Westminster Council’s Hires New ‘Head of Government Relations’ for £66,000

July 19, 2010

Westminster City Council has appointed a ‘Head of Government Relations’ at a salary of more than either of Westminster’s two Members of Parliament, Karen Buck and Mark Field.

The Council’s new Head of Government Relations will be paid at a rate of £5,500 per month, equivalent to an annual salary of £66,000. Karen Buck MP and Mark Field MP earn £65,737.

Last month Westminster City Council announced cuts to front line services totalling £60 million over the next three years, with a further £10 million a year of cuts expected following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s June Budget.

This month, 66 City Guardians are being made redundant to save £2.1 million a year. Yet Westminster Conservatives run one of the biggest Press and Publicity Department in London, spending over £3 million a year.

Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group, said:

“Why does the Council need a ‘Head of Government Affairs’ when Westminster has two experienced and well-respected MPs in Labour’s Karen Buck and Conservative Mark Field? Both MPs are perfectly capable of arguing Westminster’s corner with Ministers and Civil Servants and they have years’ of experience of successfully lobbying for Westminster causes.”

“At a time when Council services are being cut and when hundreds of loyal Council staff have already been made redundant and with hundreds more sure to follow, how on earth can it be a priority for the Council to appoint a Head of Government Relations at £66,000 a year when Westminster already has two MPs doing the job?”

Last Monday saw the last hustings in Westminster North before the General Election this Thursday. Westminster North CLP Women’s Officer, Josephine Ohene-Djan, was there. Here she gives her account of the evening and why the choice in Westminster North is clearer now than ever…

The evening was pleasantly mild with a slight breeze as we assembled at the entrance to the Emmanuel Church on the Harrow Road W9.

An atmosphere which would be changed by the whirlwind of opinions and policies expressed during the hustings that followed.

This was an opportunity for our Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to persuade us to enable them to represent our needs in the nation’s parliament.

The locals chatted amiably as we proceeded to the meeting hall, some presenting hastily written questions for the speakers in the 15 minutes allotted for submissions. Expectations grew, the hall was over-flowing with locals eager to participate and discuss answers to their concerns.

We were not disappointed. Chaired by a Reverend, candidates introduced themselves as Karen Buck (MP) Labour Party, Joanne Cash Conservative Party, Mark Blackburn Liberal Democrats and Jasna Badzak of the United Kingdom Independence Party.

We heard pledges of commitment to our community.

Karen Buck had fresh ideas to add to years of experience and a continuity which appealed to those who might prefer such security. Sure Start was popular, community policing, various expenditures relating to academies and housing improvements, a testimony to the loyal service of her community.

She handled the discussions in a professional and compassionate manner showing a confidence which, hopefully, would secure her votes.

The main challenger Joanne Cash seemed to be comparatively unattached to the whole process to the point of needing a young man and woman, sat in the second row, to prompt her so vigorously that it was noticed by most of the room.

Her obvious lack of preparation and almost constant reference to a composite of policies in a little book before she attempted to display any advocacy skills was set upon. For, as she told the meeting she that was a trained barrister, a voiciferos local commented “Well you’re not very good at it!”

Mark Blackburn began most of his replies alluding in agreement to Karen Buck’s comments, after which he tried to play the trump cards of a lower tax rate and re-scheduling access to nursery provision, amongst other suitably vague murmurs of good intent. Nothing new there then.

Jasna Badzak’s attempts to be-little community policing was derided due to an absurd interpretation of her statistics on crime reduction targets and the rest, as they say, is history.

Most people could see who had come out of the hustings the winner, who had the ideas, the ability and the experience to get the job done. Now all that’s left is for people to make their decision and vote!