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Filibuster prevents major education debate

The sorry failure of Barnet Council's much vaunted re-organisation was cruelly exposed at last week's meeting.

There are now only four full-blown council meetings a year. This one was an ill-tempered waste of time. Only one matter of real relevance came up. That was education and Labour worked it so that there was no time for the Tories to speak.

So let's skim through a wretched evening.

The council backed concerns it has already voiced about plans by Railtrack for expanding its Thameslink line. This links north and south London and passes through Barnet roughly parallel with the M1. In particular the council wants Hendon and Cricklewood stations expanded so the new 12 coach trains will be able to use them.

Most of the meeting was devoted to notices of motion. This means the council is just a talking shop. Even if the council has any powers in the matter, policy decisions are not made in this way.

First up was a Tory motion congratulating their man Brian Coleman on his election to the new Greater London Authority. It was a predictable political knockabout and it was defeated.

Second was a Tory attack on the way some of the area forum meetings are held. Or rather the way Liberal Democrat Wayne Casey chairs the Edgware and Mill Hill Forum. Mr Casey has refused to let Tory councillors like Brian Gordon speak at these public meetings. Mr Gordon objected to Mr Casey's behaviour and complained he had been treated like dirt.

Mr Casey replied that it was a forum for the public and the councillors were there to listen. He also complained of Tory plots to try to fix topics raised at the meetings.

Things got so heated the mayor, Gill Sargeant, called an adjournment while she had a word with the group leaders.

There was a period of calm while the council congratulated the Queen Mother on her centenary.

And there was also general support for urging the public to respond to next April's census. Tory Brian Salinger pointed out that much local funding depends on the information in the census.

Back to politics for a Labour attack on two Tory MPs who it says are trying to wreck the 'Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Bill'. This bill aims to end fuel poverty ,, in plain English to ensure people can afford to heat their homes.

Labour kept this going for a long time so there was only ten minutes left for the final item. The was a Labour proposal expressing support for the expansion of three popular Barnet secondary schools ,, Ashmole, Mill Hill County and Compton.

There was only time for two Labour speakers and that was it. The Tories could not speak and they walked out in protest.

The Tories had wanted to move a series of amendments attacking the council over insufficient funding for schools citing, for example, that Ashmole School may have to sell playing fields to finance new building.

Education is a topic Labour is not anxious to discuss at present and members had smirked with glee as the time for a debate had been frittered away.

Pathetic, childish and disgraceful. If councillors aren't going to take these matters seriously we might as well scrap the local education authority ,, which some politicians have suggested.

The Tories will have another chance to debate education finance at tonight's meeting of the council in committee.

Since the Tories are consistently being out-manoeuvred I suggest they organise a 'Not the Barnet Council' meeting where they can express the views that it is increasingly difficult to do at the town hall.