Andrew Dismore

Dear Editor,

 Conservative Barnet Council’s efforts to silence scrutiny and questioning of its decisions and policies knows no bounds. Last week (HandH 17/11) reported their attempts to block the bloggers, who do an excellent job in exposing the truth behind what the Council gets up to. The new rules leading to the emasculation of the Area Forums, which prevent anything of a major or serious nature being discussed are also now biting. It is clear the Council now wishes to give them the coup de grace, having wrecked their relevance already, through  their latest wheeze: to even stop sending out notices by email to those who have asked for details, of when and where the Forums are to be held. The only source of this information will be the Council’s website. This cannot be a money saving exercise, as it can only be a matter of seconds for the council officer responsible for the Forums to send out an email to their database of interested people. I asked if I could have this matter as an item on the agenda for the Hendon Area Forum a few days later. I was told that under the new rules I could not.  I asked the officer ( by email) the reasons for the decision to stop emailing; I said that I hoped I would  not have to submit a Freedom of Information  request to find out why. Answer came there none, so it looks like FoI  will have to be the route I must follow to establish the reasons for this latest attack on local democracy and engagement by the Council . they whinge about the number and cost of FoI requests they receive: the answer is in their own  hands; just answer simple informal and reasonable request for explanations without fuss- and better still restore the Area Forums to what was their correct role, so residents can raise issues without having to jump  through FoI hoops to do so. 

Andrew Dismore

Labour London Assembly Candidate for Barnet and Camden