The Old Thing turned up to 'check it out' as Ludo puts it.
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| A Council kitchen |
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| Managing the Margaux |
The Council was not going to stump up; the money was desperately needed for more important things, such as Opera Holland Park and marble for Exhibition Rd.
What got everybody staring down at their desks, except for Cllr Palmer, busily trading his penny stocks on his council laptop, was the item noting he had been reported to the Ombudsman for gross and vile behaviour.
A great innovation in the proceedings was the preparing of questions for Cabinet members.
In future, denser members, like Cllrs Campbell and Weale, could be pre-briefed by long-suffering officers to prevent them putting their feet in it all the time.
After just thirty-five minutes, the Dame could hear a chorus of rumbling tummies.
Our councillors were getting impatient for the dinner gong, and a chance to get on with the important part of the evening...a feast on the tax.
Dear Dame, I don't think you'll get many comments on this, they've all been told to shut up and never ever comment on The Hornet! Like that's ever going to happen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, some may still be suffering from the 'early and prolonged opening of bottles' last night.
There's plenty to comment on here. Residents of the rotten borough have elected and then paid for a sleazy bunch of councillors to spend less than an hour addressing residents' concerns, before withdrawing to eat and drink at their leisure, again at residents' expense.
ReplyDeleteThese are the rotten councillors of a rotten borough. Since Labour silenced EDF, there's no political opposition. Such a sorry bunch will never comment on the Hornet. Nor will they engage with residents on the corruption and incompetence that's made the rotten borough a byword. Instead, they hide from public scrutiny, to gorge and booze themselves into a resident-funded stupor. Residents will doubtless also be made to pay for the taxis needed to ferry the drunks home.
These days the only opposition comes from stalwarts who, year after year, hold the rotten borough, its rotten councillors and officers to account. The Kensington Society is of infinitely more value to residents than a tumbril full of these sleazy councillors.
For the record 'Resident' I think there were quite a few who were very uncomfortable with the proceedings last night. I was sitting near them and you could see them squirming. However it does seem that those 'in power' have no appetite whatever for serious debate or discussion. The response on the petition from the man with a gynaecologist's soothing voice was disgraceful. 'We feel sorry for you poor old things but our pockets are empty!' Pathetic, and not true.
DeleteTheir appetite was for the hunks of venison and fine wine (do they really eat venison?).
Why have the Labour party "silenced EDF" do you mean "EDC".
ReplyDeleteOne of those supply us with energy and the other is a wasteful drain on our energy.
Yes, 15.01. But which is which?
Delete15.01 - A typo - EDC - but a valid point.
ReplyDelete15.07. "Squirming" is not nearly good enough. Some of them should stand on their hind legs and tell it like it is, on the record and in public. This is what we elected them for, and pay them for. Not sitting on their backsides looking uncomfortable, till it's time for the resident funded trough.
I agree entirely Resident, squirming is not enough. But it's a start. They should speak out or get out. Elections looming, time for a few well-chosen by-elections perhaps?
DeleteCome on squirmers, show us what you're made of.
Unfortunately such squirming has been observed for years. It means nothing.
ReplyDeleteThey squirm and then leave the room to guzzle their fair(?) share of Horton Street's resident funded hooch and haunch of venison or whatever. Another day it's drinks in the mayor's parlour, or tickets to HPO or more. It's all the same.
These councillors purport to represent the public, yet regularly accept crumbs of all kinds from the high table, in sufficient quantity to keep them in line. Other benefits come from less publicised sources. From such activity come RBKC'S basements, its grossly inadequate disabled children's transport and the sad fate of Major Vickery etc. Squirming is no a start at all.
These councillors are sleepwalking this borough to disaster. In March 25 to 30 officers are leaving / taking early retirement because RBKC have allowed Hammersmith officers to ransack the borough. RBKC officers are being sacked retired or made to apply for their jobs and then refused. Most RBKC departments are now staffed by consultants agency staff how is this cost effective? Officers with years of experience are being hounded out. Our councillors seem to be oblivious to what is happening.
ReplyDelete23.46 is spot on. Our RBKC councillors care for nothing beyond troughing at our expense.
ReplyDeleteA 40 minute Council Meeting must be a record. Either the Borough has become super efficient or it has run out of steam.
ReplyDeleteWhich is it?
Either way, it is a comment on the Leader, Cllr Paget-Brown. Important to know where he is leading us
These comments above have the hallmark of an organisation that is suffering from a disastrous and misconceived decision to "merge".
ReplyDeleteThe tri Borough idea failed every test of good governance for mergers. I wrote to RBKC Leader Cllr Cockell at the time to point this out but never received a reply. Nevertheless, the arguments are a matter of public record.
Cllr Cockell was the champion and architect of the tri Borough idea. He received my comments before the initiative was taken.
Cllr Paget-Brown needs to reflect that when ideas like this fail, they need to be undone. Leadership is at stake, but he can point the finger. At Cockell. And the time to act is when the level of discontent amongst the soldiers has reached a high level.
It sounds as though the moment may have come.
Over to you, Cllr Brown
The Conservatives have changed the standing orders in order to neuter the opposition. Three hours to two hours, silly questions to give cabinet members the opportunity to read officers' briefings and then no time for motions, which attracted the public and showed up the ruling party for what they are.
ReplyDelete