SHAME ON YOU!

On a freezing night in the West End the boos could be heard from Trafalgar Square as the so called great and the good turned up at the Northumberland Hotel for Westminster City Councils £23,000 civic dinner. In case you thought this event was strictly for Conservative councillors (Labour boycotted the event) a few senior managers were seen entering the hotel as well including Dean Ingledew, Alastair Gilchrist and Martin Low.

Here's what they had for dinner: www.westminsterunison.org.uk/news/2786.html

Everyone of the guests was treated to a chanted chorus of "Shame On You" as they went up the steps into the hotel.

Mr Low thought it amusing to jeer the crowd and at one point came grinning out of the hotel to take a picture of us all. It's nice to know that Mr Low has such a low (geddit?) opinion of his fellow workers and the serious issue of waste they were trying to highlight.

Alastair Gilchrist looked particularly uncomfortable as he snuck outside for a cigarette. It can't have been very relaxing to have a ciggie in front of up to 400 people, many of whom were baying for his blood due to the recent introduction of parking charges for motorbikes & scooters.

Maybe he was too busy thinking about the European Commission probing the allegedly dodgy dealing he's been involved in: (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8551184.stm)

Or perhaps he's worried about the Metropolitan Police investigation into alleged fraud:

(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8518756.stm)

Dean Ingledew tried to sneak in, his bow tie hidden by a rolled up scarf & donkey jacket. You'll have to try harder next time Dean - everyone saw you.

Perhaps the most spectacular entrance of all was that from Westminster Councils glorious leader Colin Barrow. Cllr Barrow arrived by black cab outside the hotel, but upon seeing the baying mob ran for the hotel door, leaving his partner to struggle out of the cab and into the hotel alone. It's good to know that the man who leads Westminster is honourable and has the integrity & endurance to stand up in the face of adversity - NOT! Cllr Barrow ran away like a frightened child.

Westminster UNISON was joined on Northumberland Avenue by the campaign group No to Bike Parking Tax (http://www.notobikeparkingtax.com/). They were at least three hundred strong and made a good old racket up and down the road with their high performance bikes. We were also joined by the Public and Commercial Services Union (who have been on strike recently). One of their delegation had come all the way from Dover to support us!

Local candidates from the Green party also showed up to help, as well as the London Labour Group so this really represented a big spectrum of workers and the local population willing to take action.

We'd like to hope that the presence of so many demonstrators helped to remind all those at the Civic Dinner that we're watching them, and that we will not let thier greed go unrecorded.