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News and Comment May 2011

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30 May (Part 2) - Greenwich democracy reformed. Bexley democracy deformed

No openness in BexleyI remember the 1970s and early 80s when Greenwich was run by the Looniest of Left-wing councils; when alternate lamp posts proclaimed “Greenwich, a nuclear free zone” and councillor John Austin had helped jack up their rates to nearly the highest in London. Mr. Austin went on to be the MP for Erith & Thamesmead and serial house flipper brought to prominence in the Daily Telegraph’s Expenses Files. I escaped to Bexley where rates were nearly lowest in London to get away from him; bad move, now the roles are reversed and it is Bexley that is off its head and Greenwich the enlightened one.

When a Greenwich blogger recorded a council meeting and put the audio on line a Greenwich councillor reacted not by calling in the police as Bexley did when their meeting was recorded, but by saying “It’s important we keep up with modern day communication strategies so I have no hang ups about it. Council meetings are a public venue where people come along, quite rightly, and represent their interests and the interests of their community. We have the press there who can take notes, so what’s the difference, really?”

Here in Bonkers Bexley we not only have the police called in but the Constitution is changed to make secrecy official. Bexley council; always on the wrong side of democracy.

 

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