26 May (Part 2) - Council News as it happens
The first live Full Council Meeting in more than a year is underway in Bexley.
• Labour nominate Councillor Esther Amaning for Mayor. Proposed and seconded by Councillors Nicola Taylor and Mabel Ogundayo.
• Conservative Cafer Munur nominates James Hunt
exactly as predicted. Seconded by Councillor Peter Craske.
• Inevitable vote in favour of Mayor James Hunt. Bexley Conservatives are not very keen on sharing.
There has not been a follow on Mayor since 1950-1952.
• Mrs. Hunt Mayoress. Councillor Alan Downing Deputy Mayor with his wife Ros as
Deputy Mayoress. I do like how Bexley Council refuses to adopt the language of woke.
• The Mayor announces that the Councillor Allowance increase that they volunteered
not to accept this year will be spent on a thank you event for Covid volunteers thereby adopting
the
Hackett Amendment that the Conservatives threw out at the last meeting.
• Previous Deputy Mayor Sue Gower is,
if I heard correctly while popping over to the fridge, (†) promoted to Cabinet status so presumably Alex
Sawyer has been thrown out for sometimes being too honest for his own good.
• David Leaf is the new Deputy Leader as yet another honest Councillor decides it is not
the job for him. Cafer Munir is rewarded with a Cabinet job too.
• The Council Leader who appears to be firmly in position as always introduced a
new F word into her vocabulary. Fabulous has been added to fantastic.
• Councillor Stefano Borella the new Labour Leader congratulated the new old Mayor.
• Councillor Dave Putson (Labour, Belvedere) was invited to speak but was completely inaudible as he
is not sufficiently senior to merit a microphone.
• The Council formally adopted the Hackett Amendment on Allowances because good
things must be laid at the Conservatives door and no credit given to anyone else.
• The meeting closed at 20:08.
† Confirmed. The Mayor only made two jokes about his girth. Must do better!