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