Firstly, if anyone wants to come down and say hello (or come down and thump me), weather permitting we'll be in Mill Hill Broadway promoting the forthcoming Mill Hill Music Festival between 11am and 1pm. We'll be wearing white t-shirts and handing out leaflets. Please have a look at the festival program. Dates run from 25th June - 2nd July and we have a fantastic selection of different genres of music - Classical, Opera, Rock, Jazz, Klezmer to name but a few
http://www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk/
Anyway, advert over. The big (non) event of the week was the AV vote. I think the attitude of the British public was succinctly summed up by an incident which happened when I went to cast my vote. I bumped into an elderly relative of mine, Uncle Michael. He was handed his ballot form, and stared at it in a rather puzzled fashion. He then said "Which one is Labour?". He asked the staff manning the polling booth, who tried to explain that it wasn't a party political vote. He asked them "Which one does Labour support?" They replied "We're not allowed to tell you". At this I intervened and said "The Conservatives want you to vote NO". At which he replied "I hate this new fangled rubbish" and went to cast his vote. I suspect that the vote wasn't a rejection of the AV system so much as the rejection of what people saw as a pointless change. It is clear to me that the Yes to AV campaign was a complete shambles. If I was Nick Clegg I'd have come out and made the point that if there is a lukewarm response, it would completely undermine the case for referendums generally. If we'd had a 90% turnout, campaigners for a vote on Europe could say "Look, there is a real taste for the people having their say". As it was, apathy ruled. It is interesting that five London Boroughs bucked the National trend and voted yes. This is why I love London.
Perhaps the most interesting news in Barnet is the fact that next week Barnet Council staff in the revenue collection department are balloted for strike action. This is a strike which the Council really fears. It means they won't collect any cash to pay the bills for the army of consultants. Apparently the highly paid contractor who is 2nd in command at Barnet Mr A. T. Ravers is going bonkers about it. For the people of Barnet, this will be a popular strike as we'll all be able to hang on to our cash a little bit longer.
Another huge news story was the result of the 7/7 bombing inquiry. I revisted an article I wrote for the Hendon Times about this. I passed through Aldgate last week (I had to buy a mate a pint when I bought my cup final tickets from him). I paused for a split second by the memorial. A strange thought crossed my mind that all those fine people died, but Osama Bin Laden was still at large. It made me quite angry. I will be interested to see what my feelings are next time.
Our local MP, Matthew Offord was in the news, with his comments about an MP and a gagging order. In the last week or so, Matthew has certainly upped his work rate. He held a public meeting at Copthall School to discuss the Saracens move to Copthall Sports Centre. I was rather surprised that Matthew didn't notify me or ask me to come along. I would have thought that as this blog is widely read, it would have promoted interest in the issue. I only found out that the event was taking place, late in the afternoon on the day. As I'd made other arrangements, I couldn't make it. I queried why Offord hadn't given me notice, so I could publicise it, with one of his lackeys. The response didn't surprise me "Brian Coleman was on the platform and he didn't want you turning up". I find this rather sad. I stood as a candidate in the Mill Hill council elections and it would have been good manners to at least notify me. It just shows that Offord and Coleman were not seeking a genuine local debate, but a political platform to promote their own careers. I worked with the previous Tory MP, Sir John Gorst on the campaign to save Edgware General Hospital. I was impressed by his attitude to the issue. He genuinely wanted to work across the political spectrum to achieve the best for his constituents. He shared a platform with the then Barnet Council Labour Leader, Alan Williams, at a rally I helped organise in Burnt Oak. It was a lesson Offord would do well to heed.
The Metpro Scandal rumbles on. I have not yet received a response to my FOI requests sent on 9th April, which are now late. They acknowledged it thus on the 11th April. Sadly the council cannot meet its legal obligation to respond in a timely manner. Even more annoying, they misspelt my name, but to be fair Niall Toru did realise and immediately apologised.
