I have just returned from my local polling station which seemed rather like the Marie Celeste. No one else was there and apparently voting has been very slow.
One thing that makes me really cross is people who moan about politicians but then don’t vote. Sadly I suspect that the apathy engendered by the GLA and mayoral elections has switched off many potential voters some of whom no longer see any point in voting. As DCMD put it in a comment on this blog yesterday "same meat different gravy".
The Machiavellian in me suspects that actually the big parties really don’t mind when people become apathetic because they can do what they want with little or no opposition. This will reduce the health of our democracy to a point where we simply become passive consumers of a totalitarian state. It sounds a bit melodramatic but it is happening all around us.
If people want to retain some control over how their lives are managed by the state then for goodness get out and exercise your democratic right – PLEASE VOTE!
Standing up for common sense in New Barnet
Showing posts with label GLA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GLA. Show all posts
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Boris and his trips to Barnet
Having a look on Conservative Home website I came across a list of how often Mayor Boris Johnson has visited the London Boroughs during the last four years. The article was trying to show how Boris has made loads more visits than when Ken was Mayor. What I found mildly irritating was how few time Boris visited Barnet, the largest London borough, compared to some of the inner London Boroughs.
In the last 4 years Mr Johnson has visited Barnet 10 times. During the same period he visited:
Hammersmith & Fulham 17 times
Wandsworth 21 times
Camden 23 times
Kensington & Chelsea 24 times
Lambeth 28 times
Tower Hamlets 29 times
Southwark 40 times
Newham 42 times (possibly due to the Olympics)
Westminster 149 times
My view is that in Barnet we should see the Mayor a just as much as the inner London boroughs. Instead we get sent the bill and largely ignored. The cycle hire scheme doesn't really cut it in Barnet when you can't get a direct bus from Barnet General Hospital to either Chase Farm hospital or to the Royal Free.
Who ever is mayor after the election, they need to start taking Barnet a bit more seriously. 350,000 people don't like being ignored.
For the record Mr Reasonable supports none of the candidates and would prefer to see the entire GLA and mayoral role abolished along with the expensive representatives and advisors. Each borough could send along one of their representative (with no extra allowance) when London wide decisions need to be made.
In the last 4 years Mr Johnson has visited Barnet 10 times. During the same period he visited:
Hammersmith & Fulham 17 times
Wandsworth 21 times
Camden 23 times
Kensington & Chelsea 24 times
Lambeth 28 times
Tower Hamlets 29 times
Southwark 40 times
Newham 42 times (possibly due to the Olympics)
Westminster 149 times
My view is that in Barnet we should see the Mayor a just as much as the inner London boroughs. Instead we get sent the bill and largely ignored. The cycle hire scheme doesn't really cut it in Barnet when you can't get a direct bus from Barnet General Hospital to either Chase Farm hospital or to the Royal Free.
Who ever is mayor after the election, they need to start taking Barnet a bit more seriously. 350,000 people don't like being ignored.
For the record Mr Reasonable supports none of the candidates and would prefer to see the entire GLA and mayoral role abolished along with the expensive representatives and advisors. Each borough could send along one of their representative (with no extra allowance) when London wide decisions need to be made.
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