minds at Hornton Street.
The subject of the Bentley glided into the conversation. Cllr Read claimed this vast 5 ton V200 10,000 horsepower monstrosity, beloved of royalty, property developers and con men, was more environmentally friendly than the humble Prius. Cllr Read recycled the usual boring stuff about it's batteries etc.
So, if Cllr Read is right about the batteries what can he possibly think about the hundreds of tons of granite slowly shipped by boat from China? Does this not count in his argument? One leaves aside the fact that it was quarried, under cruel conditions, by political prisoners and could have been acquired from Scotland.
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| Read claims it more environmentally friendly than Prius |
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/environmentandtransport/parking/residentparking/vehiclebanding.aspx
And if he discusses the subject with Danny 'Boys' Moylan he will find Tfl also favours the Prius-as does the Government with Road Tax.
But leave all that aside and think of perception-in politics, of the essence. Most residents, apart from those supporting Holland Park Opera, think a £113,000 Bentley blundering around our crowded streets sends out a rather vulgar message. The surprising thing is that Pootin Cockell did not have his Bentley sprayed gold to match the personalised number plate. He wanted to until the Dame told him to stop being common and vulgar.
The Dame is just superb. No one manages to take down her irrefutable arguments. Despite all this she still carries a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
ReplyDeleteThe way she despatches those who challenge her is just stunning: cllr read must be feel shamefaced.
Bravo, La Dame....Long Live the dame
Cllr Read was having a field day as part of Cllr Cockells "control strategy" to orchestrate a "free" debate and ridicule Labour. Read did well against a weaker opponent and there was lots of yapping from the poodles. Playground bully stuff.
ReplyDeleteBut one day Cllr Read will meet his match (like all bullies do) and be obliterated.
It is really sad that a person of intelligence (Read has that) and a person of ability (Read has that) gets off on cheap bullying in a debating chamber of democracy which has evolved over hundreds of years and millions of man hours of experimentation to create a forum for serious and meaningful debate.
ReplyDeleteClever words about the green footprint of China batteries may be fluently articulated - but if the boy wonder stopped for a nano second to think about what he was actually saying he could work out that he was being a prat.
The Dame has put Cllr Read down in no uncertain terms. What a pity that she was too busy out and about last night and did not have the opportunity to sock it to him.
Cllr Read needs to be wary that he does not slip down the same slippery slope as Cllr Palmer and become the second buffoon on the Tory benches
ReplyDeleteLabour was pointing out that it is wrong for the Mayor of K&C to be rushing around in a Bentley. Wrong image, wrong example, wrong values.
ReplyDeleteLabour looked around (intelligent thing to do) and suggested that other Councils are adopting the Prius and this might be an excellent example for RBKC to follow.
For the Tories to retort (with a chorus of ridicule) about batteries and carbon is sad.
Very sad.
Obviously the thickos don't get the point and try to reduce every idea of others to trivia.
Its what happens when the Borough is run by a weak and insecure Leader
The Dame knows that Cllr Read likes to look at her little blog. He has told a colleague that he rather likes the Dame snapping at the heels of Pootin. But how does he respond to this tour de force by the Dame? Come on Read...tackle the dear old Dame
ReplyDeleteCllr Read is flexing his muscles to prove to the sheep that he is a worthy successor to Pootin.
ReplyDeleteLast night he got it very wrong....
He certainly did get it wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnd so did the Mayor. She invited him to speak three times. Needs to be a little more careful about balance - even if Cllr Read is the Tory bovver boy
Take a word of advice young man. Measure your pace and develop a reputation for serious and thoughtful debate. Forceful too when you feel the need.
But don't piss it away on Music Hall stuff.
Clearly I need to attend Council meetings in future
ReplyDeleteCllr Read was not the only person who behaved badly at the debate. It gets worse. Much worse.
ReplyDeleteLabour cut some political slack and accused Cllr Cockell of using the Bentley. All that was required was for Cllr Cockell to deny it. Instead, the Mayor entered the fray and on three occasions stated that "For the record I want the chamber to know that Cllr Cockell does not use my car".
