efforts of Andrew Dismore) Barnet Council has been prominent in ensuring a suitable civic event is held. We have progressed from a cold tent in Hendon Park to the more comfortable surroundings of Middlesex University and have ensured schools participation not least in the campaign supporting the planting of snowdrops in remembrance of the children murdered during the Shoah.<br />
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The Barnet Civic event this year took place despite thick snow on the ground and attracted a reasonable attendance including all three of the Borough's Members of Parliament, the GLA Member , the Borough Police Commander and a sizeable phalanx of Councillors . The responsibility for arranging the event lies with the Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Community Engagement ( a title dreamt up by Mike Freer when Leader of the Council to keep me busy ) and now held by Councillor Longstaff who duly introduced ( very briefly ) the event . However as Councillor Longstaff spoke I could not help thinking of a video that I had watched on You tube a few days before of that same Councillor's appearance at a recent meeting of the Eastern Area Planning Committee when the subject of an "Eruv" to cover the Chipping Barnet area was on the agenda .<br />
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Applications for Eruvs have always caused a flutter of controversy ever since Barnet Council dealt with the first one covering parts of Finchley/ Golders Green/Hampstead Garden Suburb 20 years ago. However a long and through Public Enquiry at the time decided there were no planning grounds to reject applications for Eruvs and as Council Planning Committees can only by law consider planning matters all subsequent applications have been allowed .<br />
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However this did not stop Councillor Longstaff appearing before the Committee to argue against the Barnet Eruv not least by suggesting it would encourage Jews to move into the area !!!!!<br />
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The man in charge of Holocaust commemoration in Barnet is worried about Jews moving into the Area ??????<br />
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The fact that existing Erus have made no difference to house prices , population mix or anything else but have made the life of some observant Jews with young children or elderly relatives easier seems to have escaped him . Thousands of Barnet residents pass through Eruvs everyday of their lives and have no idea they are doing so . Councillor Longstaff's objection that residents did not want to see religious symbols outside their windows was dismissed by Councillor Joanna Tambourides who asked him if this meant he objected to public Christmas Trees ?<br />
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However Councillor Longstaff is not alone in attitude to the Jewish Community . The Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Bradford East David Ward managed to cause uproar with his comments about Holocaust Memorial Day and "The Jews" inflicting "atrocities " on the Palestinians. At least he apologised unlike the long term insulter of Israel Baroness Tonge who quite rightly lost the Lib Dem Whip over one of her ignorant outbursts . The cartoon by Gerald Scarfe in "The Sunday Times" published on Holocaust Memorial Day was rightly condemned by Rupert Murdoch , a long time supporter of Israel and the Jewish Community .<br />
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Here in Barnet, despite or perhaps because of our substantial Jewish population there are still far to many examples of nice middle class" respectable" people seeming to think there is nothing wrong with making anti Semitic remarks and behaving as if they were members of Finchley Golf Club in the early 1960s . A local blogger who thinks there is nothing wrong with objecting to the Sternberg Centre Planning application on the grounds "these people are ruining Finchley "; Activists on picket lines outside meetings of the North London Waste Authority oozing with anti -semitism as they attempt to intimidate Politicians deciding on the awarding of a waste contract objecting to a multinational doing business in Israel; or objectors to a Planning application for a Mill Hill Jewish School inventing reasons why it should not proceed when everyone knew what their real agenda was ! Oh and quite why has there been such a concerted campaign against the proposed redevelopment of the Fallowcourt Avenue Synagogue ? <br />
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I spoke at the Planning Committee that agreed the application for an Eruv for the Woodside Park/ North Finchley/ Totteridge Area and before I did so I read through the two lever arch files of objections that had been received . After 20 minutes or so I could take no more. Whilst some residents had restricted themselves to objecting on what they considered planning grounds there was letter after e mail ( one of 28 pages !) containing vile anti - Semitic abuse some of which would have made Oswald Mosley blush . It made me feel physically ill .<br />
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And before the usual suspects claim anti Zionism is not the same as being anti Semitic , that may be the case at Islington Dinner Parties but not in my book .<br />
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I look forward to the day when those who fail to understand or apperciate the Jewish Community restrict their comments to the Golf Club Bar <br />
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Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-54963147711125081172013-01-04T20:37:00.000+00:002013-01-05T20:17:23.340+00:00What on earth is Barnet Council afraid of ?See below an e mail exchange with the Council's Director of Corporate Governance Mr Jeff Lustig which I think speaks for itself .<br />
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Mr Lustig is a long serving , highly professional and well regarded Officer and I cannot believe he would in anyway want to restrict elected Councillors ( never mind residents ) access to information .<br />
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I am surprised at the Mayor who has ruled my innocuous questions out of order as in his two years on the Council he has already acquired a reputation for asking difficult questions .<br />
