When you have hope: the Barnet film premiere

There was a problem with the Northern Line on Monday night, and as a consequence quite a few people due to arrive at the Phoenix cinema in East Finchley were delayed, so the screening of the new Barnet film, 'Barnet - the £1 billion gamble' was held back until they arrived. 

The difficulty was caused, unfortunately, by the all too familiar 'person on the track' incident, a circumstance, most probably, of personal tragedy to someone, but one which provoked the following reaction on twitter from Barnet Tory cabinet member Councillor Robert Rams:

"Stuck underground on a tube as there r people on the track at East Fin ... Have the socialists going to the Phoenix got a bit over excited?!"

Our Tory councillors need not have worried about the number of socialists at the viewing last night, as it happens: it is the number of completely non political residents, and the disaffected Tory voters who were sitting in the audience, which ought to serve as a warning to the council of the strength of feeling, and the strength of resistence, to their hapless, bullying administration. 

These people are not natural protestors, they have been stung into action by their sense of fury and their deep concerns over the damage being wrought on their community by Rams and Cornelius and Coleman and all the rest of our shabby Tory councillors. 

Before the film began, Roger Tichborne, who has produced the film, addressed the audience. His announcement that Councillor Brian Coleman had been charged with two alleged offences was met by what you might describe as - well: a thunderous reception. 

The film began with uncomfortable testimony from some residents of the borough who have disabilities and needs that make them dependent on support from the local authority, and from their carers: Susan, and John, Linda, Philip, and Janet. Janet, an elderly resident whose husband's care has been severely affected said " ... senior officers and councillors would rather we didn't live here ...' which is, as she commented wrily, 'not a nice feeling' ...

Cut to a council meeting where the deeply insensitive young Tory councillor Tom Davey is caught spitting out a contemptible observation: 'You can't help those who won't help themselves ...'

Young Councillor Davey is the Barnet cabinet member for housing, and has hardline views on social housing, wanting to encourage 'aspiration' amongst the feckless, undeserving poor who might require assistance from the local authority. He has introduced limited tenancies for tenants, and a requirement to show 'a positive contribution to the community' before being fast tracked for council accommodation. 

The new film features one family living in clearly unsuitable accommodation despite the special needs of one of the young daughters, who has 'triple x syndrome' but is forced to share a bedroom with a sibling: this family have been in 'temporary' accommodation for a staggering eleven and a half years, and have been subject to a whopping 200% rent rise. If only the mum had time to start a youth club, or join her local Conservative Association, you might be tempted to think.

Next up: the library that refused to die, Friern Barnet library, given a new lease of life since the occupation by community squatters Phoenix and friends. 
 

 Library occupier Phoenix - at the Phoenix

Alfred, a former refugee from Rwanda, and now a resident of Friern Barnet, made a brief but significant comment: he explained that to him and his children, the library had offered new hope: when you have hope, he said, you can have progress. 

Perhaps, thought Mrs Angry,  the most important feature of the story of Friern Barnet library will be, after all, the fact that it has given people hope: hope for change, of taking back control of their own lives, and of their own communities.

On to the explosive parking issue: Helen and Paul spoke about the 'irrational' new charges and payment policy, introduced by our former Cabinet member Brian Coleman. Mr Mustard spoke about the lie that the new parking contract to NSL would bring about savings: £600k a year - so far, in the first quarter we are apparently about £1.2 m behind. This is a klaxon alert for all the £1 billion worth of contracts that are to follow in the main body of One Barnet outsourcing, of course. Will the Tories stop, and listen? What do you think?

(In Cornwall yesterday, the county council voted through a motion based on a petition by Cllr Andrew Wallis to halt the joint venture process of privatisation that has caused so much controversy, leading to the resignation of the Tory deputy leader, and the loss of the leader, after a vote of no confidence.) 

Next up was someone pretending to be Mrs Angry. Can't remember what she said, as I had my hands over my eyes and was moaning softly in the dark. Later in the pub ...

Rog T apologised for 'accidentally' tangoing Mrs Angry and Helen Michael when he was wielding the camera and 'forgot' to press some filter button. (You can see the pair of hapless directors pretending to try and fix this on the London Tonight news clip here

 Ms Michael and Mrs A know perfectly well he did it on purpose, of course.

