Two months ago, I wrote here that Executive Office-refit Mercedesmobile Mayor Lutfur Rahman was at war with Angry Young Man Civic Mayor Mizan Chaudhury. The former was squashing the latter’s dignity with his expensively acquired size nines, making him take taxis to community events instead of the more appropriate borough car.
You’ll remember that the tension had become so much that Mizan and Lutfur’s Caporegime, Alibor Choudhury, had a finger-wagging handbags at high noon showdown across the council chamber one September night.
I said after that spat:
I think the solution lies in Hackney, which also has a directly elected mayor. There, the former civic mayor is known as the Speaker and that seems to be a perfectly appropriate and sensible title. It also more accurately sums up what the holder of that office actually does (most people can surely relate it to the Speaker of the Commons).
…The pair of them need to acknowledge the bitterness is bad, agree to a formal change of title from Chair to Speaker…
Isn’t it great that they read this blog…At last Tuesday’s full council meeting, the title was indeed changed to Speaker. But the two are still squabbling, though. This time, it seems as though Lutfur has added more furniture to his office suite and at the same time failed to replace any he removed from Mizan’s.
I think we should make the Youth Mayor the Speaker on a formal basis. I wonder if that suggestion will be taken up.
One other thing I noticed from a quick read through the agenda of that night’s meeting is that a whole new set of bylaws are being proposed for Victoria Park and other parks. These update the language from the 1930s and introduce new restrictions on the age that children can use the various playgrounds — the limit is being reduced from 14 to 11 years of age.
Also included are specific mentions on the use of barbecues in parks. They will be allowed, but only in designated areas it seems. Seeing that one enforced in the summer months will be interesting to watch.
For those who like deciphering legal jargon, here’s the specific proposal on that:
Fires
11. (1) No person shall light a fire or place, throw or drop a lighted match or any
other thing likely to cause a fire.
(2) Byelaw 11(1) shall not apply to:
(a) the lighting of a fire at any event for which the Council has given
permission that fires may be lit.
(b) The lighting or use, in such a manner as to safeguard against
damage, danger to any person, of a properly constructed camping
stove, in a designated area for camping, or of a properly constructed
barbecue, in a designated area for barbecues.
Trial by Jeory 