There was only one reason to forsake the Full Council
meeting webcast last night and that was to get to the Council Chamber early and make a judgment on
whether or not Matthew Chapman
is a Council lackey. Google says he may be a builder from Bexley, an actor, a journalist or a murderer from Chippenham. No,
that can’ְt be him, that one is banged up for 18 years. Would the mysterious
Mr. Chapman be hobnobbing with friendly Councillors before the meeting? I arrived in Bexleyheath before 7 to find out.
My old favourite parking spot was full, so was the second and third. I found a
bay in a cul-de-sac but I could make neither head nor tail of the restriction
sign. Not wanting to start a fight with the parking Gestapo I moved on and went
around the circle again and eventually found a free bay near Townley Road. Not
wide enough for a medium size car (I have an old letter from Bexley Council
threatening to see me in Court if I ever overlapped a white line) but the
restriction period had passed so hurried back to the Council chamber muttering
mild expletives as I went, arriving
three minutes before the meeting start time. A friendly greeting from Councillors
Hall and Slaughter but apart from that nothing except the back of Conservative heads. (†)
To a large degree it was a waste of time and effort. Mr. Chapman failed to show up. The Mayor
said he had given notice of his absence which suggests that he might know his
way around the local Tory party. One of the rules on public questions is No
Show means no question and Mayor Dourmoush followed the rules. When it suited
the Tory agenda, his predecessors would ignore it. The price tag put on
Mr. Shvorob’s head remains a mystery.
I nevertheless sat through the entire meeting and news of it will trickle out
here over coming days. There is a big gap to fill before the next meeting of any consequence; a whole month!
It was a pretty good meeting over all and I said as much to Mayor Dourmoush on the way out. There was no one there to overhear
us so with luck, compliments from me won’t do him any harm. Ahmet is probably
the best Chairman Mayor in my 15 years of watching. None of the constant
arguments and public insults of the Clark and Downing years.
† Cabinet Member Sue Gower acknowledged my presence electronically.
There was only one other member of the public present. He said it was his first
visit. As he left he said it would be his last. Given the parking situation, it
might be mine too. Is it due to the imposition of Car Club only bays, no parking
facilities for East Side Quarter residents (blame Khan) or introducing night time charges in car parks?