Bulmer to challenge Hillan for top job

Another Not The Barnet Times Exclusive!

Despite Mike Freer’s astonishing demand for Lynne Hillan to be anointed his successor unchallenged, Don't Call Me Dave has learnt that Cllr Fiona Bulmer, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, has decided that the interests of democracy are best served by a contested election, and will challenge Hillan for the leadership of the council.

This will avoid the nightmare scenario of a second successive leader being imposed on the residents of Barnet without a public mandate. The contest will take place at a special Group meeting on 10th December when both candidates will set out their vision for the future of Barnet.

Cllr Bulmer has gained a reputation amongst her fellow councillors for being a hard worker and a safe pair of hands who believes in consensus politics. She does not court bad publicity, unlike Lynne Hillan who controversially decided to axe the warden service for those living in sheltered accommodation (but not before her own mother was moved to a new home not threatened by the cuts).

Cllr Hillan has also gained a reputation. Not for hard work but for rampant snout-in-the-troughism, having forced her colleagues to vote for a special motion allowing her to be paid an increased allowance as the Group whip, despite the recession which has caused so much hardship to so many residents.

Barnet’s standing amongst Conservative councils has been severely sullied under the Freer administration, of which Lynne Hillan was a chief protagonist. The borough is in desperate need a new leader untainted by scandal and controversy, who recognises and embraces the inviolable supremacy of the ballot box, but most of all cares about making Barnet a better place, where the rights of the individual are not trampled on by an arrogant and overbearing Executive.