A Very British Squat: Friern Barnet Library - reoccupied

Dave and Phoenix, the new occupants of Friern Barnet Library

The story of the Barnet Spring has taken many interesting twists and turns, but none perhaps have proved to be quite as unpredictable as the development which is unfolding over in Friern Barnet, in the empty property that was, until very recently, the much loved local library.

This beautiful building had served the local community for eighty or so years, since the branch was opened with the assistance of funding from the Carnegie Trust, and its closure by the local authority was fought with determination by local residents: on the very day of its closure, indeed, local people occupied the building to mark, with a symbolic act of resistence, that the library was part of their community, and it was not for the disaffected elected members of that community to act on their behalf and close it down, with no consideration for their wishes.

The reason given for the closure was budgetary: in these times of austerity, support for this branch was deemed a luxury. The bid by some residents to run a community, voluntary library was ignored, yet a similar bid by the highly influential, vociferous residents association in the hugely wealthy Tory ward of Hampstead Garden Suburb was welcomed, indulged and happily subsidised by our Conservative councillors. As this tiny branch is a leased property, there was never a council asset to sell, of course, but the authority is still providing a substantial amount of money in support of the enterprise.

The reason now given for the closure of Friern Barnet is that the council needs the capital from the sale of the building, yet at the same time it is pretending to support a scheme promoted by a local resident to use the site as a community hub, funded by an improbable development proposal. A community hub would be an asset to the area, of course, but not, in Mrs Angry's view, at the cost of a properly run library, and with an inappropriate development on part of the site - and the majority of local campaigners want only to save their library, and have it retained as part of the council library network.

Since the closure, the Save Friern Barnet Library campaign has refused to accept that the end of the story has been written, and has continued to lobby for its reopening, presenting a petition of thousands of signatures to the councillors, and seeing the issue supposedly referred back to Cabinet. Even before the ink was dry on the minutes of the meeting where this was decided, however, Cllr Robert Rams had emailed all signatories to inform them that the decision which had not been referred yet had already been made: the matter was closed.

And that seemed to be that, until this week.


In the early hours of Wednesday morning, it seems, a group of activists from Camden with previous experience of direct action campaigns entered the library building, via an open window, and has set up in residence, squatting, they say, in order to reopen a library for the local community.

Bizarrely, when the story was reported in the local press, it was revealed that council staff had been ordered to offer an alternative location to the squatters, and even shown them round the premises. Tory leader Richard Cornelius was quoted as offering encouragement to such an enterprise, and offering a supply of books.

Yes: you are still in Broken Barnet. Bear with me.

This evening Mrs Angry visited the library. A solitary security guard was keeping a baleful eye on the premises, although later on others joined him. He confirmed that the squatters were in occupation. Did I want to speak to them? Just knock on the back fence. Oh. Mrs Angry did just that. A head peeped over the top. We introduced ourselves to each other: his name was 'Phoenix', and he said he was pretty experienced in this sort of thing, and certainly seemed very much at home ... he opened the locked gate: did I want to come in: have a cup of tea?

Mrs Angry declined but took some photos, and we had a very genial and interesting conversation. He was occupying the library, he said, because he wanted it to be returned to the community for their use. He was hoping to organise, with residents, a rota system to operate a library for local people.

Did they have water, electricity, a loo? Yes. In fact, when they arrived, they were rather surprised to find the heating was on. Bit wasteful, we agreed. I told him that he was lucky, when residents had occupied the building, the council had forced them to piss in a wastepaper bin. He looked suitably shocked, clearly used to a better standard of squat. He said he was coming across to the nearby British Legion to attend tonight's library campaign committee meeting. It was ok, he could let himself out: he had the keys to the building, which they had found on a desk when they arrived.

Two of the other squatters came to speak to us: by now a couple of Labour councillors and blogger Barnet Bugle had turned up, and we all chatted affably at the door. One of the squatters was a boy about Mrs Angry's son's age, with an open, innocent, pre-raphaelite face, and a steady, blue eyed gaze. I think perhaps it was his first time involved in such activity. A handful of security guards watched us, quietly, from a distance.


Labour councillors Pauline Coakley Webb and Barry Rawlings look on

Downstairs in the British Legion, behind the door covered in a giant union jack, bingo night was in full swing. Upstairs, in a small room, the library campaign committee was in session. Around the walls were two portaits of the Queen, a couple of plaques referring to the Royal Antedeluvian Order of Buffaloes, and what looked like a yellowing, faded picture of Cecil Rhodes. On one of the tables was a wooden sign declaring that this was 'Liberty Hall'.

