Forum Topic

Should Ealing Council buy any tiskets for the Olympics

Some London boroughs are buying, some are not and some are undecided.Ealing has not yet responded) I think the benefits to Ealing are hard to see  and so I would be unhappy if Ealing council use our Council Tax to purchase seats. How do others feel?

Penny Crocker ● 5504d15 Comments

There are people in Labour and the other parties who primarily care about their local communities, however they tend not to be in positions of power or have comprimised their beliefs in difficult times as they are offered no other choice by the officers. The officers run the show. under the tories we saw councillors defending decisions that clearly were not their own. maybe paid political advisors who can scrutinise on behalf of the councillors would allow this to happen?? but then would these people become part of the machine. i.e. a person paid £40k by labour see that they could earn £200k when labour get into power? transparency is the answer but how will it be achieved. the cabinet gives a sense of centralising power away from the lobby fodder council. it is a question that people who have access to power need to wrestle with. how can they ensure that they are making decisions in the best interests of ealing rather than the monolith of ealing council.

Peter Chadburn ● 5499d

Eric, now that really is a conundrum!In this borough (only because of the balance between the parties at the moment) if people are disaffected then perhaps it may have to be Tory.They are doing the old fashioned thing of mounting an opposition campaign which is right. The Ealing Liberals are nearly as silent as the Labour people.Obviously political parties have to keep their powder dry but I would dearly like to know what Tories would propose as an alternative.

George Knox ● 5500d

It's worrying but I find myself agreeing with Councillor Taylor.I can still remember when the Labour Party was run by Socialists, who put the interests of people ahead of the interests of property.But where oh where do disaffected Labour voters go to? Surely not to the privatise everything Tories or the can't be trusted LibDems?

Eric Alan Leach ● 5500d

I have a very good friend who has been involved in the Albert Dane campaign. there will be no alternative facilities provided. the only solution offered was spin!! personalised budgets with nowhere to spend them and not budgets for all. it is not the £156K they are concenred about. it is the dosh they get from selling the site. Greed!!! pure and simple. Sacrifice the vulnerable. My grandad and many other labour stalwarts would find this difficult to recognise if they came back from the grave. so new labour gives us gaddafi's mate tony bliar!! i voted for labour to protect the very people that are getting persecuted??

Peter Chadburn ● 5500d

To quote Conservative Councillor Phil Taylor elesewhere in this forum (in the "grimbusters flop") thread:"It is hilariously wrong.  The Albert Dane saving figure as stated in both cabinet papers and budget papers is £156K not £536K."This is peanuts on the Ealing Council Gravy Train and it is unforgiveable that the least able should be denied basic facilities by the self-proclaimed party of inclusiveness that says it supports the minorites, the Labour Party.

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5500d

So 160K is all that is needed. 3 lawyers or a couple of other higher paids would have done it. ealing council want the money from selling it and had no interest in keeping it open. the rudeness to protestors shows that quite clearly

Peter Chadburn ● 5500d

Ealing Council could buy premium seats for premium events and sell them at several times the price closer to the date of the Olympics in London to finance the £160,000 to save the Albert Dane Day Centre for the Disabled people.

Maggie Tomlinson ● 5500d

There is absolutely no reason for Ealing Council to buy tickets to the East London Olympics. They can watch the Games on the TV like the rest of us.

Eric Alan Leach ● 5503d

Barbara, how would anyone know apart from a small handful that the Mayor was attending and along with the other thousands just how much of an impact would his presence make? He along with a load of other dignitories would be a mere blot on the landscape of East LondonNow if we got an identifiable return on the cost of his ticket that would be different. If he has a freedom pass then I expect him to use it since I would have paid for it.

George Knox ● 5503d

Perhaps one of the Albert Dane users could be given that jobs since they will have nowhere to go to

Peter Chadburn ● 5503d

Actually, that may be in jest but don't think anyone would object to that !

Penny Crocker ● 5503d

I think the Mayor of Ealing should be allowed to go free and parade in the opening ceremony with Ealing's flag.(Is there a smiley face which has a tongue in the cheek?)

Barbara Yerolemou ● 5503d

Nope

George Knox ● 5504d

Hear, hear.

Susan Kelly ● 5504d

Quite right that they should not buy tickets. If people buy tickets for themselves that is fine but for junketing definately not.

Peter Chadburn ● 5504d