Brian Coleman
Encyclopedia
Brian Coleman FRSA
(born 25 June 1961) is a Conservative Party
politician and member of the London Assembly
for Barnet and Camden
, England. He is a Councillor
in the London Borough of Barnet
, and was Mayor
for 2009-2010.
He is a former Chairman of the Finchley
Friends of Israel
and remains a member of Conservative Friends of Israel
. Governor at two local Secondary Schools, he is also involved with the Scouts
and the Rotary Club, and is a vocal supporter of the rights of Falun Gong
practitioners and the Greek Cypriot community.
, the London 2012 Olympic Bid and the expansion of Tesco
into small shopping parades. Following the 7 July 2005 bombings in London, Coleman questioned on radio how safe it was for Londoners to travel by public transport. In June 2006 he criticised the planned refurbishment of Potters Fields Park (between City Hall
and Tower Bridge
), saying that it should be replaced by a multi-storey car park
In April 2004 Coleman was against Middlesex University's
plans to expand its Trent Park campus because it was "a crap university" that could "only attract foreign" students. It was announced in June 2008 that he was to receive an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University for his "outstanding commitment to the community".
In August 2006 Coleman criticised people legally protesting against a provision of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
as "sad, mad and bad". On the restrictions on the right to demonstrate, he stated "It's not a matter of free speech - it's a matter of a proper way of running a world city".
In August 2007, residents of New Barnet
campaigning on the environmental and transport details connected with the redevelopment of the East Barnet School
site (metropolitan open land adjoining the Metropolitan Green Belt
), were criticised by Coleman as "idiots" and "the usual Nimby
brigade
". The previous month Coleman was the only objector to the erection of a wind turbine at Frith Manor Primary School (opposite Partingdale Lane), as he believed it was "out of character in the green belt".
In 2002, Coleman announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party nomination to be candidate for Mayor of London but he was rejected at a very early stage. During the 2005 Conservative Party Leadership Election
, Coleman publicly supported David Davis
.
In April 2007, Coleman caused a small media storm when he claimed that the former Prime Minister Edward Heath
was gay
and that it was "common knowledge" in the Conservative party that he had been told to keep it secret for the sake of his career. Writing on the website of the New Statesman
on the issue of outing
, he said: "The late Ted Heath managed to obtain the highest office of state after he was supposedly advised to cease his cottaging
activities in the 1950s when he became a privy councillor."
An article by Coleman entitled "Politics and alcohol" for the New Statesman in August 2007 made allegations that Sir Ian Blair the Metropolitan Police Commissioner
was "somewhat the worse for wear at a number of official functions" and "needed assistance from his protection officers to manage the stairs". Mayor Ken Livingstone was reported to have responded that "The London Assembly should stop giving a platform to a person who in addition to putting out all sorts of smears and gossip is also a dyed-in-the-wool Thatcherite who in no way represents the views of most Londoners".
In late August 2008, an article by Coleman in the Barnet Press caused another minor media storm. He wrote that the British athletes were "tainted with the blood of Tibetans", and that London Mayor Boris Johnson
was "forced to go to Beijing to collect the Olympic flag". Coleman's comments received cross-party criticism and the Mayor distanced himself from the remarks made by his fellow Conservative.
ward in 1998.
Immediately following the local government election
in May 2006, Coleman successfully proposed a vote of no confidence in the Leader of the London Borough of Barnet, Councillor Brian Salinger, causing his replacement as Leader by Councillor Mike Freer
.
He was the Mayor of Barnet from May 2009 to May 2010.
ger who had received an email from Coleman calling him an "obsessive, poisonous individual".
Council leader Mike Freer granted Coleman £10,000 of taxpayer's money to pay for legal representation during the standards committee investigation as he had rejected the solicitors provided by the councils insurance scheme. When the local paper approached Coleman before they published this information he told them that "This has absolutely nothing to do with me, nothing whatsoever, and if you say otherwise you will be hearing from my solicitor."
