SimonI am reassured by your comments and I know you would not consciously do anything that would cause Al any difficulty or embarrassment, so please don't think that is what I was suggesting.But you only have to read Robin's comments to see that there are people who will try to exploit the delicacy of the current situation for their own ends, and his most recent post in particular (11:56) clearly demonstrates the way in which the Labour Party has lost no time in trying to inflame the situation and provoke arguments.I mean, would you have the nerve to post on a Southall community forum explaining to the local councillor what is happening on one of the estates he represents, pontificating about its history and dictating who you think is the right person to run his local residents' association? Of course you wouldn't, and neither would I. We both have far too much humility and self-awareness.And yet here he is, demanding answers to questions about my actions on an estate in another borough to that in which he lives. Have you ever encountered such arroganceand self-importance before? And ask yourself why it is that the Labour Party in Hounslow says nothing to disassociate itself from his actions because I certainly would if claimed to be doing these things on my behalf.Simon, at risk of upsetting you I have to say that the belief you seem to have that I somehow "used" you arises from your faulty recollection of events. When you joined Ivytag it was George Burrell, not me, who wanted you to take over as Chair. Certainly you were the most talented of all the possible contenders, but I expressed the view at the time to George that it would not look good having a Chair who was not resident on the estate. George listened to my advice but chose not to take it, which was his right as it was his decision to make, along with his Ivytag colleagues. It was not mine.For all the time you chaired Ivytag, a job you did extremely well, you publicly accepted that any new association could not be run by yourself as a non-resident. I dare say that if I searched the Google cache I could find postings that you made at the time which would substantiate this, but I think you will accept anyway that I am correct about this.Thanks in no small part to your excellent efforts a new association was born in 2007. The new association had a right, but not an obligation, to co-opt non-residents. However it chose not to do so. Again I had absolutely no part in this decision whatsoever for the very good reason that I am not a member of the association, far less do I tell it what to do. And yet you appear to blame me for this too.Al was elected to the post of Vice Chair of the new association but sadly he fell out with his colleagues and resigned. I think he was wrong to walk away, for what it is worth I believe he should have hung in there and tried to change things from within but, again, this was his decision to take and not mine. Al was clearly disappointed that I didn't support him and maybe in retrospect I ought to have made more effort to reconcile him with the Committee, but rightly or wrongly I was keen to take a hands-off approach as I have in all my dealings with the URA whatever you may believe to the contrary. It seems I stand accused simultaneously of interfering too much and also of not interfering enough.However that is in the past. Al is now Chair, having been elected by what was in my view a clear majority of those present at the meeting in spite of some obvious organisational problems arising from the sheer number of people who attended. He will now need to overcome what will probably be an initially adverse reaction from some of those who disagreed with the outcome, and at the same time attempts by the usual suspects who will try to take advantage of the current delicate situation to inflict the maximum possible damage on what is a truly independent, resident-led association. He will need to be alert to both, and people like yourself AND MYSELF (and my original comments were not intended to single you out, although clearly you took them that way and Robin seized upon the opportunity to stir the pot further) will need to be careful that we do not become unwitting pawns in somebody else's game. That is all I am saying.Since typing the above, I have read your more recent posting. I don't know who you imagine I am, but I have no power or authority to prevent you from expressing your opinion and I wouldn't dream of doing so even if I did have. You have every right to an opinion, but please remember I also have mine. We are both on the same side here Simon. We both want Al to succeed. Could I please suggest then that we take a step back and don't allow ourselves to be drawn into a heated disagreement which serves the agenda of others but not that of either of us?For my part I apologise for any impression I may have given that I was attempting in any way to suppress your opinion, or to single you out as a non-resident when my comment was intended to be a wider generalisation. From here onwards I will choose my words more carefully, and will not allow myself to be suckered into falling out with others like yourself who have goodwill for the new Chair and for the people of Ivybridge.
Phil Andrews ● 6151d