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News and Comment April 2024

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25 April - No show

There was only one reason to forsake the Full Council meeting webcast last night and that was to get to the Council Chamber early and make a judgment on whether or not Matthew Chapman is a Council lackey. Google says he may be a builder from Bexley, an actor, a journalist or a murderer from Chippenham. No, that can’ְt be him, that one is banged up for 18 years. Would the mysterious Mr. Chapman be hobnobbing with friendly Councillors before the meeting? I arrived in Bexleyheath before 7 to find out.

My old favourite parking spot was full, so was the second and third. I found a bay in a cul-de-sac but I could make neither head nor tail of the restriction sign. Not wanting to start a fight with the parking Gestapo I moved on and went around the circle again and eventually found a free bay near Townley Road. Not wide enough for a medium size car (I have an old letter from Bexley Council threatening to see me in Court if I ever overlapped a white line) but the restriction period had passed so hurried back to the Council chamber muttering mild expletives as I went, arriving three minutes before the meeting start time. A friendly greeting from Councillors Hall and Slaughter but apart from that nothing except the back of Conservative heads. (†)
Parking bay

To a large degree it was a waste of time and effort. Mr. Chapman failed to show up. The Mayor said he had given notice of his absence which suggests that he might know his way around the local Tory party. One of the rules on public questions is No Show means no question and Mayor Dourmoush followed the rules. When it suited the Tory agenda, his predecessors would ignore it. The price tag put on Mr. Shvorob’s head remains a mystery.

I nevertheless sat through the entire meeting and news of it will trickle out here over coming days. There is a big gap to fill before the next meeting of any consequence; a whole month!

It was a pretty good meeting over all and I said as much to Mayor Dourmoush on the way out. There was no one there to overhear us so with luck, compliments from me won’t do him any harm. Ahmet is probably the best Chairman Mayor in my 15 years of watching. None of the constant arguments and public insults of the Clark and Downing years.


† Cabinet Member Sue Gower acknowledged my presence electronically.
There was only one other member of the public present. He said it was his first visit. As he left he said it would be his last. Given the parking situation, it might be mine too. Is it due to the imposition of Car Club only bays, no parking facilities for East Side Quarter residents (blame Khan) or introducing night time charges in car parks?

 

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