Phoenix was addressing the committee members, who sat lined around the edges of the room, listening politely, in their ineffably British way, bemused by the sudden hijacking of their campaign by this articulate, perfectly reasonable dreadlocked activist who had arrived out of the blue and was offering to reopen their library for them.

The Chair was trying to tread a difficult path between not being seen to endorse a potentially illegal action, and being open to the suggestions that the squatters had to make. Others present wanted to be more radical in their approach, keen to embrace the new opportunity. There was some discussion about the right solution: a community library, a voluntary library or a full return to council control. All were agreed on one thing: Friern Barnet library is their library, and they refuse to contemplate it being sold for development.

That is the one thing, of course, that we can be sure our Tory councillors want above all else. They are wary of the consequences, and keen to try to avoid the negative impact on their own electoral ambitions, but if they can get away with it, selling the building is what they will try to do. Selling the site, that is: with or without the library on it.

You might ask yourself why it was so easy for the squatters to enter Friern Barnet Library.

You might ask yourself why the listed Church Farmhouse Museum is so poorly secured.

You could also ask, as Mrs Angry did why buildings like the Edwardian lodge in Victoria Park are being emptied of tenants, then left empty and open to vandalism or worse, for years on end.

What do you suppose the answer might be?

By a most amusing coincidence, this week's Ham & High carries a particularly charmless photo of local Finchley MP Mike Freer, looking awfully pleased with himself after creating new laws that deal with the offence of erm ... squatting.

pic Ham & High

Mike has been relentlessly pursuing the adoption of new measures to fight what he sees as an issue of huge significance: one or two people who have dared to squat in a couple of vacant luxury mansions in hello, Hampstead Garden Suburb. Have a look at this story, which will touch you, with the concern shown for the Gaddafi family whose house was occupied- actually as an act of political protest - last year.

http://www.times-series.co.uk/news/topstories/8913093.MP_calls_for_squatters_to_leave_Gaddafi_house/

In Broken Barnet, of course, a house is not a home, it is an asset, which must be protected, even when it is empty, and there are people with no homes to live in. A museum or a library is not a community resource, or part of our heritage, it is a potential development, and where you or I might see a vacant property, and a family without a home, or a child without a local library, or a collection of local historical items without somewhere to be displayed, our Tory politicians see merely another business opportunity.

Squatting might, in some circumstances, be illegal. It might be unfair, and an act of theft, taking someone else's home. In the case of Friern Barnet library, I would say, it is a statement which should be made: a moral duty, taking back possession of something which has been stolen from the people it was intended for: for their education, their pleasure, their benefit.

The story of Friern Barnet Library, the library that wouldn't die, is now much more important than anyone could have imagined it would be: it is the story we've seen so often in our history, a small community standing up for itself, and not taking it anymore: a uniquely obstinate, British characteristic: it might not look like it, but essentially it's like the plot of an Ealing studios film from the 1950s, an act of courage and defiance: the triumph of good people over bad.

This is Broken Barnet: who knows what will happen next?

Updated Friday:

Mrs Angry understands that this morning a representative of the Save Friern Barnet Library campaign spoke to Richard Cornelius’ Secretary to request a meeting with him next week, in order to 'negotiate the re-opening of FBL'. He is due to respond to this request this afternoon.

And according to the group's Chair:

"We will be holding a Pop Up Library tomorrow, Saturday, from 11-1pm on the green next to the library and feel that the squatters are highlighting, by their action, the absurdity of our library lying empty. Greenacre Writers are holding a free creative writing workshop in the library at 1pm and Dr Ollie Natelson is offering free chemistry GCSE and A-level tuition from 11-1pm."

The story continues ...

Off payroll consultant officers: a statement by the Barnet bloggers

Off- payroll public sector pay arrangements.

The subject of 'Town Hall Tax Dodging', (a phrase coined by the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government), is one of enormous interest to the Barnet bloggers, and we applaud the attention paid to this issue by the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (chaired by the Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP) which took place on Monday 16 July 2012.

This investigation of the issue of tax avoidance by individuals in publicly funded posts came about following the disclosure by Westminster journalist David Hencke, that Ed Lester, the head of the Student Loan Company, was being paid through a service company, and that there are similar arrangements on a very significant scale throughout the civil service and the wider public sector.

One witness before the committee was Carolyn Downs, the Chief Executive of the Local Government Association (LGA). She stated that the LGA had found only 13 examples of off -payroll public sector pay.

We know that this national figure of 13 is an understatement since the draft (i.e. unaudited) Annual Accounts of Barnet Council for the year ending March 2012 show that there are 14 such arrangements recorded as having been in place during the year for senior officers.

Far from being a practice that is diminishing it is noted that in the previous year's accounts there were only 8 such arrangements.

The evidence to the committee was that these arrangements were used in the short-term. We can show that this is not true and that, on the contrary, these arrangements are used routinely for long term appointments.

In Barnet, one ‘interim’ post paid through a private company has lasted for more than three years. An appointment lasting over 3 years cannot be described as short-term. In addition, a Freedom of Information request has revealed that there have been no efforts to replace this individual with a permanent staff member.

Evidence to the committee also suggested that, there was virtually no difference between the tax paid under PAYE or via a service company. That is to ignore two factors. If a service company is used certain expenses, such as travelling, can be reclaimed whereas an employee does not get tax relief for home to work travel costs. In addition, service companies are able to pay out their profits as dividends and National Insurance Contributions are not paid on those. The overall contribution to the Exchequer will be less if a service company is employed.

We look forward to the day when Barnet Council ensures that all its officers (employees) are treated equally and that all those people who receive their pay from the public purse recognise what Mrs Hodge referred to as a ‘moral duty’ to make their fair contribution to the taxes which contribute to the good of society.

We call on Nick Walkley, the Chief Executive of Barnet Council, to negotiate the return to the payroll of the officers concerned as this will reduce the penalties that will have to be paid as a consequence of the inevitable HM Revenue & Customs PAYE compliance visit.

We also look forward to following the evolution of this story in front of the Public Accounts Committee once the summer recess is over.

Derek Dishman
John Dix
Vicki Morris
Theresa Musgrove
Roger Tichborne

Broken Barnet: where all senior officers are equal, but some are more equal than others

Margaret Hodge

Yes. An interesting week in Broken Barnet.

Tomorrow is the day when the District Auditor comes to town.

Mrs Angry, Mr Reasonable and Mr Mustard will meet Mr Paul Hughes, from Grant Thornton, and he will listen politely to our list of queries in regard to the accounts of the London Borough of Broken Barnet, and look slightly uncomfortable, and then he will promise to give the matters his due consideration, and then we will go away, and he will ride off into the sunset, and that will be that.

Or so you might expect. That's what happened last year.

But that's when Mrs Angry was still an apprentice armchair auditor, and still innocent. Not anymore.

The point of this chance to speak to the auditor is, as you may recall, meant to offer the opportunity for residents to raise with him any concerns they may have after inspecting the accounts of the authority, as is our right under the terms of the Audit act of 1998. Unfortunately, as we reported, Barnet chose to obstruct this right of inspection, in breach of the law, and will now have to face the consequences.

So, an interesting week ahead, and hello: one which began very promisingly this afternoon, with another spectacular humiliation and exposure for our very own council in, of all places, the House of Commons.

The House's Public Accounts Committee, was today discussing the interesting subject of interim consultants, paid into private companies, and their erm, no not evasion, their avoidance of PAYE and National Insurance, and all that boring stuff the rest of us have to contribute to, in order to pay for government spending on you know, trivial matters like healthcare, education, welfare support.

This useful sidestepping approach to the attentions of HMRC was first revealed by Barnet's own interim consultant blogger, Mr David Hencke, not so long ago, with the story of the interesting tax arrangements of Ed Lester, head of the Student Loans Company, and the consequent revelations of a widespread practice of similarly favourable deals throughout Whitehall and the public sector, a conveniently overlooked loophole which has deprived the country of untold millions of pounds in tax revenue.

Barnet Council's senior management team, of course, is stuffed full of interim consultants. Look what happened when questions were asked about our beloved borough, and the precise number of posts which are filled in this way: you can watch the recording of this here,

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=11254&wfs=true

if you would like to revel in the moment - starts at about 15.20.

Chair Margaret Hodge stands for no nonsense and has a keen instinct for no, not truth evasion, truth avoidance, by any speaker.

