Parking Tax Skulduggery! Will They, Won’t They?
We reported a few days ago on the disarray in Mayor Fiazco's cabinet over their new Parking Tax. You know, the one to really help Newham’s hard-up residents get over the pandemic!
Well, it seems Mayor Fiazco’s pay-roll vote held firm.
Her commitment to listening to the people didn’t fare so well. Having received a petition of over 10,000 signatures, she then proceeded to ignore it. Yet again, as long as the public agree with her, she will listen to them. If they don’t, the public can go and whistle.
What is surprising is how many actually voted against her new flagship policy!
Politicians should well know that it is unwise to trust anything their colleagues said. Some 30 councillors signed the letter of protest. Twenty-three voted for the suspension of the emissions-based charge. Simple maths illustrates that not all of those who said one thing publicly followed through.
Apparently several were won over by the intellectual brilliance of the mayor and the force of her arguments. Either that or they were bought off…or threatened.
Apparently, there was one member who could not make up his (or her) mind, and abstained. It makes a mockery of cabinet responsibility when there are two cabinet members both claiming responsibility for the abstention. The member for ‘Opposing the Parking Tax’ Cllr Zulfiqar Ali and his erstwhile deputy, Shaban ‘Shabs’ Mohamed have both spread the rumour around that theirs’ was the abstention. The only problem is that the backbenchers know who abstained and it ain’t them!
Expect a lot of excuses and protestations from these two as they try to justify their actions, or inactions, to their electors. There comes a time, however, when the voters see right through them.