Information about my work as a Labour Councillor for East Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet

Wednesday 16 January 2013

One Barnet Forum

At the residents forum tonight, it was announced that the deputy Mayor, Cllr Kate Salinger will hold a One Barnet residents forum. As yet there are no details.

Whilst I welcome the chance for residents to express their views on this ghastly deal, I fear it is too little too late. I appreciate the sentiment from my former primary school teacher, and she is allowed to be a little more political than the mayor, but there should have been a proper consultation last year. It's too late to ask people what they think about one contract that has already been outsourced, and another that is due to be in a matter of weeks.

The Council should have commissioned a proper consultation and really listened to people's views, rather than ram this through without telling anyone.

That we have no times, dates or venues also say this has been done last minute. It should not be up to the Deputy Mayor to conduct a resident's forum on something so important and such a fundamental change to the way the council is run.

I look forward tot he event (and I can probably guess what Cllr Salinger thinks about One Barnet!) but it's too little too late.