Mayor of Barnet Brian Schama; "Coleman is a very experienced politician and makes his own mind up"

5:09pm Thursday 13th September 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Chris Hewett

Barnet Mayor Brian Schama is the latest politician to try and avoid the thorny issue Barnet Mayor Brian Schama is the latest politician to try and avoid the thorny issue

The Mayor of Barnet has accused the public gallery of becoming 'quite vociferous' in the build up to Brian Coleman's offensive remarks.

Tory politician Cllr Coleman labelled members of the public gallery “the sad, mad and a couple of old hags” at Tuesday night’s full council meeting.

He then refused to apologise, despite requests from Liberal Democrat group leader Jack Cohen and Mayor Brian Schama.

In Barnet Council’s latest attempt to avoid the issue of the “sexist” remarks from one of its elected members, Mayor Schama today deflected blame onto the public gallery.

Despite repeated requests for an interview from the Times Series , Mr Schama simply sent out this statement:

“Sometimes during council meetings the public gallery can become quite vociferous and this was the case on Tuesday night. However, Councillor Coleman is a very experienced politician and makes his own mind up as to what he will say. I gave him the chance to apologise during the meeting but he declined.”

The vague response comes despite widespread criticism of the Totteridge representative’s latest outburst, which left members of the public “appalled”.

Council leader Richard Cornelius was seen to laugh and applaud Cllr Coleman’s abrasive comments at the packed meeting in Hendon Town Hall.

In his own statement, the group leader also passed the buck, saying it was up to Cllr Coleman whether or not he apologised.

The insults from the former GLA member, who was once entitled to claim £120,000-a-year in expenses, caused such outrage that members of the public confronted him in the corridor during a subsequent break.

The latest controversy comes after a bad few months for the councillor, who has faced two disciplinary hearings for alleged misdemeanours since January.

The controversies led to him losing his seat on the GLA, his position as chairman of the London Fire Authority and being sacked from the council’s own cabinet.

Comments(22)

Rog T says...
5:19pm Thu 13 Sep 12

It is rather sad that the administration of Richard Cornelius seems to condone blatently sexist comments from Conservative Councillors. As the Mayor observed, Brian Coleman is a very experienced councillor. This means that he should be able to keep his temper in check and his behaviour above board. The fact that he can't and the leader is too scared to pull him up shows that they are unfit to run Barnet.

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Barnet Parker says...
5:30pm Thu 13 Sep 12

I've had plenty of opportunities to apologies for the gleeful thoughts I had when Coleman lost his GLA seat but I declined them all.

I'm now looking forward to the gleeful thoughts I can have when he loses all the other Tories their Barnet seats.

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Dr Julia Hines says...
6:31pm Thu 13 Sep 12

I was one of the two women who was referred to as an "old hag" by Councillor Coleman.

I would like to make the following comments:

1. At no point in the meeting, prior to Councillor Coleman's absurd outburst, did I heckle. I was not vociferous. I strongly object to the implication.

2. Even if I had been heckling, that would not in anyway excuse Councillor Coleman's insults. No insults were being thrown at Councillor Coleman;

3. It was the Mayor's failure to deal with Councillor Coleman immediately and appropriately which led to a general outcry. This was entirely predictable.

4.I, and other members of the public, deserved the Mayor's protection. He failed me.

It is important to recognise that these insults were entirely unprovoked, and were directed at individuals, not the public gallery as a whole.

I have formally complained about Councillor Coleman's behaviour.

In my view every Conservative councillor should hang their head in shame, apart from Councillor Brian Salinger.

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Don't Call Me Dave says...
7:28pm Thu 13 Sep 12

Why is everyone so obsessed with trying to force Brian Coleman to apologise? He isn’t sorry. Indeed he is probably quite happy at having offended a few more residents. If Mr Coleman was forced to apologise by his weak-as-water party leader, it would be utterly meaningless.

The only effective sanction is to exclude him from meetings, but the Mayor is clearly too spineless to order Cllr Coleman to leave the chamber when he is incapable of behaving like a grown up.

Mr Coleman doesn’t have political power any more; the only thrill he gets is from winding people up. Just ignore him.

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nlygo says...
11:09pm Thu 13 Sep 12

why describe the mayor's statement as 'nonsensical'?

your job is to report the news not editorialise in news reports

say what you like in editorials but please, not in news reports

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Headabovetheparapet says...
2:37pm Fri 14 Sep 12

Just shows that it is a boys club in Barnet council. Hags is a terribly derogatory word, as would be fags if used!!!. Who elected this mayor? What are his credentials? VERY disappointing.

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Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog says...
4:21pm Fri 14 Sep 12

hmm: NLYGO: North London Young Government Officer, by any chance?

DCMD: all very well for you to day ignore him - if he spoke about your wife, sister, or mother, you might feel differently.

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Dr Julia Hines says...
7:36pm Fri 14 Sep 12

DCMD In my opinion the Mayor should have called on him to apologise immediately. If Coleman had declined then the Mayor should have excluded him from the meeting.

I do think he should have been given that opportunity first.

