It hardly needs me to tell you that we have a tough time ahead. By now our Treasurers will have cut through the media spin and know how much less cash will be available next year. We are going to have to take some difficult decisions and the opposition will irresponsibly claim cataclysmic results.
But let’s get real. I didn’t stand for election to be an administrator or for an easy life and I doubt you did either. We stood to represent and serve our local community, set policy and take decisions about local public services.
This was just some of the trite nonsense written on Conservative Home by Dear Leader. But what stung Hornet was Dear Leader's claims: odd coming from a man known for his vast allowance,love of $200 dinners for two at the Four Seasons Hotel, NY, First Class air travel and luxurious limos.
Pull the other one Merrick....you love the easy life 'on the tax'. Anyway, judging from the posts Con Home readers thought little of his pontifications.
"I did not stand for Council to be an administrator or for an easy life" What patronising rubbish
The CCA does sweet FA of any value to any councillor it is just a racket to get money £30 per year x 10,000 councillors x 4 years = £1.2m to party funds for a quarterly magazine
The CCA is a criminal waste of time, they provide no help to conservative councillors, but every year we *must* pay them a tax of £35. It is little more then a club for some in favour Notting Hill set of Daves Mates, paid for out of an obligatory tax.
Sir Merrick's new battlecry of 'we are ready for and excited by the opportunity to reform local public services, reflecting local priorities and making them fit for the future rather than the past.' is not one that will resonate with Conservative councillors and council tax payers up and down the land. 2007 was a good local government election year for us. 2011, I fear will not be so good. The real challenge to Conservative candidates on the doorstep, is answering the question 'How are you going to deliver the same or better services for less? With personal budgets strained our best hope for electoral success lays in our old battlecry. 'Low Council Tax'.
Sir Merrick, the name of the current game is setting an example.You need to explain why RBKC councillors pay themselves some 35/40% more than Conservative councillors in other boroughs.And yet, in administrative terms,RBKC is the most compact, the richest and the most easy to administer of any Borough in the land.For example Stephen Greenhalgh of H&F takes £35k pa, and you, nearly double. It must be terribly hard convincing, about to be fired staff, that it for the common good, when you and colleagues just refuse to bring your allowances down. Such a gesture would be very well received.
I see that Merrick Cockell, Daniel Moylan and the Town Clerk Mr Myers take nearly £500,000 a year from taxpayers. OUTRAGEOUS and he then tells us WE have to tighten our belts.
ReplyDeleteYou could not make it up....