‘A direction we cannot follow’-Havering political split.
‘It is very clear many HRA Councillors hold views that are wholly incompatible with those of the Labour Party and the needs of residents are being sidelined for populist headlines.’
Havering Labour Group today share the following:
Following a meeting on Monday 3rd June, elected members representing the so-called non-political Havering Resident Association decided to act in a particularly political way to remove Labour Councillors from the Joint Administration agreement.
Speaking on behalf of the Labour Group, Leader Keith Darvill explained: “It is very clear many HRA Councillors hold views that are wholly incompatible with those of the Labour Party and the needs of residents are being sidelined for populist headlines. “
Labour Party members entered this Joint Administration in good Faith. We are proud of the difference we have made in the last two years and will continue to serve Havering residents. Sadly, the increasing reliance on former Conservative Councillors and those with interests only in their own pockets demonstrates a direction of travel away from our values. Populism and empty gesture petty politics is not something we will support. HRA Councillors in their decision making appear to have ignored the benefit to the Boroughs residents of having Labour Councillors within a Joint Administration at a time of the likely election of a Labour Government”.
Labour’s Deputy Leader, Councillor Mandy Anderson, was sceptical of previous RA communication and their misrepresentation of the understood agreement. “As an example, it is disappointing that despite Cllr Pat Brown always intending to accept a nomination to serve as Mayor, this is now being erroneously reported. Cllr Brown’s intent was made clear to Cllr Morgon over the course of several months before the Annual Council meeting. It was his own backbench councillors threatening Cllr Morgon’s leadership that forced him to abandon his promises, his principles and this working arrangement.”
Councillor Matt Stanton added: “The nomination for Overview & Scrutiny Board Chair was made in the hopes that the RA Group would see the value of having an increased Labour presence in Scrutiny, as we have been leading the way across all the scrutiny committees.”
Havering’s Labour Councillors will continue to hold the Council and the administration to account through their various positions and serving to be the true voice of residents.
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HRA is registered as political party and as such is *political*. Ray Morgon, their leader, in his legally binding entry on ‘Register of Interests’ says that his occupation is ‘Full-time politician’.
Everything that HRA does is political. Hence the punishment of Romford over the free 30 minutes free parking scandal. They are being punished because they vote Conservative.
5 Libraries due for closure and only one is in the HRA heartlands. 2 in Romford isn’t a coincidence.
And so on.
The irony of ending the coalition with Labour is the HRA will now have to own all the decisions being made to cut services and take out ruinous loans rather than just blaming the ‘national parties’ for all Havering’s problems.
The allegedly ‘non-political’ councillors will have to become political and start having to campaign and argue about issues beyond pot-holes if they are going to actually run the council and not simply use allowances to supplement the pension.
When Conservatives were in government, the HRA refused to work with them. Now it looks like we may have a Labour government, the HRA ditch Labour.
If they are willing to work with anyone, to get the best for Havering, as they claim, then why do the always refuse to work with those in Government?
It’s like they want to make their life more difficult. Or, perhaps, they like being able to have someone else to blame. After all, the HRA are as party political as everyone else.