In the first cock-up of Boris’ new term, leading Tory Stephen Greenhalgh has been forced to quit as a councillor in west London to to become deputy mayor for policing – despite claims from council authorities and the Evening Standard that he could continue in both roles.
Stephen Greenhalgh leaving as a H&F councillor so he can be Boris’ deputy mayor for policing.”Too good an opportunity” said sources.
— Peter Dominiczak (@peterdominiczak) May 10, 2012
As highlighted by Scrapbook on Tuesday, City Hall rulesban advisers to the mayor from being “politically active” unless they are members of the London Assembly.
Boris Johnson’s mayoral appointments have hit a road block – after a rule breach over political appointments was highlighted by Scrapbook yesterday.Stephen Greenhalgh will now be forced to quit as a councillor in Hammersmith and Fulham if he is to accept a role as Boris’ deputy mayor for policing.
Despite briefing to the Evening Standard on Greenhalgh’s appointment yesterday, the official announcement was delayed for hours after awkward questions prompted an examination of whether the role was “politically restricted” – meaning it cannot be performed by a sitting councillor.
But a spokesperson for the London Assembly has now said:
“If you are not a member of the Assembly then the position [of deputy mayor for policing] makes you a member of staff of the Mayor’s office for policing and crime and, therefore, under the rules they cannot be a councillor at the same time. He cannot hold both posts at the same time.”
While some hacks claimed that reforms in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act would prevent a similar cockup to that surrounding the appointment of Boris’ planning advisor in 2008, it seems that the legislation still applies rules on political restrictionsas follows:
“In this section a reference to a person holding a politically restricted post under a local authority includes a reference to every member of the staff of an elected local policing body, except for a deputy police and crime commissioner.”
The rules will prevent Greenhalgh from cashing in twice — topping up his full-time deputy mayor salary with councillor allowances.
Have we just witnessed the first significant cockup of Boris’ second stint as mayor? City Hall spinners have briefed that Kit Malthouse has been dumped as deputy mayor for policing to make way for former Hammersmith & Fulham Council, Stephen Greenhalgh (pictured):
Many congratulations to Stephen Greenhalgh on becoming Boris’s Deputy Mayor. Good news for Boris and London. Bad news for criminals.
But the position of deputy mayor classified as a politically restricted advisory position — which is out of bounds for a councillor. Boris’ team don’t seem to be familiar with City Hall’s own interpretation of the so-called Widdicombe rules, which state:
“senior officers should not be politically active, and as a consequence should not be councillors.”
To accept the role, Greenhalgh would presumably need to resign his seat, causing a by-election.
On the same day as approving £60m cuts to public spending and services, flagship Tory council Hammersmith and Fulham apparently still have enough money left to make cringey videos.
The “thank you” campaign even saw council leader Stephen Greenhalgh — whose impending resignation was revealed exclusively by Scrapbook back in December — giving out, errr, roses and chocolates to residents.
One of the Tories’ top council leaders is to quit, Political Scrapbook can reveal. The resignation of Stephen Greenhalgh has sparked speculation the controversial leader of Hammersmith & Fulham council will be given a seat in the Lords.
Alongside a string of idiotic gaffes, Greenhalgh’s contributions to local government include hiking parking charges by 110% and spending £1 million per annum on propaganda, including a newspaper which was shut down by Eric Pickles. Inviting the deputy prime minister to a children’s centre which was, erm, being closed down, Greenhalgh memorably steered Nick Clegg into a media car crash (video) described by Thick Of It creator Armando Ianucci as “a political shuttle disaster”.
And as top Westminster Tories heap praise on him today, perhaps they should reflect on his remarks that they “haven’t run a piss-up in a brewery”:
“My mates are all in the shadow Cabinet, waiting to get those [ministerial] boxes, being terribly excited. I went to university with them, they haven’t run a piss-up in; a brewery. They’re going to get a department of state, in one case running the finances of the nation.”
The leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, Stephen Greenhalgh, may be wise to borrow David Cameron’s rat-catching cat Larry for a few days.
While Tories from across the London region gathered to hear Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, Boris Johnson and his mayoral campaign manager Lynton Crosby on Saturday, one delegate opted to leave early, scampering past protesting Labour MP Andy Slaughter and into the bushes opposite Hammersmith Town Hall:
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh was recently in Scrapbook’s guns owing to his bit-part in Nick Clegg’s disastrous children’s centre visit (Greenhalgh was responsible for shutting the facility). However, our most dedicated readers may recall his contribution to the pantheon of idiotic gaffes: the Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader told an event organised by Public Finance magazine last November:
My mates are all in the shadow Cabinet, waiting to get those [ministerial] boxes, being terribly excited. I went to university with them, they haven’t run a piss-up in a brewery. They’re going to get a department of state, in one case running the finances of the nation.
But when challenged on this in a recent interview with Total Politics, Greenhalgh says:
The comment I’ve made is that the shadow cabinet hadn’t run a piss up in a brewery – to paraphrase Obama – “yes they can!” I never said they couldn’t.
Oh, yeah? Though he pleads with interviewer Asa Bennett that ”the context of that is important”, a look back to the original coverage in Public Finance tells a different story. Those present seem clear that Greenhalgh did cast aspersions over the experience of his (then shadow cabinet) colleagues. As he said at the time:
If you’re going to fail, fail running Alabama, fail running Texas, fail running the city of Paris – don’t just take over the country.
DPM Nick Clegg, Tory council leader Stephen Greenhalgh and incensed Labour MP Andy Slaughter
The hapless minister is dispatched to a photo opportunity at a children’s centre, only to be harangued by parents and the local MP because the facility is being closed. The coup-de-grace comes when, retreating to his government Jaguar, he is presented with “save our home” cards created by young children. This may sound like a plot summary from The Thick Of It but that is precisely what happened to Nick Clegg yesterday.
The following package was broadcast on BBC London News after Political Scrapbook scooped the tale of the DPM’s disastrous visit to Shepherd’s Bush Village Hall yesterday afternoon. Keep an eye out for the flummoxed special adviser, incensed local MP and a distinctly uncomfortable council leader:
Further to the icy treatment of the broadcast media (and parents) depicted in the video, Nick Clegg completely stonewalled the local Fulham Chronicle newspaper and was equally purse-lipped with Labour MP, Andy Slaughter, refusing to back the centre he was using for a photo opportunity:
I asked him in a private interview after he had made pizzas with the kids for the cameras, whether he supported the Shepherds Bush Families Project and wanted it to stay open. He wouldn’t answer – Andy Slaughter MP
En-route to his next engagement Scrapbook hopes Clegg took time to read the cards presented to him by two little girls. They read simply:
