If
there is one word that sums up Bexley council, or maybe I should say Bexley’s
Conservative leadership, it is secrecy and lies. OK, that’s two words but
whichever you choose the other flows naturally from it.
Over recent months political parties have been choosing their candidates for
next May’s elections and smaller parties and independents have been considering
where they might stand the best chance of causing an upset. Some have addressed
direct reselection questions to their existing councillors and party associations and the
responses have fallen into three categories. I’m not telling you, the decision
has not yet been taken, and no reply.
It’s all too predictable for a council or local party with much to hide and as
the elections loom, much to fear.
Across the borough borders things are different. Greenwich Tories have begun to put their
candidates names for May 2014 on their website. Going in the other
direction, Dartford Conservatives put the mobile numbers of their councillors on
the party’s website. Contrast that to the secretive liars of Bexley who claim
Section 32 Exemptions to the Localism Act to allow them to remain as close to
anonymous as legally possible.
Here in Bexley, the Conservative party’s websites continue to carry little but
lies and propaganda, either about opposition councillors (Labour claim there is
no railway station in Bexleyheath) or Greenwich council - the latest of which
probably requires a blog of its own.
Despite the secrecy, a very few details of possible councillor moves has drifted in my direction. They are that…
Councillors Sandra Bauer (Labour), Colin Campbell, Ross Downing, Katie Perrior and Mike Slaughter
will not stand for re-election.
Cabinet member John Fuller will slip across to Christchurch ward replacing James Spencer
whose fate is unknown. The very marginal Lesnes Abbey ward is a near
certainty for a Conservative wipe out.
Chris Taylor, personally responsible for so much
misery in the care services, is
said to be replacing Katie Perrior in Blackfen & Lamorbey. Presumably
child
care costs have finally proved too much for this successful business woman.
I must emphasise some of the above is little more than
tittle-tattle from a variety of sources and some one wouldn’t have
predicted. Another message told me that Alan Downing picked up
the £4,260 sinecure
of Cabinet/Scrutiny Liaison Member but I still haven’t found confirmation of
that in publicly available records.
It’s not much to report but Teresa O’Neill runs a very secretive ship, she has a lot to hide.