The film also featured footage of Mr Reasonable's wonderful party trick,

... an explanation of One Barnet, the black hole in a box ... and finally the whole tale is brought together by some observations by the brilliant Ken Loach, whose comments on Barnet have already been noted in an earlier post. 

http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.fr/2012/10/ken-loach-on-one-barnet-licence-for.html

After the film, Mrs Angry, Mr Reasonable, Mr Mustard and library campaigner Martin Russo were obliged to take part in a debate with members of the audience. 

This was a daunting exercise, but Mrs Angry was distracted by the novel experience of performing in the red and gilt art deco theatre, finding the experience unnervingly reminiscent of a childhood fear, generated by visits to the panto at Golders Green hippodrome, an event of great anticipation each year, but over which the dreaded threat of audience participation always loomed like a dark cloud. 

It never happened, being dragged on stage to kiss Danny La Rue dressed as Cinderella's stepmother, or a wizened old Arthur Askey as Buttons (have I made that up?), but here we were now, on stage, Mrs Angry in panto, playing herself. Didn't kiss anyone, mind you.

The film is something to be really proud of: made by the community, for the community: and for the second time this year, the residents that Barnet Council would rather, as Janet said, not live here at all, and who have been denied a part in consultation over their futures, have made their own voices heard, and told their own stories. 

The picture they have created will not be the one that leader Richard Cornelius - or 'Dr Evil', as he helpfully refers to himself in the London Tonight interview - tell us he sees, through his One Barnet tinted spectacles: 'Barnet, a successful London suburb'... 

Janet, and Linda, and Susan, and Philip, Alfred, Helen, Paul, Tirza, and all of those who take part in the film show us something altogether different: they are the voices for Broken Barnet, and they are part of something that is quite remarkable: a community which is taking on the politicians who claim to represent them, reminding them of the duty they seem to have so easily betrayed: to serve the  residents of this borough, and fight for what is right, and in their best interests. 

We don't intend to be sold into bondage to multinational companies, our needs outsourced and offshored in order to make a comfortable profit for fat cat directors and their shareholders, thank you very much: so here we are, this is us, taking Cllr Davey's advice on aspiration, and helping ourselves, fighting back: and if we fail, we fail with the satisfaction of knowing we gave it a go - and recorded the events for others to see.


If you haven't seen the film, it will be shown at various local venues: 

Tues 23rd Oct.7.30 pm Wyburn Room at Wesley Hall, Stapylton Road, High Barnet, EN5 4JJ 

Thurs. 25th Oct, 7.00 pm The Larches, Rectory Road, Edgware 

Sat. 27th Oct 2.30 - 4.00 pm New Barnet Community Centre, Victoria Road, New Barnet, EN4 

Thurs. 1st Nov. 6.30 pm Cafe Buzz, High road, North Finchley, N12 

Tues 6th Nov - 8.00 pm North Road Community Centre, Edgware 

and:

the House of Commons, Monday 19th Nov, 7pm - 9pm - The Grimmond Room, Portcullis House, London, SW1A 2TT

Remember, remember, the fifth of November: Brian Coleman in the dock

Guy Fawkes taking a back seat in politics: and another reason to remember the 5th November

*Updated below:
 
In case there is anyone left in London who has not heard the news, the tedious Barnet Tory councillor Brian Coleman has now been charged with two offences in relation to an alleged assault on North Finchley cafe owner and traders' spokeswoman Helen Michael.

The allegations relate to an incident in North Finchley on September 20th and the charges are one of assault by beating and another of driving on a road without reasonable caution.

Councillor Coleman has been bailed until November 5th, when he will be obliged to attend Hendon Magistrates Court to answer the charges.

As reported here in this blog, and elsewhere, there has been widespread surprise that Coleman was not immediately suspended from his duties by Tory leader Richard Cornelius as soon as he was arrested on suspicion of common assault. 

Quite incredibly, it would seem that neither Cornelius nor the local Conservative association, or - as yet - central office will act to suspend him even now that he has been charged with two offences. 

According to the Barnet Press: 

“The council is aware that Councillor Brian Coleman has been charged with criminal offences and is due to appear before Hendon Magistrates court on November 5 2012.

