6 October - The lull before the meetings storm
“Why so quiet when there is so much to report?” was the
gist of a recent message and I was unsure whether the writer was being sarcastic
or not. Is there something important going on locally that has escaped notice? Nationally there is a lot that could be said but anyone who wants to
read about UK politics can choose from a plethora of websites and YouTube videos which
expertly condemn the Starmer regime almost hourly.
Everything from serious analysis of the disaster that threatens to overwhelm the
UK to Spitting Image type mockery. BiB’s
feeble effort may be read here.
Fortunately there are some Council meetings imminent and with the local Press
having largely given up on politics BiB should probably
continue to keep an eye on what Councillors are up to. After sitting on their hands for two months there are
suddenly four Scrutiny meetings in the space of two weeks and a Public Cabinet meeting the week afterwards.
Belvedere by-election
Despite having a handful of contacts looking out for election leaflets I still only have
the Conservative
and Liberal Democrat’s to add to
the Archive. Who would be a
Labour candidate right now when the Party is losing seats across the country to Conservatives,
Reform and even the SNP? There is no way I will vote for a Party that is happy
to field an extortionist as a candidate and who in their right mind still backs a Party that
pays to give away sovereign territory and votes in favour of killing Grannies as both my
Councillor and my MP have done? I stop short of saying they are personally in
favour of killing the elderly but spinelessness is not an attractive quality either.
I will vote Conservative but only because experience suggests that it is
the
only way to give Belvedere a voice in Council. Not that 2010-2014
inspires a great deal of confidence.
Poor management again?
I can’t remember where I first saw it, probably the Telegraph or Mail on-line
although it may have been Twitter, but I read about a Child Psychologist who was
going on strike in support of Local Authority Children’s Services which she sees as
inadequate. Everyone who follows such things, either here or elsewhere, will
know that Children’s Services soak up a ridiculous amount of money with figures
like £16,000 a week per child being bandied around.
The LA (Local Authority) reference could well be to Bexley.
For some reason the Psychologist’s name rang a bell and eventually I tracked
down why. When the SEND parents were with the help of the Local Government Ombudsman being
compensated
by Bexley Council’s Children’s Services one of my correspondents complained that the striking Psychologist assessed the children
and reported them “in a vague manner which was completely useless driving me
into the hands of private practitioners” which is exactly what
the striker is now complaining about and what Bexley SEND parents had to do.
Click image to read the Psychologist’s complaint against Local Authorities.
The Psychologist complains that Councils’ lack of resources forces them out
of the profession while parents complain that the Psychologists are “useless”.
One might have hoped that conscientious professionals would try to improve
things from the inside rather than seeking riches in private practice.
Right Royal rip off
I paid my £1·50 fine to Royal Mail on 28th September but if I had not been able
to do so on-line they would have demanded I paid for a stamp to return the card
to Dartford thereby doubling the size of the fine. The useless bunch said they could
not deliver the missing package until Tuesday 1st October. They failed to do so
and on Wednesday the postman walked straight by my house.
I took a walk to where he had parked his van and waited for his return. When I
explained the situation he was very sympathetic and rummaged among the loose
stuff lying on the van floor. He found my insufficiently stamped letter and five
more items - one of which was not junk mail. None of it would have been
delivered if I had not chased after him.
Royal Mail has become an absolute disgrace.
Note: It was not my regular postman who is on leave.
Hammergate
It’s not over yet but it is probably unwise to go into any detail at present.