Question 1. Why is the Leader of K&C paid more so much more than the leaders of H&F and WCC? Question 2. Are the two deputy leaders of K&C being paid £37,500 each plus their allowance of £11,000?
This cannot continue. It absolutely cannot be allowed to continue. It is more evidence of a deep rooted self belief in the Tory Group that the Borough exists to "benefit me". Remember the MP Rifkind? Remember his lament that no decent person could afford to live on an MP's salary? (£130k with allowances).
Troughing! On an industrial scale! RBKC as a whole takes no responsibility even when its actions and failures lead to the deaths of at least 100 of its residents and traumatise far more.
Every year RBKC cabinet members and backbenchers pay themselves far more than those in other councils. It's yet another example of the corruption lurking in every corner of the Town Hall.
They cut corners on the safety of Grenfell residents, while scooping handfuls of gold from bulging municipal coffers. It's not just those who grab the gold; blame belongs equally to those who vote through the payments. They are all a disgrace and must resign. Bring on Commissioners! Throw the lot them out of the building!
This rot started with disgraced ex Leader Cllr Cockell. The failed fag salesman needed the cash. He started socialising the idea that "Councillors are underpaid". Then he got elected as Chairman of the Local Government Association. And then he set up a Pay Review Board at the Local Government Association. And then the Local Government Association said that Councillors are underpaid. And then Cockell returned to Hornton Street and told the Council that the LGA said we are underpaid. And then the Council voted itself large increases in allowances.
Cockell went on to refine his approach to milking the cow. As Chairman of the LGA and Leader of the Royal Borough he sat astride two systems of expense allowances. By this time he was travelling extensively to far off places like New York, San Francisco and Boston. On fact finding missions. These included weekend rest and recreation away from home. On the tax payer of course. FOI probes showed that he even charged weekend entertainment for persons "whose names he forgot". And of course he claimed expenses from the most generous expense schemes. On identical jollys he would charge air fares to the LGA (they paid First Class Fares) and expense unlimited dinners to The Royal Borough. For fact finding.
'Don't let them in' to democracy? http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kensington-chelsea-and-chelsea-matthew-taylor-grenfell-tower-fire-survivors-lock-out-public-meeting-a7850986.html
Lots of pictures of professionally dressed Cllr Campbell in the newspapers today. Sloane Square dinner parties this weekend will have the extra special thrill. "Darling, did you see Liz in the Guardian this week?"
Rupert: "The poor dear is under a great deal of pressure. But the darling possom is holding up. We'll show them!"
Looks like none is watching and nobody cares, the wheels keep turning and evening if they fall of, they get stuck right back on and keep turning for RBKC/KCTMO. All the good talk on the hornet can surely not change a thing. Oh and don't forget the db pensions! boo
Campbell is a woman who cares about her appearance and her generous allowance helps pay for her outfits and hair do's. She has just come out of a band box. Does anyone know where Emma Dent Coad MP gets her clothes? Is it the same place as Shirley Williams? I love that polyester grey polka dot.
The comment of 7.19 shows how completely out of touch you are. Emma Dent Coad has something under her clothes called a brain and integrity .Sure all the Grenfell residents were more interested in outfits as opposed to the fact that a Corrupt Conservative Council have burned 200 people whilst they 'Lunch'. Ya still don't get it do you. Call an election for RBKC now , lets see where your Fancy Pants get you . No cover up this time. The perpetrators will be jailed.We will not rest until Justice is served . Stick that in your Pimms.
21:00 you are clearly one of these working class types like the Hon Mrs Dent Coad(yes, in a previous life she was an Hon). How does one guess? It's the 'ya'...most edgy and my boy, Lord Brum, is a keen user of 'ya'. He's a DJ
With a weak and dysfunction Cabinet, the person to watch is the new Chief Executive, Mr Quirk. In the present power vacuum, he will rapidly emerge as a virtual Dictator. No checks and balances in an organisation that requires discipline. Hornton Street spends nearly £1 billion every year. Quirk has a clean slate. No interference from above and no constraints from the relationships of old colleagues. He is a new broom. The seduction of power on this scale is much written about.
