Local News 
Council Leader as Host of Studio Event [April 7th 2008]
letter to local press
There has been a lot of discussion lately about Conservative Town Council Leader Morris Bright stepping down from hosting an event being run by the Town Council.
Morris Bright, he of the four most influential posts in our local government that relate to our Studios, has tried to portray this issue as only Labour Councillors having concerns. This isn't true; the Conservatives are the only political party who haven't appreciated the overwhelming conflict of interest that his participation in this event raised. As the lead story in last week's Borehamwood Times makes quite clear Cllr Bright holds enormous sway over how the Studios are run whilst also making his living from the same business. He announced his participation in this event in a press release to the local paper three days before the Council was due to discuss this matter. There are no absolute objections to Cllr Bright hosting this event, but he should get in the queue just like anyone else, not appoint himself just because he's hoovered up all the plum jobs.
It was always our intention to discuss this matter at the Town Council meeting last Thursday evening, however it transpired that following a conversation with a local journalist earlier in the day, Cllr Bright decided to excuse himself from this position, an overdue display of common sense. There the matter would have ended were it not for a few Conservative Town Councillors, at that Thursday night meeting, putting on a clearly well orchestrated partisan show accusing Labour Councillors of an invented slight against their 'truly magnanimous leader'.
As Labour Town Councillors we still have serious concerns over the fact that Cllr Bright is the Leader of the Borough and Town Council whilst holding the position of Portfolio Holder with responsibility for the Studios and the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Film Studios whilst making his living from the Film and TV world. Some people have argued that the council might need his 'expertise' in this field but surely when the Council needs his 'advice' they can always just phone him up, they didn't have to give him the keys to the whole shop. However, this is mainly a matter for the Borough Council to sort out.
We would be surprised by the Conservative's cynical response over this but these are their usual political tactics. Every time they want to portray something as politically safe they mention the cross-party nature of the issue, but when opposition councillors disagree with their decisions, say if we're talking about waste & recycling, parking or just about anything else the refrain is exactly the same 'let's take the politics out of this'. Time after time it's the same refrain 'let's take the politics out of this'. But come every April, just before the local elections they'll be out on the street just like any other party political activists asking you for your vote.
If we're going to be accused of being political by highlighting areas where there is a dangerous and insidious concentration of power in the hands of the few or where those in positions of power fail to recognise obvious conflicts of interest then that's just the way it's going to have to be.
Peter Hedges
Labour Group, Elstree & Borehamwood Town Council.
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