9 April (Part 2) - Phantom questions
There will be an unprecedented event at next week’s Full Council meeting in
Bexley. Seven members of the public are down to ask a total of nine questions.
But all is not quite what you are meant to think.
Messrs. Brooks, Curtois, and di Netimah are wannabe Tory Councillors
masquerading as members of the public and Mr. Shvorob is an undisguised member of the public
hoping to be elected to Council as a member of the public representing Sidcup ward.
As one might expect of the Tories their questions are designed to allow an
element of grandstanding by the Leader and her Cabinet. Please brag about
investments in services. Please bullshit about the number of trees planted. (If
I was a Falconwood voter Frazer Brooks could kiss goodbye to my vote if I thought he had chosen that question, but probably he
had it foisted upon him.)
Felix di Netimah asks something which may provoke an interesting answer. What
has the Council achieved over the past four years? I have often wondered.
Dimitri Shvorob as a real member of the public asks questions which the
average resident may find more interesting. What was the financial impact of the
bin strike? And more provocatively, please explain the apparent panic (and
possible skullduggery?) surrounding
the £40,000 party in the park?
Paul McQuillen’s question is puzzling, referring as it does to aircraft noise in
the South of the borough caused by London City Airport. I thought that was a
Northern problem. He follows up with wanting us to walk and cycle everywhere.
With any luck he will be
filibustered out of contention.
The record is a full 30 minutes by the Leader ten years ago.