Jack Cohen voices protest against cuts

Jack Cohen, leader of the small three-member Lib Dem group on Barnet council, has signed the letter by Lib Dem council leaders complaining about the cuts in local government.

There's a report by the Press Association here.

I hope the Barnet Lib Dems will vote against the cuts in the council chamber on 1 March.

Incapacitated

I thought I would share this crossword clue with you, from Gordius in the Guardian:

Politician is competent without Conservative leader (solution: able)

How did Barnet's Lib Dem councillors vote in the council meeting the other day? Was it for or against the cuts? That's me for a few days: back to the Baileys.

Merry Christmas!

If only all protests were as successful as this

The cold, the prospect of listening to councillor Robert Rams, and the worry of an angry protest outside combined to keep Chipping Barnet Tories away from their own meeting this evening. Roger Tichborne tells the story over on his Barnet Eye blog.

Now, if only we can repeat this next Tuesday when the Tory-run council plans to vote through cuts of £54 million over the next three years. It would be wonderful if the Tory councillors were too nervous about a lobby or cosy by their fires to turn up, or suddenly had an attack of self-loathing at what they were about to do.

(And what about Barnet's three Lib Dem councillors? What are they saying about the budget, and will they come down with abstainitis on the night? If they've any sense, they'll vote, like Labour, against.)