We are fortunate to have some highly organised and very effective resident associations. The Kensington Society, ESSA and the Knightsbridge Association spring to mind, but there exist a host of smaller and no less important associations, run by committed and hardworking committees.Sanguinely.... under Nick Paget-Brown we will see a change in the relationship between the council and residents. The 'we know best' thinking of some councillors needs to become redundant as Ukip continues to seduce local voters and steal seats.
It has struck the Dame that there are issues which transcend ward boundaries where resident associations...pan borough...have a commonality of interests.
Planning is a prime example.
So why, rather than having a tendency to be reactive, do our associations not move towards being more proactive and assertive?
All it would require would be a very informal umbrella type organisation able to articulate a strong K&C 'resident shout' on a broad spectrum of issues.
Another role? How about associations 'auditing' their ward councillors to ensure they are not just sitting around on their backsides, claiming their £11,500 allowances.... and doing nothing.
Culprits in this regard are the likes of the hopelessly invisible Cllr Neal and Cllrs Weale, Warrick, Condon-Simmonds & Lizzie Campbell(who imagines she is some sort of reincarnation of Lady Thatcher!)
Dez O'Neill needs to buck his ideas up too....
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ReplyDeleteIt is taking the Resident Association Chairmen and Chairwomen too long to embrace the new age politics
ReplyDeleteThey need to follow the Dame....
ReplyDeleteThis is a very serious proposal regarding the Governance of the Borough and the new Leader should encourage the Resident Associations to represent themselves more effectively
ReplyDeleteNot just backbench cllrs who need auditing....a few Cabinet members are totally unfit for purpose
ReplyDeleteO'Neil's speciality is failing to master important local issues. Instead he announces his intention to advise and represent his poor benighted residents. He picks as many local brains as possible. Having acquired a thorough misunderstanding of the detail, he presents a mangled version of other people's views as his own - usually with disastrous results. This is immediately followed by a newsletter proclaiming his personal triumph.
ReplyDeleteThis technique has been very popular with the Conservative administration for years.
There are two sources of information that the new Leader, Cllr Paget-Brown, should use to find out the opinion of residents. The first is the Ward Councillors and the second is the Resident Associations. These need to be developed and supported as the "in touch" channels of information and feedback.
ReplyDeleteThe sooner that the useless and misleading "resident survey" is abandoned the better
Unfortunately some (predominantly Tory) Ward Councillors are beyond useless and woe betide anyone trying to use them as some kind of "barometer" of resident opinion. They wouldn't have a clue!
DeleteExactly so. Which is why any Leader worth his salt needs to put meaning back into the idea of representative democracy and the expense of THREE Ward Councillors for every Ward. Councillors who do not perform need to be kicked out - either by their Ward Committee or the Leader.
DeleteIf representative democracy is working then the whole system is ticking. Ward Councillors are in touch and represent the interests of their voters. Ward Committees have the power to deselect rotten Councillors and they do so. The Leadership has the power to get rid of bad eggs - and does so.
This is not the way that the Cockell Administration worked. His personal fiefdom built a power structure built around SRA's. The result was disinterested Councillors, disinterested Ward Chairmen, Ward Committees licking envelopes, and a whole political class operating at the lowest possible common denominator.
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