Walk the streets of Hammersmith & Fulham in late November and you're in danger of slipping and sliding on all the leaves. Either that or coming to a complete standstill because of the mounds of autumn debris everywhere.
Is it the wrong kind of leaf or the wrong kind of weather? Or are the Tories cutting back on street cleaning before privatisation in the hope that we won't notice once it's another service lost forever.
Of course the Tories might respond when the council starts getting sued for all the accidents as residents put the wrong foot first. All the expensive new logos mean nothing if the streets are a filthy and dangerous mess.
Just imagine Cllr super-size-me Greenhalgh taking a tumble down King Street. It would mean several more weeks of road repairs and hold-ups. A disaster for all the 4x4s edging their way around the congestion zone.
A suitable subject for another extraordinary council meeting perhaps?
21 November 2006
16 November 2006
Tories spin into chaos
Strangely, the latest edition of hfnews, Hammersmith & Fulham council's newspaper for residents, has no mention of plans to close a secondary school, privatise the home help service, or any of the other cuts already announced by the Conservatives. And that's before they even unveil their budget plans for 2007-8!
Meanwhile the front page of hfnews highlights local NHS financial problems without a single acknowledgement of the council's own cuts. The leader of the council gets all high and mighty about local hospital services while savaging council services.
Talk about re-writing history. Tory councillors are obviously aspiring spin doctors and hfnews is their Pravda.
Take the photo of residents celebrating the Allied Carpets appeal victory in hfnews. Local MP Andrew Slaughter has been cut out of the picture even though he led the campaign against the development when he was council leader and since as MP.
Private Eye readers may also appreciate the lookalike photo in hfnews - council leader Stephen Greenhalgh is a deadringer (OK, slightly heavier version) of BNP chief Nick Griffin. And their policies seem remarkably similar.
PS the Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle reports today that the council will be calling an extraordinary council meeting on 29 November on the council's 'gambling policy'. That probably means they have plans to open casinos in the borough. Watch this space.
Meanwhile the front page of hfnews highlights local NHS financial problems without a single acknowledgement of the council's own cuts. The leader of the council gets all high and mighty about local hospital services while savaging council services.
Talk about re-writing history. Tory councillors are obviously aspiring spin doctors and hfnews is their Pravda.
Take the photo of residents celebrating the Allied Carpets appeal victory in hfnews. Local MP Andrew Slaughter has been cut out of the picture even though he led the campaign against the development when he was council leader and since as MP.
Private Eye readers may also appreciate the lookalike photo in hfnews - council leader Stephen Greenhalgh is a deadringer (OK, slightly heavier version) of BNP chief Nick Griffin. And their policies seem remarkably similar.
PS the Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle reports today that the council will be calling an extraordinary council meeting on 29 November on the council's 'gambling policy'. That probably means they have plans to open casinos in the borough. Watch this space.
06 November 2006
Tories don't like it up them
When the going gets tough, the Tories get going. That's what seems to be happening in Hammersmith & Fulham. Clearly the Conservatives don't like it up them. Little did they realise a few weeks ago what a stink their massive cuts would create across the borough.
Having upset families with children and older people by announcing plans to close a secondary school and privatise the home help service, the Tories obviously weren't prepared for the response. So when parents and children attended a cabinet meeting to ask questions about the proposals, not only did the leader refuse to answer them but he stormed out closing a public meeting.
The council leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, may be a big boy. But he clearly can't cope with public opposition to his plans. Mr Blobby is getting very wobbly.
And he gets arch right winger Cllr Harry Phibbs to write stalinist letters to the local papers, inbetween his day job writing diary stories for the Evening Standard. Cllr Fibber is telling bigger whoppers every week. Meanwhile Greg Hands MP has gone strangely quiet - even he doesn't like it when his friends upset local people and they want Greg to sort it out.
The Tories will do anything to try and distract attention from the devastation caused by their cuts. This week pompous Cllr Greg Smith attacks the Law Centre for holding a debate on liberty and security. What irony!
This would all be very funny if it wasn't true. Fortunately the Tories in Hammersmith & Fulham are showing what would happen if the Conservatives ever got into national government. That's one lesson we can thank Mr Blobby for.
Having upset families with children and older people by announcing plans to close a secondary school and privatise the home help service, the Tories obviously weren't prepared for the response. So when parents and children attended a cabinet meeting to ask questions about the proposals, not only did the leader refuse to answer them but he stormed out closing a public meeting.
The council leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, may be a big boy. But he clearly can't cope with public opposition to his plans. Mr Blobby is getting very wobbly.
And he gets arch right winger Cllr Harry Phibbs to write stalinist letters to the local papers, inbetween his day job writing diary stories for the Evening Standard. Cllr Fibber is telling bigger whoppers every week. Meanwhile Greg Hands MP has gone strangely quiet - even he doesn't like it when his friends upset local people and they want Greg to sort it out.
The Tories will do anything to try and distract attention from the devastation caused by their cuts. This week pompous Cllr Greg Smith attacks the Law Centre for holding a debate on liberty and security. What irony!
This would all be very funny if it wasn't true. Fortunately the Tories in Hammersmith & Fulham are showing what would happen if the Conservatives ever got into national government. That's one lesson we can thank Mr Blobby for.
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