Dear Dame
Rumours abound that there is a very serious group of well-funded individuals plotting to target certain seats in the May elections.
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| Plotters |
My understanding is that they are likely to be politically unaligned and with a manifesto driven by a sort of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune': in other words, 'we residents will call the shots'.
Now, Dame, without being obsequious, you have spent seven or so long years battling a corrupt and self-serving council.
Why don't you use your wonderful blog to ask readers to comment on exactly what this group's manifesto should be?
I would like to kick off by suggesting we banish the Cabinet system and revert to the much more effective Committee system.
What do other readers want to change?
Respectfully, my dear Dame,
(name withheld)
An RBKC exam to be devised and taken by all potential councillors, to see if they are suitable and correctly motivated to serve their local community. An exam inline with the British Exam for Citizenship. Their responsibility must be taken seriously and they must be responsible to residents.
ReplyDelete1. Self interest - banned
2. Property developers - banned
3. Anyone with property portfolio - banned
4. Anyone with an offshore trust - banned
5. Existing mob cannot reapply for position, all are tainted - banned
6. Job descriptions to be made public
7. Appraisal system for each member to be based on achievements of work completed and feedback from local residents on a points system - to be public
8. Realign members remuneration to lowest band in UK council system
9. Claw back pay, benefits and fees from KCTMO and contractors where work is inadequate/not fit for purpose, putting the funds back into the system and repaying tenants and leaseholders
10. Ensure staff members of KCTMO are held to account for their actions and inaction
11. Ensure staff members of RBKC are held to account for their actions and inaction
12. Root out corruption
The main political parties have organisation, structure and process. Built up over many years. It is hard for new political parties to replicate these platforms in the short term. Think about UKIP. The best they can do is provide a platform for a noisy person like Nigel Farage.
ReplyDeleteThe best route is for Labour, Conservative and Liberal Parties to fill themselves up with Councillors of quality. Kensington and Chelsea has an emergency task on its hands. Across the board, with too few exceptions, our Councillors are self seeking, publicity searching, low intelligence specimens.
07:54 - Excellent example and correct analysis
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeletePlatforms for people who make a noise can have a profound impact on the political system and democracy. Farage made Brexit happen courtesy of the UKIP platform.
DeleteThe Dame herself has had a profound impact on the climate of opinion in Kensington and Chelsea which has produced major change for the good (eg the extinction of Cockell and Phelps) and she continues to be a force for good.
But mature political organisations are required to make democracy work. These organisations need to be continually developed and improved. Above all, they need to be operated by representatives of QUALITY.
Lets work through the established parties and encourage people of quality to come forward and represent us. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Investors purchasing blocks of flats/luxury apartments to sit empty and land to put aside in RBKC should be stopped. Existing empty home luxury investment trusts/funds must be charged, perhaps ten times the council tax top band as "Empty luxury investment tax". This quiet investment activity which is destroys the fabric of the borough must be stopped.
ReplyDeleteThe William Sutton Estate, Chelsea to be returned to the borough council for the purpose it was first built. The cost of putting it back should fall to those who individuals selling it off.
RBKC Regeneration (disposal!) of council property to be stopped.
A full RBKC/KCTMO corruption investigation paid for by RBKC going back 20 years to bring all those who have profited and worked in their own self interest to justice through the law. Every old deal should be scrutinised.
I prefer the last proposal not happen.
DeleteMe, too, Barry
DeleteI prefer Cllr Moylan not to be the leader - other wise we will have to 'leak ' things to the public domain , might just do it anyway .
DeleteThe removal of the Portrait of Merrick Cockle , it can be put up in the Toilets.
DeleteStart building council houses for 'adult' children living at home . Young People must have a chance to rent their own home at a social rent . People who live and are brought up in a Community must be able to stay in that Community.
ReplyDeleteThe bus stops have been flogged to an ad company . This means the removal of the digital indicators - the sign that tells you when the bus is due . Again this is a pre Grenfell decision that needs to be reversed . The bus stops should be there primarily for those that use them , not for the overreaching arms of an ad company .
ReplyDeleteAgree. The bus stops now only have seating for one or two persons. Street furniture like the advert signs poing as telephone boxes must be removed.
DeleteAlso candidates should back an investigation into Planning department of officers and councillors.
Stop the by-law scaffolders can park anywhere.
Can we please start using electric vehicles please .Let us set an example to the rest of the Borough ,
ReplyDeleteRBKC urgently needs to put residents first.
ReplyDeleteThere should be a clear out of officers, such as Tony Redpath, Micheal Clark for example. All and any Officers who are connected with the swamp years.
Along with Grenfell there should be an urgent 'independent review' of the Sutton Trust, Malbourgh School, Holland Park, Earls Ct, The Westway Trust, The North Kensington Library, The Kensington and Chelsea College, developments/ sell offs.
A review of why such huge s106 money accused, why such as large reserve was built up, why Cllrs, like Fielding Mellon, became so unaccountable and were given such discretionary powers?
A new democratic charter could be given to all officers, so insults like Opera Holland Park (£ 20 million), Exhibition Road (£31 million) can never happen again.
So when residents, ask for example. Portobello Market to be best protected and invested in, these become priority over the will of internal opaque policy officers.
Further Cllr and Officers must carry out the agreed will of residents North and South. Budgets be made available. Social Housing be built, restored, over empty luxury flat developers.
RBKC has a great opportunity, post Grenfell, for renewal.
A return to committee and an end the secretive somewhat corrupted Cabinet, an end to certain Cllr vanity projects, Officers bonuses, and the swamp.
Lastly Cllr Fielding Mellen, Lightfoot, Coleridge, Paget Brown, Moylan, Ahern, should return to private life, RBKC needs to be the residents and local business Council. One that celebrates the variety, the architecture the diversity of this great part of London, protecting at all times its much loved character and amenity.
To add to the clear out of officers from Enviromental health and planning department.
DeleteEnviromental health and Planning dept have an unhealthy relationship with CapCo and Keltbray.
Says, succinctly, all that needs to be said
ReplyDeleteGet rid of the dead wood
ReplyDeleteCouncil CLEANSING
ReplyDeleteCouncil to release social cleansing model, to use for cleansing RBKC/KCTMO
JAIL FEILDING MELLEN NOW!
ReplyDelete