I will leave the details of the council meeting to those more competent at reporting. I will however share my experience of the evening. Turning up at the Town Hall at 6.30 I joined a queue of people hoping to get into the public gallery. After 20 minutes in the freezing cold I eventually got to the front of the queue. Ten people at a time let in. As I walked through the front door I was greeted by lines on police on either side. Up the stairs and into the chamber - ah no sorry its full, go to the room down the corridor. There was where I met some of the Private Army, security guards from a company called Met Pro Rapid Response in black army style fatigues and padded jackets. I found their presence most intimidating. Anyway the meeting kicks off and we find that we are staring at a blank screen, it is an audio link only. What a complete waste of time. Disconnected voices issue from the loudspeakers no announcement of who they are. The meeting proceeds but a number of people in our ante room simply give up and leave. Bully boys ask where are you going - you even need permission to go to the toilet! Eventually it become clear that there are 17 seats available in the public gallery. One of the Labour councillors asks the Mayor if we can be some of us in the ante room can be allowed into the public gallery. Oh no says the Mayor, the Police have advised against it. So someone came and asked the Inspector, who I have to say seemed an eminently polite and reasonable chap. Yes, 17 people can go in but ideally they should be Barnet residents. We are summoned up from the ante room and are about to be shown into the public gallery by the police when up sweeps an anxious looking Nick Walkley. No you can't go in putting his arm up and stopping me from entering. Hang on a minute the Police have just told us we can - make your mind up. Next up comes a breathless Craig Cooper - no the Mayor has said you can't come in even though we are all respectable residents and we have been advised to do so by the police. What a total and utter mess and a clear sign that democracy is not working in Barnet even though the Mayor insists it is.
Overall tonight was an abject example of a tin pot regime completely and utterly out of touch with the people they are there to represent.
Mrs Angry, you are right Barnet is broken and it is a damn shame!
Well, anyway, well done, Mr R for the first (partial) write-up.
ReplyDeleteSo your special pass didn't do the business, then?
You should have had one of those things that Doctor Who has - physic paper - which looks like anything. "Let me through, I'm David Cameron's Special Envoy," you could have said, "And I'm here to take charge!"
Are those pictures for real?! Anyway, there were a lot of security there, police and other. I'm sorry you had a rough ride, Mr R. We needed reinforcements in the gallery, it was a bit thin by the end.
ReplyDeleteMr R, I would love to see your pass. Can you photograph it and post it?
Sorry, I see you have. It's been a long couple of days!
ReplyDeleteYes the photogrpahs of the security staff are taken from their website and I think I recognise one of the guys who was there this evening.
ReplyDeleteFor less than the amount of money the council spent on security guards, they could have set up a streaming web link of the meeting.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this disgusting company is getting some negative exposure. I first saw them stopping off at a pub in their stomping ground (Totteridge) and was shocked at the fake police get up they parade around in. I'm convinced they act beyond their powers (which are no different from any citizen in the land) and don't understand why they want to so closely imitate the police that it takes a trained eye to spot the difference at a distance. They have evo cars which are really fast, but they have absolutely no authority to drive above the 30 speed limit. Either that's an expensive flexing of their muscle or, more realistically, a statement of intent that they plan to take the law into their own hands when required to by the rich homeowners they service. They look like idiots and should be banned....leave the policing to the police and save the dressing up for fancy dress parties.
ReplyDeleteI have submitted an FOI request to understand why they felt it necessary to have this private army, how many there were and how much they cost. I will post the response if and when I receive it.
ReplyDeletesorry: stuck this on the wrong post last night, was so tired!
ReplyDeleteThe badge - I want one! I'm sorry I didn't manage to get you into the chamber of horrors, Mr R: did my best, but I should have realised that in the Town Hall the power of the Metropolitan Police takes second place to the blackshirts who are paid by the council to keep residents out of public meetings. Truly appalling.
We must press for a full enquiry into the use of these bouncers, the cost, the apparent failure to over rule the decisions of the police officer in charge, and the attitude of the staff to ordinary residents simply trying to exercise their right to attend a council meeting.
One of these vigilante firms has cars with huge signs saying "POLICE". Only when you get up close do you see, in much smaller lettering, "In cooperation with the..."!!!!
ReplyDeleteHilarious if it wasn't so tragic; thuggery if it was in Tripoli.
Of course thuggery in Hendon also!
ReplyDelete