Havering Council Meeting, 23rd July 2025 (Part One)

Councillors quiz cabinet members at Question Time (QT)¹. Environmental questions dominated, with 8 out of 15. Two critical issues weren’t asked: (1) Green Belt development, and (2) Air pollution.² There was however, a motion about the Launders Lane disaster.³

QT is critical and only 35 minutes were used of the 45 available. This suggests that the 15 questions limit should be scrapped. QT should end when the 45 minutes are complete. This would bring it into line with Parliament’s PMQ.⁴

Discussion

Barry Mugglestone’s interesting style buries questions in a blizzard of legislation references. For supplementary questions he says either councillors or members of the public haven’t kept him informed, so it’s their fault there’s a problem. David Taylor’s question about tree feathering narrowing the pavement outside Mawney school (Q10, 43minutes) was a classic example. He said he’d prioritise this in 2026. Result!

Philip Ruck (31) asked about cabinet members avoiding scrutiny committees. Ray Morgon conceded the point and, in effect, said they’d been ordered to attend. Based on answers by Chris Wilkins (35 and 45), Graham Williamson (53) and Natasha Summers (26) attendance might not mean enlightenment.

Finally, Viddy Persaud (39) raised the important question of the premature collection of Council Tax. Ray Morgon conceded this administrative error, apologised and moved on. It is impossible to avoid the thought that some people might have been thrust into a temporary overdraft. This is costly. Viddy didn’t pursue that point.

Best Question: Philip Ruck

Notes

1 Council Questions 23 July 2025.pdf All times come from this webcast Annotator Player

2 Gallows Corner is shut and perfect for a *Before-After* analysis.

3 Motion C proposed a debate about this issue. Motions.pdf Surprisingly it didn’t demand the reinstatement of the Statutory Nuisance Notice.

4 The weekly Prime Ministers Questions

Havering Council Meeting, 26th March 2025 (part one)

Question Time¹

Question time (QT) is a regulated activity. A maximum of 15 questions to be answered in 45 minutes. Any question can be asked of any cabinet member and councillors are permitted a supplementary question. Supplementary questions are difficult for cabinet members because they are unprotected by officers.

QT is perfect for scrutiny. Unfortunately, it relies on councillors doing their homework before the meeting. Even worse, it relies on councillors asking questions.

The Conservatives asked five questions. Four were posed by David Taylor. None were asked by *superstar* Keith Prince or the Conservative Leader Michael White. This contrasted with five questions posed by Labour. Four Labour councillors asked questions. East Havering RAs have three members and they asked two questions. Cranham RAs didn’t ask a question.²

There were supposed to be 55 councillors at this meeting.³ Seven asked questions but King Lethargy triumphed. 48 councillors didn’t ask a question. The allocated 15 questions weren’t utilised and the cabinet jog-trotted through their answers.

QT is pitiful.⁴ Councillors are semi-professional and don’t understand their role in the council chamber. There aren’t any *new* members now. They’ve all been in office for three years. Havering’s councillors are semi-detached.

15 questions allocated ~ 13 questions asked.

45 minutes allocated ~ 33 minutes used.

Addendum: Former Councillor John Mylod

John Mylod died recently and, as usual, councillors offered eulogies. Also, as usual, they spoke at length. The eulogies lasted 18 minutes.⁵ They were in the comfort zone of heart-warming remarks about a former councillor. Meanwhile 33 minutes was spent discussing the performance of the council, which is in crisis.

Notes

1 Council Questions 26 March 2025.pdf

2 They only have two members and I don’t know if they are entitled to ask questions.

3 Six offered apologies but I didn’t see Damian White so it may be that there were 7 absences. 12.7%.

4 Annotator Player From 36 minutes onwards

5 Annotator Player From 10 minutes onwards

Havering Council Meeting: 4th September 2024 (part one)

Question Time¹

Question Time is for councillors to quiz cabinet members. It’s limited to 45 minutes. Unlike parliament, where there’s no limit on questions, only 15 questions are allowed. Six more questions should have been posed because the time wasn’t used. Ray Morgon favours scrutiny, so more questions fits his agenda. This inexplicable rule needs revising.

Barry Mugglestone answered eight questions. His world-weary approach is understandable. Question 1: Can the Cabinet Member for Environment confirm that the option of paper visitor parking permits is still available in Havering? [Judith Holt: 19 mins]² The answer was, ‘Yes’, but he was more expansive. After the unpleasantness at the last Council Meeting being gracious was important.³

Mandy Anderson (38 mins) highlighted three unregistered Children’s Homes used by Lambeth and Hampshire Councils. Oscar Ford’s blandness pill grated. Mandy’s ward is Havering’s most deprived and is a ‘dumping ground’. Oscar couldn’t care less. Council’s officers are, “Keeping their eye on it.” If Upminster had three illegal Children’s Homes he’d care a great deal more.

Keith Prince’s question (46 mins) about CCTV was interesting until he promoted facial recognition systems. Neither he or Barry realise facial recognition is racially biased and flawed. Keith is a cheer-leader for HRA. Question 15 (49 mins) to Ray Morgon was classic: Do you agree with me that you’re great?⁴ Ray shyly agreed he was great.

Best humour: Gerry O’Sullivan’s constant mispronunciation of Martin Goode’s name.

Notes

1 Council Questions 4 September 2024.pdf (havering.gov.uk)

2 Annotator Player (mediasite.com) All times relate to this webcast

3 Havering’s Council Meeting 24th July 2024 (part one) – Politics in Havering

4 Not his ‘exact’ words but that’s what they added up to

Havering’s Council Meeting 24th July 2024 (part one)

Ray Morgon’s first meeting since trashing the coalition with Labour leaves HRA alone – naked and unashamed. Controversial policies like the Data Centre in Upminster are now totally owned by HRA.

