Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Local councillors and Terrapin Communications
I wasn't going to say this as I'm loathe to criticise someone's choice of employer for their first job. I did however think it was a bit off that Adam Jogee was working as a researcher for Terrapin Communications. Why did I think this was off? Well, their list of clients included the three firms currently bidding to run a large part of the council'sour land in a 20 year "partnership" deal. I asked around and was told that he was a good boy and was being responsible about it. He's now the Majority Chief Whip.
So then I come across THIS POST on OpinioN8 which is Crouch End's version of HoL. There it states that
Councillor Kober has dined six times at Terrapin's expense, once in Cannes. Detail on the lunches decreases over time.
Councillor Strickland was also at this dinner in Cannes and has dined at Terrapin's expense another four times.
Councillor Jason Arthur - twice, recently, with Peter Bingle and again with another partner, Christian Klapp.
Go see the post on OpinioN8, click on the links. See for yourself. Adam was a just graduated student when he became a Labour councillor, now he's a researcher for perhaps the country's best known Tory lobbyist.
Martin Ball pointed some of this out to us about 18 months ago and we were all a bit meh. Presumably we consider it slightly off to worry about who pays for someone else's lunch. However, Terrapin's client list should give us cause for concern given what is also happening with Hornsey Town Hall. Have we been duped here?
Tags for Forum Posts: corruption, haringey, haringey development vehicle, hornsey town hall, opinion8, terrapin
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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In which case, John McMullan, he appears to be late in declaring it on his register of interests. Tut Tut. Send for the Chief Whip.
Pam Isherwood, Radical and brave? Perhaps Mr Bingle has poor autocomplete on his phone. And tried to type: "Gullible & blockheaded"
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What? No offers of free luncheon, Pam? Don't they know how important you are?
As someone called Mark on the OpinioN8 website points out, the proposed Haringey Development Vehicle (i.e sell-off the Council's land, including several housing estates) is listed as worth £500m-£2bn.
"Big money. High stakes... Good lunches," observes Mark sagely.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Our councillors are meeting for negotiations over these deals, in public restaurants, without minutes being taken, and are drinking (how else do you get a lunch bill to £60 a head?).
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Show me a menu where lunch, excluding drinks, is £60 a head. What about the lack of minutes and the public venues?
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John, here's how it works,
Check out who controls the lolly, Fa la la la la la la la!
Invite them to a lobbyists' jolly, Fa la la la la la la la!See the blithering fools before us, Fa la la la la la la la!
Sixty quid they'll join the chorus, Fa la la la la la la la!
Raise your glass in merry measure, Fa la la la la la la la!
Help ourselves to Haringey's treasure, Fa la la la la la la la!
Fast and free the property passes, Fa la la la la la la la!
We've elected right-wing arses, Fa la la la la la la la!
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Even a right-wing council would find this example of what is being done egregious at a minimum. Any non-corrupt council would.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on
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Couldn't make it up. Just Googled "Peter Bingle". Hit 1 is an article "Lunch with Peter Bingle". Here. Their lunch at Shepherds would be around £50 a head. And they weren't trying hard.
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Permalink Reply by pamish on
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That puff-piece on Bingle.
You know those 'reality' things where politicians have to live on benefit-level incomes, for a week or two? This man is a prime candidate for such a programme. But my version would have him working as a care worker, minimum wage, for a month, and living on the proceeds, not using anything in his house/s that he already owns. Yes living in an HMO, that would do it, for authenticity. Charity shop clothes.These invisible non-public figures are the most dangerous of all.
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Thanks for that peek into Mr Bingle's world.
Here he is in PR week in 2015 when Chairman of Bell Pottinger. The headline: Never Knowingly Underlunched.
This may be the standard and normal way that business is done in that world. But I was under the misapprehension that procurement of contracts for local Government was subject to strict rules about who can talk to whom; about transparency, and public accountability etc.
As every elected politician ought to know there's basic problem of public trust. Or, to be more specific, a widespread view that too many politicians are untrustworthy when it comes to property deals, planning decisions etc. So even if nothing wrong happened, it's still the case that informal meetings and paid-for lunches and free trips, hotels and the rest, does nothing to build confidence in the people we elect.
I don't hold Mr Bingle responsible for any of this. But the people we elect should not be so foolish, greedy and gullible. -
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"- What do you prize most in new recruits?
I look for two qualities - being really talented and really nice. I want an office full of consultants who are great at what they do and great company socially."
Well Cllr Jogee ticks both those boxes forsure.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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Good research, John and Martin. Cosy, isn't it? Ahead of the all-out borough elections in 2018, this proves that Haringey needs more opposition councillors (every single councillor, of which there are 28, in the Tottenham constituency is Labour). Just eight non-Reds across the borough (total: 59). #AlmostAOnePartyState #Scrutiny
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