Waltham Forest fire-fighters are staging an 8 hour strike this coming Saturday, 23rd October, in a row over new shift patterns being proposed by the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, which runs the London Fire Brigade. The Fire Brigade Union says the proposed changes could pave the way for a reduction in cover.
Unsurprisingly, London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority member, Labour’s cabinet member for Communities and High Street housing mogul , Cllr Liaquat Ali, is keeping his head well and truly down in this time of strife.
Cllr Ali is well known for ducking out of his responsibilities when the going gets tough choosing only to emerge from the shadows to promote other people’s good ideas.
But wait…this vacuous, fair weathered, TGWU card carrying politician, who is chauffeured around in his Bentley, gets handsome allowances for the positions he holds.
£7,750 pa for being a member of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and £32,640 pa from our Council (basic councillor and special responsibility allowance). Total for those without calculators £40,390 pa. Equivalent to a fire Station Manager’s salary near the top of their pay scale!
Seemingly, Cllr Ali only attends public body meetings depending upon how much he can get in allowances as the Truth Will Out team has heard he was voted off the voluntary governing body of Stoneydown Primary School due to his extremely poor attendance record.
Please let us know your thoughts below.
Guys, are you sure your poll is scientific? 59-1 is a tad difficult to believe. The basic councillor and special responsibility allowances were very similar to the ones that other councillors receive in this and the previous administration.
Do you not think that you should be asking questions about the allowance system itself rather than just picking on one man?
This is the first in a series of articles highlighting individuals who are receiving significant allowances from the public purse to raise the legitimate question of whether we, as taxpayers, are getting value for money.
Sorry to disappoint you but the poll is genuine and even we are surprised at the response in such a short time. We have ensured the poll cannot be manipulated by individuals voting more than once.
I am not disappointed if this is really the public’s response. I love pressing buttons. I just wonder why these sorts of results don’t replicate themselves at the ballot box.
It appears that a compehensive multi-agency enforcement operation against planning infractions in Walthamstow was called off at very short notice about eight weeks before the election, apparently because it might prejudice ‘purda’.
Something of the story briefly appeared on James O’Rourke’s website under the heading ‘Council Cowardice’:
‘A large scale enforcement operation involving over 40 agencies including the Councils enforcement team, Police, and Immigration Service has been cancelled because of fears it would breach the rules on political publicity and/or use of council resources for a political purpose so close to the elections in May.
The operation related to illegal flats built during [the period since] the last local elections in 2006. Shortly after his election Cllr O’Rourke began lobbying for strong action to be taken against the developer to send a clear message that the Council will not tolerate such blatant flouting of planning law.
Cllr O’Rourke said: “It has taken over three years for our enforcement team to have sufficient capacity and leadership to even consider such a large scale operation and to stop it now because of ‘political concerns’ is outrageous and will send a clear message to rogue
developers and landlords that we are weak in our convictions”‘.
The on-line WF Guardian picked the story up but then quickly dropped it.
This surely neds investigation by the Truth Will Out Team.
Sorry:
This surely NEEDS investigation by the Truth Will Out Team
‘ I just wonder why these sorts of results don’t replicate themselves at the ballot box’
Dear Techno. wasn’t this the Ward that recorded a 105% turnout at the local election? You can’t accuse locals of apathy with figures like that.
[...] both parties have failed to realise is that Waltham Forest Council has a representative, paid £7,750 a year, sitting on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority – Cllr Liaquat [...]