PM launches 'The Big Pariah'

The Prime Minister: David Cameron was in Barnet yesterday - responding to the antics of long-time embarrassment to the Conservative Party: Brian Coleman - by launching his concept of the 'Big Pariah'. Here is his speech in full:

It’s great to be here in Barnet.

Before I get into the details, let me briefly explain who the Big Pariah is and why it is such a powerful idea.

You can call him Brian. You can call him Coleman. You can call him the king of bling. You can call him Mr Toad. I call him the Big Pariah.

The Big Pariah is about a huge freeloading councillor…

…where people, in their everyday lives, in their homes, in their neighbourhoods, in their workplace…

…don’t bother turning to officials, Barnet Council or the London Assembly for answers to the problems they face …

…but instead feel the pain of repeatedly paying out enough for Coleman and his fellow councilllors to help themselves.

It’s about people paying for his massive hikes in pay. Londoners forking out for his endless taxis. Constituents coughing up for yet more hikes in pay.

It’s about amphibious liberation –the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from the man and woman on the street to the Toad in the council chamber.

It’s time for something different, something bold - something that just pours money down the green-skinned throat of the ward councillor for Totteridge.

The Big Pariah is that something different and bold.

It’s about saying if we want Brian Coleman for the long-term, we need people to come together and hand over the cash together – because we’re all in this together.

We can't go on like this.

Tories say - Knickers to Brian Coleman!

Word has reached me that Brian Coleman flounced out of Mayors Question Time today, leading fellow Conservative, Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes to announce: "I regret that Brian has left to adjust his knickers."

This is the latest (and funniest) in a whole string of direct attacks on Brian 'Mr Toad' Coleman from members of his own Party, making him an increasingly isolated figure both at the GLA and in the Conservative Party as a whole.

Paul Waugh notes recently in the Evening Standard for example, how Boris Johnson "couldn't resist referring to Coleman's own double income as a councillor and a Member of the Assembly".

And this of course follows Boris Johnson's well-publicised carpeting of Coleman over his all-advised, (and wildly out of step with public opinion), arrogant stance on expenses - leading to Coleman's subsequent, embarrassing climb down.

Then there's the blogs. Take, for example the staunchly Conservative blogger: 'Don't Call Me Dave', whose excellent 'Not The Barnet Times' blog has post after post detailing Coleman's general unsuitability for office. Then there's Iain Dale. Or if you want a really straight-to-the-point view, look no further than the Tory Bear blog, which pulls no punches at all in telling it like it is.

But its not just Billy-no-mates Coleman's colleagues at the GLA and the bloggers who've had enough of him. Just look at the comments from the rank and file of the Conservative Party when he blogs at the Conservative Home website here and here and here. And bear in mind that two of those blog posts were for the purposes of congratulating the emergency services. That is a LOT of flak to draw from ones own party, especially when deliberatately trying to be as uncontroversial as possible.

Why all the flak and open hostility Coleman?

Its because you've been found out. Your arrogance and buffoonery and troughing only serve to help the other political parties. Boris Johnson knows it, Richard Barnes knows it, the bloggers know it and the Party rank and file know it. You are an embarrassment to David Cameron and an embarrassment to the Conservative Party, just as you're an embarrassment to the people of Barnet and Camden.

How long before your bad behaviour also becomes intolerable for Barnet MP Theresa Villiers and a millstone around the neck of Barnet Council leader Mike Freer's political ambitions?

Time to do the right thing for once Coleman. Go!