Open Source

I see that Iain Dale is touting a report by the Tories saying that government should use more open source software. Well I tried to suggest that to Barnet Council back in April 2007. See Here. Unfortunately I got short shrift. The main reason is that like many other local authorities Barnet has been trapped by the Microsoft juggernaut with very tempting deals. Of course that does mean that our data is tied up in proprietary and often undocumented formats. Anyway it's nice to see that the Tories are playing catch up yet again.

Banker of the year

Set our below is my motion for the next Council meeting. The serious point that I'm making is that the Leader of the Council who is also Chair of the Cabinet Resources Committee which oversees the Council's treasury strategy did not know where Barnet's money was invested. When he did finally find out he blamed the officers and when that didn't wash he tried to blame the opposition for not pointing it out to him.

In order to shoulder all this responsibility he gets over £51,000 in allowances and allows his group to stack allowances together. The result: £27.4 million down the drain and not a murmur from his colleagues. I'm also publishing the motion here because the amendments will fly in and the motion that gets passed will no doubt end up somewhat different.


Council: 27 January 2009

Motion 3.1: Councillor Duncan Macdonald


Council notes ”Private Eye’s” 2008 Rotten Borough Awards”; in particular their award to the Leader of this Council for “Banker of the Year”. Council therefore resolves to congratulate the Leader of the Council on his award.


Under Standing Order Part 4, Section 1, 31.5: if my item is not dealt with by the end of the meeting I ask that it be voted upon at the Council meeting.