Cllr. Ahsan Khan and a Mayoral reception to honour ‘a friend of mine’ UPDATED
Browsing YouTube at the weekend, I was amused to come across this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9fLay0VLbE
It is a short film shot in the Town Hall, at which Waltham Forest’s Mayor honours a guest.
One interesting thing is that the Mayor in question is not Cllr. Saima Mahmud, bur Cllr. Terry Wheeler, her predecessor – suggesting that the practice of Mayoral honouring which has recently caused such controversy is nothing new.
In addition, the first few seconds of the film are very illuminating.
Cllr. Khan introduces the event, and states that it is being held to honour ‘the recipient’ of ‘a special award’, someone who turns out to be (as he puts it) ‘a friend of mine’.
As readers of this blog will know, when LBWF Chief Executive Martin Esom recently commented on Cllr. Khan’s antics, he told me that on these occasions the only thing handed over was a ‘memento’.
It is interesting that Cllr. Khan seems to have a rather different view of the proceedings’ significance.
No doubt, too, ordinary residents will query why Cllr. Khan has been allowed to honour his friends in the Town Hall (with the Mayor present, and at public expense) when they are not; and also wonder at the various references in the recipient’s speech to the Labour Party.
UPDATE
This is also relevant:
http://www.mypothwar.com/2015/05/16/walthamforest-mayors-parlour-awards-distribution-by-mayor-terry-wheeler/
So, an award ceremony, where both shields and watches were presented.
I wonder who paid for those?
James Clapham - June 7, 2016, 8:10 am
One wonders whether or not this would fall under the Electoral Commission’s definition of ‘treating’.