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Thursday 3 May 2012

Cockell and Coleman at £1000 Lunch Reports Mirror

To avoid legal action this is not Coleman after his lunch
The Daily Mirror reports today that old greedy guts Cockell was at a £1000 lunch hosted by his pal, Brian Coleman. The Dame knows you all take the Daily Mirror, but for those who don't....here it is! In days gone by, when gentleman predominated in local government, this sort of  common vulgarity would have been frowned upon. Sadly, leading by example does not come naturally to the likes of Cockell and Coleman. Never having run a business these bizarre people fail to understand that blowing hundreds of pounds on lunches when staff are being sacked is terrible management.
Cockell should have politely declined the lunch but we know, he has form for enjoying £400 lunches and dinners for two 'on the taxpayer'.
Had Coleman and Cockell just a modicum of manners they would have dipped into their own pockets to contribute to the cost of this lunch: after all, between them they are taking nearly £300,000 a year off us taxpayers. There is more here http://snipelondon.com/
The man appointed by London Mayor Boris Johnson to make huge cuts to the capital’s fire brigade has been blasted for blowing taxpayers’ money on lunches for his Tory chums. 

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority chairman Brian Coleman spent almost £1,000 on a meal, wine and flowers in a restaurant in the same building as the brigade museum he has threatened to close.
Guests included the Local Government Association chief Sir Merrick Cockell, London Assembly Member Richard Tracey and David Cartwright, of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.
Last year, Mr Coleman, who is on nearly £115,000 a year, spent £2,000 of taxpayers’ cash on a retirement meal for a colleague.
The Fire Brigades Union London said: “It’s dispiriting when firefighters see their bosses frittering away large sums of money on slap-up lunches for their political chums.”
Mr Coleman would not comment about the March 1 lunch but, when asked at a recent meeting how much the meal had cost, claimed that he had “not seen the bill”.

 

25 comments:

  1. This is disgraceful. Has Cockell no shame at all. He has no other source of income so sponges off us taxpayers.
    There is not a cigarette paper's difference between the hideous Coleman and Cockell

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  2. Indeed 07.45, the only difference is that Coleman's bad manners are all on the outside, while Cockell keeps them hidden.

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  3. Full story here:

    http://snipelondon.com/

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  4. Lord Kensington3 May 2012 at 09:05

    This cannot be true

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  5. My grandmother always drilled into me (sorry Cllr Fielding-Mellen) the words

    "You will always know a man by his friends"

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  6. Two reptiles in Local Government. It is a disgrace that they are both Tories

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  7. More evidence that Cllr Cockell, after 14 years in power and corrupted by power, is totally out of touch with the world. And he has long forgotten what he is supposed to be doing and who he is supposed to be serving.

    The writing has been on the wall for many years. First a $200 dinner for a "friend" (whose name he "forgets") at the swanky Four Seasons Restaurant in New York on a Saturday night. Charged up to K&C taxpayers of course and approved by stooge CEO Myers. And then a $416 dinner for disgraced friend Ian Clements at Keanes Restaurant in New York (oysters and champagne for starters). Charged up to London Councils and paid for by London tax payers.

    He used to do this nonsense offshore, flying Virgin First Class (also paid for by council tax). Now he feels brave enough to carry on the same trash in London itself!

    Thank goodness for the Daily Mail exposing this troughing.

    Out with this pestilence!!

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  8. Furious Tax payer3 May 2012 at 09:19

    Where are the cost controls that are supposed to prevent this kind of abuse?

    Why are we paying Chief Executives like Derek Myers £250k per year (plus gold plated pension contributions) if they cannot put controls in place to stop this kind of abuse of council tax?

    Why does Local Govt Minister Pickles put up with it?

    Someone needs to be shafted

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  9. Thank goodness Cockell never brought Coleman onto the back benches in Hornton Street. One bad smell is enough

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  10. Only one bad smell, Owl?

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  11. Kensington Resident3 May 2012 at 09:24

    Cockell is unfit for public office. And he is a disgrace to the Conservative Party

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  12. Not seen the bill? Is this how the Council looks after taxpayers' cash? I feel a No Confidence opportunity comin on...

