POULTON REFUSES TO UNDERGO TRAINING

Some will remember a few months ago the councils Standards Board received a complaint made by residents of Thames ward after councillor Poulton was very rude and aggressive towards an elderly resident at a meeting.

The Standards board issued a directive that Poulton should write a letter of apology, and that he should not Chair any council meetings until such time as he had received training on how to be a Good Chairman.

Firstly, Poulton has not complied with the directive to write a letter of apology, and now we hear that he has refused to undergo the training, even though he has been appointed Deputy Chair of the planning committee, which could mean that at some time he may be called on to chair the meeting.

Talk about sticking 2 fingers up at the councils Standards board, but, more importantly its the 2 fingers he is sticking up at the residents of Thames ward.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF THE PROMISES?

Many voters in the Barking constituency were promised a new and exciting team of labour councillors, who would work for them and be available when called.

You would have seen in a previous post that at least one of them is not living up to that promise with councillor Channer not responding to residents complaints.

Now it certainly seems that the newly elected councillors for Barking are taking 6 weeks holiday, if you look at when they are advertising their next surgeries, those of course that are holding surgeries, and there is not many of them, they have closed down until September, much in line with the House of Commons recess, many would say that they have been instructed by their Leader M Hodge that they cannot function when she is not around to supervise.

Word is leaking out from the council chamber that many are not even attending council meetings, but, they are still picking up the money!!!

It is also being said that those that are attending meetings have to attend briefing meetings at North Street first, so that they toe the North street line.

Really the only line they should be following is the line their communities set, but, of course they are not concerned with that are they??

A LESSON THAT MUST BE LEARNED

We have been told that one of the newly elected North Street mafia is refusing to take up a very real problem that has been brought to them by residents in the ward.

We have also been told that despite the fact that this newly elected member has stated that they can be contacted 24 hours a day, you can contact them, but they wont do anything according to residents.

The reason why, according to residents is that the councillor is a member of the organisation that is causing all of the problems.

We will of course watch and see how or even if the problems are resolved.

WHY

Papers published this week on the councils website show that councillor Barry Poulton has still not complied with the instructions of the Standards Board sent out several months ago, that he writes an apology to the elderly resident he abused at a meeting, and also that he has to undergo training before he can chair any council meetings.

Just goes to show the lack of respect for the residents of Thames Ward, but, also the lack of respect for the councils own code of conduct and the Standards board itself.

It must now be the job of the labour group itself to see that councillor Barry Poulton complies with these directions, otherwise it could be said that not only has Poulton no respect, but, that the labour group has no respect either.