1 November - Ta-Ta To Teflon Tess
October saw the last Public Cabinet chaired by Baroness
O’Neill of Bexley who has been the Leader of Bexley Council since 2009. What can
one say? She took over from a crook and headed a Council largely comprised of
dishonest people, elected and otherwise, who have for the most part, thankfully gone. Bexley Council
continues to be dishonest far too often but probably no more than every other Council in the land.
In those early days it was clear that the Leader knew of the wrong doing by a
few of her colleagues but was, as far as I know, never closely associated with
it. So that has to be a plus point of sorts.
Bexley has been starved of money by Governments both blue and red as a result of
which it has had to put up Council Tax by 66% in 18 years on top of the 40%
imposed by the previous administration in only four. As has been remarked here
before, it is hard to find any aspect of the borough which is obviously better
than it was 20 odd years ago and the financial situation is obviously not. But
bankruptcy has been narrowly avoided.
At the last Cabinet meeting the Conservative whip, a former Labour Leader and the
Chief Executive all paid tribute to her achievements in their various ways. It must be
hoped that by parking her bum more often on the red benches she can play a small role
in slowing the systematic wrecking of this country by the majority party in the Commons.
Conservative Councillor Nick O’Hare.
Labour Councillor Chris Ball.
Chief Executive Paul Thorogood.
Another lasting memory of Baroness O’Neill. (Police document.) She cannot abide criticism.