18 May - They are all in this together
The fact that Teresa O’Neill and Will Tuckley referred me to the police for
the “flaming torches and pitchforks” comment
rather than the original author was reported to the Local Government Ombudsman
as part of my submission that Bexley council has been on a mission to eradicate all sources of
criticism. The LGO is taking the view that a council can report whoever it likes
for whatever it might imagine to the police and it is up to the police whether
they decide to jump to attention or send them away with a flea in their ear. I
have been arguing that a council should have a duty of care to its residents and
mistakes of this magnitude are not acceptable, especially from one of the
highest paid public servants in the country.
To be honest I don’t give much for my chances. It is well known that the LGO is
just another branch of local government stuffed full of people who have had top
jobs in town halls, all Common Purpose trained, and likely to be in each others’
pockets, metaphorically speaking.
The police in Bexley, a year ago if not now, were only too keen to jump at Bexley
council’s command although by the end of his time here I believe C.S. Stringer
was becoming more aware of the criminal propensities of councils and
councillors. If he wasn’t he must be now that he is top dog in Tower Hamlets. At
their council meeting this week one of his men
arrested Labour Councillor Kosru
Uddin for threatening to kill Rania Khan for supporting the borough’s
Independent mayor Lutfur Rahman. The only
death threat we have had here was on Olly Cromwell and no one knows where that came from.