Campaiging in Plumstead
This morning I spent a pleasant couple of hours out in the sunshine, in Plumstead ward delivering leaflets for the forthcoming by-election there. However, whilst I was pounding the streets I came across Greenwich Council's much heralded, and talked about, new "Eco-House".
Now, as I looked at it I could clearly see why it was an eco-house, and that at the moment it's producing zero emissions. Which it probably due the fact that it's boarded up! Another great waste of my council tax, well done Greenwich!
Also, I made another interesting discovery. Apparently, as Greenwich is an olympic borough for 2012, six Greenwich councillors went over to Beijing during the olympics for a jolly "fact-finding mission", at the expense of taxpayers as usual. The councillors all travel first class, even though the Mayor of London travelled economy, with flights alone costing around £14,000. When, one of our local newspapers got wind of this story and asked us "what could the money have been better spent on?" the reply was, "how about the Chinese Community School in the borough that has just had it's grant cut".
I couldn't make this up if I tried.
6 comments:
On what grounds do you say they travelled first class when all the local papers reported differently?
Nothing like the truth to get in the way of a good story...
As for the 14k thats nothing compared to the £100,000s of pounds one of the Tory councillors wants to spend on building a replica of a boat.
The Chinese school has also been supported for years and years - how about some of the new languages in our borough being supported instead, rather than council tax payers money being spent on the same old established communities...
First class/Business class same difference, it wasn't economy was it.
As for the ship, if the ruling council didn't agree with the idea they would have simply voted the idea down, as they do with nearly every tory motion on council. So it's not just the tories that want to spend the money it's Labour aswell.
Wouldn't want that to get in the way of tory bashing.
Besides, a jolly or recreating a piece of history, what's better to spend the money on.
I'm sorry but your favouring of fiction over fact - really goes to show you up once more.
No difference between business and first class. What planet do you live on? Planet Denial?
Flights to beijing this saturday on BA from Heathrow are 50% cheaper business v economy.
To the wider issue of councillors flying on taxpayers money - have you forgotten a certain Tory Nigel Fletcher flying out to Germany in recent times? Or did you conveniently forget?
And as for the madcap tory idea to spend 100s of 1000s of pounds - maybe even millions to build a replica ship - can you tell me when this motion was voted on by the council. I called the council today and was told there was no such vote - so your claim that the Labour group could have voted against it but didnt is nothing more than a lie.
Perhaps even the Tories realised just how stupid an idea it was...
And as a tax payer would I rather see 14k spent by a council working to bring inward investment OR millions on a madcap idea to build a replica of a boat when someone's got bored of their train set? Do I really need to answer that.
As for Cllr Fletcher trip he was slated along with the other members of the group that went.
As for the ship, the council meeting was on 25th June, and the decision is listed in the record of decision's.
Looks as thought the council has selective memory.
http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/AD09C559-290B-47EF-AF1A-4B5787419598/0/CouncilDecisions25June2008.pdf
Tut tut - caught out again
I would urge everyone to look at the record of decisions you just posted - for they like me would struggle to find in the decisions were it says that the council agreed to spend millions on a mad cap tory plan to build a replica boat. IT DOESNT!
Please prove me wrong...
So I repeat again - Labour spent 14k on a visit to bring inward investment to Greenwich. The Tories attack that as wasteful.
The Tories want to spend millions building a replica boat that will do very little to improve our quality of life - but hey thats ok.
And as for Nigel Fletcher - yes he did get slated. But my point is how many Tories are forgetting that trip right now and scoring cheap political points.
Surely there's not a by-election on in Plumstead at the moment?
At no stage have ever claimed this as an exclusive, it's how the story was told to me, and I found it funny so I blogged it. Besides it was the local press that apporached the party, which is why they put out a press release.
As for the ship if you hate the idea so much have you told this Cllr Fletcher, or do you just want to moan about it on my blog.
Although I see inflation has got to your figures from 100,000s to millions that you now claim will be wasted.
For me personally (and that's my opinion not a party one or anything like that), that the ship would be a good idea to brighten up the area, celebrate our heritage and maybe even boost tourism in the area.
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