Despite being found in breach, the standards sub-committee decided not impose a sanction. Coleman will be liable to reimburse the council for the legal bill.
to label him a "hero" for introducing a policy of removing road humps
when the roads of Barnet are resurfaced. Coleman quotes the Metropolitan Police
and the London Ambulance Service
as being supporters of this policy while road safety critics argue that the policy is reckless and driven by populism and self promotion.
Coleman was caught by a speed camera exceeding a 30 mph speed limit in Borehamwood
in January 2006. He already had 9 points on his driving licence. On 9 August 2006 at St Albans
Magistrates' Court
, Coleman was given three points on his licence, banned from driving for six months and fined £300.
In August 2007 Coleman received an apology from the BBC after he complained that the appearance of Blue Peter
presenter Konnie Huq
at the media launch of a London cycling event was political. Speaking at the launch, the Mayor of London and a Green party assembly member had accused Conservatives of pursuing a pro-car policy.
In February 2009 Coleman gave his comments on a proposed off-road light-rail line that would join (again) the two branches of the Northern Line in Barnet, as well as linking to Ealing Broadway, Wembley, Brent Cross and West Hampstead. He described the scheme as "bonkers" and insulted those in favour of it.
In May 2010 Coleman returned to Barnet's Cabinet (after his year as Mayor) taking the Environment and Transport portfolio. He stated that his priority would be "roads, roads, roads and roads".
and Woodside Park
in London. The lane was closed by Barnet's previous Labour council for safety reasons, not least that residents of nearby Woodside Park had been using the road as a high speed rat-run.
The road was reopened in December 2002, before being closed again two months later following a High Court
judgement.
Following a £250,000 safety improvement project (including a pavement, traffic islands, 20 mph flashing speed-limit signs and width restrictions) the road was reopened in September 2007. Coleman accused residents of staging one of the two car accidents reported in the weeks following the reopening of Partingdale Lane.
A third collision in Partingdale Lane in May 2008 brought further criticism of Coleman. A Lib Dem councillor commented that "Brian Coleman is like a child with a favourite toy. He just wouldn't let this go and his colleagues let him do it to make up for the fact that they'll never make him leader of the council". Coleman, cabinet member for community safety, said he was too busy to comment.
November 2008 saw a fourth crash in Partingdale Lane when a speeding car forced a parked vehicle into a ditch. A sixth accident requiring attendance of emergency services was reported in April 2009.
As Chairman of the London Assembly, Coleman introduced the old Greater London Council
Chairman's badge and has made the role considerably more civic-based than previous holders of the post. This has led some critics to label Coleman as "pompous" and "self important", not least because of the high number of honorary and civic positions he has held in the past and continues to hold at present.
Coleman's politics and style led him to be one of Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone
's principal critics, publicly falling out with the Mayor over the London Borough of Barnet's resurfacing policy, congestion charging
and Livingstone's comments in 2005 likening a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard.
On his re-election to the Assembly in May 2008, Coleman made an angry acceptance speech at the count in which he announced that "the king of bling is back" before storming out, accompanied by his mother.
A GLA audit panel report in October 2007 showed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £1740 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 August 2007. This accounted for one third of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. He was criticised by Livingstone for "creating a chauffeur service for himself" and by the leader of the Barnet Council Labour group for his "breathtaking arrogance".
A further GLA audit panel report in March 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £4157 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 December 2007. This accounted for half of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. Livingstone said "Brian Coleman must explain to Londoners how he can possibly justify spending more on taxis in four weeks than the average Assembly member does in nine months."
When questioned about his cab fares by the Metro Newspaper
, Coleman claimed not to use taxis but thought he was being ferried about in 'an official GLA car'. They reported that in December 2007 he ran up a £412.50 cab fare on a round-trip from his home in Finchley
to a nearby meeting where the driver kept the meter running before taking him to City Hall.