By entering the debate on the side of the Tories and against Labour, Cllr Whateverhernameis diminished the high office of Mayor, let herself down and let the Borough down. The Dame will be writing to the Town Clerk to ask him to remind the Mayor of her duty
For the sake of clarity, it is well known that Cllr Cockell often used the Bentley because he liked to feel important.
ReplyDeleteIt is also well known that the Dame found out about this using Freedom of Information and exposed it. Which put a stop to the abuse.
Just like the Dame found out about Cllr Cockell spending $416 of tax payers money to feast his friend disgraced ex Cllr Clement in New York. And $200 to entertain a "friend" to dinner in New York at the Four Seasons on a Saturday night.
Cllr Cockell still "forgets" the name of the friend. But the Dame is on the case. She has established that Cllr Cockell's colleague at London Councils, Ms Hilary McCullom, also traveled to New York at the same time. This is not to imply that they had dinner together.
Why does the Dame continue to persecute Cllr Cockell? He visited New York on behalf of London Councils, when he was Chairman.
ReplyDeleteWhat has this got to do with K&C?
Cllr Mills needs to remember that the traditions and duties of the Mayor need to be treasured and upheld. When she was appointed she should understand that she took leave of absence from the poodle club.
ReplyDeleteNote to Self. Remind Cllr Buckmaster that when he becomes Mayor later this year he must not abuse the position like his predecessor did
8.05, Cllr Cockell's London Council visits to America have lots to do with K&C.
ReplyDeleteResidents paid for the airfares to New York and Boston and San Francisco. (First Class Virgin). Residents paid for the hotels and weekend stay overs (Five Star). Residents paid for stretch limo transfers to and from JFK to the Big Apple. And Bentley transfers to and from Heathrow.
Enough said?
It is noteworthy that no one responded for the Tories to the serious parts of the Labour alternative budget. Just concentrating on the knock about stuff - like the Bentley - diminishes the ruling party. Their feeble attempts to pull holes in Labour's alternative financial plan also failed miserably because the only person who attempted that - Cllr Paget-Brown - clearly did not understand it. Resorting in despair to the tactic of abuse - "whoever drew up this budget must have been drunk" - fails to reach the intellectual heights of informed debate. In the meantime, the very serious points made by Labour in support of some very deprived people whom they represent remain unanswered. And Cllr Rock FM's suggestion that people can turn to the Credit Union if they run into rent arrears was bizarre - very worrying, since he and Cllr. Read are the men in charge of the Credit Union. Another scrutiny task for Cllr. Palmer, clearly.
ReplyDelete8:05
ReplyDeleteI ma sure you are quite clever...or at least one hopes. Do you not understand that K&C taxpayers alos fund London Councils? You need to keep up my dear
This is typical of Cllr Read – not understanding the subject. If only he spent more time in Earl’s Court rather than in the USA or at his south american holiday home – I hope he’s not doing a Danny 'Boys' Moylan and having his council papers DHL around the world!
ReplyDeleteWhen that late, great gentleman Councillor Nicholas Freeman led the Council, he always resisted Labour jibes to sell off the Mayor's Rolls Royce on the grounds that it was an appreciating asset. How sad that the Bentley is now worth only around £35,000 as I believe we have been told.
ReplyDeleteI have had the mixed blessing of being a guest in the Bentley with the sadly deceased Mayor Councillor Andrew Dalton and I am afraid it was not a very comfortable ride. Certainly not worth the money that was spent on it. Perhaps on this occasion we should take Labour's advice and sell it before it becomes a negative asset.
Former Tory, I'm surprised that the Mayor didn't ask Cllr Paget-Brown to withdraw the comment about drunks.
ReplyDeleteWe all know who drew up the alternative Budget, and who helped with balancing the books on it. The comment was personal, defamatory, and totally untrue.
If Paget-Brown had determined to make a fool of himself, he succeeded admirably.
What a nincompoop.