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I see Mr Lustig consulted the (Acting ) Chief Executive Mr Travers ................................<br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><b>From</b>: Coleman, Cllr Brian <br /><b>To</b>: Lustig, Jeff<br /><b>Cc</b>: Schama, Cllr Brian Conservative; Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative; Moore, Cllr Alison Labour; Cohen, Cllr Jack Liberal Democrat<br /><b>Sent</b>: Fri Jan 04 19:44:04 2013<br /><b>Subject</b>: Re: Council Questions - Meeting 22 January 2013</span><br />
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Mr Lustig , I believe you have advised the Mayor incorrectly <br /><br />As the Daily Telegraph no less has published this week detailed information concerning payments made to former Director Brian Reynolds following an FOI request , I cannot see why the Council should attempt to withhold exactly the same information with regard to the former Chief Executive <br /><br />Likewise asking for a list of names (without figures) of Assistant Director and equivalent who have left the Council is information that elected members and indeed the public are entitled to .<br /><br />I suspect the DCLG and the media will take a dim view of the Mayor's decision and I ask if you have brought the Daily Telegraph article to the Mayor's attention ?<br /><br />I shall of course raise the Mayor's decision at the Council meeting and in the local media as appropriate and I am sure the Mayor will be able to explain to the media why he thinks the taxpayers of Barnet and elected Councillors are not entitled to this basic information <br /><br />In the mean time please treat both these questions as FOI requests <br /><br />Kind regards</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-size: x-small;"><b>From</b>: Lustig, Jeff<br /><b>To</b>: Coleman, Cllr Brian <br /><b>Sent</b>: Fri Jan 04 18:53:06 2013<br /><b>Subject</b>: Council Questions - Meeting 22 January 2013</span><br />
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Dear Councillor Coleman,</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I refer to the questions you have submitted for the next Council meeting. They appear below.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I have concerns about the two highlighted questions because the answers sought will require the disclosure of contractual and employment arrangements of individual members of staff in the public forum of a Council meeting. I have consulted the Interim Chief Executive who shares my concerns. You will note that a distinction is drawn between the highlighted questions and a question relating to the gross costs to the Council of redundancy payments, etc. which does not require individual members of staff to be identified.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I, therefore, raised the concerns with the </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mayor</span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> and asked that he consider declaring the highlighted questions as improper under CPR 17.3 on the basis that it is not appropriate for the contractual and employment arrangements of individual members of staff to be dealt with in public forum. The </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Mayor</span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> has agreed with my concerns and declared the highlighted questions as improper under CPR 17.3. I am, therefore, returning the highlighted questions to you with an appropriate explanation. Pursuant to Article 12 of the Constitution, the Director of Corporate Governance has </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">reserve powers to exercise all or any of the constitutional powers </span></span><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">given to the Head of Governance. </span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">“17.3 If the </span></span></i><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Mayor</span></span></i><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">considers the Business Item, amendment or question to be vexatious, irrelevant, or otherwise improper, the Head of Governance will return it to the Member who submitted it. The Head of Governance will explain to the Member in writing why it will not be included on the agenda circulated for the meeting. The matter will only be included on the agenda if it is resubmitted in the timescale for receiving an item of business of that category and is signed by at least fifteen Members of the Council.”</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The inappropriateness would be based upon, but not exclusively, the following extracts from the Protocols for Member-Officer Relations</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">“6.3 Members should remember that, although the Council has an open access to information policy, there is no automatic right to information about:-</span></span></i></div>
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<li class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: navy; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">any individual applicant to become an employee, or</span></span></i></li>
<li class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: navy; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">any individual who is an employee (this includes details of grade and pay, and any disciplinary, grievance or other employment issue that involves a particular employee), or</span></span></i></li>
<li class="ecxMsoNormal" style="color: navy; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">consultation or negotiations over any labour relations matter</span></span></i></li>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="margin-left: 19.5pt; tab-stops: list 19.5pt; text-indent: -19.5pt;">
