Buildings for the future

Recently a wag at the ConLib Government announced a wheeze whereby council housing tenancies would have a time limit on them, of "say 5 or 10 years". After such a period your circumstances would be reviewed and if you were in the "fortunate" position at this date to no longer qualify for social housing, then you would receive an eviction notice and told to bugger off the private sector. Englishmans home, and all that.

Hornet assumes this "idea" was dreampt up to help address the chronic problem of over/under crowding in the social housing spheres.

Commendable problem to address, crass response. This demonstrates a lack of understanding of the real issues, facing real people; and illustrates how the person(s) developing this "idea" has absolutely no idea of what its like to be housed in, or aspire to even have the offer of a home of their own unaffordable by any other route.

Not everyone in this world has holiday homes abroad or are financially well off enough to buy their own home, or rent in the private sector. Some may choose not to purchase, others because of their circumstances, bad credit, or bankruptcy, may not be able to be offered a mortgage.

It is sheer fantasy to suppose it is any kind of solution to the housing crisis to evict people from their home if they get a decent job, or if they are a lone parent who meets and chooses to live together with someone they love.

This "idea" will simply make a chronic situation even worse. Householders granted a tenancy on the basis they have a low income, will make absolutely no attempt to gain employment or better their circumstances because they are all too aware to do so will mean eviction in a number of years time. Social housing estates in the inner cities will become true sink-estates devoid of inspiration and hope, with graffiti and litter and run down facilities.

The single parent of three living in the three bedroom house somewhere out in the countryside when the kids have grown up and left home, either to start their own lives or at university, will face in x number of years the notice to quit as she no longer qualifies for the council house. Instead, she qualifies for a one bed flat, but they don't have any in Sleepytown where s/he has lived for the past 30 years.S/he has to move to one of the sink estates in the city a few hundred miles from where s/he lives where the nearest one bed place is available.

Hornet can also understand why someone having to cope with sky high rents and a bad landlord in the private rented sector might wonder what all the fuss is about and feel that council tenants have it easy. This is what happens when you have a residual, heavily means-tested public service only for the poorest - it is easy to divide people who need the service against each other and cut it.

Hornet wonders how many elected councillors have second, third or even more homes that they rent out...

.......watch this space!

It could be you-hoo....

So go on then, have a guess how much your elected representatives on the Royal Borough of Kensington Council were paid in the last financial year in allowances....

....thats a total figure for all of them added together.....

....£100,000?
....£250,000?
....£750,000?

Oh no, more than that.

In just one year, they cost us £1,215,112 and this doesnt include any of the Dear Leaders expenses, nor any courier charges sending council papers out to the holiday home of Danny Boy Moylan...

So thats around £5 million for a council term, just giving elected councillors an allowance. It isnt linked to attendance, nor is it paid subject to any minimum performance requirements.

Every councillor receives at least £40,000 each over the full council term whether they turn up for every meeting or just one every six months - and others are paid up to an additional £200,000 in "special responsibility allowances".

Just to put this £5 million into perspective, its about half the annual council budget of childrens social work, and equal to the children leaving care and youth justice budgets added together.

It would pay the annual salary of a junior nurse for 294 years, or a rookie policeman for 225 years - or you could buy 4500 annual Oyster cards.

Nice job if you can get it.

Which leads Hornet onto the by elections in Cremorne and Earls Court.

Having seen the literature for the candidates in the Earls Court Ward, Hornet is impressed that one local independent candidate is standing on the ticket of not being paid the allowance, Jack Bovill describes himself as the "no allowance candidate" and therefore Hornet recommends him to readers of this blog living and voting in Earls Court to support.

In the interests of impartiality, the other candidates who to the best of Hornets knowledge who will be clamouring aboard the gravy train are Linda Wade (LD), Joel Barton (Labour) and Malcolm Spalding the independent-turned-Tory-in-a-matter-of-minutes.

Polling day is 16th September.

Nice little earner

When you stand for election to Parliament you have to be prepared to give up time for your constituents.

The people you represent have the right to be able to contact you, meet you, and discuss with you issues that concern them. Whether you think they are right or wrong, as their MP you have the obligation to listen to their concerns.

Is it right that MP's, or any elected member for that matter, hold directorships in outside firms while at the same time representing their electorate?


One could argue that it is a good thing, since elected members with outside positions have their feet, or at least a foot, in the real world of "business" and work. But then again, is it real work? Is it just an excuse to draw a salary and offer up an excuse why they cant attend that community fete, or only have appointments with constituents on every second Wednesday? What if our elected representatives then start having their community work couriered out to them?