Ms Carolyn Downs, from the Local Government Association, is sitting before the committee ready to assure them about the insignificant number of posts reported by seven of the nine regional employers asked for details of interims receiving salaries above £50,000.

Rather astonishingly, Ms Downs told the committee she had identified only 13 posts in total. In the country. Yes: only 13.

Margaret Hodge asked her about - oh ... Barnet Council, where there are said to be perhaps seven posts - ( in fact, we think there are around double that, Margaret) - Oh dear, no, Ms Downs could not possibly comment.

Why not?

Because although she had asked Barnet Council last week erm ... they had not replied.

Perhaps no one was in at the time. Or they were hiding under a table in the Comms team room.

Naughty, naughty, London Borough of Broken Barnet, not answering a question for the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee.

Anyone would think you had something to hide.

As there are, apparently, only 13 such posts in the whole country, but an undiscovered nest of the little critters, equal to that sum, thriving here in our borough, what does that tell you, empty headed Tory councillors of Broken Barnet?

Answer: it tells you that, as we keep saying, the senior management team, the over paid officers who are pushing you to believe in the necessity of the One Barnet outsourcing madness, have all the control over this authority, and are doing very nicely out of us, while you sit back & let them get on with it, and lecture the rest of us on the need to make savings, and abide by a diet of austerity measures.

The Chair of the Public Accounts committee was of the opinion that interim, in this context, should only mean in a post by necessity of circumstances, for no more than, ha - six months. The woman from the LGA agreed - and with a straight face - and told the committee that not one of the 13 people she had identified had been in post longer than a year.

In Barnet, some of our 'interim' post holders have been in place since 2009.

Our Section 151 officer, Mr Andrew 'Blackhole' Travers, the deputy Chief Executive, and Chief Finance Officer, is in an interim appointment - since 2010. You might think he is run off his little feet with work here in Barnet, what with all the procurement mess, and the £1 billion outsourcing programme & stuff, but no, he is also now the (interim) Director of Corporate Resources for East Sussex Council. Clearly, he is so good at being an (interim) he can do it in two places at the same time - like a man with two mistresses, you might say ... While he is present in Broken Barnet, his contract (yes, he does have one, a rare thing here) stipulates that we must pay him £1,000 a day for his troubles. But, as we have often observed, Andrew clearly is worth every fucking penny, isn't he?

I'm sorry, Lord Palmer, did you say something?

Ms Jacquie McGeachie, the 'interim' Assistant Director for Human Resources, has been with us since January 2009.

Just a couple of examples. Plenty more where that came from.

The woman from the LGA told the committee that interim posts were only allocated when there was a problem with recruitment, (in Barnet the problem usually is that they can't be bothered to try very hard) for a short period, less than six months, or in exceptional circumstances, for instance, and this does happen, she assured us, as if it were the most terrible event that could occur, if an authority lost a Chief Executive OVERNIGHT. Just imagine, if you will, waking up tomorrow and finding that Mr Nick Walkley had disappeared without a trace. OVERNIGHT. Sad loss, but we would be about £200K better off, if they didn't fill the post. With an interim. For the next four years.

Ms Downs stated in her offering to the committee that there was not really much to worry about in terms of keeping a tighter grip on the issue of too many interim consultants in local government because - ha ha, you'll like this - because 'there is now so much accountability and transparency about everything we do'!

Oh dear me, how Mrs Angry laughed. Are you laughing, Mr Reasonable, and Mr Mustard, Barnet Eye, and Citizen Barnet?

Margaret Hodge and the committee were not awfully impressed by Ms Downs' failure to extract from Barnet the question about the number of interim posts here. She has ordered our council to provide the relevant information to her. We all look forward to that.

And why is this all so important? Because as she said at the start of the meeting:

'if you are in a job that is funded by the taxpayer, you have a moral duty ... to contribute through PAYE and National Insurance contributions back to the public purse ...'

A moral duty. In Broken Barnet?

Eric Pickles must be sitting in his office, banging his head on the desk and weeping tears of frustration. What to do with this troublesome council?

If Barnet Council was a school, Michael Gove would be sticking it in 'special measures', and sending in an emergency task force to sack the management, sack the governors, and put an end to the catalogue of disasters that unfolds, week by week, in this borough's administration.

Your armchair auditors do their best, but really, why should we have to? Pull your f*cking finger out, Eric, and do something. Please.

And in the meanwhile: Mrs Angry must do her homework for tomorrow's meeting.

More tomorrow.