Another GLA audit panel report in July 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £8231 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This accounted for nearly half of all the cab expenses of the Mayor and 25 assembly members. On one day alone Coleman ran up a cab bill of £656. Speaking to the Metro Newspaper, assembly member Jenny Jones
said that he justifies the expense because he has taken to wearing gold chains from another era - "He doesn't need to wear these chains but his ego's out of its cage".
from 2004 to 2008. Following the election of Boris Johnson as Mayor in May 2008, Coleman was appointed Chairman. An Audit Commission
report published in February 2009 noted that "The Chairman is robust and challenging but staff and some external stakeholders find his style too confrontational."
In August 2008 Coleman claimed that he had been passed over for the post of chair of the Local Government Association
fire services management committee due to homophobia by fellow Tories.
Outlining areas of potential cutbacks to a London Assembly committee in September 2008, Coleman suggested that the London Fire Brigade Museum
should be closed. He said that "having recently visited the fire brigade museum – we shook the cobwebs off the door as we opened it – I have to say that it is not a museum that is fit for purpose or that in my view contributes anything", adding "when you've seen one brass helmet you have seen them all". Coleman's outburst prompted a campaign to save the museum. Val Shawcross, former chair of the LFEPA, stated that "Brian Coleman has an almost hysterical approach to the issues".
Coleman wrote "The late Ted Heath managed to obtain the highest office of state after he was supposedly advised to cease his cottaging
activities in the 1950s when he became a privy councillor" implying that Heath used to have casual gay sex in public lavatories. The blog was written about in both the tabloid and mainstream press, but there was no confirmation of cottaging or of Heath having been warned The claims were denied by MP Sir Peter Tapsell and Heath's friend and MP Derek Conway
stated that "if there was some secret, I'm sure it would be out by now".
, who was killed during the G20 protests, as being to blame after being backhanded twice by a police officer and then struck on the legs with a baton. "Nicky Fisher turned up to this protest, which everyone said could be violent. She put herself in this situation – and lo, she was hit. It's like going gambling and then complaining that you've lost money". The officer involved had been suspended pending an investigation into their actions.
He subsequently setup a group on Facebook
called "Commend a Copper", however this group has become more anti-police than anything else.
. He stated "I won't do it voluntarily. It's none of the public's business", and that "Politicians with lower expenses tend to be the politicians who do least work. Those with higher expenses are the ones who do most work." Coleman complied following pressure from Mayor Boris Johnson.
The meeting was being webcast and gained a wider audience when the footage appeared on YouTube
. A complaint was lodged with the Assembly Standards Committee who considered that Coleman had overstepped the mark with his comments, but in the context of the meeting his conduct had not breached the Code.
On his blog, David Hencke writes that Coleman's "latest outburst takes more than the biscuit". He explains:
What Mr Coleman did not tell her was that he was living in a subsidised housing association flat, courtesy of the Finchley Methodist Church, where he doesn't even have the responsibility of painting his windows.
His rent is £546 a month – half that of Ms Osman. In the real world – the rest of the road-people are paying £1100 a month, according to local estate agents.
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
(born 25 June 1961) is a Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician and member of the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
for Barnet and Camden
Barnet and Camden (London Assembly constituency)
Barnet and Camden is a constituency represented in the London Assembly. It has been represented since its creation in 2000 by Brian Coleman, a Conservative from Barnet....
, England. He is a Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in the London Borough of Barnet
London Borough of Barnet
The London Borough of Barnet is a London borough in North London and forms part of Outer London. It has a population of 331,500 and covers . It borders Hertfordshire to the north and five other London boroughs: Harrow and Brent to the west, Camden and Haringey to the south-east and Enfield to the...
, and was Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
for 2009-2010.
