25 November - Nothing to see here
I used to think that
a handful of Bexley Councillors were politicians solely because the position
provided business opportunities and maybe a few backhanders, but those I would
have pointed a finger at have all gone now. Or have they?
I don’t know the Cabinet Member for Growth especially well except that one of
his colleagues told me he was the Leader’s blue eyed boy - which cannot be good
- but on the other hand when he was part of a gaggle of Councillors I bumped
into a few years ago he was the only one with a civil tongue in his head.
I understand he is is a small time landlord and business man which is not yet
illegal but I didn’t know that he was into healthcare too; not until @tonyofsidcup
stuck his nose into what had happened to the derelict public toilets just a
short walk from his home.
I have not been near to the old bogs since I gave up on going to the Sidcup
Place restaurant, I forget why, so I hadn’t even noticed their closure, but
Bexley is not a bladder friendly borough so it is no surprise that Bexley
Council flogged them off to guess who? Cafer Munur the Cabinet Member for
Growth. He bought the adjacent car park too.
So there’s a nice little scandal for you; a Councillor with his nose in the trough. But
hold your horses, it may not be like that.
Bexley Council placed a For Sale advert in the Estates Gazette and Cafer Munur
put in the second highest bid (out of 11) but the highest laid down conditions
relating to guarantees on planning permission. That was deemed unacceptable and
in any case there was only a two and a half grand difference so Cafer won the
bid fair and square.
So we are not back to property developers, estate agents and assorted ne’er do
wells more interested in themselves than electors and any criticism of Cafer
would appear to be misplaced. If you don’t like having business men as
Councillors, don’t vote for them.
Incidentally, despite appearances, @tonyofsidcup takes the same view as I do one
this one. Superficially it may not look good but it doesn’t look nearly
as bad as this one. Bexley Council was down by a million quid on that.