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Anyway, I wait with baited breath for their response next week. It will be interesting to see what they have to say.
http://www.millhillmusicfest.co.uk/
Anyway, advert over. The big (non) event of the week was the AV vote. I think the attitude of the British public was succinctly summed up by an incident which happened when I went to cast my vote. I bumped into an elderly relative of mine, Uncle Michael. He was handed his ballot form, and stared at it in a rather puzzled fashion. He then said "Which one is Labour?". He asked the staff manning the polling booth, who tried to explain that it wasn't a party political vote. He asked them "Which one does Labour support?" They replied "We're not allowed to tell you". At this I intervened and said "The Conservatives want you to vote NO". At which he replied "I hate this new fangled rubbish" and went to cast his vote. I suspect that the vote wasn't a rejection of the AV system so much as the rejection of what people saw as a pointless change. It is clear to me that the Yes to AV campaign was a complete shambles. If I was Nick Clegg I'd have come out and made the point that if there is a lukewarm response, it would completely undermine the case for referendums generally. If we'd had a 90% turnout, campaigners for a vote on Europe could say "Look, there is a real taste for the people having their say". As it was, apathy ruled. It is interesting that five London Boroughs bucked the National trend and voted yes. This is why I love London.
Perhaps the most interesting news in Barnet is the fact that next week Barnet Council staff in the revenue collection department are balloted for strike action. This is a strike which the Council really fears. It means they won't collect any cash to pay the bills for the army of consultants. Apparently the highly paid contractor who is 2nd in command at Barnet Mr A. T. Ravers is going bonkers about it. For the people of Barnet, this will be a popular strike as we'll all be able to hang on to our cash a little bit longer.
Another huge news story was the result of the 7/7 bombing inquiry. I revisted an article I wrote for the Hendon Times about this. I passed through Aldgate last week (I had to buy a mate a pint when I bought my cup final tickets from him). I paused for a split second by the memorial. A strange thought crossed my mind that all those fine people died, but Osama Bin Laden was still at large. It made me quite angry. I will be interested to see what my feelings are next time.
Our local MP, Matthew Offord was in the news, with his comments about an MP and a gagging order. In the last week or so, Matthew has certainly upped his work rate. He held a public meeting at Copthall School to discuss the Saracens move to Copthall Sports Centre. I was rather surprised that Matthew didn't notify me or ask me to come along. I would have thought that as this blog is widely read, it would have promoted interest in the issue. I only found out that the event was taking place, late in the afternoon on the day. As I'd made other arrangements, I couldn't make it. I queried why Offord hadn't given me notice, so I could publicise it, with one of his lackeys. The response didn't surprise me "Brian Coleman was on the platform and he didn't want you turning up". I find this rather sad. I stood as a candidate in the Mill Hill council elections and it would have been good manners to at least notify me. It just shows that Offord and Coleman were not seeking a genuine local debate, but a political platform to promote their own careers. I worked with the previous Tory MP, Sir John Gorst on the campaign to save Edgware General Hospital. I was impressed by his attitude to the issue. He genuinely wanted to work across the political spectrum to achieve the best for his constituents. He shared a platform with the then Barnet Council Labour Leader, Alan Williams, at a rally I helped organise in Burnt Oak. It was a lesson Offord would do well to heed.
The Metpro Scandal rumbles on. I have not yet received a response to my FOI requests sent on 9th April, which are now late. They acknowledged it thus on the 11th April. Sadly the council cannot meet its legal obligation to respond in a timely manner. Even more annoying, they misspelt my name, but to be fair Niall Toru did realise and immediately apologised.
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Dear Mr Tichbourne ,
Thank you for your request received by us on 9 April 2011, for the following information:
“details of all external contractors involved in the following activities on behalf of Barnet Council.
1. Filming residents/employees/councillors without their permission
2. Recording residents without their permission
3. performing any other covert survelliance of residents
4. Monitoring personal blogs/twitter/facebook pages on the internet
To minimise cost, please provide details from April 2010.
Please summarise the cost to the taxpayer of Barnet for these services.
Please specify which senior officers and councillors accessed to this information.
Please specify who signed off the contract at Barnet for the provision of these services and when this contract was signed.”
We are processing this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Under the Act we must respond promptly and in any event within 20 working days from the date we received your request.
Please note the Act defines a limited set of exemptions from the right to know. If we decide not to release any information we shall explain why, which exemption we are relying on and how you can appeal.
Yours sincerely,
Niall Toru
Governance Officer
Governance Officer
Corporate Governance Directorate
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7080
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7080
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
Anyway, I wait with baited breath for their response next week. It will be interesting to see what they have to say.
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