<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">7.4<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></span></i><i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;">Members should avoid undermining respect for Officers at meetings, or in any public forum. This would be damaging both to effective working relationships and to the public image of the Council. In general Officers are unable to ‘answer back’ or defend themselves against criticism in a public forum.”</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Regards,</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: italic;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<strong><b><span style="color: teal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11pt;">Jeff Lustig</span></span></b></strong><b><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></b><strong><b><span style="color: teal; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11pt;">Director of Corporate Governance</span></span></b></strong><b><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">London</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"> Borough of Barnet, </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">North</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">London</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">Business</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">Park</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">, </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">Oakleigh Road South</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">, </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">London</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">N11 1NP</span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"><br />Barnet Online: </span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span style="color: navy;"><a href="http://www.barnet.gov.uk/" target="_blank" title="http://www.barnet.gov.uk/"><span style="font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">www.barnet.gov.uk</span></span></a></span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Webdings; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: Webdings; font-size: 11pt;">P </span></span><span style="color: teal; font-family: Arial Narrow; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: teal; font-family: "Arial Narrow"; font-size: 11pt;">please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?</span></span><span style="color: navy; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: navy; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: navy; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="ecxMsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: -24.6pt;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border: 1pt solid windowtext; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">6.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">21/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22.35</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">How many Police Stations does the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cabinet</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> member think the Borough needs? </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">David Longstaff</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DEPR</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">7.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">21/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22.35</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Could Cllr Thomas update the Council on the future of </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Stanley Road</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> playing fields?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Daniel Thomas</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DCS</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">8.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">21/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22.35</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Does the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cabinet</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> member welcome the recent decisions of the Planning and Environment Committee and the Eastern Area Planning sub Committee concerning the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Woodside</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Park</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> and Barnet Eruvs?</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Joanna Tambourides</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DEPR</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">9.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">21/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22.35</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Where does Cllr Tambourides envisage Planning Officers will be based post the implementation of the DRS One Barnet project?</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Joanna Tambourides</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DEPR</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-size: 12pt;">10.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">17.31</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Will the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cabinet</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> Member list all those of Assistant Director level and above who have failed to be appointed to posts in the new Management structure or</span></span><span class="ecxMsoPageNumber"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></b></span><span class="ecxMsoPageNumber"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">have opted to retire or resign</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">?</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Daniel Thomas</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DCE / AD HR</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">11</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">17.31</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Will the </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Cabinet</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> Member list the gross costs to the Council (including redundancy payments, accrued holiday pay , pay in lieu of notice , pension contributions ) paid out in relation to Assistant Directors and above who have not been given posts in the new management structure?</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Daniel Thomas</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DCE / AD HR</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 30pt;" valign="top" width="40"><div align="center" class="ecxMsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-size: 12pt;">12.</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 60pt;" valign="top" width="80"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">22/11/12</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 42pt;" valign="top" width="56"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">17.31</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 432pt;" valign="top" width="576"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Was any money in lieu of serving notice or accrued holiday pay or any other sum paid to the late Chief Executive and if so how much ?</span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 78pt;" valign="top" width="104"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Brian Coleman</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
