After the deputation from Howbury Friends
at Wednesday’s council meeting the mayor allowed questions. As she had rejected every single
one from members of the public lacking political affiliations and those from Conservative party
candidates are designed only to win favour with cabinet members, I do not intend
to give ‘public’ questions further air time. Instead I’ll launch straight into councillors’
questions. The first came from councillor Brenda Langstead (Labour Party) to
cabinet member Linda Bailey (Nasty Party).
“Could
the cabinet member live on the minimum wage?” Biffa replied “I live
within my means” to widespread groans from the public gallery. Councillor
Langstead then asked Biffa if she would care to join her and councillor Chris Ball in
making such an attempt. Four seconds later Brenda got her answer. “No.”
Councillor
Borella asked cabinet member Don Massey how many Slade Green
residents are excited by his preferred Howbury bidder. Donald didn’t know but said
they had “every reason to be excited”. Stefano said that was not the feedback he
was getting and went on to ask how a rejection of a local volunteer group fitted
in with Localism. “It is not decided yet” Massey said; “but the panel felt that
in three out of five sections the Eco Communities bid was superior”.
After councillor Peter Craske provided his leader with an opportunity to taunt
councillor Munir Malik, councillor Melvin Seymour asked for “an update” on the
proposal to relocate local historical services to Bromley. Cabinet member Don
Massey said no decision had been made but it was not a statutorily required
service. He proposed that more of the services be provided on line in future.
Councillor Maggie O’Neill asked if anyone had considering moving Bromley’s
services to Bexley but Massey told her he “does not believe Bromley are into
that. It is not on the table”.
The mayor then announced that the 19 minutes (four stolen from the public
questions session) she had allowed for councillors’ questions had elapsed, so
the remaining 25 went unheard. It would have been interesting to know how paying
three years’ worth of senior staff pension contributions up front (Munir Malik’s
question) at a time when the council has a £38 million black hole will benefit
residents, but sadly we will probably never know.