For years it has been evident that the culture of the Town Hall needs to be reformed. Grenfell has brought this into sharp focus. In the absence of a threat to survival (eg takeover, loss of market share, new technology) it is virtually impossible for organisations to reform from within. Change needs to be externally imposed.
The dilemma for the Conservative Government is that if they bring in the Commissioners to run Kensington and Chelsea then Mrs May runs the risk of being blamed in May 2018 if the Conservatives lose the Council election. At the moment this looks to be a near certainty. And the Party already experienced the shock loss of the Conservative MP a few weeks ago. On the other hand, in the short term, bringing in the Commissioners is one way to make a powerful gesture to the Grenfell victims that they have been noticed. Mrs Campbell and her administration stand no chance in the Court of public opinion. They have been given enough rope to hang themselves and have done so many times over.
Central Government needs to recognise that in the present circumstances there is no chance to form a Cabinet in Kensington and Chelsea that can exercise responsible oversight over £1 billion of annual spending. There is a small group of Councillors to draw on, about 50, to make up a Cabinet of 10. The "old 10" are already ruled out which leaves a pool of 40 to draw on. By definition, a pool of second best. Mrs Campbell has tacitly been forced to acknowledge this, because she was not able to find Councillors to fill the important Cabinet roles for Finance and Planning for her new Cabinet.
Downing Street has run out of time to play politics. The nettle needs to be grasped.
With deep respect for the Retired Chief Exec, who always gets to the kernel of things persuasively, there is another potential benefit to the external imposition of change. Commissioners or whatever mechanism is used, should also put a lid on any power surge on the part of the new Town Clerk, Quirk.
The $64,000 question, is how to get the government, more precisely Department for Communities and Local Government/Sajid Javid to stop playing politics and grasp the RBKC nettle.
Sadly blogs like this don't seem able quite to get us there.
For 'town hall' read urban farm: greedy pigs at the trough, headless chickens, wooly sheep, lame old goats, one particularly silly cow and endless bull****.
Comments are your responsibility. Anyone posting inappropriate comments shall have their comment removed and will be banned from posting in future. Your IP address may also be recorded and reported. Persistent abuse shall mean comments will be severely restricted in future.
This cannot continue. It absolutely cannot be allowed to continue. It is more evidence of a deep rooted self belief in the Tory Group that the Borough exists to "benefit me". Remember the MP Rifkind? Remember his lament that no decent person could afford to live on an MP's salary? (£130k with allowances).
ReplyDeleteTroughing! On an industrial scale! RBKC as a whole takes no responsibility even when its actions and failures lead to the deaths of at least 100 of its residents and traumatise far more.
ReplyDeleteEvery year RBKC cabinet members and backbenchers pay themselves far more than those in other councils. It's yet another example of the corruption lurking in every corner of the Town Hall.
They cut corners on the safety of Grenfell residents, while scooping handfuls of gold from bulging municipal coffers. It's not just those who grab the gold; blame belongs equally to those who vote through the payments. They are all a disgrace and must resign. Bring on Commissioners! Throw the lot them out of the building!
The Leader of the Labour Group is paid handsomely too.
ReplyDeleteThis rot started with disgraced ex Leader Cllr Cockell. The failed fag salesman needed the cash. He started socialising the idea that "Councillors are underpaid". Then he got elected as Chairman of the Local Government Association. And then he set up a Pay Review Board at the Local Government Association. And then the Local Government Association said that Councillors are underpaid. And then Cockell returned to Hornton Street and told the Council that the LGA said we are underpaid. And then the Council voted itself large increases in allowances.
ReplyDeleteCockell went on to refine his approach to milking the cow. As Chairman of the LGA and Leader of the Royal Borough he sat astride two systems of expense allowances. By this time he was travelling extensively to far off places like New York, San Francisco and Boston. On fact finding missions. These included weekend rest and recreation away from home. On the tax payer of course. FOI probes showed that he even charged weekend entertainment for persons "whose names he forgot". And of course he claimed expenses from the most generous expense schemes. On identical jollys he would charge air fares to the LGA (they paid First Class Fares) and expense unlimited dinners to The Royal Borough. For fact finding.
It has to stop. It really does have to stop.