Our own Malcolm Rifkind holds three directorships, one with Aberdeen Asset Management (thats a financial firm, not the steak restaurant), Continental Farmers Group PLC, and Adam Smith International. Each one calls on Mr Rifkind to attend meetings here and there, overseas travel and other ad-hoc projects. He receives about £10,000 per month from these three.

He was a consultant for BHP Billiton, a petroleum company based in the US, and is currently and adviser for L.E.K. Consulting. Thats another £10,000 or thereabouts.

Finally, Mr Rifkind is paid a sum of up to £5000 each for articles published by 12 newspapers, most UK based.

Hornet wonders why in 2008 he voted against capping MP's salaries, does he really need the money?

So when exactly does he fit in being MP for Kensington? He spoke at 17 debates in the House of Commons over the last year which isnt alot, and a scan of Hansard shows the majority relate to international affairs. Not one mentioned Portobello or the proposed Earls Court development.

Nice job if you can get it.

Call a Public Meeting

A regime that makes Saddam Hussein look positively civilised may have some good friends at the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The recent "celebration" held in the Town Hall and the apparent reluctance of local elected members to meet with constituents over the planning application to build a monstrosity in one of Londons most elegant enclaves.

But why would Baroness Olive, and the Scooter Boy not wish to meet residents? Is it they are not bothered with what they think? Is it, they don't care what they have to say as long as they turn out to vote for them every four years? Or is it more to do with the fact none of them want to take on Daniel "send to my holiday home" Moylan?

Hornet demands a public meeting.

This is the face of Sakineh Mohammadi-Ashtiani who has been the subject of international outcry over her death sentence in Iran by stoning. But she now faces an additional punishment for a picture that appeared in The Times in Britain.

In an interview published on French magazine La Regle du Jeau's website, the woman's son Sajjad Ghaderzadeh said they learnt of the sentence, 99 lashes, from inmates released from the prison in Tabriz, where his mother is being held. He said a prison judge had confirmed the sentence for spreading "corruption and indecency" with the photo.

But the snap, featured in The Times, was apparently not even of 43-year-old Ms Mohammadi-Ashtiani - which the paper has acknowledged and apologised for. The Times said the attribution of the picture was incorrect and the woman shown was actually Susan Hejrat, a political activist living in Sweden.

No doubt the local councillors would have as much trouble looking her in the eye than they do their own constituents.

Thought for the day

Hornet has watched the turn of events surrounding the Foreign Secretary and the allegations put to him, and his subsequent adamant denials.

Not wishing to add to anyones discomfort, especially in light of recent comments, Hornet wishes to make one simple statement on this whole affair, generally. It also applies to our esteemed representatives closer to home.

Its 2010. Nobody cares about your sexuality, or the preferences on whom you choose to share your life with. If its true, just be honest about it, and you will retain peoples support and respect. If you are anything but truthful, it will only end in tears.

If you fail to plan....

If you wanted to learn to fly a plane, you wouldn't hire the services of cabin crew to teach you.

If you wanted to learn arabic, you wouldn't retain the services of a mathematics professor to tell you how they leave vowels out of written arabic, and reads from right to left.

Well you wouldn't, would you.

So then why would anyone engage the services of a planning consultant that has no formal qualification in planning, and only credential is being an elected member who sits on the planning committee?

I am sure the member concerned would only do this once he or she has resigned their seat in order to avoid any conflict of interest.

Hornet stands by waiting for the election in Norland.

LibDems... you're Fired!

Hornet has heard on the grapevine that the much publicised comeback of Lembit "Cheeky Girl" Opik has been thrown into disarray, following the approach to Apprentice winner Tim Campbell to stand as the LibDem candidate for London Mayor.

The LibDems are desperately hoping to find a candidate that will prove a hit with the voters, and they would be hard pressed to find one less known than Mr Opik, since he was dumped from his welsh constituency by the electorate in May.

Its kind of funny though as Mr Campbell has just been appointed as the Mayors new Ambassador for Training and Enterprise so it could be that Mr Opiks Christmas presents comes early.

Take the Plunge

There are three things that Hornet holds dear, and the second of these is supporting worthy charities.

Thats why when it was whispered to Hornet that later this month, 20th September to be exact, some plucky people will be abseiling from the Kensington Rooftop Garden down to the busy street below Hornet is happy to pass on the good news.

Its all in aid of Elizabeth Finn Care who have been helping people overcome the worst effects of poverty for over a century. They help people who have fallen below the poverty line. Ordinary people who have been overcome by circumstances, such as family breakdown, redundancy, injury, physical or mental illness.

This is where you come in. If you fancy yourself as a abseiller, then please contact the charity and register yourself, its just £25 and then have your friends and colleagues sponsor you. Your £25 registration will cover training and insurance and you will be raising funds for a very worthy cause.


Click here to find out more, or donate:

http://www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk