Newly single

I have been asked how it feels to be the lone Lib Dem Councillor in Fortune Green – or in Camden for that matter! Which is a bit like asking someone how they felt when their whole family went down in the Titanic! I actually think it's like a relationship break-up - with all the pain and re-adjustment it takes to get back to an ordinary normal life. It's a sort of bereavement! Accompanied by survivor guilt!

But it helps to talk about it actually. And I have been enormously cheered by some of the nice things people have said and written to me - thank you. I promise I will continue to work with our local Spotlight team for the benefit of all residents in Fortune Green. As well as working in co-operation with my two new Labour colleagues who will have a taxing time ahead of them.

Meanwhile, I have only visited the Town Hall twice since the Elections on May 22nd. Once was for the formal “signing-in ceremony” with the Chief Executive, and once was to support a local resident in an interview with the Housing Department. Although I have spent a lot of time on emails and phone calls!

Single Councillors are virtually “non-persons” down in Euston Road - they have no rights because they’re not a “group”. For instance, I have no choice of committee places, nor where to sit in the Council chamber, nor a private place to go, nor even any speaking rights.

Not only is this a somewhat lonely position, it takes me back to beyond where I was 28 years ago, when at least there were two of us! But although I am older than I was then, I am wiser in the ways of the Council and don’t need to fight everything and everybody on every occasion. So I shall concentrate my energies on continuing to fight for Fortune Green residents with the help of the local “Spotlight” team and meanwhile try not to get run over by a bus!

Meanwhile - local problems don't just go away - there are countless issues from the traffic nightmares in Mill Lane to the un-neighbourly behaviour of various commercial enterprises in Fortune Green Road and a host of other things - a request to get our Mill Lane Bridge repainted to working on the Jester Festival, from repair and parking problems to the utter impossibility of dealing with "Contact Camden" . (I had to try FIVE times to pay my Council Tax bill today - so heaven help people trying to renew residents parking permits!)

Still the sun is shining today - so let's keep our fingers crossed for better times ahead!