The matter is therefore subject to judicial process and it would not be appropriate for the council to make any further comment that could be prejudicial to that process.

“Councillor Coleman continues as a ward councillor, his committee membership and chairmanship is a matter for full council."

And a reporter from the same paper has tweeted:  

"Brian Coleman will remain a member of Barnet Conservative group unless proven guilty, says council leader Richard Cornelius"

 According to the local Times, Cornelius told them: 

“Councillor Coleman has been told that he will have to take a back seat as regards Barnet politics until legal matters are resolved. I have no wish to prejudice any trial and he remains innocent until proven guilty.”

This is of course absolutely preposterous. 

In any other comparable situation, Coleman would already have been suspended: to remark merely that the only consequence of being charged with two offences of this nature is that he will have to take a 'back seat' is the most appalling abnegation of duty and leadership by Cornelius. 

If by 'taking a back seat' he means that he has been suspended then by the rules of the party constitution this must be made clear. If not, why not? Under what circumstances would he be suspended? He has been arrested and now charged with an alleged assault by beating of a female resident. This is a serious matter. Suspension is not prejudicial, nor is it any implication of guilt: it is a precautionary step and one which would be taken with any employee so charged - and doubtless in any other authority.

Let's not forget - how could we - the repulsive way in which the Barnet Tories took action against one of their own members, in 2010, on the night of their shameless vote to award themselves a whopping pay rise, at a meeting in which the then leader lectured residents on the need for savage budget cuts at a time of unprecedented austerity. Tory Kate Salinger felt her conscience would not allow her to support such an increase. She abstained. She was then immediately and publicly stripped of all her council positions, one by one, by her craven colleagues, who stood by as she left the Town Hall in tears, comforted by a female Labour councillor. Councilllor Brian Coleman coolly remarked to a local reporter: 'that's discipline for you' ...

Instant vindictive 'discipline' meeted out to a member acting on a point of principle, contrasted with a sustained indulgence of every act of rudeness and misbehaviour, proven or alleged, for Brian Coleman. 

Is it only women that the bullying, misogynistic Barnet Tories feel they can treat with such unflinching obedience to the rules? 

And what happened to the requirement for elected members to desist from conduct that brings the party into disrepute? Is this not part of the national constitution? If a member refuses to apologise after being instructed to by a standards committee, as in the case of Brian Coleman and the 'anti-semite' slurs, does that not constitute an example of such conduct?

One expects Coleman to behave in the way he does: one does not expect the leader of the Tory group and the leader of Barnet Council to show such weakness and such disregard for the electors of the borough he is paid to serve.

Labour leader Alison Moore called yesterday for the whip to be withdrawn from Brian Coleman - but it would seem that leader Cornelius is intent on extending every form of assistance to his fellow Totteridge councillor, and that this is not going to happen. 

There is of course widespread speculation as to why such indulgence is being shown to Coleman. Is Cornelius frightened to act, for some reason? Or does he not care that his unshakeable support for this man is interpreted as condoning his long history of controversial behaviour? We can only conclude that his need to defend Coleman is greater than his sense of propriety, and greater than the need to defend the reputation of the Conservative Party. What an extraordinary state of affairs.

Sunday's papers were full of reports about the alleged boorish behaviour of one of our local Tory MPs, Matthew Offord. 

Yesterday we hear that Coleman is charged with two offences but remains unsuspended by his party leader. 

And last night a packed house sat in the Phoenix cinema and watched a film that uncovers the staggering degree of dysfunctionality in the relationship between our Tory council and the residents whose future is being sold for the profit of the multinational outsourcing companies standing by, waiting to get their hands fumbling inside our corporate knickers.

The reputation of the Conservative party here in Broken Barnet has sunk to an all time low: and as it wallows in the depths, we must wonder what the next development will be - and how long until senior party figures decide that this administration .... shall we say, has pushed its luck just a little too far ... 

Mrs Angry understands that it has already been accepted in these quarters that the Tories are on a course to lose Barnet at the 2014 elections, and as you might imagine, this is not going down awfully well. 

The One Barnet fiasco, Cornelius' cowardice over Coleman, his lack of leadership: this is what is handing the next election to Labour on a plate. 

Cornelius will not be leader much longer, and already some Tories are manoeuvring into place for his position. 

