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View from hot seat
• WHEN we heard that Islington’s new chief executive, John Foster, had taken up his post, Islington Fabian Society invited him to speak to us.
John gave us a little of his personal local authority history, starting in 1970. After a spell in the Home Office, he has in more recent years been chief executive of North Tyneside (which at that time had a reputation for being progressive), Middlesbrough and Wakefield, his last position before joining Islington. Now at the age of 59, he expects to complete his career in Islington and to carry on some of the good work he has become aware of.
John was pleased to note that there were programmes to reduce inequality and to reduce child poverty that were hand-in-hand with Government aims. A continuing problem was that of teenage pregnancies. There are limits to the powers and finances of local authorities but much has been done and more remains to attempt.
John was sensitive to the separate roles of officers and councillors. He told us employees were entitled to belong to political parties but as senior officers could not become active.
He himself was a member, but would not divulge which party, but he did confess some Trotskyite leanings in his far-flung youth.
The society’s next meeting is at 8pm on Wednesday, September 24, at Islington Town Hall, Room 1,
PAT HAYNES
Secretary, The Islington Fabian Society
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