A Deserter In The Ranks?

As Chief Whip I have to be constantly on my guard to ensure that, in the oft-quoted words of Margaret Thatcher, the vegetables "have the same as me". We can't have Labour Councillors wandering off making unauthorised statements, pursuing their own political interests or voting the way they feel.

It's not always easy. Councillor Parker gave me a lot of grief recently when he voted for the Dalston Towers against my strong advice (well, Linda's actually, but it's the same thing). I got my own back, of course, by getting a mate of mine to complain about him to the Standards Board for England, resulting in his being brought up a misconduct charge, while I blamed it all on The Groveller. Pretty nifty, eh?

But even I was shocked the other day when a little bird whispered in my ear that Councillor Patrick Vernon of Queensbridge Ward had been spotted frequenting the art gallery premises of a defeated Tory prospective councillor, laughing and joking, shaking the hands of visiting yuppies and introducing himself to the arty-farties. To the innocent eye this could simply be viewed as an elected officer doing his duty in representing all of his constituents and not just his supporters. But I haven't got an innocent eye. I wonder what the hell he was up to? Rats and ships come to mind.