He is a former Chairman of the Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
Friends of Israel
Friends of Israel Initiative
The Friends of Israel Initiative is an international effort, to "seek to counter the attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and its right to live in peace within safe and defensible borders", initiated and led by former Prime Minister of Spain and People's Party leader José María Aznar in...
and remains a member of Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel
Conservative Friends of Israel, abbreviated to CFI, is a British parliamentary group affiliated to the Conservative Party and dedicated to strengthening business, cultural and political ties between the United Kingdom and Israel. CFI is an unincorporated associationIt was founded by the late...
. Governor at two local Secondary Schools, he is also involved with the Scouts
The Scout Association
The Scout Association is the World Organization of the Scout Movement recognised Scouting association in the United Kingdom. Scouting began in 1907 through the efforts of Robert Baden-Powell. The Scout Association was formed under its previous name, The Boy Scout Association, in 1910 by the grant...
and the Rotary Club, and is a vocal supporter of the rights of Falun Gong
Falun Gong
Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline first introduced in China in 1992 by its founder, Li Hongzhi, through public lectures. It combines the practice of meditation and slow-moving qigong exercises with the moral philosophy...
practitioners and the Greek Cypriot community.
Politics
Coleman has tended to take strong and often controversial lines on many topics including the development of Barnet Football ClubBarnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
, the London 2012 Olympic Bid and the expansion of Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
into small shopping parades. Following the 7 July 2005 bombings in London, Coleman questioned on radio how safe it was for Londoners to travel by public transport. In June 2006 he criticised the planned refurbishment of Potters Fields Park (between City Hall
City Hall (London)
City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge...
and Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
), saying that it should be replaced by a multi-storey car park
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
In April 2004 Coleman was against Middlesex University's
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
plans to expand its Trent Park campus because it was "a crap university" that could "only attract foreign" students. It was announced in June 2008 that he was to receive an honorary doctorate from Middlesex University for his "outstanding commitment to the community".
In August 2006 Coleman criticised people legally protesting against a provision of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005
The Serious Organized Crime and Police Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom aimed primarily at creating the Serious Organised Crime Agency, it also significantly extended and simplified the powers of arrest of a constable and introduced restrictions on protests in the...
as "sad, mad and bad". On the restrictions on the right to demonstrate, he stated "It's not a matter of free speech - it's a matter of a proper way of running a world city".
In August 2007, residents of New Barnet
New Barnet
New Barnet is an area within the London Borough of Barnet. It is a largely residential North London suburb, close to the M25, A1 and M1.-History:...
campaigning on the environmental and transport details connected with the redevelopment of the East Barnet School
East Barnet School
East Barnet School is a comprehensive school at Chestnut Grove in East Barnet, London.-Status:It has Technology College status and has a second specialism as a Leadership Partner School; is a Science Demonstration School and part of Project Faraday ; and is a 'Building Schools for the Future'...
site (metropolitan open land adjoining the Metropolitan Green Belt
Metropolitan Green Belt
The Metropolitan Green Belt is a statutory green belt around London, England. It includes designated parts of Greater London and the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey in the South East and East of England regions.-History:The...
), were criticised by Coleman as "idiots" and "the usual Nimby
NIMBY
NIMBY or Nimby is an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard". The term is used pejoratively to describe opposition by residents to a proposal for a new development close to them. Opposing residents themselves are sometimes called Nimbies...
brigade
Brigade (pejorative)
The word brigade, originally used to describe a military unit, can also be used as a pejorative collective noun to describe an informal group of like-minded individuals with views with which the speaker disagrees...
". The previous month Coleman was the only objector to the erection of a wind turbine at Frith Manor Primary School (opposite Partingdale Lane), as he believed it was "out of character in the green belt".
In 2002, Coleman announced his intention to seek the Conservative Party nomination to be candidate for Mayor of London but he was rejected at a very early stage. During the 2005 Conservative Party Leadership Election
Conservative Party (UK) leadership election, 2005
The 2005 Conservative leadership election was called by party leader Michael Howard on 6 May 2005, when he announced that he would be stepping down as leader in the near future. However, he stated that he would not depart until a review of the rules for the leadership election had been conducted,...
