'Divorced' Tory Groups bicker at Brent Council as Labour continues to subvert democracy

The importance of effective opposition and scrutiny when Labour has a huge majority on Brent Council has been stressed repeatedly on this blog. Following my gagging last night things took an even more ludiucrous turn with Labour using its majority to determine which of the two rival factions of Conservatives would be the 'official opposition'.

Deputy Labour Leader Michael Pavey said on Twitter that the Council had been trying to get the two groups to decide between themselves which of them would take that role for three months without success.

In the event it was the 'old timers' of Kenton who Labour chose much to the anger of John Warren 'leader' of the Brondesbury Park faction.  Warren had done most of the opposing during the meeting - including opposing the Kenton faction.

Warren spoke despairingly about what the Conservatives had been reduced to in Brent and denounced as 'woolly' a motion on the Garden Tax proposed by the Kenton Tories.

The Kenton Tories joined Labour in voting for the 25% allowance increase and the Brondesbury Tories and Helen Carr voted against.

A number of Labour councillors were absent and some of those absences may have been to avoid publicly voting against their party line on allowances. We will wait and see how many donate the increase to charities.

Possible Labour abstentions on 25% allowance increase tomorrow

I understand that several Labour councillors are considering abstaining when the report giving them a 25% increase on their basic allowance, bringing it up to £10,000 annually, is tabled at Full Council tomorrow.

The rise, coming as it does at an embarrassing time, and attacked by Labour Party activist Graham Durham, has caused much discussion in the group, with even some Cabinet members having qualms.

An alternative, suggested by some, is voting for the increase but them donating it to Brent charities that help those most impacted by Coalition welfare reforms.