Franz Kafka Meets Joseph Heller, (in Newham)

The issue of Plaistow North byelection has dominated our posts for the past month. That does not mean that other things were not happening. 

This is one of those stories that you couldn’t make up.

Back in 2022, scrutiny was very critical of the mayor and they asked for a report. 

A report was duly commissioned and provided, but not to the members of scrutiny.

Councillors on the scrutiny commission asked “where is the report?”.

At first the existence of the report was denied, “it's just notes”. 

When pressed, “just notes” became, “just a series of powerpoint slides”. 

And then it became “an interim report” which couldn’t be shared because it was just, ummmn, interim. 

And then it was revealed that there was in fact a report and that the report was damning of Fiaz and her behaviour. It was understood to comment upon the overly-controlling nature of the mayor and behaviours such as her decision to (unlawfully) bar the Green councillors from posts on scrutiny and senior appointment committees.

Naturally, councillors on the scrutiny commission were keen to see a copy of the report.

They were told “no”. Instead, they were informed that there would be a second report. And in due course a second report was produced, not to the members who initially raised concerns, but to the mayor. 

They asked what had happened to the report and could they see it. 

Again, the answer was “no”.

When they asked why they couldn’t see it, they were told “we can’t tell you”.

It is a picture that is both Kafkaesque and absurd. Rather like, Fraz Kafka meets Joseph Heller.