Wednesday 27 July 2016

"Welcoming a New May Government": A response by Cllr Dr Devra Kay




 

"Welcoming the New May Government":  A response by Cllr Dr Devra Kay



to Cllr Gabriel Rozenberg's "Welcoming the New May Government" motion
Full Council, London Borough of Barnet, Hendon Town Hall, 26 July 



I also congratulate Mrs May.  She has made an impressive start.  She's an excellent speaker; she's presented herself as experienced, reliable, hard working, serious, caring with a sense of duty and public service.  Yes, Theresa May is very impressive at talking the talk.  But what about walking the walk?

She may look in control, but in her 'distinguished' career at the Home Office, her failure to control our borders and cut numbers of mass migration let alone reach her target of tens of thousands meant that as a Remainer she played an invaluable role in the success of the Brexit campaign that was so dominated by the issue of freedom of movement.

Mrs May's tough speech to the Police Federation two years ago was certainly impressive - but recent Home Office figures show t
he number of police officers in England and Wales has fallen by nearly 20,000 since she came to power, police budgets have faced an overall reduction in real terms of 18%. And the claim that criminal offences have fallen by 6% compared with last year does not include new figures showing almost six million fraud and cyber crimes committed in the same period when officer numbers continue to fall.  Officers from a Black or Minority Ethnic background make up nearly 6% of all officers, far from representative of our population.  And you will all remember the G4S fiasco at the Olympic Games Her walking the walk record speaks for itself.

Mrs May has been a long-term high-ranking member of a Cabinet which has favoured the very rich while impoverishing the poorest and most vulnerable. She has vowed to change this and only time will tell.  But in a list of the world's richest countries that shows the gap between rich and poor, the UK is 3rd and is on target to become top of the list over the next few years.

Since becoming PM Mrs May has said that she wants people to "Take control of their own lives"  I don't know how she sees this fitting in with her Snoopers' Charter but I suspect this is Conservative speak for 'you're free to do things for yourselves as you won't be getting any help from the State.

Tory Peter Hitchin wrote at the weekend:
  "Mrs May may come to regret her vain, boastful behaviour at PMQs when she bragged about how big her party was and how it was united behind her.  These things can change and very fast and Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.  It may not be very long before she sits on the Opposition benches". 

Cllr Rozenberg requests that the Leader ask the new Government and the Mayor for an "appropriate financial settlement" for London and to regard Barnet as a priority.  Asking for money is only a part of the process.  It's how you spend it that counts.  


We only have to look at her record and while I hope for the best I cannot hope but fear the worst. We ain't seen Brexit yet!

No comments:

Post a Comment