Brian Coleman
Up the City of London
- 2 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 16 January 2008
Brian Coleman returns to the City of London
The last time I wrote a column referring to the Corporation of the City of London, Ken Livingstone described me as behaving like a "demented Trot" in calling for its abolition - which, incidentally I was not.
Meanwhile a hard copy of my blog was pinned up on the notice board of the Members room at the Guildhall. I suspect the first time many Alderman and Common Councillors had read [...]
A few cans of Hairspray
- 0 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 02 January 2008
Brian Coleman gives his acerbic verdict on the hit West End musical
In the days when I had a life (before I became a professional politician) I was a regular West End theatre-goer and so it was last Friday, during that blissful period between Christmas and New Year when public servants can have a week off, I went along to the Shaftesbury Theatre to see the new hot show, the musical Hairspray.
Now the London Assembly is currently conducting an investigation [...]
Serving should be a vocation
- 2 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 20 December 2007
Brian Coleman bemoans what he argues is the passing of a tradition of service over salary in local government
Dame Jane Roberts was a reasonably good Labour Leader of the Council of the London Borough of Camden until in 2005 she decided there was more to life than night after night at the Town Hall and decided to spend more time with her family, literally in her case.
Whether or not she foresaw the meltdown the Labour administration was heading for in the May 2006 local elections and [...]
United with Livingstone
- 40 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 04 December 2007
Opposition to the BNP makes for some curious political alliances
There is not much on which Ken Livingstone and I agree.
However we are united in our determination to ensure that next May’s election to the London Assembly do not produce one or more members of the British National Party sitting in City Hall.
The electoral system for the Assembly has 14 'first past the post' constituencies and, with the current lead in the polls, the Conservatives should pick [...]
Let's hear it for Charlie...
- 4 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 19 November 2007
Brian Coleman hails the contribution of London's black churches, attacking City Hall's PC alternatives and has fulsome praise for the Prince of Wales
I can confidently predict the United Kingdom will never become a republic having been present the other day when Prince Charles celebrated his 59th Birthday at Jesus House, Cricklewood.
He was in the company of a thousand members of one of Britain’s premier black churches and you should have seen the absolutely rapturous reception he and the Duchess of Cornwall received.
Anybody who thinks that the multiracial nature of [...]
Costs saved, lives lost
- 0 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 05 November 2007
The deaths of four young firefighters is a tragic indictment of our unwillingness to invest in public safety
The tragic deaths of four young firefighters in a blaze in a vegetable packing warehouse in Warwickshire is the biggest loss of life in a single incident for the UK fire service since the 1970s.
As Conservative Leader on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority I vividly remember the shock at the deaths of two firefighters in 2004 in Bethnal Green after a period of over 12 years during [...]
The 'desecration' of Cyprus
- 249 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 22 October 2007
Brian Coleman on Northern Cyprus, the treatment of Orthodox churches and why the government promotes Turkish membership of the EU
The deaths of a couple of dozen Turkish troops in operations against the Kurds and the vote by the Turkish Parliament to in effect invade Northern Iraq to pursue operations against the Kurdish people has focused world attention on a conflict which the modern state of Turkey has pursued for many decades.
Last weekend I was in Cyprus (and yes my expenses were paid by my hosts) to attend events [...]
Time to abolish the City of London?
- 5 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 09 October 2007
The Tory politician calls for the abolition of the corporation that governs London's square mile and criticises its chairman
So at long last after endless media speculation we have a decision from Gordon Brown: Crossrail will be built.
Never mind whether this project is still viable or practical having been first proposed fourteen years ago. Never mind that it has no benefit at all for most actual Londoners as opposed to commuters from the Home Counties.
The Government has bullied and cajoled the City Corporation, the business community and [...]
A long-running 'feud'
- 0 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 25 September 2007
The Tory London assembly member on what he says is one of the longest-running feuds in London politics - between Ken Livingstone and Trevor Phillips
One of the longest running London political feuds is that between Trevor Phillips, the Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality and Ken Livingstone.
The row partly goes back to 2000 when Phillips ran as Frank Dobson’s deputy in his ill-fated Mayoral Campaign against Livingstone.
The following three years that Phillips spent on the London Assembly (including being its first Chairman) were probably not the most productive of [...]
Where next for the suburbs?
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- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 11 September 2007
Tory politician Brian Coleman mourns what he sees as the deterioration of London's suburbs
So what future is there for the suburbs? Those vast areas of outer London that prior to 1965 used to be in Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire and most of all Middlesex, which until 1997 was staunchly Conservative.
The suburbs were what the working classes aspired to by. They were the place the middle classes lived and died. Of course there are suburbs in all our major Cities although the middle classes [...]
Cultural apartheid?
- 7 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 28 August 2007
The Proms remain a resolutely all-white, Middle English affair
Years ago, before politics intervened and I had a life, I was a regular at the BBC Proms. I was never a 'Promenader' as even when younger I could not stand the effort of standing or the attentions of the significant number of sad middle aged and elderly queens who occupied the floor of the Royal Albert Hall: it is supposedly the best gay pick up joint in London if [...]
Politics and alcohol
- 8 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 13 August 2007
One Tory backbencher of my acquaintance always made a better speech after he had consumed a bottle of red wine at dinner
Having been brought up and remained a practising Methodist I have always had a healthy suspicion of the power of alcohol. Rather like the Methodist Church (which it seems these days stands for not much that John Wesley would recognise) and unlike my Octogenarian Mother I have long since abandoned my teetotalism and enjoy good champagne when someone else is paying and a glass of port or two after your [...]
Falun Gong is a constant reminder of Chinese oppression
- 17 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 31 July 2007
The Chinese government has a long way to go in learning how to treat and respect humanity
A recent Saturday morning, a short, colourful and dignified procession set off from outside the Chinese embassy in Portland Place. It was composed of practitioners and supporters of the Falun Gong movement, a slightly bizarre quasi-religious organisation that believes in meditation and bits of various Eastern religions.
To me, as a mainstream Christian, it may be slightly odd but it is entirely harmless and believes in peace and goodwill and [...]
The Tory mayoral carry on
- 5 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 23 July 2007
With Boris on the boards the London political scene now has a production to grasp the popular imagination
So one of the longest productions in the Westminster Playhouse is finally closing after more than a year.
Yes Carry On Conservative Candidate is finally coming to a triumphal conclusion having played to largely indifferent houses over the last fifteen months. The cast has featured several household names but none lasted more than a few days until the arrival of Boris in the lead role just as the curtain was [...]
Coleman at Wimbledon
- 1 comments
- Posted by Brian Coleman
- 09 July 2007
The Navy at Gay Pride, why the people behind 2012 should be replaced and a few other musings arising from a trip to the home of tennis...
An eclectic mix of the Great and the Good assembled in the Royal Box as guests of the All England Lawn Tennis Club the other Friday. The Club's President, the archetypal Royal Duke of Kent (who no more would host a Pop Concert at Wembley Stadium than streak across Centre Court) was joined by amongst others Senator George Mitchell, Jimmy Tarbuck, Lesley Garrett and Vogue's Anna Wintour.
I sat [...]