Changing the leader will make no difference: this administration is sick, and dying, and the sooner its life is ended the better for every resident in this benighted borough.

Updated Tuesday evening:

Well: goodness me ... after refusing yesterday to take any action regarding Brian Coleman's position, because, oh what was it .... it might be 'prejudicial', this evening Tory leader Cornelius has now apparently changed his mind, and issued the following statement:

"I am initiating the process of suspending Councillor Coleman from the Conservative Group. There are group rules that need to be followed and I must abide by these rules.

"Due process must be followed and I will update as and when I can."

Ah: due process. Mmm. It must be followed, you know.  Especially when, Mrs Angry suspects, you are told in no uncertain terms by certain parties that you will follow due process - or face the consequences.

What next? 

Matthew Offord, MP for Hendon: who the f*ck is he?

Quirinale, the scene of Matthew Offord's latest reported debacle

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear ...

Last week Mrs Angry and some of the other Barnet twitterati were rather bemused to find that our MP for Hendon, Mr Matthew Offord, had blocked access to his twitter account. Mrs Angry found this puzzling, although she had been making fun of his sudden interest in putting questions to parliament about elderly cod in the north sea. (This led to a horrible, shameful outbreak of piscatorial punning, late one night, which is best forgotten).

But the real story behind the twitter block is an entirely different kettle of fish.

Reports in today's Mail and Sun reveal that Offord may well have reason to have become overly sensitive, and explains a lot of blog visits in the last few days to Offord themed posts too. 

Yet again, it seems, our friend has become embroiled in an alleged incident which will cause yet more embarrassment for himself, his party, and the local Tory council, already prostrate with mortification over the continued misbehaviour of our own Councillor Brian Coleman.

Here is the Mail story: 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2220861/Foul-mouthed-MPs-boozy-clash-Army-chief-looks-on.html

Foul-mouthed MPs trade insults during booze-fuelled argument in front of Army chief at £3,000 banquet

MPS hurled foul-mouthed insults at each other during a boozy £3,000 banquet in front of Army chief General Sir Peter Wall. 

 Labour MPs staged a walkout after Tory MP Matthew Offord called one of them a ‘gobshite’ and another a ‘prat’. 

 In an angry clash over how the last Government had treated British troops, Mr Offord accused Labour MPs of having ‘blood on their hands’ for failing to equip soldiers properly when they were in power. 

One Labour MP told Mr Offord he had drunk too much red wine while another shouted: ‘Get him out!’ 

Last night, the Tory MP denied he had too much to drink, even though he admitted he had the equivalent of a bottle of wine during the evening. 

The rumpus took place at a private dinner attended by 50 MPs and guests on Wednesday at Quirinale, a restaurant a few hundred yards from Parliament. 

The MPs did not have to pay a penny for the £60-a-head banquet, organised by the UK Defence Forum for the All Party Parliamentary Armed Forces Group, which is funded by donations from top defence firms, including BAE Systems. 

Guests had been invited to hear a speech by Sir Peter, Chief of the General Staff, on modern warfare. But as the free wine and beer flowed, the evening degenerated into a different kind of battle. 

According to witnesses, it started when senior Labour MP Dave Watts cast doubt on the Tories’ record on defence in a question to Sir Peter. Mr Offord, 43, a former BBC executive, said:

 ‘I’m not having that. ‘You lot have blood on your hands because you sent our troops into battle without the right gear.’ 

Mr Watts retorted: ‘You’ve had too much red wine.’ The Tory MP shot back: ‘Gobshite!’

 Labour MP Russell Brown waded in, ordering other MPs close to Mr Offord to ‘quieten him down’.But defiant Mr Offord refused to be silenced and told Mr Brown: ‘You are a prat.’ 

Mr Brown replied: ‘That is worse than being called a pleb.’ 

Ex-Labour Minister Lord Foulkes called for Mr Offord to be ejected but he refused to budge. Another Labour MP, addressing Mr Offord, said: ‘Who the f*** is he?’ 

With tempers threatening to boil over, Labour peer Lord McAvoy led a walkout of the party’s politicians. 

Defiant Mr Offord last night said: ‘In no way was I drunk. This is an outrageous attempt to smear me because I said Labour had blood on their hands for the way they treated members of the Armed Forces when they were in power.’ 

