with thanks to thisisnorthkensington.wordpress.com

FTHN: From the Hornets Nest

Comments are welcome but do not necessarily reflect the view of the Dame.
Offensive/inappropriate comments will be deleted and the poster banned.

Get new posts by email:

Too many lazy ward councillors

Grafter!

There are 50 councillors spread across 18 wards.

Some wards are well served; others, badly.

The bad councillors show up at election times and then disappear whilst collecting chunky allowances.

Some wards are lucky supporting the adage…”If you want something done, give it to a busy person”

The other day, an RBKC leaseholder messaged the Dame with news about a leaseholder meeting.

 “Dear Dame, 

 I thought you might be interested in this. A few weeks ago, I went to a meeting over RBKC service charges in Notting Hill. It was actually helpful in terms of clarity. The local councillor (who arrived on a bicycle) and was in charge of housing. She kept all on track and focused. This was a darn refreshing experience.”

This leaseholder was referring to Cllr Sof McVeigh. Some will say this blog is constant in support of McVeigh. They will be right and for a very good reason. Sof McVeigh takes her role very seriously.

Besides running one of the most onerous of briefs-housing, she is also the much lauded councillor for Brompton and Hans Town Ward. 

The broad opinion is that she carries the role single-handedly. 

Her fellow councillors, Weale and Idris are invisible to residents.

It really does beg the question as to whether we should cut back on work-shy councillors and use the allowance savings to fund a part-time assistant for just one proactive councillor. 

We have too many cooks doing far too little in the kitchen…. a little like the House of Lords.

25 responses to “Too many lazy ward councillors”

  1. Completely useless! Avatar
    Completely useless!

    Sof McVeigh is earning her keep unlike some who come to mind.

    Sof McVeigh does an excellent job.

    Emma Dent Coad received complaints about housing from the many, not the few. She did nothing about most of those complaints. When challenged about doing nothing in an interview on the BBC she said, “There was nothing on opposition councillor could do.

    If only we could reproduce a dozen more Councillors like Sof.

    1. Up North Avatar
      Up North

      Could not agree more. Sof McVeigh is intelligent and really cares about the role of councillor. Even Labour residents feel she tries hard to get things right

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Judith Blakeman tried to do a good job for council tenants.

    3. My God................ Avatar
      My God…………….

      ?? “There was NOTHING an opposition councillor could do.” ??

      What is the point of an opposition then?

      I am speechless.

      1. Good lord above......... Avatar
        Good lord above………

        I am speechless too. “There was nothing an opposition councillor could do.”
        If Sof were an opposition councillor, she would have managed to do something about the dreadful housing situation at the council. The difference is, Sof is more intelligent than the other one.

        1. Goodness and Good Heavens Avatar
          Goodness and Good Heavens

          So the Corbynite councillor admits to do nothing about bad practices in the Kensington and Chelsea housing service – very low standards from the Corbynista.

          Good work from Sof the good Tory.

          1. Lazy bones. Avatar
            Lazy bones.

            Nothing an opposition councillor could do. The bone idleness of the woman.

  2. Anon Avatar
    Anon

    McVeigh should be leader

    1. Miss Trotwood Avatar
      Miss Trotwood

      I agree. Sof is focused, disciplined and well considered in her actions.

  3. Jon Avatar
    Jon

    as a leaseholder if have a good deal of confidence in Cllr McVeigh. She seems genuinely concerned to ensure fair play. Unlike other councillors she is bright and effective. She would make a good leader who people would feel, irrespective of their politics, that she is trying to do what is right.

  4. Sanford G Henry Avatar

    Sol is a dedicated public servant with the linage, intelligence and professionalism to be praised and supported! I am a big fan and hope she is promoted as she should be!

    1. Miss Gloria Shafton Avatar
      Miss Gloria Shafton

      I am very disappointed that the Tory Council has not nominated Ian Henderson for a Knighthood or a Gong. He has done more for social housing and tenants in Chelsea than anyone else. He should be Sir Ian Henderson.