, Coleman publicly supported David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
.
In April 2007, Coleman caused a small media storm when he claimed that the former Prime Minister Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and that it was "common knowledge" in the Conservative party that he had been told to keep it secret for the sake of his career. Writing on the website of the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
on the issue of outing
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
, he said: "The late Ted Heath managed to obtain the highest office of state after he was supposedly advised to cease his cottaging
Cottaging
Cottaging is a British gay slang term referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory , or cruising for sexual partners with the intention of having sex elsewhere...
activities in the 1950s when he became a privy councillor."
An article by Coleman entitled "Politics and alcohol" for the New Statesman in August 2007 made allegations that Sir Ian Blair the Metropolitan Police Commissioner
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis is the head of London's Metropolitan Police Service, classing the holder as a chief police officer...
was "somewhat the worse for wear at a number of official functions" and "needed assistance from his protection officers to manage the stairs". Mayor Ken Livingstone was reported to have responded that "The London Assembly should stop giving a platform to a person who in addition to putting out all sorts of smears and gossip is also a dyed-in-the-wool Thatcherite who in no way represents the views of most Londoners".
In late August 2008, an article by Coleman in the Barnet Press caused another minor media storm. He wrote that the British athletes were "tainted with the blood of Tibetans", and that London Mayor Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
was "forced to go to Beijing to collect the Olympic flag". Coleman's comments received cross-party criticism and the Mayor distanced himself from the remarks made by his fellow Conservative.
Barnet Council
Coleman was elected as councillor for TotteridgeTotteridge
Totteridge is an area of the London Borough of Barnet in north London, England. It is a mixture of suburban development and open land situated 8.20 miles north north-west of Charing Cross....
ward in 1998.
Immediately following the local government election
Barnet Council election 2006
The 2006 Barnet Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Barnet London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.-Background:...
in May 2006, Coleman successfully proposed a vote of no confidence in the Leader of the London Borough of Barnet, Councillor Brian Salinger, causing his replacement as Leader by Councillor Mike Freer
Mike Freer
Michael Whitney Freer MP is a British politician. A Conservative, he was elected as the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Finchley and Golders Green at the 2010 general election...
.
He was the Mayor of Barnet from May 2009 to May 2010.
Breach of council code of conduct
In September 2009 Coleman was found to have broken Barnet Council's code of conduct. The standards sub-committee upheld an independent report that he had failed to treat others with respect. The complaint was made by a local blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger who had received an email from Coleman calling him an "obsessive, poisonous individual".
Council leader Mike Freer granted Coleman £10,000 of taxpayer's money to pay for legal representation during the standards committee investigation as he had rejected the solicitors provided by the councils insurance scheme. When the local paper approached Coleman before they published this information he told them that "This has absolutely nothing to do with me, nothing whatsoever, and if you say otherwise you will be hearing from my solicitor."
Despite being found in breach, the standards sub-committee decided not impose a sanction. Coleman will be liable to reimburse the council for the legal bill.
Pro-car policy
During his time as a councillor in the London Borough of Barnet, Coleman has built up a reputation as an outspoken supporter of car driving, leading Richard LittlejohnRichard Littlejohn
Richard William Littlejohn is an English author, broadcaster and journalist. He is noted for his Conservative views and currently writes a twice-weekly column for the Daily Mail....
to label him a "hero" for introducing a policy of removing road humps
Speed bump
A speed bump is a speed-reducing feature of road design to slow traffic or reduce through traffic, via...
when the roads of Barnet are resurfaced. Coleman quotes the Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
and the London Ambulance Service
London Ambulance Service
The London Ambulance Service NHS Trust is the largest "free at the point of contact" emergency ambulance service in the world. It responds to medical emergencies in Greater London, England, with the ambulances and other response vehicles and over 5,000 staff at its disposal.It is one of 12...
as being supporters of this policy while road safety critics argue that the policy is reckless and driven by populism and self promotion.