He indicated that he was wrong to use the word ‘gobshite’ but refused to apologise for the clash. 

But Lord Foulkes said: ‘Mr Offord’s behaviour was totally unacceptable.’

 You will note that the Mail refers to 'foul mouthed MPs'  trading insults, whereas the report indicates that only Tory MP Offord behaved in such a manner.

In the Sun, the story is reported thus:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4601041/Torys-foul-tirade.html

Tory’s foul tirade

  A TORY sparked a walkout at a VIP dinner after unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade at Labour MPs. 

Matthew Offord called one a “gobs***e” and another a “prat” during a talk by the head of the British Army. 

He began heckling as Labour grandee Dave Watts asked the guest speaker about the impact of defence cuts. 

Mr Offord, sitting a few tables away, yelled: “You’ve got blood on your hands. You sent people into battle with no equipment.” 

General Sir Peter Wall looked stunned as Mr Offord then interrupted his reply to call the MP a “gobs***e”. 

Fellow Labour MP Russell Brown tried to calm the situation only to be branded a “prat”.
 
Parliamentary party chairman Mr Watts, Mr Brown and two other MPs downed their cutlery and walked out of the UK Defence Forum event at the swish Quirinale restaurant in Westminster. 

Mr Watts said: “He wouldn’t shut up. He just kept on going at me. It was extraordinary.”

 Mr Offord said: “Dave Watts suggested I had drunk too much red wine. That’s when I called him a gobs***e. I had been drinking but I certainly wasn’t drunk.” 

Mmm. Glad to hear it. If this is how he behaves when he is sober, citizens, what might he do if he was pissed? 

It is true to say that Matthew Offord has something of a track record for reports of embarrassing incidents of this nature. Readers may recall the story by Guido Fawkes in 2010 alleging misbehaviour at the Tory conference:

http://order-order.com/2010/10/04/handbags-in-the-hyatt/

And on an entirely unconnected theme, our hapless MP has something of an unfortunate habit of suffering rather unusual accidents which do little to bolster the image of dignity to which one might hope a member of parliament would aspire: breaking his wrist in the bathroom on honeymoon, sustaining an eye injury from a mug that flew out of a kitchen cupboard, trying to use Human Rights legislation to oppose a ruling banning his canine SpAd Max, the jack russell terrier (rumoured to be the inspiration for the 'Thick of it's Malcom Tucker), from parliament, telling a gay constituent that marriage between members of the same sex is wrong because marriage is for 'procreation', oh ... ah, yes, and then there was the small matter of the absence from parliament during the London riots, which brings us neatly back to today's story.

Last summer, Mrs Angry had quite a lot of fun with the tale of Matthew Offord, MP, and his mysterious trip to Belize, where he remained while London burned, and the House of Commons reconvened to debate the extraordinary events of that week. Take a look at a post written in August, 2011: 

http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/your-mps-they-work-for-you-in-belize.html

  as Mrs Angry reported then, Offord claimed to a local Times reporter that he was not just on holiday ... 

"he has also been engaged in Parliamentary business helping the South American country prepare for hurricane season. 

He says he has also been working with coastguards fighting terrorism and the drugs trade, but is unable to say anymore about that side of his trip before he returns on Saturday next week. 

He said: “I certainly have not just gone off on holiday. I’m engaging in Parliamentary work in a third world country. 

It’s not the cocktails on the beach that some people like to think it is." 

 Commendable,  you might think. And Matthew posted photographs of himself engaged in this heroic, selfless enterprise - here ...

and here, looking rather wet  ... 

oh? Where is that, Mrs Angry wondered? Because ... doesn't really look much like taking part in  parliamentary work in a third world country, does it? Never understimate the investigative zeal/boundless curiosity of Mrs Angry, citizens of Broken barnet. Mrs Angry spent a couple of hours on google image, trawling through endless photographs of hotel balconies in Belize and look what she found:

 Read more here: 

http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/mrs-angrys-honeymoon.html

The Mayan Princess hotel is, according to its website:  ' ... an enchanting and well equipped hotel that Splash Dive Center uses to accommodate our guests when we make trips to the Blue Hole of Belize.' Oh. Matthew is of course a keen scuba diver, but sadly his dedication to the fight against narco terrorism and the forces of nature left him no time to explore any holes, blue or otherwise. Shame.

