Labour’s three ward power base
SO, will Camden Council’s Labour cabinet change complexion in the coming weeks or not. The rumour overdrive has it this week that the Mayor of Camden Jonathan Simpson might fancy a job in the executive once he’s finished with the mayoral chain. We’ll see. He holds a firm grip of council meetings and certainly there will be some council officers who won’t fancy his bark should he be given a portfolio to himself.
Libraries campaigner Alan Templeton makes the point in a letter to the Camden New Journal this week that there is a bit of a three ward bloc at the cabinet top table:
Seven of the 10 cabinet members represent just three wards, close together, in the south of the borough, Holborn & Covent Garden has two members, King’s Cross has two members and Regent’s Park has three members.
It’s natural, given where Labour’s support is greatest in Camden, there will be a southern slant to the make up of those in charge – but where would some new faces come from? Gospel Oak? Kentish Town? Kilburn?
Richard Osley 
Aspirants must include Jonathan Simpson, Sarah Hayward and Mike Katz.
But more interesting is to speculate on who is vulnerable…..
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What of the grand damn – Angela Mason?
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Alan Templeton is a Lib Dem activist – why should anyone care about what he says or his political commentary?
Funny – all the Tory members of the Lib Dem / Tory 2006 pact were from three wards. Nearly all the Lib Dems were from West Hampstead / Kilburn. That’s AMAZING isn’t it…wow…hold the front page.
Simpson has been one of the best Mayors the Borough has had.
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Oooops!
Senior moment!
I do of course know Sarah Hayward is already in the Cabinet.
I guess it’s just her burning ambition that dazzled me.
Somebody else young would be refreshing. Tom N would get my vote……………..
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Or to put it another way, we have councillors in 11 Camden wards and six of them are represented in a 10 person Cabinet. As Nigel said. Hold the Front Page!
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Alan Templeton is aprevious Lib dem candidate.
Nigel is right – there were no cabinet members in the previous administration south of Primrose Hill.
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