Charging ahead

Tory H&F council is introducing a range of new and higher charges for so-called 'residents services' from 1 October 2010 - unusually half way through the financial year such are the holes in the council's finances.

All concessionary discounts on library charges are to be removed for older people and other residents; fees for using sports facilities will go up by at least 10%, while charges for collecting bulky waste will be increased by up to 200%.

So we are likely to see more rubbish on the streets and fewer people using local libraries and playing sport. Another Tory victory.

Hammersmith shows why coalition honeymoon is ending

Check out this analysis by Andy Slaughter, MP for Hammersmith:

http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/08/19/coalitions-cock-ups-show-why-theyre-losing-popularity/

People are wising up to the fact that what has happened in Tory H&F over the last four years is now happening to the whole country.

H&F's very own Laurel and Hardy

This blog is another shameless plug for this BBC TV News clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FppIVaWfJxM&feature=youtu.be

That's another fine mess you got us into. H&F Tory council's leader, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, and deputy leader, Cllr Nicholas Botterill, really are the Laurel and Hardy of our times and borough.

Has Cllr Botterill stopped smirking yet? And Cllr Greenhalgh should be ashamed of the comedy stitch-up of the deputy prime minister.

Don't come to Tory Hammersmith & Fulham

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg got a lesson in what Conservatives do yesterday.

A photocall was arranged to demonstrate his new social mobility policies at the Shepherds Bush Village Hall - only for Clegg to discover when there that Tory H&F council has cut the children's centre's funding and is selling off the building.

Have a look at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FppIVaWfJxM&feature=youtu.be

You couldn't make it up! Another ConDem cock-up...

Will Hands go back to Charity Commission?

After his recent experience with the Charity Commission, will Tory MP for Chelsea Greg Hands now turn his attention closer to his constituency and report Shaun Bailey's My Generation (see previous hfconwatch blogs) to the Charity Commission?

As they say, charity begins at home.

Greenhalgh praises Pickles shock

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles' decision to scrap the Audit Commission has been applauded by H&F Tory council leader Stephen Greenhalgh.

Now there will be no independent body to judge whether councils are performing well and delivering good value for money - nor to monitor the impact of all the Tory cuts in local services.

No wonder Cllr Greenhalgh is delighted. After all, it was the Fat Controller himself who urged the other Fat Controller to get rid of the Audit Commission.

Out for summer, out for ever

First it was the borough's schools that got hit for six as the Tory government decimated the schools building programme.

Now the borough's playgrounds are not going get the promised makeover as more cuts hit locally.

Angry parents in Brook Green attacked the latest Tory cuts on Channel 4 News last night.

Cameron's 'a toff' says Harry Phibbs

Having described himself yesterday as a sharp-elbowed member of the middle classes, David Cameron has now found himself labelled 'a toff' by one of his Tory councillors in H&F.

Hard-nosed Harry Phibbs (in his other job on the Daily Mail) has had great fun raking over every class cliche going at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1302125/Sharp-elbowed-middle-class-Cameron-indifferent-rest-us.html

Another real Pickles

H&F News - the Tory council newspaper - has already been attacked for the propaganda it is by government minister Eric Pickles.

Now he has laid into H&F council for using private firms to lobby the government. We wait to see how much has been spent by the Tory council on lobbying and H&F News.

But Mr Pickles and Tory leader Cllr Greenhalgh must be heading for a super-heavyweight wrestling match in one of our local parks soon.