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Question Time (began at 46 minutes)

Question Time is the Barry Mugglestone Show.¹Barry is a bit of a bruiser. He said unrectified service defects were the fault of ward councillors. If they’d worked harder informing him he’d have resolved problems immediately. Good knockabout stuff. Tim Ryan (1:06) substituting for David Taylor got the treatment. It was unfair but fun.

Paul Middleton was ambushed by Judith Holt (1:27). A straight-forward question about the upkeep of Upminster cemetery became emotionally fraught. She was asking about the maintenance of her family grave. Councillors can’t demand special treatment but Paul should have been gentler.

Some cabinet members were ill-prepared for supplementary questions. Paul McGeary, Natasha Summers and Graham Williamson disappointed.

Gerry O’Sullivan was absent and deputy-Mayor, Sue Ospreay, substituted and displayed her unique style. Calling Nisha Patel ‘My lovely’ (1:10) was a novelty, which we could have done without.

Oscar Ford (1:08) said Havering was helpless in answer to Keith Darvill about flooding at Brookside Academy. The council can’t do anything because it’s an Academy.

Best tactician: Barry Mugglestone

Councillor Absence

Twenty percent of councillors were absent. Cllrs Benham, Frost, O’Sullivan, Ruck, Taylor, White D., Walker, Wilkes, Williams and Wise

Note

1 Public reports pack 24th-Jul-2024 19.30 Council.pdf (havering.gov.uk) pp249ff The webcast is here Annotator Player (mediasite.com) All times relate to this webcast

Havering Council Meeting, 6th September 2023

On a hot night eleven councillors, 20%, were absent (see Addendum).

What did they miss? Not a lot. There were no motions, which shows a tragic lack of ambition by the Conservatives. David Taylor, a Conservative, wrote in the Havering Daily,¹ that spending £300,000 on the ULEZ High Court case was a good idea. This might have drawn a crowd especially as it involved slashing councillor allowances.

Question Time was the only event.

Martin Goode (54 minutes)² probed the Leader about agency staff. His answer possibly gave a hostage to fortune. Christine Smith (1:13) asked an important question about measles. Gillian Ford said Havering was better than London but worse than England, which sounds pretty bad. David Taylor (49) promoted *Faith* groups who provide services to the community. He asked for a meeting. Perhaps the Leader will chat with other volunteer groups who patch up LBH’s social services, at no cost to the borough.

Dilip Patel (1:07) stood in for Jason Frost and posed a killer supplementary question to Oscar Ford. Cabinet members read prepared answers but do they understand what they’re reading? The critical question about how many child-carers there are was fundamental to Ford’s answer. He didn’t know. He hadn’t done his homework.

I take a jaundiced view of eulogies but Stephanie Nunn was a warrior. She overcame her distress (5 minutes 45 seconds) announcing the death of Barbara Matthews. She carried on orchestrating speeches – not all of which were of the highest quality.

Addendum: Absent councillors

Joshua Chapman, John Crowder, Philippa Crowder, Sarah Edwards, Brian Eagling Jason Frost, David Godwin, Robby Misir, Sue Ospreay, Philip Rock and Natasha Summers

Notes

1 ‘Our council has failed to prepare for ULEZ’-Havering’s missed chance to support residents. – The Havering Daily

2 Annotator Player (sonicfoundry.com) All times are in brackets and refer to this webcast

Havering Council Meeting – 12th July, 2023

There are 54 councillors and eleven¹ were absent from this meeting. Councillors Nunn and Mugglestone were attending a family funeral but the other nine? Twenty percent of councillors absent for a council meeting? Did they forget to pick up their £200 for this week?

The death of veteran councillor Linda Hawthorn was eulogised in various ways. Chris Wilkins (@ 25 minutes)², a family friend, sounded like a vicar who’d been given notes and then went through the motions. The contrast with Robert Benham (35 mins) couldn’t have been greater. A warm, kind and personal statement did both him and Linda proud.

Graham Williamson (43 mins) forgot to bring his petition to the meeting. A pitiful lapse. This provides a commentary on his organisational abilities.

Barry Mugglestone was absent for Question Time.³ Mischievously Ray Morgon arranged for Judith Holt to have meetings with Barry about Qs. 1 and 3. Martin Goode (1 hour15) asked a very pointed question about the King’s Park estate and the quality of its infrastructure. Jason Frost (1 hour 26) asked a good question on biodiversity and planning.

A motion on e-scooters was led by Robert Benham (1 hour 50). He highlighted their menace. Robert could have asked why Havering’s private million pound policeforce⁴ don’t enforce the law but didn’t. Mandy Anderson (2 hours 05) said the Over 50s Forum condemned e-scooters. The HRA amendment was pointless.

Councillor absenteeism is outrageous and especially Damian White’s.

Notes

1 John Crowder, Philippa Crowder, Laurence Garrard, James Glass, Robby Misir, Barry Mugglestone, Stephanie Nunn, Katharine Tumility, Christine Vickery, Damian White and Darren Wise See https://havering.blog/2023/04/08/haverings-councillors-value-for-money-march-2023/ for a discussion of this point

2 Annotator Player (sonicfoundry.com) All timings relate to this webcast

3 (Public Pack)Agenda Document for Council, 12/07/2023 19:30 (havering.gov.uk) Go to Item 9 p93ff

4 Havering’s million-pound contract is with the MetPolice for five policemen. LBH is paying and OAPs fear e-scooters and so let our police leap into action. Havering’s Million Pound Mistake, 2019-22 – Politics in Havering