    Cell 07799647160

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  13. Fly On The Wall3 May 2012 at 09:28

    Why has there been a collapse of democracy in K&C? Is it not time for Tory Councillors to get a grip and move Cockell out?

    Later this month the sheep will meet again, as they do every year, grovel for their SRAs and hoped for SRAs, and re elect the dreadful man for another year.

    Its called the "Conservative Group"

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  14. 9.28, This scandal of organised troughing has been going on in K&C for 14 years

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  15. The time has come for Conservative Councillors in Kensington and Chelsea to take a long hard look at the Leadership and consider if change is appropriate.

    The present Leader has been in power for a long time and has had a good run for his money. And last year he moved on to the next stage of his political career by taking on the Chairmanship of the Local Govt Association. It is customary for Borough Leaders to step down after taking on the LGA and not cling to power.

    The country is in the grips of a recession and there is the opportunity and need for fresh thinking about the best way to serve the Residents of Kensington and Chelsea. The budget is limited and there are some old patterns of spending that are no longer appropriate.

    Experienced Councillors have let it be known that they would consider it an honour to serve as Leader of K&C. They include Ahern, Borwick, Coleridge and Lightfoot.

    A second tranche of Councillors are also tipping their hats at a not too distant wish to serve as Leader. Names include Campbell, Fielding-Mellen, Gardner and Mackover

    And the prospect (some say certainty) of merging the tri Borough into one Borough will limit the opportunity drastically for these ambitious Councillors.

    A traffic jam has developed. Time to get things moving again.

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  16. Cllr Read wishes it to be known that his hat is also in the ring

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  17. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  18. Cllr Moylan seems to have vanished from the Leadership list?

    Has he made a bet that Boris is back in office and he (Moylan) can continue with his madcap schemes at TFL?

    Schemes like his airport in the most dangerous place in the Thames Estuary? Only he could dream it up

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  19. Person Familiar With The Situation3 May 2012 at 10:55

    Cllr Buckmaster is playing his cards VERY close to his chest. Only a few more days before he officially takes over as Mayor and becomes a neutered Tory

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  20. The cost of this meal would have funded the recently axed after school homework classes at North Kensington Library for two years.
    Pootin, look in the mirror, you reptile.

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  21. Angry Tory has left a new comment on your post "Cockell and Coleman at £1000 Lunch Reports Mirror":

    Boris is a waste of space. Did he forget that there is an election for Mayor of London today?

    Why does he tolerate xxxxxx like Coleman on his team? Creating headlines like the Mail story today.

    Its a pity for Londoners that Ken is even worse.

    Makes me sad that the whole Tory campaign machine has been working its socks off for this person of questionable judgement, poor morals and self interest. All of those thousands of volunteers giving up their evenings and weekends to get the vote out.

    Three cheers for the Tory foot soldiers. They probably brought it off. But Boris should look himself in the mirror and ask "Am I worthy of it?"

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  22. MIRROR.

    It was the Daily MIRROR. Not the Mail.

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  23. It is a good time to reflect on the Leadership candidates for K&C.

    Cllr Ahern has pledged to make the Planning System more "resident friendly" and to sort out the basement excavations mess by the end of 2012. These are core issues for residents and he is on the button. But he also needs to understand that residents will ask what progress he has made.

    Not much is known about the other candidates. Apart from wanting to be important and have the glory (Cllr Coleridge loved the Mayor's Bentley and was too selfish to share it) they need to give us an idea of what they think is important and where they will concentrate their efforts.

    Leaders need to make a difference. Telling us what they plan to do would be a good start.

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  24. It is hard to believe that Cllr Coleman has the balls to say that "he has not seen the bill".

    This is a £1000 bill for a meal. A ONE THOUSAND POUND bill. What a cavalier attitude to adopt when public money is concerned!!

    If he was paying with his own money the bill would have been checked (and probably queried) BEFORE IT WAS PAID.

    Is this person fit to hold public office?

    He is certainly not fit to spend public money.

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  25. What a terrible pair ~ so that is what happens to my tax ~ we need to get rid of this rotten lot ~ If Osborne takes over from Rifkind I guess he might want to tidy it up? Then again ~

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