Council leader resigns 'over Westminster's version of the poll tax'

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Local Government and also in Communities

The leader of Westminster Council has announced plans to resign from the post but insists the decision has nothing to do with his failed plans to introduce controversial parking charges to London's West End.

Councillor Barrow said he would be stepping down in March to "devote time to writing and lecturing".

He said reaching the age of 60 was the "right time" for him to stand aside and denied it was connected to the plans for evening and Sunday parking charges that have been scrapped until after the Olympics.

The move, which would have meant motorists would have had to pay in areas where it had previously been free, was met with fierce opposition from Westminster businesses.

Councillor Barrow said: "I made the decision in the middle of last year to step down when I reached 60, to devote some time to writing and lecturing. 2012 marks both my 60th year and four years as leader of the council, so it is the right time to make way for a successor. Public service addresses simultaneously the many and the few, and in the past four years with you we have achieved a great deal in Westminster."

Cllr Barrow added that it would be "too easy" for people to attribute his decision to quit to the parking row. "There is never a right or easy time to depart, and it is inevitable that people will ascribe my decision to the parking controversy," he said.

"To the contrary, part of my reasoning for deferring this announcement until now was because I was determined to see that through. It would have been only too easy to leave that one for my successor."

Mike Moore, chief executive of Westminster City Council, said Cllr Barrow would stand down at the Annual Budget meeting. "The majority party will now conduct an election for a new group leader who will formally be elected as the new leader of the council at the start of the Budget meeting on March 7. Cllr Barrow will remain leader of the council until March 7.

"For four years I have enjoyed working closely with Colin. Over this period the council has successfully delivered ground breaking initiatives like Family Recovery, Tri Borough and the renewal of the West End which have improved people's lives in the heart of London. Colin has also led the authority through a testing period where we have made significant savings while retaining most of our frontline services.

"We all wish him well for the future and will continue to work together over the two months, particularly on finalising the 2012-13 budget and the start of the Community Budget pilot."

Labour's Shadow Minister for London Tessa Jowell said: “Colin Barrow's resignation is the result of the sustained campaign against his undemocratic and high-handed decision to make Westminster a no-go area for Londoners, businesses, workers and tourists in the evening.

"I congratulate all those involved in the campaign to reverse this decision including the Evening Standard.”

Paul Dimoldenberg, Leader of the Labour Group Councillor Paul Dimoldenberg, said: “This is a real victory for West End jobs, businesses and residents.

"For the past six months Westminster Conservatives have refused to listen to common sense and now Colin Barrow has paid the ultimate price for his poor judgement and failure to recognise the damage that his ‘nightlife tax’ parking charges would do to West End jobs and businesses.

"This was Westminster’s version of the ‘poll tax’ and it has suffered a similar fate”.

“Councillor Barrow has says he is going in March but the ‘night life tax’ parking charge plans must be scrapped immediately if Westminster Council is to win back the trust, respect and confidence of West End residents, business and their staff. We cannot wait for a new Leader to be elected in March, the damage must be put right straight away.”
 
“Whoever is elected as new Leader of the Council must bring back some sanity to Westminster. Everyone knows that the parking proposals were all about filling a massive hole in the Council's finances because of years of financial mismanagement.

"The new Leader needs to get a grip of Westminster's finances so that Westminster residents, businesses and their staff are never again subjected to the arbitary imposition of massive new parking charges to make good the damage done by reckless Conservative Councillors.”