Responding to jibes from Brent Council leader Muhammed Butt about the two Conservative groups on the Council and which one was the true Conservative, Cllr Kansagra, deputy leader of the Conservative Group, admitted that the public and councillors were 'fed up' with the existence of two groups and the extra time and resources this took up.
He said that councillors and the public might be pleased to hear that there were proposals in the pipeline that there may be one Conservative Group in the future. Turning to Labour councillors he said, 'You will be happy with this - we will tolerate it!'
The Conservative Group currently has four members and the Brent Conservatie Group two members. Labour has 56 councillors and there is one Independent.
However it appears things are not that straightforward. Responding to a query from me earlier today, Cllr Warren said: 'That statement from Cllr Kansagra was as much a surpise to me as it was to you!'
He went on, 'Politics is very unpredictable....but as of today nothing has been put forward to me about mergers.'
A merger would makes things more straighforward for the Conservatives when it comes to selecting candidates for the 2018 local election.
He said that councillors and the public might be pleased to hear that there were proposals in the pipeline that there may be one Conservative Group in the future. Turning to Labour councillors he said, 'You will be happy with this - we will tolerate it!'
The Conservative Group currently has four members and the Brent Conservatie Group two members. Labour has 56 councillors and there is one Independent.
However it appears things are not that straightforward. Responding to a query from me earlier today, Cllr Warren said: 'That statement from Cllr Kansagra was as much a surpise to me as it was to you!'
He went on, 'Politics is very unpredictable....but as of today nothing has been put forward to me about mergers.'
A merger would makes things more straighforward for the Conservatives when it comes to selecting candidates for the 2018 local election.
3 comments:
1. Cllr Joel Davidson “Originally it [the party fallout] was about money, it was about allowances and that was a problem.
“Now we have the allowances we should be one group.”
2. Cllr Suresh Kansagra: “We have not been deselected" we are still councillors.
Cllr Kansagra public knows that you are still councillors but the question is are you and your ward colleagues Cllr Colwill and Cllr Maurice members of the Conservative Councillors Association? No you are not, therefore you stand deselected for 2018 Council elections as the Conservative party candidate. Awaiting Conservative Campaign Headquarters to reverse the board rulings on your complaint against party officials.
http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/brent_conservative_row_intensifies_as_councillor_attacks_his_own_leader_1_4783163
I am not a supporter of the Conservative Party (or any other Party for that matter, although my instincts are more "left" than "right"), but I am strongly of the view that Brent's two "Conservative" groups need to come together as one.
All of the efforts of their six councillors need to be aimed at trying to hold the Council Leader and his Labour Cabinet to account, and voicing the genuine concerns of local residents, rather than squabbling among themselves.
Philip.
UPDATE:
I have received an email from Cllr. John Warren, saying that he disagrees with my comment above, and that he does not see how being part of a group of six would be more likely to hold Labour to account than the efforts he has made over the past three years.
I have replied to him, saying:
'My comment was not meant as a criticism of you, or the efforts you have made since 2014. It was meant to encourage ALL SIX Conservative councillors to concentrate their efforts, preferably together, on holding Labour to account.'
Philip.
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