I know you are too grand to look outside the Royal Borough but this might interest you.
I happen to vote Conservative but feel that our Conservative councillors have become so used to being voted in on autopilot they care little about day to day contact.
Let me recount a recent experience. My family own a rental property in Shepherd's Bush.
In their road is a charming community gardens.... Loris Community Gardens.
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| Community Asset |
The residents began to notice the Gardens was being used for drug dealing and there were frequent fights.
PC Phil Crowther of the Parks Police took it upon himself to engage with residents and organise a very well attended meeting to which ward councillors all attended as well as many residents.
Now here's the surprising thing.
Without exception, all the ward councillors attended, including the deputy leader, Cllr Sue Fennimore, who drove measures to deal with the issues.
The point of this story is this...
The Dame has often alluded to the total disinterest shown by councillors like Pascal and Weale in any resident issue; in fact, they don't bother to reply to emails!
Yet, H& F can get six councillors, including the deputy leader to turn up to help at short notice!
RBK&C councillors need to look at this Labour-run council to see what engaging with residents is all about.
Send Weale and Pascal on a sort of awareness course
ReplyDeleteNot surprised to read this story. There is no monopoly in H&F. Sometimes a Labour Council, sometimes a Tory Council. The Parties and the Councillors are on their toes. They work to stay in power. Go to any political function there, Labour or Tory, and there is a different look and feel compared to K&C. Engaged, eager and caring Councillors.
ReplyDeleteMonopoly is a terrible thing. Kensington and Chelsea has suffered from this pox for too many years. The body politic has become infested with the Campbells, Weales and Pascales. A cancer.
Not even Grenfell managed to shake the Tory strangle hold on the unfortunate residents of the Royal Borough. Only the Dame and her hornets manage to hold the rodents to account.
DeleteI worked for the People's Republic of Hammersmith and Fulham in the 1980's and 1990's. This was a mis-managed socialist mess. When the Tories ousted Labour for the first time in forty years, the Council was paying £7 million pounds in interest every year. So the Council Tax payer paid £ 7 million a year before the Council provided one teacher, one home help or one road sweeper.
DeleteI worked in Labour's London Borough of Lambeth in the mid 1980's. Do you know what the Labour Party did in pursuit of Socialism and its Race Relations and Equal Opportunities Policy?
DeleteLabour Councillors appointed Ed Atkin, the husband of Labour Councillor Sharon Atkin, to the post of Director of Housing and Property Services. His experience for the job was holding down a job in the Council as a Grade 3 Clerical Assistant. I know that former TMO Chief Executive Robert Black did an Art Course in Scotland but even he, as inadequate as he turned out to be, had many years of experience with a Housing Association before he got a job under the TMO's Tory Chairman Juliet Rawlings. When Ed Atkin failed to cut the mustard at Lambeth after a year in the job, Labour Councillors approved a £ 50, 000 severance package for Atkin and appointed Peter Camp to takeover the job.
I don't think RBK&C Tories should emulate Labour Councils.
Money business the Labour way forgot to mention that when the Tories took over Hammersmith and Fulham Council from Labour, they reduced the Council's borrowing requirements year on year and still managed to reduce everyone's Council Tax by 3% every year for the eight years that the Council was Tory run. All Labour managed to do in its forty year control of the Council was increase borrowing to unsustainable levels and tell everyone who lived there that its service were better than K&C. My street in Hammersmith was filthy whereas the streets of K&C were a pleasure to walk down.
Delete11:54 - very true. Far too many members of the Chaney Walk -Candlelit dinner parties' circle. Not withstanding the odd wink, nudge and a handshake. Not too concerned about matters North of King's Road.
ReplyDeleteThe Leadership Group in Hornton Street is totally out of step with what is required in the Royal Borough at this time. Residents need to place our hopes in the Grenfell inquiry and the intense press scrutiny that is taking place. Hopefully this will force change in Hornton Street when the conclusions are published and a substantial number of puffers are rehoused in Her Majestey's prisons.
DeleteCllrs the Campbell, Weale, Faulks and double barrel Smith. Off with their heads.
DeleteCampbell is not quite Cheyne Walk. Don't give the airhead ideas above her social station. She is strictly Sloane Square. An original "Ranger" turned carpet bagger.
DeleteSaw the main chance while sailing off Rhode Island, USA, having retired from the Hornton Street Cabinet because she was "bored", and rushed back to London to seize the post Grenfell vacancy.
And of course she filled her Cabinet with clones.
Hornet's 15:40: You are so, so optimistic.
DeleteThey will ALL get off - that is already agreed. What remains, is to find a 'technicality'... job done - business as usual. Don't delude yourselves
DeleteThe Holland Park cull seems to have missed Sad Badger
DeletePathetic
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that will sink dizzy is a sex scandal. Money scandals sink Labour and sex scandals sink the Tories.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I tremble with excitement in assisting in such an event, on second though I prefer to pass - damaged goods.
Deleteat 09.41. I don't think it likely that Elizabeth Campbell will ever be involved in a sex scandal. You're right that, apart from one Tory, all of the politicians who went to prison in the parliamentary expenses' scandal were Labour.
DeleteTory Councillors who cannot even be bothered to answer emails from residents should be tied at dawn and shot through the head.
ReplyDelete10.01 Does the same apply to Labour Councillor Emma Dent Coad whom ignored emails from the many not the few about the TMO?
DeleteA couple of North Kensington Labour councillors have been pointing out for years the problem of young people being trained as drug mules in the borough - yet the then Director of Family Services is minuted as saying there is no evidence this is happening. He went to Birmingham and picked up an OBE en route. The Cabinet member for families and children at the time is now our Leader.
ReplyDeletethis episode highlights that our dear Dizzy Lizzy is truly out of touch, not fit for purpose. But, is that not the norm, with the Tories? Me thinks, more suited to sailing and all the 'apre-sail' activities.. more bubbly, dahling?
DeleteEmma Dent-Coad - no thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree she is dreadful.
DeleteI can't abide Emma either. She is so up herself
DeleteShe should get a P45
DeleteNo one should "take a lesson" from Labour's Emma Dent Coad MP. She has been reported to the Police for Election Fraud.
Delete