Closing the Cabinet

Speech by Cllr Ashley Lumsden on Wed 7th Feb 2007

Thursday 8 February will see the first of Labour's daytime cabinet meetings. Starting at 2.30pm it is timed perfectly to keep parents on the school run away just as much as people - and councillors - who work during the daytime.

I was thinking about how councillors who work are to be disadvantaged and my memory started to bring up an indignant email or two from the last council - when Labour were in opposition. So today I hunted through my email archive.

And look what I came across.

A sharp perhaps even condescending email from October 2005. It is from a Labour councillor who was then in opposition and now sits on the cabinet. Look what it says.

______________________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----

From: xxxxxxxx, xxxxx

Sent: 04 February 2005 12:31

Subject: RE: Stockwell Park and Robsart Estate Stock Transfer Master Plan briefing

I cannot possibly attend a meeting at 10am on 23 February 2005 for the simple reason that I will be at work!

While I am aware that members of the Executive also have jobs, I think there is complete lack of appreciation by both officers and members of the Administration that the majority of Labour Group members have full-time jobs and/or are looking after children during the day.

I have lost count of the number of invitations I receive for meetings that are either during the day or at 5pm when one is only just leaving the office.

Could I ask that in future members are offered the option of two dates, at least one of them should be in the evening from 6.30pm.

______________________________________________________________________

Well what a change around today as this Labour councillor voted to hike up her allowances now isn't quite so shrill about the rights of those councillors who work.

I wonder if you can guess who sent it?