The new foreign shareholders of AssetCo could well be soon approached by British and Danish companies keen to take over their business in London and take on new private fire contracts in the capital.
The gift and hospitality logs of Tory fire chairman Brian Coleman, and Boris Johnson’s fire adviser , David Cartwright, show they have recently been entertained by the top people from both firms.
David Cartwright had lunch with Richard Bond, development director of Serco, at the East India Club, the private schoolboy’s favourite haunt in St James’s Square, where he is chairman. While Brian Coleman was entertained by Jeroen Weimar – managing director of Serco at Livebait – a slight bit of a restuarant climb-down for Coleman.
The Danes not to be outdone sent their chief executive ,Allan Larsen, of Falck Danmark A/S. who met the £150 bill for both Coleman and Cartwright for dinner at Butler’s Wharf, Chop House.
Both companies are known to see the fire service as a new target for privatisations once the new Localism Bill becomes law later this year.I also know that Boris Johnson, the mayor, is well aware of Serco’s interest.
Meanwhile in the run up to the election Brian Coleman shows he has no intention in slacking on his expenses claims – he has already notched up £1621 on taxis, mileage, accommodation and we are only just half way through the financial year. It looks as though he will match his £3500 plus claim last year without too much sweat. I have updated my armchair audit of Coleman on this site to take account of these new developments.
Coleman has been sponging off people like this for years. The most popular series of blogs on the Barnet Eye is the Brian Coleman Free Dinner register, which started with this http://barneteye.blogspot.com/2008/11/councillor-brian-coleman-free-dinner.html – We’ve regularly given updates on the subject and if anything Coleman has got worse. He’s got three completely different gifts & Hospitality registers – One at the GLA, one at the LFEPA and one at Barnet Council, all full of different gifts and dinners. He’s also got an expense account at the GLA and another at the LFEPA (Not sure at Barnet).
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