Coleman was caught by a speed camera exceeding a 30 mph speed limit in Borehamwood
Borehamwood
-Film industry:Since the 1920s, the town has been home to several film studios and many shots of its streets are included in final cuts of 20th century British films. This earned it the nickname of the "British Hollywood"...
in January 2006. He already had 9 points on his driving licence. On 9 August 2006 at St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
Magistrates' Court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
, Coleman was given three points on his licence, banned from driving for six months and fined £300.
In August 2007 Coleman received an apology from the BBC after he complained that the appearance of Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq is a British television presenter, who is best known for being the longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter, having presented it from 1 December 1997 until 23 January 2008...
at the media launch of a London cycling event was political. Speaking at the launch, the Mayor of London and a Green party assembly member had accused Conservatives of pursuing a pro-car policy.
In February 2009 Coleman gave his comments on a proposed off-road light-rail line that would join (again) the two branches of the Northern Line in Barnet, as well as linking to Ealing Broadway, Wembley, Brent Cross and West Hampstead. He described the scheme as "bonkers" and insulted those in favour of it.
In May 2010 Coleman returned to Barnet's Cabinet (after his year as Mayor) taking the Environment and Transport portfolio. He stated that his priority would be "roads, roads, roads and roads".
Partingdale Lane
Coleman takes great pride in his campaign to re-open Partingdale Lane, a narrow country road with no pavement, between Mill HillMill Hill
Mill Hill is a place in the London Borough of Barnet. It is a suburb situated 9 miles north west of Charing Cross. Mill Hill was in the historic county of Middlesex until it was absorbed by London...
and Woodside Park
Woodside Park
Woodside Park is a suburban residential development in the London Borough of Barnet, in postal district N12.It is very varied in character. The area to the east of the tube station consists predominantly of large Victorian and Edwardian houses, many of which have been converted into flats...
in London. The lane was closed by Barnet's previous Labour council for safety reasons, not least that residents of nearby Woodside Park had been using the road as a high speed rat-run.
The road was reopened in December 2002, before being closed again two months later following a High Court
High Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
judgement.
Following a £250,000 safety improvement project (including a pavement, traffic islands, 20 mph flashing speed-limit signs and width restrictions) the road was reopened in September 2007. Coleman accused residents of staging one of the two car accidents reported in the weeks following the reopening of Partingdale Lane.
A third collision in Partingdale Lane in May 2008 brought further criticism of Coleman. A Lib Dem councillor commented that "Brian Coleman is like a child with a favourite toy. He just wouldn't let this go and his colleagues let him do it to make up for the fact that they'll never make him leader of the council". Coleman, cabinet member for community safety, said he was too busy to comment.
November 2008 saw a fourth crash in Partingdale Lane when a speeding car forced a parked vehicle into a ditch. A sixth accident requiring attendance of emergency services was reported in April 2009.
London Assembly
He was elected to the Assembly at the 2000 election, and retained the seat in both 2004 and 2008. He served as the first Conservative Chairman of the London Assembly in 2004/05 and again in 2006/07, and was Deputy Chair(man) in 2005/06 and for the 2007/08 session.As Chairman of the London Assembly, Coleman introduced the old Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
Chairman's badge and has made the role considerably more civic-based than previous holders of the post. This has led some critics to label Coleman as "pompous" and "self important", not least because of the high number of honorary and civic positions he has held in the past and continues to hold at present.
Coleman's politics and style led him to be one of Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
Ken Livingstone
Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
's principal critics, publicly falling out with the Mayor over the London Borough of Barnet's resurfacing policy, congestion charging
London congestion charge
The London congestion charge is a fee charged for some categories of motor vehicle to travel at certain times within the Congestion Charge Zone , a traffic area in London. The charge aims to reduce congestion, and raise investment funds for London's transport system...
and Livingstone's comments in 2005 likening a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard.
