Forum Topic

Local Councillors and liaison with Mrs Keen  MP (Lab)

There's some correspondence of mild concern in the Hounslow Chronicle this week from the Chairman of the Chiswick Area Committee. It's a letter to the Editor.Councillor Paul Lynch complains that Mrs Keen MP has "studiously ignored any approaches from his Area Committee (Chiswick)"  He adds "Resolutions supported by councillors and residents of all parties have never had any response from her,neither have any letters from the chairman."Ok, there are nine Conservative Councillors in Chiswick..a full house ..and if that's what the overwhelming number of the Chiswick electorate wanted..so be it.  But as Mrs Keen is Chiswick's MP ..as well as Brentford and Isleworth's..should she not be a bit more co-operative with W4 folk?The splat has arisen because of a seeming dispute over who organised and got sorted a new road crossing outside a Health Centre. Was it Mrs Keen or was it the Chiswick Area Committee? Maybe the newspaper reported the matter incorrectly.  The matter is posted here because we still have Labour Councillors in this area..and Labour Party spokespeople..and they may be able to throw light on Mrs Keen's performance in liaising with Councillors..in addition to clarifying the splat. Letter to be produced in next message.

Jim Lawes ● 6780d5 Comments

While on the subject of local councillors, I must say I was amused yesterday  to read a quote in the documentation accompanying a local planning application. The first application had been thrown out and the developers had a July meeting with planning officers to discuss the way forward.According to the developer's document, the officer, Mr. Paul Draper said, " In the Council there are currently many members who listen to local residents objections quite closely."Does currently mean this has not always been the case ?And is "quite closely" in the category of damning with faint praise ?!!I thought it an interesting observation to minute.( I must say I was also surprised at how sloppy a lot of the stuff was. Bus routes to "Sheppard's bush". Maps from a certain "ORDANCE SURVEY SCALE" (in huge letters). "Right of Way Mainatained".My grumpy old man age showing , I suspect)

Tim Henderson ● 6778d

It could be part of the campaign against Hounslow Council's Review of the Management Agreement between itself and Hounslow Homes.  Two recent questions asked by Ms. Keen in parliament seem to have been timed in such a way as to try to influence the outcome of the Review.Although the Draft Report following the Review suggested only very minor changes to the existing Agreement, these changes have been attacked by an opposition party which has behaved throughout as though Hounslow Homes were its own prized possession.  The thrust of the attack has been the quite false allegation that the local authority is attempting to control Hounslow Homes, which provides one possible explanation for the "greater freedom" reference.

Phil Andrews ● 6779d

To give her some limited publicity on BrentfordTW8, could I ask if anyone knows what her point was in one of the latest written questions :<<<<>>>>Do the customers of ALMO's perceive legal restrictions on their ability to develop ?  I dunno.

Tim Henderson ● 6779d

JinAs I understand it Ms. Keen has "withdrawn her co-operation" from the local authority as a protest against it unanimously approving an Executive which was not of her choosing on 23rd May 2006.The problem is that by absenting herself from council photo-shoots she runs the risk of incurring a publicity deficit, which would explain the need for her to take the credit for the work of others as so many in her party appear given to do in moments of crisis.This is an tried and tested New Labour tactic.  They've been doing it here in Isleworth for years.  My advice would be not to waste your time appealing to her conscience.  They are a breed apart, and few of them possess one.

Phil Andrews ● 6780d

Jim Lawes ● 6780d