Coleman's Bottom

Histrory, they say, repeats itself.

So it is with the Asset Co scandal, in which Coleman awarded the company a multi million pound contract after being wined and dined by their chief executive.

This, after all, is not the first time that free food fan: Mr Toad has been supportive of a venture being promoted by someone who also happens to be one of his many winers and diners - detailed here and here.

Those with long memories may recall that Brian Coleman forced through a scheme that included a deeply unpopular new road to be built across a primary school playing field in New Barnet (Metropolitan Open Land adjoining the Green Belt). Rather than debate the environmental and planning merits of the scheme, he chose instead to use a straw man argument, effectively labelling local parents and environmental campaigners - his constituents mark you - as a bunch of racists, "idiots" and "the usual Nimby brigade".

Now why would Brian Coleman go to such lengths to abuse his own constituents? I merely note that he is regularly wined and dined by the president of the venture which wanted to build the road: Gerald Ronson - and I leave readers to draw their own conclusions.


Incidentally, I hear that the hated road is known locally as 'Coleman's Bottom'. Here's what it looked like before Coleman:


Here's what it looks like since Coleman added (landscape) injury to insult:

Tip of the hat to the Save New Barnet campaign for the pictures.