On his re-election to the Assembly in May 2008, Coleman made an angry acceptance speech at the count in which he announced that "the king of bling is back" before storming out, accompanied by his mother.
Taxi fares
In July 2007 he was criticised by Livingstone for spending £10,000 on taxi fares from 1 April 2006 to 30 March 2007, compared to the average figure for a London Assembly member of around £845. This period coincided with the six months that Coleman was banned from driving.A GLA audit panel report in October 2007 showed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £1740 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 August 2007. This accounted for one third of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. He was criticised by Livingstone for "creating a chauffeur service for himself" and by the leader of the Barnet Council Labour group for his "breathtaking arrogance".
A further GLA audit panel report in March 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £4157 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 December 2007. This accounted for half of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. Livingstone said "Brian Coleman must explain to Londoners how he can possibly justify spending more on taxis in four weeks than the average Assembly member does in nine months."
When questioned about his cab fares by the Metro Newspaper
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
, Coleman claimed not to use taxis but thought he was being ferried about in 'an official GLA car'. They reported that in December 2007 he ran up a £412.50 cab fare on a round-trip from his home in Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
to a nearby meeting where the driver kept the meter running before taking him to City Hall.
Another GLA audit panel report in July 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £8231 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This accounted for nearly half of all the cab expenses of the Mayor and 25 assembly members. On one day alone Coleman ran up a cab bill of £656. Speaking to the Metro Newspaper, assembly member Jenny Jones
Jenny Jones (Green politician)
Jenny Jones is an English politician and prominent member of the Green Party of England and Wales. She currently represents the Green Party in the London Assembly, and is standing to be Mayor of London in the 2012 elections. She was Deputy Mayor of London from May 2003 to June 2004...
said that he justifies the expense because he has taken to wearing gold chains from another era - "He doesn't need to wear these chains but his ego's out of its cage".
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
Coleman was vice chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning AuthorityLondon Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
The London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority is a functional body of the Greater London Authority and was established under the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Its principal purpose is to run the London Fire Brigade....
from 2004 to 2008. Following the election of Boris Johnson as Mayor in May 2008, Coleman was appointed Chairman. An Audit Commission
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission is a public corporation in the United Kingdom.The Commission’s primary objective is to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness in local government, housing and the health service, directly through the audit and inspection process and also through value for money...
report published in February 2009 noted that "The Chairman is robust and challenging but staff and some external stakeholders find his style too confrontational."
In August 2008 Coleman claimed that he had been passed over for the post of chair of the Local Government Association
Local Government Association
The Local Government Association is a voluntary lobbying organisation acting as the voice of the local government sector in England and Wales, which seeks to be an authoritative and effective advocate on its behalf....
fire services management committee due to homophobia by fellow Tories.
Outlining areas of potential cutbacks to a London Assembly committee in September 2008, Coleman suggested that the London Fire Brigade Museum
London Fire Brigade Museum
The London Fire Brigade Museum covers the history of firefighting since 1666 . The museum houses old fire appliances and other equipment. It is also possible to see fire brigade recruits training....
should be closed. He said that "having recently visited the fire brigade museum – we shook the cobwebs off the door as we opened it – I have to say that it is not a museum that is fit for purpose or that in my view contributes anything", adding "when you've seen one brass helmet you have seen them all". Coleman's outburst prompted a campaign to save the museum. Val Shawcross, former chair of the LFEPA, stated that "Brian Coleman has an almost hysterical approach to the issues".
Ted Heath cottaging claim
In 2007 in a blog in the New StatesmanNew Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
Coleman wrote "The late Ted Heath managed to obtain the highest office of state after he was supposedly advised to cease his cottaging
Cottaging
Cottaging is a British gay slang term referring to anonymous sex between men in a public lavatory , or cruising for sexual partners with the intention of having sex elsewhere...
activities in the 1950s when he became a privy councillor" implying that Heath used to have casual gay sex in public lavatories. The blog was written about in both the tabloid and mainstream press, but there was no confirmation of cottaging or of Heath having been warned The claims were denied by MP Sir Peter Tapsell and Heath's friend and MP Derek Conway
Derek Conway
Derek Leslie Conway TD is an English politician and television presenter. A member of the centre-right Conservative Party, Conway served as a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup from 2001 to 2010....
stated that "if there was some secret, I'm sure it would be out by now".
