18 January (Part 2) - The ‘L’ word makes another appearance
I’ve got close this month to not directing the ‘L’ word at any Bexley councillor but
reporting the response to one of Mick Barnbrook’s Freedom of Information
requests is going to bring that record crashing down.
After councillor Cheryl Bacon claimed I had run amok at a council meeting and
went on to distribute her views to all and sundry I complained to the council about her
lies. My complaint was rejected by Lynn Tyler on the grounds that Madam Bacon had made a
statement, therefore it was fact. I appealed that decision and was
answered by Human Resources supremo, Nick Hollier. He said I was being hostile, abusive
and unreasonable by complaining about council liars but made no obvious attempt
to answer or investigate my complaint to get at the truth.
I had asked
for Cheryl Bacon’s story to be checked out with what other councillors said. The nearest one, sitting very close to me on
the evening in question, was June Slaughter
and she frequently looked in my direction. Afterwards I had
misgivings about singling her out in case it caused her a problem and she is not
the sort of councillor who I would want to put on the spot. From what I have
seen she is not part of the Bexley Mafia. But the deed was done and I couldn’t put the clock back.
As far as I could tell from Hollier’s useless response, he too was just parroting the
liar Bacon and made no attempt to interview councillor June Slaughter or anyone else.
Mick Barnbrook thought he should make absolutely sure that Hollier had failed to
do anything when reviewing my complaint. Hence the FOI request - and so it proves to be.
I’m not sure whether I am pleased or not by that. While it is always good to be
able to label one of Bexley’s top dogs useless, dishonest or corrupt, it means I
now have to write an extra letter to the Local Government Ombudsman about
Hollier’s presumably deliberate attempt to protect the lying Cheryl Bacon.
I wonder what June Slaughter would have said? She looks like a decent sort to me
and presumably that is exactly what Hollier was scared of. Much safer not to talk to her.