Forum Topic

Council leader Conflict of Interest?

Should leader of council Julian Bell continue to be a paid subordinate of  Southall MP Virendra Sharma or should he have stopped working for Mr Sharma when he became the leader of the council to preserve a healthy level of independence? People now are saying Mr Sharma is running the council and Mr Bell is compromised as he won't give up his salary from Mr Sharma even though he claims full time leaders allowances from council. Do people in Acton really want Southall MP Sharma to be having such influence over their council?

Rashminder Singh ● 4500d20 Comments

I don't understand this.Are you saying Mr Bell is employed by Mr Sharma and receives a salary from him?Because if so this would potentially represent a conflict of interest.But it needs evidence to substantiate your claim!

Richard Grange ● 4500d

Our glorious leader describes himself on his twitter page as:"Labour Leader of Ealing Council, Researcher to Virendra Sharma MP, Sheff Utd fan & keen cyclist! Tweeting my personal views. Links & RTs are not endorsements."No idea if he's paid, but I don't think the connection has ever been a secret.

Sara Nathan ● 4500d

As it's stated across the internet that Julian Bell is employed as a researcher by Mr Sharma MP, there's no doubt that he receives a salary. There have been several councillors whose day job has been parliamentary researcher to an MP, but not to my recollection for an MP representing part of the borough nor in a senior council position. I would presume Julian Bell's employment status would be set out in the declaration of interest councillors are required to complete. What's never made sense is how Cllr Bell can do two jobs properly when both of them are supposedly full time.

Vlod Barchuk ● 4500d

Well it all might be a conspiracy theory too far...But in the context of all the dark mutterings about 'How Southall countrols the council and voted through the oaks' - it is perhaps surprising to see our Labour leader appears to be an employee of the Southall MP.I wonder how much he gets paid? Has he ever said?

Richard Grange ● 4500d

The Oaks as a dark plot by the Southall MP to sow dissent in Acton. It all makes sense now!Get a grip.

Pete Grist ● 4500d

I meant to add - if indeed - it is a paid post?Whatever the position, I would love to know how being a researcher to the Southall MP squares with being the Leader of the Council there to represent the entire borough (inc Acton)

Richard Grange ● 4500d

Hi PeterI am not suggesting there was a dark plot - merely observing that there has been plenty of debate on this forum about the role of Southall in dominating council priorities. Which may or may not be the case.And I am still curious to discover that Mr Bell is a researcher to the Southall MP. All probably perfectly innocent - but it would be interesting to find out more.

Richard Grange ● 4500d

With luck he only has another 24 hours as leader of the council. At least he has some alternative employment to fall back on. I imagine he's better to suited to backroom political research. He's evidently not suited to a leadership role running a borough council. Street not swept yet again this week. That's 6 weeks out of the last 7. Bring on someone vaguely competent.

Peter Millman ● 4500d

VOTE TORY.  Blue is the colour.Won't be sorry to see the back of Julian Bell, he was pathetic, when he was a councillor for Acton Central.

Nikki Howard ● 4500d

Julian Bell was deselected before the 2006 elections from Acton Central as the Labour party had/has a policy of always having at least one woman standing in 'safe' wards. He was judged the worst of the three sitting councillors by his colleagues. Labour were wiped out in Acton Central in 2006 but Julian got a seat in Greenford Broadway that saw him re-elected. Not sure how many of his 9 lives he used up so far.

Vlod Barchuk ● 4500d

It is a bit far fectched. I suspect the Southall councillors just don't care what happens in Acton. However the close link between Sharma and Bell does explain why this council spent over £2m on a car park in Southall that is poorly used; what the Southall MP and councilors want, they get.

Vlod Barchuk ● 4500d

Rashminder,Cllr Bell works two days a week as the researcher for Virendra Sharma MP.  This role is paid.  See here:http://ealing.cmis.uk.com/Ealing/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=yPCU6xuhZigeHca5B%2fRRWt1YddvscBcz2oSDM7miK6bhcsG1p6%2bPlg%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=Gc0rC33vLgc%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3dThe leader's allowance at Ealing council was increased in 2006 to reflect the fact that Jason Stacey gave up a successful career to become a fulltime leader of the council.  When Julian Bell took over he kept the fulltime allowance but continued to work two days a week for Sharma.  These facts are uncontested.

Phil Taylor ● 4500d

There seems to be a clear conflict of interest in this case.

David Giles ● 4499d

If so, it's been there, overtly for four years with no action by anyone. So maybe a tad late now!

Sara Nathan ● 4499d

That depends on the results of today's elections !

David Giles ● 4499d

The declaration of interests that you linked to does not say that it is a 2 days a week role. It just says that it is part-time.

Paul Webster ● 4499d

Paul,I know it is 2 days a week because he told me himself. 

Phil Taylor ● 4499d

It is quite normal for councillors to have jobs. These sort of forums are going to attract people who see corruption and/or conspiracy in everything they disagree with, but I expect better  of Phil & Vlod.

Pete Grist ● 4498d

Pete,Of course you are right that most councillors have full time jobs and make a contribution to politics around that.  But, in 2006 it was agreed that the then leader of the council, Jason Stacey, would take an allowance that reflected his giving up a successful career to become a full time leader of the council.  His management of the council was widely praised on all sides and the Borough benefited hugely from his full time engagement.  In 2010 Julian Bell kept the full time allowance but continued to work 2 days a week for Virendra Sharma.  I think no-one would have complained if Bell had taken a 40% cut in his allowance, but he didn't.  He took a 100% allowance and gave 60% of his time.

Phil Taylor ● 4498d

Julian Bell's activity was shocking.

wray green ● 4498d