If this happens it will be another signal the Lords is unfit for purpose.
Merrick Cockell's first job on leaving school was selling cigarettes in deepest Africa.
He discovered that there was not much money in that and 'fell into' local government. The rest is history.....
In short order he twisted arms to increase the Leader's allowance to a staggering £70,000 a year.
Adding other quango type jobs he boosted his taxpayer funded earnings to around £130,000 a year.
If he gets into the Lords he will be in line for a further, much needed, income boost.
Cockell is a man of no distinction, yet has managed to live comfortably off taxpayers by exploiting every opportunity to make money.
The Honours Committee has totally ignored the mass of negative press comment around Cockell's vast expenses so the Dame reminds them. In this series of links to varied negative press comment one can see why he didn't deserve a K, let alone a peerage.
DINNERS IN AMERICA
COCKELL'S GRAVY PLANE
WHO DELETED POOTER'S EXPENSES
$450 DINNERS FOR COCKELL AND 'FRIEND'
COCKELL BLASTED
This man deserves a peerage as much as the Dame's old dog.
During the Cockell Leadership of Kensington and Chelsea there were unacceptable practices. Like the personal use of the Mayor's Bentley. When challenged, Cockell told the local newspaper "I never used the Bentley". A further challenge to the Town Clerk drew the response "I authorised use of the Bentley in order to save taxi fares". At a specially convened meeting of the Standards Committee to consider the complaint by residents, the Chairman of the Committee dismissed the porky as "political rhetoric",
ReplyDeleteThis was cover up, Royal Borough style
"I forget who I took to dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York"
DeleteOccasionally I would sign expenses claims like this for staff who were away from wives and girlfriends for extended periods of time when they were abroad on business. But they were on commercial business earning profits for their company. The test for tax payer funded rest and recreation needs to be more rigorous. And in this case it was reported that the expenses claim was for a weekend of rest and recreation in New York after a one day conference and before returning home to London on Sunday. There was no validated reason such as official or business entertainment. I would not have signed the expenses claim. Even if it had been a business trip.
DeleteNot only did the good Cockell dine at The Four Seasons in New York at Council Taxpayers' expense, and refused to say who he supped with at Council Taxpayers' expense, he travelled Business Class at the Council Tax Payers' expense.
DeleteGravy Train
By every test of correctness and appropriateness, a Peerage in these circumstances is out of the question.
ReplyDeleteOld stories being re hashed. Boring. Boring.
DeleteThe old one are the best ones....and generally the ones that crooks and conmen want to hide.
DeleteI love old stories being rehashed when it is not about Labour.
DeleteThis story pours more cynicism and distrust of the whole political system today. Lessons should have been taken away from the MPs Expenses Scandal. In the present climate political Leaders cannot afford to do anything that looks like condoning public servants drinking at the trough. Jack Straw and Malcolm Rifkind will not go to the House of Lords. Nor should Cllr Cockell.
ReplyDeletePathetic, disgruntled residents.
DeleteI have to agree with my 'follower'. Sir Merrick was the only one who tried to keep me 'in post' when the Hornet circulated my private emails.
DeleteThese were innocent images of young boys with some harmless captions.
Barry...you have a nerve...They were perverted filth. You think an innocent '30's "Boy's Own" story illustrated with a young cabin boy with a ship's capt you captioned, "Roger, the cabin boy" was innocent? You are disgusting.
DeleteThe HOLords is and long has been unfit for purpose. Cronies and phonies. Another gravy train for pipsqueak Pooter to milk (excuse the mixed metaphor)
ReplyDeleteMakes my blood boil
ReplyDeleteHis greatest dishonour was covering up for the convicted paedophile Lamont for almost a year. Then he was exonerated by the Standards Committee - twice.
ReplyDeleteCllr Sir Merrick Cockell is a fine chap. A credit to his Borough. You're all just jealous because he knows how to work the system and have a good life. He deserves a peerage for showing how it's done! Now pipe down peasants.
ReplyDeleteCameron cannot be serious!
ReplyDeleteIf he ever had one, his reputation has long bee in tatters. The idea that such a person may receive a peerage, makes a mockery of the so-called 'Honours' system. He should receive nothing beyond an invoice for the repayment of his misbegotten expenses claims. If he fails to cough up within a month, send in the bailiffs!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago I served on Somerset County Council. Our leader was George Wyndham. Wyndham was a man of charm, high intelligence and a rare ability to get fellow councillors from across the political spectrum working constructively together.
ReplyDeleteCockell's leadership style was divide and misrule.
George Wyndham would have been nonplussed by Cockell's greedy allowance harvesting; his luxury hotels and first class travel. The Dame is correct....Cockell is an absolute disgrace.
About 18 months ago the Joint Chief Executive of K&C and Hammersmith and Fulham Councils unexpectedly resigned (to pursue other opportunities) and a few months later was awarded a Knighthood for Services to Local Government. A few weeks ago Cllr Cockell unexpectedly resigned as Councillor for Stanley Ward and now we hear that he is to join the House of Lords as Baron Philbeach. Are the two stories connected? Probably.
ReplyDeleteWhen Cllr Cockell was Leader of K&C and pursuing projects to get himself noticed (eg the £100 million Holland Park School vanity project) he dreamed up the Tri Borough idea to combine the three Councils of Westminster, Hammersmith and Kensington and Chelsea in order to save money. This was in the middle of the banking crisis and he got loads of publicity - great for his Peerage ambitions and exactly as he planned. The half baked idea failed every test of good management and governance but Cockell created a band wagon, assisted by his power mad Chief Executive Derek Myers (then the highest paid Town Hall Chief Executive) who planned to take over as the honcho of all three Boroughs.
Westminster would have none of it and kept their own Chief Executive. But Myers was shoe horned into Hammersmith as Bi Borough Chief Executive. These power plays are always doomed to failure and Myers saw the inevitable coming. So he resigned when the halo was still in place and was lucky to pick up his gong.
Myers was succeeded by the able Nicholas Holgate but very soon Hammersmith got shot of him so that they could revert to their own Chief Executive. In a few short years the ill conceived tri Borough had unraveled into a "unitary organisation" with three Chief Executives. Nicholas Holgate reverted to Kensington and Chelsea.
The dissolution Honours list that is just around the corner is the last chance saloon for Cllr Cockell. He has plaid his cards well. But this kind of nonsense in public life, by the likes of Myers and Cockell, is exactly the kind of thing that the Honours Committee and the Scrutiny Committee should be on the lookout for. And they should make sure that the highest standards are maintained in public life. Not a bums rush to maintain parity of numbers in the House of Lords. Cameron has created more Peers than any Prime Minister before him.
When local activists see these things they become disillusioned, frustrated and alienated from the democratic system. And it poisons support for the democratic process.
It is time to stop it.
Silly man. "If you are on the scrounge, keep your head down".
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth did he have to go and use the Bentley again when he is trying to scrounge a Peerage? He knows that residents are on the look out for his nonsense and has attracted this ton of shit at a very inconvenient time.
He is a vain, stupid, idiot.
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