Since the electoral defeat of former Assembly Member
and Barnet Cabinet member Brian Coleman in May, Barnet’s Tory council leader
Richard Cornelius and his colleagues have sought to distance themselves from most
of the more controversial policies that Coleman promoted.
Most significant among these is the parking scheme,
which has caused so much anger among the residents and traders of this borough.
At a meeting with Barnet traders at a North Finchley
forum in December last year, Councillor Cornelius was told in no uncertain
terms by the shopkeepers and small business owners of this borough about the
devastating impact of this ridiculous scheme. He replied:
“I’m listening, but I haven’t got any
intention to do anything else other than that ... I’ve heard you and it’s
obviously affected me. I don’t know what I can do. I don’t know if I can do
anything.”
Local
cafe owner Helen Michael said:
“We are wasting our time – you’ve said in no
uncertain terms that you’re not going to do anything. We are begging for our
businesses, for our livelihoods. Please do something.”
Councillor
Cornelius and his fellow Tories sat back and watched as the life of our local
high streets ebbed away, in some cases losing up to 40 percent of their usual
level of trade.
He
refused to do anything for us, so we acted for ourselves.
Bloggers,
traders, residents, community activists and trade unions united and voiced
their opposition to the changes. Prominent among the campaigners was Helen
Michael. As spokeswoman for North Finchley traders she made every effort to
focus attention on the injustice and devastating impact of the policy, and hold
Councillor Coleman to account for the consequences of his scheme. Her efforts
won admiration from London Mayor Boris Johnson – and even Richard Cornelius,
who is reported to have suggested she should think of standing as a
Conservative candidate for the council.
Only
since Brian Coleman lost his seat on the London Assembly, and then his Cabinet
post, and in response to two other electoral defeats, has the Tory group on
Barnet Council admitted that the parking changes were unfair, and sought to retract
them. Councillor Cornelius has now apologised for introducing the policy, and a
review is underway.
How
ironic it is, therefore, that the woman who did what Councillor Cornelius
failed to do, and fought for the best interests of residents and traders, is
now being investigated by the police, after an allegation of wrongdoing in
relation to a poster produced by her in the course of the parking campaign. An
omission on this poster was rectified early on in the campaign, and Helen
Michael was informed by local police that there would be no further action.
Despite
this assurance, Helen Michael is now being investigated by officers from
Scotland Yard, and yesterday spent two hours, under caution, being interviewed
at a local police station about the poster, and her motivation for its
publication.
We
believe that this targeting of a local campaigner is a deliberate and
politically motivated act of intimidation.
To
involve the police in this way is inappropriate, and a serious misuse of their
time and resources.
We
call on Council leader Richard Cornelius to speak out against the victimisation
of a brave, resourceful and admirable woman. We call on the police to desist
from taking any further action in regard to this matter.
Signed:
Derek Dishman
John Dix
Vicki Morris
Theresa Musgrove
Roger Tichborne