To allow him to continue and then lose control of the meeting was utterly wrong.

I deserved the protection of the Mayor.

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Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog says...
9:56pm Fri 14 Sep 12

What is really comical is the way the Tories so long to become Mayor and get the chance to prance about in the moth eaten robes. It tells you a lot about what motivates them to stand for council in the first place. Once in office it would be appropriate if they remembered they are there to represent the borough's residents, and not to indulge the bullying behaviour of their Tory colleagues.

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NoToMob Member says...
6:43pm Sat 15 Sep 12

Well all I can say is well done to Coleman and the other Tory Muppets.
For years I just voted Tory without really getting involved with the policies or the candidates. However Coleman has changed all that with his rude, arrogant, ignorant and boorish behaviour. I and many others I have spoken to will not rest until this Odious Toad and his Cronies are booted out of Barnet.

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Mr unreasonable and always looking for fault says...
8:08pm Sun 16 Sep 12

It's very telling that Dr Hines is keen to be someone that Coleman's remarks were aimed at. I gather there were quite a few people in the gallery, why does she offer herself as the one who Coleman referring to? Seems to be hoping she was by the sound of it. Attention seeking, that's why. Victim status. Both her and 'Mrs Angry' want to be the 'victims' of Coleman and are actually quite pleased about all this so it can fuel their daft hatred of him further!!

Mrs Angry has made rude remarks about all sorts of people on her blog, including what could be considered as ageist comments in her obvious dislike of young councillors partly because they are young for instance.

Hypocrites the lot of them! Makes me laugh how seriously they take themselves.

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Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog says...
7:39pm Mon 17 Sep 12

oh hello, the Tory councillor troll rears his head again - not going to answer his ramblings - see comment on Mrs Angry story if you are that desperate.

Funny, isn't it, that the Tory men in Barnet are still living in the good old days of the 1970s when misogyny, racism, and homophobia were still acceptable. Things have changed, but not their attitudes. Adapt or die, Tory councillors - Coleman is still in denial about his loss of political status, but the truth remains that it was his rudeness and arrogance that brought about his downfall. By continuing to support his behaviour, the Barnet Tories will further damage their own reputations and in turn many of them will lose their seats at the next election. Thank God.

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nlygo says...
7:49pm Mon 17 Sep 12

mrs angry, what evidence do you have that brian coleman is in denial over the loss of his gla position?

none i guess. so you are simply relying on gossip, hearsay and hope!

did you ask his successor at the gla about being in denial over losing his seat in parliament? no

:)

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Mike NW7 says...
1:35am Tue 18 Sep 12

Nlygo next time you lick Coleman's arse get him to make a statement there's a good chap

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Mr unreasonable and always looking for fault says...
7:56am Tue 18 Sep 12

Mrs Bitter and Angry,

Whatever the result of the next election the council will have got smaller and the privatisation programme completed, I suspect any Tory group whether in power or not will be pleased with that achievement and there's nothing you or your Labour friends can do about it! Ah, such is life.

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Rog T says...
11:58am Tue 18 Sep 12

Mr Unreasonable,

You overlook one issue in your assessment. Given the past result of outsourcing in Barnet, it will go wrong and cost the people of Barnet a fortune. This will be picked up by the taxpayers of Barnet, which most current Tory councillors are. As they won't have their allowances, having been sacked, they will be hit in the pocket quite heavily.

I suspect they will be rather less pleased than you think. It is interesting that you see the motivation of Barnet Tories as being solely motivated by ideological dogma. I suppose that you think that is a good way to make policy?

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Mrs Angry, Broken Barnet blog says...
9:12am Wed 19 Sep 12

Dear Tory Cllr Unreasonable, the Tory group may well be pleased if and when the One Barnet privatisation scam is complete, and pleased that the council is 'smaller': that is because most of you are incredibly stupid, and are unable to see the ultimate consequences of what you are doing. One of the consequences will be that when, as experienced in almost all the massive outsourcing programmes, the cracks begin to show, services fail, standards fall dramatically and residents begin to protest, you will all be out of your seats, and the Barnet bloggers will be there to make sure you are booted out with a satisfyingly big kick up your golden *rses.

Mrs Angry x

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nlygo says...
9:44am Wed 19 Sep 12

i feel sick. mrs angry is blowing kisses.

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Mr unreasonable and always looking for fault says...
2:13pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Mrs Twisted, Ageist, Jealous & Angry,

My point is IF councillors lose their seats the privatisation will have been completed so the work of the Tory group will have been done. Doh!

Whether a blogger is there on election night to witness any losing of seats is a moot point really.

Hugs and kisses.

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NoToMob Member says...
4:34pm Fri 21 Sep 12

Nyglo and all the other people extolling the virtues of Coleman, do you still support this deranged out of control individual given his recent assault on a Women? Shame on you all!

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nlygo says...
12:44pm Sat 22 Sep 12

assault on a woman? LOL

language NoToMob!

verbal sparring is not an assault

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NoToMob Member says...
1:25pm Sat 22 Sep 12

Physical Assault read the BBC news!.

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