'Don't let them in' to democracy?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/kensington-chelsea-and-chelsea-matthew-taylor-grenfell-tower-fire-survivors-lock-out-public-meeting-a7850986.html
Lots of pictures of professionally dressed Cllr Campbell in the newspapers today. Sloane Square dinner parties this weekend will have the extra special thrill. "Darling, did you see Liz in the Guardian this week?"
ReplyDeleteRupert: "The poor dear is under a great deal of pressure. But the darling possom is holding up. We'll show them!"
Looks like none is watching and nobody cares, the wheels keep turning and evening if they fall of, they get stuck right back on and keep turning for RBKC/KCTMO. All the good talk on the hornet can surely not change a thing. Oh and don't forget the db pensions! boo
ReplyDeleteYes we are watching .
DeleteCampbell is a woman who cares about her appearance and her generous allowance helps pay for her outfits and hair do's. She has just come out of a band box. Does anyone know where Emma Dent Coad MP gets her clothes? Is it the same place as Shirley Williams? I love that polyester grey polka dot.
ReplyDeleteThe comment of 7.19 shows how completely out of touch you are. Emma Dent Coad has something under her clothes called a brain and integrity .Sure all the Grenfell residents were more interested in outfits as opposed to the fact that a Corrupt Conservative Council have burned 200 people whilst they 'Lunch'. Ya still don't get it do you. Call an election for RBKC now , lets see where your Fancy Pants get you . No cover up this time. The perpetrators will be jailed.We will not rest until Justice is served . Stick that in your Pimms.
Delete21:00 you are clearly one of these working class types like the Hon Mrs Dent Coad(yes, in a previous life she was an Hon).
DeleteHow does one guess? It's the 'ya'...most edgy and my boy, Lord Brum, is a keen user of 'ya'. He's a DJ
With a weak and dysfunction Cabinet, the person to watch is the new Chief Executive, Mr Quirk. In the present power vacuum, he will rapidly emerge as a virtual Dictator. No checks and balances in an organisation that requires discipline. Hornton Street spends nearly £1 billion every year. Quirk has a clean slate. No interference from above and no constraints from the relationships of old colleagues. He is a new broom. The seduction of power on this scale is much written about.
ReplyDeleteFor years it has been evident that the culture of the Town Hall needs to be reformed. Grenfell has brought this into sharp focus. In the absence of a threat to survival (eg takeover, loss of market share, new technology) it is virtually impossible for organisations to reform from within. Change needs to be externally imposed.
The dilemma for the Conservative Government is that if they bring in the Commissioners to run Kensington and Chelsea then Mrs May runs the risk of being blamed in May 2018 if the Conservatives lose the Council election. At the moment this looks to be a near certainty. And the Party already experienced the shock loss of the Conservative MP a few weeks ago. On the other hand, in the short term, bringing in the Commissioners is one way to make a powerful gesture to the Grenfell victims that they have been noticed. Mrs Campbell and her administration stand no chance in the Court of public opinion. They have been given enough rope to hang themselves and have done so many times over.
Central Government needs to recognise that in the present circumstances there is no chance to form a Cabinet in Kensington and Chelsea that can exercise responsible oversight over £1 billion of annual spending. There is a small group of Councillors to draw on, about 50, to make up a Cabinet of 10. The "old 10" are already ruled out which leaves a pool of 40 to draw on. By definition, a pool of second best. Mrs Campbell has tacitly been forced to acknowledge this, because she was not able to find Councillors to fill the important Cabinet roles for Finance and Planning for her new Cabinet.
Downing Street has run out of time to play politics. The nettle needs to be grasped.
With deep respect for the Retired Chief Exec, who always gets to the kernel of things persuasively, there is another potential benefit to the external imposition of change. Commissioners or whatever mechanism is used, should also put a lid on any power surge on the part of the new Town Clerk, Quirk.
ReplyDeleteThe $64,000 question, is how to get the government, more precisely Department for Communities and Local Government/Sajid Javid to stop playing politics and grasp the RBKC nettle.
Sadly blogs like this don't seem able quite to get us there.
For 'town hall' read urban farm: greedy pigs at the trough, headless chickens, wooly sheep, lame old goats, one particularly silly cow and endless bull****.
ReplyDeletehttps://rbkc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/298090
ReplyDeleteCouncil Meeting video