[Updated] Don't bother trying to raise 'Pinkham Way' at tonight's Residents Forums in Barnet...

Link to Barnet's 'Mr Reasonable'

"40% of residents say that Barnet 'listens to the concerns of local residents'. This represents a 12% drop since the last survey in 07/08, and is 15% below the London average of 55%."

"I think it is rather bad timing that, tonight, Barnet's new 'reformatted' residents' forums start, and:

• with an earlier start time, making it much more difficult for working people to attend, and
• with a much more rigid structure of what can be asked, [planning matters are excluded from discussion at any meeting from now on], including no questions on the night."

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Rush to

'Broken Barnet'
web site

UPDATE: From Mrs Angry, at the 'Broken Barnet' web site

Mrs Angry has just returned from the very first meeting of a [new-style] Barnet residents' forum [not the Friern Barnet one]. What an evening of entertainment it turned out to be!

Mrs Angry is still wiping away her smudged mascara, caused by laughing so helplessly, as the meeting descended into chaos, with scenes of seething discontent from the mutinous residents, provoked by a ludicrous demonstration of iron-fisted, 'OneBarnet' dictatorship by the new Chairman.

This Forum was the first under the new rules of engagement, laid down in the recent constitutional 'reforms', which have killed any process where political issues can be debated by residents - or even opposition councillors - here in 'Broken Barnet'.

... Local resident and activist Julian Silverman stood to ask that the forum suspend the new regulations, to allow an an emergency question about, ha: 'MetPro', safguarding, possible fraud, and the risks of proceeding with the outsourcing programme, when procurement processes have been revealed by the 'MetPro' inquiry to be totally out of control.

... Later, a resident called Mr B stood up to speak about his question, which sounded rather dull, frankly. But how wrong can you be? I will have to paraphrase as much as I can remember, because I was laughing so much.

Mr B stood at the front, and let forth, slowly building, in a performance surely worthy of Olivier or Gielgud. He delivered to the assembled residents of Broken Barnet, a monologue of sheer brilliance, spitting with fury, and dripping with splenetic disdain. It started calmly enough, with road signs, and emergency services, painted lines and warning notices, bollards, and stanchions, but ended up with Cry God for Harry and St Crispin's Day, via a searing indictment of the utter contempt shown by the councillors to their voters. "And as for that fool, Councillor Brian Coleman, ..."

After the meeting, Lord Monroe Palmer came over to say hello to Mrs Angry. "Did you know," she said, poking him in the arm, "there's film of you and me on YouTube, now ...?"

For a fleeting moment, a look of panic slipped over his face. "The 'MetPro' Audit Committee meeting," she explained. "Ah, yes!" We then talked about the 'forum', and the ridiculous, shameful new rules.

Monroe mentioned ruefully that he had just been in the House of Lords, debating the Localism Bill. "Ha," said Mrs Angry, "have the Tories worked out what it means, yet?"