Mary Reid

The Kingston Guardian website has an article that refers to Ian and me, so I guess it will appear in the Surrey Comet as well this week.

Kingston councillor perks made public.

Perks given to Kingston councillors have been made public in the latest register of gifts and hospitality.

Leader of the council Councillor Derek Osbourne was entertained by the Korean Residents' Society last year.

Deputy leader Coun Barry O'Mahony had lunch at City restaurant Smiths of Smithfields in April, as a guest of John Miles of Bishops Palace House.

Coun Ian and Mary Reid were invited to the Rotary Club President's Dinner.

Coun Ian Reid was also given a taxi home from the best council to work for awards in August, in which Kingston came twenty-first.

Councillors must declare any gift or hospitality over the value of £25.

Now I have no problem at all with putting our register of gifts and hospitality in the public domain. I just don't understand what possible news interest there is these items.

Do I need to explain anything?

Kingston Rotary invited me (and Ian) to the dinner in honour of their retiring President, because his year as President and mine as Mayor had overlapped by all but a few weeks. Hospitality offered to a Mayor does not have to be declared, but because this dinner took place after my mayoral year had ended I quite properly reported it in the register.

So what?

I suppose the real story here is that, contrary to public belief, councillors are offered very, very few 'perks'. In fact, I did once have to turn down an invitation because there was a danger that accepting it would compromise my impartiality on an issue.  And a resident once bought me some flowers to say 'thank you' for helping them.

That's about the extent of it.