6 March (Part 1) - Council tax freeze approved
What
a difference four (almost) years make. When I first attended council meetings
they were an utter shambles. Conservative councillors would be aiming personal
insults at Labour councillors, Labour councillors scoring political points,
Peter Craske being incredibly rude to members of the public, mayor Val Clark
picking fights with members of the public who did not cheer her every word
and councillor John Davey being John Davey. Rather a lot of councillors
were dressed like tramps too.
Now we have a a mayor who never puts a foot wrong and seems to be a well
adjusted human being and councillors, who judged on last night’s performance
anyway, are all one might wish for in a well run council. Viewed from their
respective political positions, leader Teresa O’Neill put over a good account of
her achievements with deputy Colin Campbell following suit and Labour councillors
made a decent job of picking holes in them. In particular the massive price hikes
coupled with reduced services which the Conservatives are so proud of. The Conservatives,
both councillors of cabinet rank and below, made polite and valid comments, and
John Davey put in a sterling performance as the bumbler-in-chief.
If Bexley Conservatives had not built their council on so many lies I might be tempted to fall
back into my old Conservative ways and overlook Teresa O’Neill’s Gordon Brown style
stealth taxes and her abuse, well
Chris Taylor’s abuse, of low paid workers. Even during her address to the
council yesterday evening she managed to slip in one massive lie. “Bexley is a
low tax authority.” Oh no it isn’t. When next year’s
tax league table is
produced Bexley is unlikely to be any better than in 24th position among the 32
London boroughs. Why that is could be debated at length and councillor Munir
Malik made a pretty good, interesting anyway, stab at it yesterday but that, like
a lot of other things, is going to have to wait for analysis of the recording.
That little box of tricks, not to mention
Nicholas Dowling’s broken dictaphone,
has probably done more to improve Bexley council’s public image than their Standards Board ever
has. Cheryl Bacon has been struck dumb.
The Labour contingent made no attempt to put forward an alternative
budget strategy, how could they realistically, and
voted against freezing the tax. It’s a superficial view of what is happening in
the borough but the Conservatives will be making merry with that on your doorstep
soon. While they are there ask them why they find it impossible to be honest.