Rob Hayward: Cut London boroughs and councillors

By Paul Goodman

Rob Hayward, the former MP for Kingswood, is a long-time adviser to the Party on boundary reviews and electoral matters, and knows more about both than most of us.  However, his Evening Standard piece this evening is unlikely to have boosted his popularity with some London Conservative Councillors.

In it, he argues that there are too many London Boroughs and London Councillors.  He writes that:

"Several London boroughs, including Richmond and Kingston, are smaller than either Southend or  Stockton. Five are even smaller than Basildon District".

"Why not merge these London Lilliputs and do away with their myriad chief executives, directors and the rest? If the mighty authorities of the West Midlands were our model, there would be 16 or 17 London boroughs, not 32."

"In any case, there is no logic or fairness about it. Why does Kensington & Chelsea need 54 councillors for 87,000 voters (that's one per 1,600 voters) when Bromley gets by with 60 for 227,000 (one per 3,800)?  But let's go further."

"Go on, have the courage of the moment. Goodbye Islington, Richmond and Kensington & Chelsea: the savings would come to millions."

The piece is headlined "Slim down London's costly toytown Councils", and can be read here.

Two councillors in Kensington and Chelsea tender their resignations

Breaking news from Kensington and Chelsea where it has been confirmed that two Conservative councillors have resigned.

Council Leader Merrick Cockell informed the rest of the Conservative group in the Royal Borough yesterday afternoon that he had accepted the resignations of Cllr Barry Phelps from Earl's Court ward and Mark Daley from Cremorne ward.

Their decisions follow a complaint to the Standards Committee about an alleged code of conduct breach relating to the use of the council email system.

By-elections are expected to be held on September 16th.

Jonathan Isaby

BECAUSE OF THE SENSTIVITY OF THE RESIGNATIONS WE ARE NOT OPENING THE THREAD TO COMMENTS.

5.45pm From the Kensington and Chelsea Chronicle: "Former Kensington and Chelsea mayor Councillor Barry Phelps fired off a series of emails to Councillor Mark Daley, displaying black and white images of young boys with sexually suggestive captions added by Mr Phelps... The emails were reported to the council by Justin Downes, leader of the Residents First campaign group, who had been alerted by a concerned resident. "These were innocent images and Councillor Phelps has created sexual overtones to them," Mr Downes said. "I think it's absolutely right for them to go when the council proclaims itself as a council which is absolutely intolerant of child abuse.""

Kensington and Chelsea launches 'Wedge card' to promote local shops

By regular ConservativeHome reader, Henry Mayhew.

David Cameron's vision of localism was given a boost in London last week as 150,000 free Wedge local shopping reward cards were posted to residents of Kensington & Chelsea by the Conservative-run council. I've always held a candle for the outstanding leader of RBKC, Merrick Cockell, but this scheme is brilliant. Founded by Diana Bird, daughter of John Bird of the Big Issue, it gives us K&C residents a card in our hand and invites us to register online at wedgecard.co.uk. Here we can bang in our postcode and search locally for all the wonderful independent shops that exist in the borough, offering superb organic foods and drinks, fashionable clothes and furnishings, books, entertainment and everything the with-it man, woman or child might need or covet.

The genius of this scheme is that the searchable database tells us what there is, where it is and then chucks in a decent discount to get us to go out and sample. Clicks and mortar. But, as one of my clients says, ideas, schmideas. RBKC, working with Ms Bird, has taken the crucial step of mailing out 150,000 of these cards and a link to the website, to us deserving local residents. Think about that number for a second, all within the five square miles of the Borough. That is a hugely powerful promotion for local, diverse, green, trade, at a cost per card to the council of 75p.

I know there's a lot of jealousy about fatcats (some of it from me probably) and moans about the strength of our council's financial position (ie apparently it's too strong) but don't you think this is a great public-private idea? If you want a card yourself for a measly £10 as a non-resident, sign up here.  I'm off shopping so I'll see what you think later but don't take my word for it, this is what fellow resident Mr D. Cameron has to say on it:

'I'm a big fan of the Wedge Card and I'm delighted it's coming to Kensington & Chelsea. We all know how much our small shops bring to our local areas. They help to shape the character of the communities we know and love. But the trouble is that while we all value our local shops and complain when we lose them, too often we forget to use them ourselves. That's why the Wedge Card is such a fantastic, practical idea. The local card'holder wins because they get all sorts of discounts. The local shopkeeper wins with the extra business the cards bring in. And local communities win, because the cards help to keep our streets alive with small, independent businesses. I wish the Wedge Card every success.'

How to be a good Mayor

Cllr Barry Phelps offers some advice based on his experiences as Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea from 2004-5. 

Life is an ego trip and there is no better trip than being Mayor of your community. English Mayors, with a few exceptions, are ceremonial and so like Her Majesty the Queen, but unlike the Prime Minister, you enjoy the flattery without the brickbats. While Mayor you can do no wrong with Council Standing Orders always  starting "The decision of the Mayor shall be final". I  enjoyed the added distinction of being Mayor of one of the only three Royal Boroughs in England.  (We have an abundance of Lord Mayors, no less than 23, so they lack rarity value.)

As the ceremonial head of your community you need to act the part. Your residents and business community expect you to look like the Mayor, sound like a Mayor and behave like a Mayor. They do not want you to turn up to their event, if a man, in casual clothes and no tie nor, if a woman, looking as if you have just rushed to them from the school-run via the supermarket. They want their Mayor to turn up in a morning-coat  or in a stylish but conventional dress, offsetting the Mayoral  gold chain to best effect.  A modest degree of pomposity goes down well. Arrival in a large black saloon car with liveried chauffeur-cum-Macebearer completes residents' enjoyment of your presence. Dressing up gives people a photograph with you which they can treasure. Nobody will treasure a photograph of themselves with some bearded-weirdy Mayor wearing jeans, sandals and a "Ban-The-Bomb" T-shirt with the chain-of-office.