G20 Protest
In April 2009 Coleman blamed a protester, Nicky Fisher, attending a vigil following the Death of Ian TomlinsonDeath of Ian Tomlinson
Ian Tomlinson was an English newspaper vendor who collapsed and died in the City of London after coming into contact with the police while on his way home from work during the 2009 G-20 summit protests. A first postmortem examination indicated he had suffered a heart attack and had died of natural...
, who was killed during the G20 protests, as being to blame after being backhanded twice by a police officer and then struck on the legs with a baton. "Nicky Fisher turned up to this protest, which everyone said could be violent. She put herself in this situation – and lo, she was hit. It's like going gambling and then complaining that you've lost money". The officer involved had been suspended pending an investigation into their actions.
He subsequently setup a group on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
called "Commend a Copper", however this group has become more anti-police than anything else.
Expenses
In July 2009 Coleman was the only London Assembly member to refuse to voluntarily publish details of their expense claims in a move towards greater transparency following the Parliamentary expenses scandalUnited Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal
The United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal was a major political scandal triggered by the leak and subsequent publication by the Telegraph Group in 2009 of expense claims made by members of the United Kingdom Parliament over several years...
. He stated "I won't do it voluntarily. It's none of the public's business", and that "Politicians with lower expenses tend to be the politicians who do least work. Those with higher expenses are the ones who do most work." Coleman complied following pressure from Mayor Boris Johnson.
"Odious Toad" Row
A meeting of the London Assembly's Business Management and Administration Committee on 22 October 2009 had to be suspended for ten minutes following an outburst from Coleman. He interrupted another speaker by shouting "oh shut up you odious toad" and "you are the nastiest most odious little man who is unfortunate enough to serve in public life". The Committee chairman Jennette Arnold described the outburst as "totally outrageous" and "appalling". Coleman's remarks were directed to assembly member John Biggs who stated that they were not acceptable in a public meeting and that "He is desperate to be quoted and he seems to think that being as controversial as possible he will raise his profile"The meeting was being webcast and gained a wider audience when the footage appeared on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. A complaint was lodged with the Assembly Standards Committee who considered that Coleman had overstepped the mark with his comments, but in the context of the meeting his conduct had not breached the Code.
Rent Row
October 2011: Brian Coleman, one of the country's highest paid councillors, has reportedly told a single mother facing a rent rise to "live in the real world". The Standard reports that when Sharada Osman contacted the Barnet councillor and chairman of the London fire and emergency planning authority about her landlord's plans to raise her rent from £950 to £1,100, he told her "residents will have to deal with their own issues rather than expecting 'the system' to sort their lives out". Following an exchange of emails, Coleman replied to Osman: "Lack of empathy?????? Councillors simply cannot conjure housing out of thin air and the private sector is your only option. That is a fact. I am afraid you have to live in the real world where the country has no money and residents will have to deal with their own issues rather than expecting 'the system' to sort their lives out. This correspondence is now closed."On his blog, David Hencke writes that Coleman's "latest outburst takes more than the biscuit". He explains:
What Mr Coleman did not tell her was that he was living in a subsidised housing association flat, courtesy of the Finchley Methodist Church, where he doesn't even have the responsibility of painting his windows.
His rent is £546 a month – half that of Ms Osman. In the real world – the rest of the road-people are paying £1100 a month, according to local estate agents.
External links
- Biography London Assembly
- Register of Members' Interests London Assembly
- Video Interview chatshow.net
- Brian Coleman Blog New Statesman