      1. Miss Trotwood Avatar
        Miss Trotwood

        Now don’t forget, those ghastly Marxists and Marxist Revisionists in the Kensington Constituency Labour Party wanted to shaft Ian Henderson because he helped out at the local Foodbank during the pandemic whilst the Tory MP was there doing similar good work.

    2.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      Sanford,

      When you talk about “linage,” I presume you mean “lineage.”

      What do you mean? Please tell us more.

      We heard all about EDC’s aristocratic lineage going back to the day of Christopher Columbus and the Borgias. I hope it is not more ridiculous, pretentious, pompous twaddle of that kind.

      1. No relation Avatar
        No relation

        I think Sanford refers to ‘political lineage’. Sof is daughter of Kenneth Baker, the cabinet minister. Lord Baker is still very active in the field of undergraduate education.A good man.

        1.  Avatar
          Anonymous

          I had no idea that Sof is the daughter of Lord Baker.

          Baker’s son, Oswin, is a member of the Labour Party (Greenwich and Woolwich Branch)

          So, Sof has an interesting political pedigree.

          They used to call Kenneth Baker, the “Teflon man.”

          1. The Geneologist Avatar
            The Geneologist

            Are you sure? I think L. Baker has just 2 daughters

          2. Miss Trotwood Avatar
            Miss Trotwood

            I have just had a look at Lord Baker’s Wiki page which says,

            ” Baker’s son, Oswin, is a LEADING MEMBER of the Greenwich and Woolwich Labour Party.

            I suppose the entry on Wiki could be wrong.

          3.  Avatar
            Anonymous

            AI Overview
            Lord Baker has at least three children: Sophia Alice Baker, Oswin Baker, and Amy Elizabeth Baker.

            Geoffrey and Elspeth Howe had a very left wing son too. He was also in CND. The Howes accepted their son’s political difference.

            Funnily enough, Elspeth Howe never struck me as being very right wing. She played the good Tory wife game superbly. She was also a long serving juvenile court magistrate.

            When Geoffrey was chancellor, Elspeth went to Berwick Street Market in Soho and was photographed by The Standard buying fruit and veg. She showed that she could shop for fruit and veg cheaply during a recession with good value multi buys – three pounds of spuds for the price of two pounds – that sort of frugal, balanced budgeting and good housekeeping.

            Perhaps, Baker did likewise. The boy probably rebelled against the individualism that Baker espoused.

          4.  Avatar
            Anonymous

            Why do these Tories try so hard to be trendy by shortening their names?

            Sof, Flicka, whatever next? Sophia and Felicity are nice names. Lord Baker was never Kenny or Ken but there again there was Ken Clark.

            Margaret Thatcher embraced being called “Maggie.” I always thought Maggies were some sort of insect in the dustbin.

          5. The naming of politcians is a difficult matter............ Avatar
            The naming of politcians is a difficult matter…………

            Regarding politicians shortening their names to be hip in the way that Sof and Flicka have done.

            At one time, people called Edward were known as “Ted,” “Teddy” or “Eddie.” Ted Heath and Teddy Taylor come to mind. Similarly, Robert used to be shortened to “Bob” or “Bobby.” These days, Bob and Bobby are now known as “Rob.”

            Then it became fashionable to turn Edward in to “Ed.” So we have Ed Vaizey and Ed Miliband. I thought it rather crass for two middle class politicians to embark on this trendy excursion in to being hip. Tory boy Vaizey called himself “Ed” and man of the people Miliband reduced his name in to the level of the factory shop floor.

  5. Betty Swollocks Avatar
    Betty Swollocks

    Will the Labour Party tell us how it will carry out its promise to get rid of those Corbynite councillors who connived to do Ian Henderson down?

    Or have they been forgiven?

    1. Miss Gloria Shafton Avatar
      Miss Gloria Shafton

      Kensington Labour all talk and no action.

  6.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    I voted for Powell. He has been a disappointment. Nothing has been done to sort out those who caused havoc in the local Party to advance the divisiveness of Corbynism over the past five years.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      I suppose you could vote Tory next time round to show Joe the door.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *