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| HIDING IN HIS BASEMENT |
When Chelsea residents and their representative associations gather together the overriding topic of conversation is the multi level basement plague.
West London M.P. Karen Buck took advantage of a 10 Minute Rule Bill to attempt to rein in the worst excesses of those wishing to burrow, like moles, deep into the earth.
Even Edinburgh based Malc Rifkind managed to bestir himself on behalf of the residents he normally shuns.
So how about publicity addicted Greg Hands, MP for Chelsea & Fulham?
Greg, being a Government minister, managed to use this to avoid getting involved in supporting the Bill, but it doesn’t mean he has to maintain the silence of a Trappist monk.
His website blathers on about all the great achievements of Greg, but has not ONE reference to Buck’s Ten Minute Bill.
When a resident wrote this letter to him he did not even deign to reply.
Come on Mr Hands…..get into the debate. You have a duty to your constituents!
STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL
Greg Hands M.P.
Dear Mr Hands
One accepts parliamentary rules prevent you sponsoring or signing Karen Buck's admirable Ten Minute Rule Bill, but many constituents feel that you are not constrained in informally supporting the Bill in conversations with the media.
We all are fully aware of the Council's efforts to control the worst excesses of the basement builders, but it does require our representative to be vocal outside Parliament....unless, of course, you don't support the aims of the Bill!
Whilst it is laudable that in opposition you may have spoken out against basement developments we would all appreciate a more vocal approach now.
The Hornets Nest, our local blog, has been vociferous in supporting basement controls going well beyond the measures envisaged by K&C.
It would be good if you could make a public declaration of support for the aims of Karen Buck's bill.
With Kind Regards
Jxxxxn xxxxxxx
Jxxxxn xxxxxxx
Your expecting too much form Mr Hands, if there’s nothing in it for him he not interested. He is only interested in Fulham, he never comes to Chelsea and takes weeks to reply to letters and emails.
ReplyDeleteGreg has only just realised part of his constituency lies to the east of the railway line.
ReplyDeleteIt appears Chelsea is the wrong side of the tracks ...
So great is the inbuilt Conservative majority in K & C, our MPs feel no need to address their constituents' concerns.
ReplyDeleteWhen local residents brought the issue of the enormously costly waste management cartel to Rifkind, his sole response was a letter advising an individual to take the matter to their own solicitor or the police. The fact that for decades every RBKC resident has been charged twice the going rate for their bins etc, failed to amuse him, so he slapped the public down. Not all K & C residents are wealthy. Those living in fuel poverty also live in waste poverty.
Rifkind has belatedly lent his name to Ms Buck's Bill; but it seems has done nothing much else. Hands and Rifkind are probably not personally affected by the basement scandal, so decline to take the initiative. Such failings leave those who elected them defenceless.
Despite this, if they choose to stand again, both will doubtless be re-elected. It's what makes this Borough so very rotten.
Anyone who has the pleasure of being on Greg's email list and receives a weekly dose of "Greg can do no wrong" is unlikely to find any part of this story remotely surprising.
ReplyDeleteThe emails are a cross between the kind of pro-government "news" often found in crackpot dictatorship and a extremely blinkered view of the constituency clearly focused on H&F (how many years after the constituency boundary change?).
The sycophancy with regards to H&F's "grand ideas" is particularly annoying as H&F's "grand ideas" often involve selling its residents down the river.
I suspect Hands simply follows the example set by RBK&C of "not telling our residents what to do" ...
ReplyDeleteWant a basement? No problem!
Dear Mr Downes
ReplyDeleteYou do not seem to know how many "x"'s to put in replacement of your surname name. For the record it is "xxxxxx" and not "xxxxxxx"
I fear it may not be 'Mr Downes' ....BUT Cllr Palmer...whilst I have your attention.I have had a number of people asking if I can provide details regarding "The Curious Affair of the Councillor and The Abused Conservative Association Phone". It seems this councillor tried to hide over £500's worth of telephone calls to friends in Australia. It seems the money was finally repaid.
DeleteDo you have any 'inside' information on this one?