Private Eye award for Council leader

8.47.00pm GMT Tue 27th Jan 2009

Councillor Duncan Macdonald is congratulating the Leader of the Council on winning Private Eye's banker of the year award

At tonight's Council meeting High Barnet Liberal Democrat Councillor Duncan Macdonald is inviting the Council to congratulate the Leader of the Council Cllr Mike Freer on his award in Private Eye's 2008 Rotten Borough Awards. The citation for the award reads:

"One man who raised cluelessness to an art form was the Tory leader of the London borough of Barnet, Mike Freer. He told councillors that he couldn't be blamed for the council losing £27.4m in dodgy Icelandic banks because he had never bothered to review the council's investments. Ever. And in a former life he used to be, er, a banker. Quite."

Cllr Macdonald is challenging the Conservatives to debate his motion. "It is the first item on the order paper By rights it should be taken first. The Conservatives better not use their majority to block it and stifle debate "

Councillor Jack Cohen, Leader of Barnet Liberal Democrats added;

"The very serious point that Cllr Macdonald will be making when he moves this motion is that the Leader of the Council has refused to accept responsibility for the loss of £27.4 million in Icelandic banks despite being both Leader of the Council and Chair of the Cabinet Resources committee which oversees the Council's Treasury Management Strategy.

Why are the tax payers of Barnet paying over £50,000 in allowances to Cllr Freer if he isn't doing the work.?"