Two other ex council leaders get their bums on the red leather....but nothing for poor old Pooter.
Life really isn't fair.
The Dame hears that Pooter's criticism of Osborne did not resonate well and though he might have felt they would give him something to shut him up it did not play that way...
When he loses the LGA he will be back down to £10k a year...
- Richard Balfe – former MEP and Conservative Party Envoy to the Trade Unions and Cooperative movement
- Sir Anthony Bamford DL – Chairman and Managing Director of JCB
- Nicholas Bourne – former Leader of the Conservative Group in the National Assembly for Wales
- Matthew Carrington – former Conservative MP
- Daniel Finkelstein OBE – Associate Editor of The Times and former Head of Policy for the Conservative party
- Annabel Goldie DL MSP – Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament; former Leader of the Scottish Conservatives
- Lady (Fiona) Hodgson CBE – campaigner on women’s issues; senior member of the Conservative voluntary Party; former Chairman of the Conservative Women’s Organisation
- Christopher (Chris) Holmes MBE – former Paralympic swimmer; Director of Paralympic Integration at London 2012; Non-Executive Director of the Equality and Human Rights Commission; and a former Non-Executive Director of the Disability Rights Commission
- John Horam – former MP; Conservative representative on the Electoral Commission
- Howard Leigh – senior corporate finance professional; Conservative Party Treasurer; former Chairman and current President of Westminster Synagogue; former Trustee of Jewish Care and current Chairman of Jewish Care’s Business Group; Trustee of the Jerusalem Foundation in the UK
- Dame Lucy Neville-Rolfe CMG – former senior civil servant, including Number 10 Policy Unit; former leading Executive at Tesco Plc
- Sir Stephen Sherbourne – longstanding political career in Westminster and public affairs, including former Political Secretary to the then Prime Minister (Margaret Thatcher), and former Chief of Staff to the then Leader of the Opposition (Michael Howard)
- Michael (Mike) Whitby – Conservative Councillor in Birmingham; former Leader of Birmingham City Council
- Susan Williams – former Councillor and Leader of Trafford Council
Some would argue he's done better than he deserves. A group of K & C residents took a serious and long standing financial issue to the Audit Commission during it's last days. Rather than address it, the Commission ignored the public, published yet another 5 star report on the Rotten Borough and MC received a knighthood. Very shortly thereafter the new government closed the Audit Commission. The issue remains unaddressed.
ReplyDelete"A group of K & C residents" since when has two people counted as a group
ReplyDeletenow, now....don't be peevish Pooter. Maybe, something will come up to save your financial bacon.
DeleteI hope the Dame feels proud of what she has done. Her continual attacks on Sir Merrick and the insidious way she promoted unpleasant articles about him in the national press crippled any possibility he might have had for the peerage he wanted so much,
ReplyDeleteI met Sir Merrick once and joshed him about his peerage. With a slight smile on his lips he said nothing but that smile told me that he was expecting elevation.
Blogs like the Hornet can do great damage to political careers. I hope the Dame and her cohorts are pleased with what they have done. I think it's time that the Hornet was closed down so that our councillors can do their work away from mischievous public scrutiny.
As the Americans say he thought it was so close he could taste it. So sad and naughty Dame
DeleteAnd politicians like Sir Merrick can do great damage to tax payers pockets
DeleteMay be Sir Merrick should have shown more respect to the electorate. Outstanding issues such as the dinner in New York at the expense of RKB&C which were not cleared up properly; rather shoved underneath the carpet did him no favours at all. Sir Merrick in truth did not deserve a knighthood never mind even thinking about a peerage.
DeleteSo far as I can see, The Hornet is the only forum for political debate in this Borough. No questioning or argument is allowed by the Hornton Street machine. The Borough is run by diktat by a closed circle of old white men. The Council should seek the elevation of The Dame to the House of Peers, for her services to democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe Hornet is not a debate forum it is a small group of very sad people (about 4) writing articles about K & C and very little else....get a life.
ReplyDeleteReadership is mainly made up of the same editors posting with different names or as "Anonymous"
Me, I work at the town halls press office. My job is to make sure the media (when they ring and ask) know how silly the Hornet and its readership is.
The idea that any serious journalist rings up the useless press office is a real larf!
DeleteYou must be really scared of the H to be taking such an interest on a daily basis. Time you got a life
"My job is to tell the media about grassless gardens and UFO's landing!!"
ReplyDeleteIf the Hornet is so impotent why do councillors so obsess about it? And how come it now gets around
1500 visits...unique or otherwise a week?
And you 'don't work' in the press office: you laze around thinking up stupid stories!
Chairmen of the LGA sometimes do not receive their peerage until they stand down. There is of course a chance that the electorate at next year's local elections may ensure that the current chairman stands down in favour of a leader from a different political party, so there is still the chance of elevation. All is not lost, Lord Stanley, so do not despair!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope that Cockell remains out of the Lords....he has taken enough money from taxpayers over the years. Mind you when you look at the ghastly riff raff that are there and have just been announced he would be in good company
ReplyDeleteWhat Sir Merrick failed to understand is that chairing the LGA is a poisoned chalice as it is more often than not in conflict with the government of the day. Fine for him with a Labour government, not so good with a Conservative one. By all reports – from politicians of all parties and independent commentators – his speech at this year’s LGA Conference was a cracker – and did not go down at all well with Mr. Pickles or Mr. Cameron. So our poor lad may not get his peerage purely because of political malice.
ReplyDeletePolitical reality rather than malice. Those who take the time to delve into the way the Rotten Borough really works learn of the scale and complexity of its entrenched problems. The Council is very skilled at hiding the truth. These incipient scandals are the natural result of K & C being an effective one party state. No opposition is allowed.
ReplyDeleteWhile the vast majority of residents are oblivious, Messrs Cameron and Pickles are not.
RBKC is obsessed by and terrified of the Hornet and the forum for free speech she provides for the public.
People in public life need to learn that it is very dangerous to abuse public office. The "odd meal at swanky New York restaurants" on the tax payer is not acceptable.
ReplyDeleteNothing has changed under David Cameron; the man just does not listen to the country. He promised reform in the higher house and yet wealthy individuals are still being rewarded for favours to the party. It is not fair and is in truth totally corrupt; so nothing different here than the last government. The chances of this government being relected are slim; the main reason being because it has failed miserably to build bridges and trust with it's own party. Hence many stawarts feel that they are disconnected and could well end up voting for UKIP. I might add it is not that they have turned their backs on the Tory party permanently but more out of exasperation about how David Cameron fails to listen and leads the party. From a personal point of view I admired the way Mrs T tackled things, fairly and more often than not she was right; she relished and encouraged ambition in others and understood how the common man felt because she did not come from a wealthy bacground herself. It is not too late though for David Cameron.
ReplyDelete