See, Matthew told us that he was in Belize posing in quasi military uniform due to his duties as a member of the All Party Parliamentary Armed Forces Group, whose dinner, hosted by the United Defence Forum, he was attending last week, when the 'gobshite' incident is alleged to have taken place.

As Mrs Angry explained here: 

 http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/action-man-returns.html

this group is not an official parliamentary body, it is a boys' club for MPs who enjoy dressing up and pretending to be in the armed forces for a few days each year, visiting the men and women who are doing all the actual hard work, and placing their own lives at risk, and then returning to Westminster where they receive honorary ranks, and, rather disgracefully, award themselves medals. This last tradition has been widely criticised, as of course there are servicemen and women who are badly injured in the course of duty who do not receive any medals, and indeed Mrs Angry was told by Col Richard Kemp, former Commander of British forces in Afghanistan, that:  

"The Forces Parliamentary Scheme is valuable but medals and phoney ranks undermines its credibility."

The Armed Forces Group is a mysterious organisation, financially supported, it would appear, although there is little transparency about the issue, by the defence industry, which might be reasonably be thought to represents a potential conflict of interest, mightn't it? And what is the 'UK Defence Forum'? The Sun's report neglected to tell us, and the Mail clearly thought their readers wouldn't be interested. Mrs Angry is interested, though.

According to its website, http://www.ukdf.org.uk/index.html

this forum, with the motto:  'conloqui audete sapientia proficite' - 'through dialogue comes knowledge and wisdom' exists to enable those interested in the issues of defence and security, politicians, senior members of the armed forces, 'defence professionals',  to exchange views and information. It is supposed to be non partisan, and not engaged in lobbying. It is itself supported by companies such as:


Aspire Defence, BAE Systems, Babcock, Benromach Distillery, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Boeing, Carillion, Dalwhinnie United Distillers, EADS, EDS, Finmeccanica, G4S Government Services, General Dynamics, Hiberna, Holdfast, HP, Johnny Walker, KBR, Lockheed Martin, MBDA, Manroy, Marshalls, Maersk, NDI, NewsDesk Media, Nexter, Northrop Grumman, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, QinetiQ, Raytheon, Rolls-Royce, Selex, Shepherd Neame, Smiths Detection, Thales, University of Warwick, Virgin Atlantic, VT Group, Worshipful Companies of Lightmongers; Armourers and Brasiers; Tinplate Workers; Young's Brewery

Mostly funded by defence and security industry then, but a cheering number of distilleries and whiskey manufacturers. 

The Forum was once told by Tony Blair to 'think the unthinkable', we read. Oh. Can you see what Mrs Angry is thinking, Tony? 

Quite what the hosts and other guests made of Matthew Offord's behaviour on Wednesday night is not difficult to imagine. What is undeniably true is that this is yet another boorish outburst by a local Tory and will inevitably add a leaden weight to the sinking reputation of the Conservative party amongst the voters of Broken Barnet. So: not all bad news, is it?

As for Offord: Mrs Angry would suggest that he is sent off on a six month tour of Afghanistan where perhaps the challenge of earning a medal for courage, hard work, and real dedication to duty might just teach him that the reality of life in the armed services amounts to rather more than dressing up in combat gear for another photo opportunity, or dining too well at Quirinale. 

Well, well. Mrs Angry predicts, by the way, that this will not be the only embarrassing Barnet news for the Conservative party, central and local, this week.  Stay tuned ... 

And in the meanwhile, here in Broken Barnet, we will be doing our best to add to the burden of shame with the premiere tomorrow night of 'Barnet - the £1Billion Gamble'. 6pm at the Phoenix, East Finchley, if you would like to come - and why wouldn't you?

Mrs Angry has asked Eric Pickles to escort her, but he has not RSVPd yet, so no doubt as usual she will be stood up. (Last year, she asked Brian Coleman, but we have reason to believe he may be preoccupied with other matters at the moment),  Do come along to see the film, and see a real gobshite in action (Mrs A, that is) - a certain tv news team is covering the event, and ... it promises to be an entertaining evening.