<div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">IND</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 84pt;" valign="top" width="112"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">Richard Cornelius</span></span></div>
</td><td style="border-color: currentColor windowtext windowtext currentColor; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"><div class="ecxMsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: yellow; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">DCE / AD HR</span></span></div>
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Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4142378149758475255.post-61170562290547153982012-12-18T15:53:00.000+00:002012-12-18T15:53:26.100+00:00Irreplaceable <br />
<br />
One of the occupational hazards of public life is the constant stream of funerals that one has to attend and often there seems a surge around about Christmas Time .<br />
<br />
Sometimes one turns up out of a sense of duty especially if you know the deceased has few family and their friends have mainly passed on before them and sometimes out of a desire to pay tribute to Community work they have done in the past . <br />
<br />
Occasionally one is present to mark the passing of someone who was unique and the likes of which we will not see again .<br />
<br />
Yesterday was one of those later occasions when I attended the funeral of my friend Mrs Betty Geller.<br />
<br />
Betty, who was 85 and had been fighting a virulent form of cancer for the last couple of years died on Sunday and in the Jewish tradition was buried on Monday, was known throughout the Conservative Party especially in North London and was the type of figure that keeps the Democratic process in our Country running.<br />
<br />
Having brought up her family and supported her former Bomber Command husband in his career, Betty became a widow in middle age and decided that her Country and the Conservative Party needed her. She worked diligently on a voluntary basis ( indeed I am sure it cost her thousands over the years ) to support the Conservative Party and the other passion in her life , the State of Israel . She managed to combine both, in her support of the Conservative Friends of Israel of which she became National Vice Chairman . Woe betide any Tory Minister whose attitude was less than One Hundred per cent behind Israel as Betty would remind them in no uncertain terms of the errors of their ways . Many a front bencher has been accosted in the corridor at Conservative Party Conference ( at which Betty was a diligent attender ) and been reminded of the need for the UK to stand firmly with Israel , as a fellow Democratic State in the need for a just settlement in the Middle East .<br />
<br />
There was not a Conservative Parliamentary candidate in North London whom Betty had not organised a meeting for, nor was there a Party Leader from Margaret Thatcher onwards with whom she was not on first name terms, after Mrs T, I think her favourite was Michael Howard . Her support for young candidates seeking to make progress in the Party was well known and among her "proteges" was the current Party Chairman Grant Shapps. Having campaigned for many years for her good friend Sir Rhodes Boyson in Brent North and against the lunacies of 1980s Brent Council , Betty would go all over the Country to campaign in Parliamentary by elections in her high heels and always looking immaculate , quite how her feet survived I have no idea!<br />
<br />
Serving as President of Brent North Conservative Association she was delighted when her good friend Bob Blackman was elected MP for Harrow East at the 2010 General Election . Bob,also my former colleague on the London Assembly , was present at Betty's funeral yesterday despite the disgraceful behaviour of the gutter press in running some decades old story in which nobody is interested in their columns over the weekend. It was this sort of courage in Bob Blackman as well as his solid and proper Conservative views that Betty so admired. <br />
<br />
In the 1990s the misguided John Major abolished "Political Honours" and although honours which would have been given for Political service were often dressed up as something else( "Services to Local Government" or "Services to the Community" ) David Cameron is thankfully slowly bringing them back but not in time to reward Betty. There is no doubt in my mind that Political Service to all mainstream Parties is just as important to Society as Charitable Service , Olympic Bronze medals or thirty years as a hard working school dinner lady . Without voluntary workers to deliver leaflets and canvass and telephone the voters we will be reduced to the state funding of political parties or the collapse of Democracy . <br />
<br />
Betty has passed on her genes to her daughter Marilyn , a leading Conservative Councillor in Harrow and indeed to her son in law David Ashton who was an excellent Leader of Harrow Council and fought a first class campaign for Parliament in 2005 .<br />
<br />
The presence of so many at Betty's funeral , including many non Jews and several Muslim colleagues of her daughter Marilyn is a tribute to Betty's ability to make friends across any divide and indeed any age group.<br />
<br />
Four things it seems to me were important to Betty , her family , her friends , the Conservative Party and the State of Israel. All four will deeply miss her enthusiasm , outspokenness ,handwork, support and dedication . <br />
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<br />Brian Colemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10225047455309757282noreply@blogger.com0