His role is to conjure up housing out of thin air for the world and his wife who wants to be in Kensington and nowhere else.
We are fortunate to have Kim as deputy leader.
He is a highly successful businessman. He wears his success lightly. He is unpompous; good with people and has a genuine interest in doing the right thing in the most challenging of circumstances.
Even those in the north of the Borough agree that his motivations are good.
The only pity is that he is not Leader: he would be outstanding.
The Dame ends by picking out a particularly accurate comment
Norland Conservative wrote: "Kim is courteous, knowledgeable and responsive. He is respected by the residents of the wards in the North even if they don't always agree with him. A complete contrast to the disinterested and hardly ever seen Councillor Campbell. You cannot avoid the feeling that Kim is there from a passion to make a genuine improvement to people's lives while Campbell is there for the power kick and her own personal ambitions."
Good Call, Dame. If Taylor-Smith were a non exec of a company he would get £100k a year. He's a good deal for us
ReplyDeleteAnything would be better than dizzy lizzie
DeleteThat is a rather backhanded compliment. Taylor-Smith is deserving of something much more laudatory than that, Owl
DeleteThe reality of politics, Mr Downes, is that voters vote people "out" because they do not like them or are fed up with them. This is where voters focus: on people they do not like and they kick them out.
DeleteUnfortunately they do not vote for people who deserve to be given office.
Observer is only partly right. The thirty six Tory Councillors meet at the start of every year and decide who they want to be Leader. Cllr Campbell was elected after Cllr Paget-Brown retired following his disastrous handling of the Grenfell catastrophe. There was a leadership vacuum and shell shocked Conservative councilors were all too nervous to offer themselves for election to be Leader. This was the opportunist moment for Elizabeth Campbell. She had been part of the Cabinet that created the conditions for Grenfell but bored with life she took a "sabbatical" from the Council and the Cabinet to go to America for an extended holiday to help her husband with his Americas Cup duties. Then Grenfell happened. The carpet bagger was on the first plane home to Chelsea to throw her hat in the ring.
DeleteConservative Councillors were doubly shell shocked. First Grenfell and then the Pied Piper from the USA.
But she was soon in power, exposed on day two by her disastrous Radio 4 Interview ("I have never been in a Council Flat") and proceeded to consolidate power by dispensing patronage ie Committee positions and £ allowances to fellow Councillors. Up to £40k per position.
But since the black day of the Campbell re emergeance there has been a local election and a whole lot of new and young Tory Councillors were elected. They have had time to figure things out. They are now in a good position to make a value judgement between Campbell and Taylor Smith.
Lets hope they start thinking now and cast their votes wisely at the start of next year when the Leadership comes up for election.
RBKC has never needed a change more than it needs now. Even taking account of the final Pooter years. And that is saying something.
Woodger will be voting for Campbell
DeleteTaylor-Smith has to be a serious candidate to replace Cllr Campbell. Reports are that he is holding the administration together in spite of dizzy and is in fact the de facto Leader already
DeleteA friend of mine-expert in housing, had an idea he wanted to pitch to Kim. Though Kim felt it would not work in the set of circumstances it was interesting to see how he rapidly analysed the situation. A good man.
ReplyDeleteKim is courteous, knowledgeable and responsive. He is respected by the residents of the wards in the North even if they don't always agree with him. A complete contrast to the disinterested and hardly ever seen Councillor Campbell. You cannot avoid the feeling that Kim is there from a passion to make a genuine improvement to people's lives while Campbell is there for the power kick and her own personal ambitions.
ReplyDeleteVery well put...Norland Conservative. He's genuinely interested in people and wants to do the best for them.
DeleteIn the contacts I have had with Cllr Taylor-Smith the immediate impression is of a man with no agenda other than do the best he can. It is a shame councils cannot attract men and women of similar talents.
ReplyDeleteDame, the public think that all politicians are lazy and inept. So it is all yawn, yawn. So Dame, tell me something I don’t know. The only thing that turns people on is a real scandal. The problem there is that Johnson has so plumbed the depths that even most scandalous behaviour no longer shocks. Kim Taylor-Smith seems an unusual political animal in the sense he wants to make a genuine contribution and is unsullied by amour propre.
ReplyDeleteI do not know Cllr Taylor Smith but when I was recruiting senior staff I always paid particular attention to their track record in the last five years and if it looked impressive I would seek out people who worked with him and for him to try and get a better picture.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Council Website Cllr Taylor Smith has been a Councillor for six years and has served on the Committees for Housing, Planning, Licensing and Administration. His contribution was sufficiently impressive to be elected as Deputy Leader in 2019 and subsequently he was given the hot potato of Grenfell Recovery to lead as well as leadership responsibility for housing and social investment.
This is an outstanding CV and I would be interested to try and build a picture of what residents think about him and how Officers find him to work with.
The guy is OK
DeleteWell said, Retired Chief Executive
DeleteAt a recent meeting with the Justice4Grenfell campaign group I was struck by the hostility and dislike for Cllr Campbell and Mr Quick. Really deep hatred. I never heard a bad word said about Cllr Taylor Smith or Cllr Cryon who is also deeply involved in trying to recover and help with the GRenfell mess.
ReplyDeleteThere has been plenty of bad editorial coverage for Cllr Campbell and Grenfell but nothing negative said about Smith.
DeleteHere is an example of something which shows the contrast of approach between KTS and Dizzy Lizzy. Back in 2017, a Grenfell vigil was held for the 72 members of my community who lost their lives in the fire. Dizzy Lizzy did not attend but went and stood a few streets away, stood in front of TV cameras talking to the media and avoided talking to the bereaved, survivors and community - totally inappropriate using this for publicity... Kim Taylor-Smith, instead attended the vigil and talked to bereved, survivors and community and avoided the media.
ReplyDeleteHe is intelligent, hardworking and brave and doesn't shy away from facing up to his responsibilities. Might not always agree with him, but do have deep respect for him
Here a good question...
ReplyDeleteIf Kim Taylor-Smith was back running one of his highly successful companies would he offer a senior or mid level job to Cllr Faulks, Weale or Campbell? No, is the answer so a pity that these three duds are running our lives.
It is said that Elizabeth Campbell cares not a jot for criticism. That maybe. What she and councillors need remember is that this blog's readership is not just residents: staff at Hornton St are avid readers. It is embarrassing for them to know that the Council leader is considered not fit for purpose
ReplyDeleteA great shame that this important discussion about the Leadership of RBKC has been eclipsed by the title tattle above concerning a prospective Councillor for Campden Ward.
ReplyDeleteThe Dame lacks a sense of balance.
How dare you!
DeleteThis is all about leadership. The Leader encouraged a very unsuitable man to stand for the Council in place of someone like Borwick
ReplyDeleteNorth? Borwick? Chalk and cheese
ReplyDelete