He was elected to the Assembly at the 2000 election, and retained the seat in both 2004 and 2008, losing it dramatically in 2012 with a swing from a majority of 20,000 to a deficit of 20,000. He served as the first Conservative Chairman of the London Assembly in 2004/05 and again in 2006/07, and was Deputy Chair(man) in 2005/06 and for the 2007/08 session. As Chairman of the London Assembly, Coleman introduced the old
Greater London Council Chairman's badge and has made the role considerably more civic-based than previous holders of the post. This has led some critics to label Coleman as "pompous" and "self-important", not least because of the high number of honorary and civic positions he has held in the past and continues to hold at present. Coleman's politics and style led him to be one of Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone's principal critics, publicly falling out with the Mayor over the London Borough of Barnet's resurfacing policy,
congestion charging and Livingstone's comments in 2005 likening a Jewish reporter to a
concentration camp guard. On his
re-election to the Assembly in May 2008, Coleman made an angry acceptance speech at the count in which he announced that "the king of bling is back" before storming out, accompanied by his mother. In the
2012 London Assembly election Coleman was defeated by the former
Member of Parliament for
Hendon,
Andrew Dismore, who contested Coleman's
Barnet and Camden seat for
Labour. Coleman was defeated by Dismore, by 74,677 to 53,378 votes, a swing of some 40,000 votes. One of the largest nationwide swings to any Labour candidate in over a decade. This period coincided with the six months that Coleman was banned from driving. A GLA audit panel report in October 2007 showed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £1740 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 August 2007. This accounted for one third of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. He was criticised by Livingstone for "creating a chauffeur service for himself" and by the leader of the Barnet Council Labour group for his "breathtaking arrogance". A further GLA audit panel report in March 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £4157 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 December 2007. This accounted for half of all cab expenses for the Mayor and 25 GLA members. Livingstone said "Brian Coleman must explain to Londoners how he can possibly justify spending more on taxis in four weeks than the average Assembly member does in nine months." When questioned about his cab fares by the
Metro Newspaper, Coleman claimed not to use taxis but thought he was being ferried about in 'an official GLA car'. They reported that in December 2007 he ran up a £412.50 cab fare on a round-trip from his home in
Finchley to a nearby meeting where the driver kept the meter running before taking him to City Hall. Another GLA audit panel report in July 2008 revealed that Coleman had run up taxi expenses of £8231 in the period 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008. This accounted for nearly half of all the cab expenses of the Mayor and 25 assembly members. On one day alone Coleman ran up a cab bill of £656. Assembly member
Jenny Jones said that Coleman justifies the expense because he has taken to wearing gold chains from another era. The London Assembly said all the claims were within guidelines.
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority Coleman was vice chair of the
London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority from 2004 to 2008. Following the election of Boris Johnson as mayor in May 2008, Coleman was appointed chairman. An
Audit Commission report published in February 2009 noted that "The Chairman is robust and challenging but staff and some external stakeholders find his style too confrontational." In August 2008 Coleman claimed that he had been passed over for the post of chair of the
Local Government Association fire services management committee due to homophobia by fellow Tories. Outlining areas of potential cutbacks to a London Assembly committee in September 2008, Coleman suggested that the
London Fire Brigade Museum should be closed. He said that "having recently visited the fire brigade museum – we shook the cobwebs off the door as we opened it – I have to say that it is not a museum that is fit for purpose or that in my view contributes anything", adding "when you've seen one brass helmet you have seen them all". Coleman's outburst prompted a campaign to save the museum.
Val Shawcross, former chair of the LFEPA, stated that "Brian Coleman has an almost hysterical approach to the issues".
Ted Heath cottaging claim In 2007 in a blog in the
New Statesman Coleman wrote: "The late Ted Heath managed to obtain the highest office of state after he was supposedly advised to cease his
cottaging activities in the 1950s when he became a
privy councillor" implying that Heath used to have casual gay sex in public lavatories. The blog was written about in both the tabloid and mainstream press, but there was no confirmation of cottaging or of Heath having been warned. The claims were denied by MP
Sir Peter Tapsell and Heath's friend and MP
Derek Conway stated that "if there was some secret, I'm sure it would be out by now."
G20 Protest In April 2009 Coleman blamed a protester, Nicky Fisher, attending a vigil following the
Death of Ian Tomlinson, who was killed during the
G20 protests, as being to blame after being backhanded twice by a police officer and then struck on the legs with a baton. "Nicky Fisher turned up to this protest, which everyone said could be violent. She put herself in this situation – and lo, she was hit. It's like going gambling and then complaining that you've lost money." The officer involved had been suspended pending an investigation into their actions.
Expenses In July 2009 Coleman was the only London Assembly member to refuse to voluntarily publish details of their expense claims in a move towards greater transparency following the
Parliamentary expenses scandal. He stated "I won't do it voluntarily. It's none of the public's business", and that "Politicians with lower expenses tend to be the politicians who do least work. Those with higher expenses are the ones who do most work." Coleman complied following pressure from Mayor
Boris Johnson.
Comments regarding John Biggs A meeting of the London Assembly's Business Management and Administration Committee on 22 October 2009 had to be suspended for ten minutes after Coleman interrupted another speaker by shouting "oh shut up you odious toad" and "you are the nastiest most odious little man who is unfortunate enough to serve in public life." The Committee chairman
Jennette Arnold described the comments as "totally outrageous" and "appalling". Coleman's remarks were directed to assembly member
John Biggs who stated that they were not acceptable in a public meeting. A complaint was lodged with the Assembly Standards Committee who adjudged Colman's conduct had not breached the Code.
Rent increases In October 2011 Coleman reportedly told a
single mother facing a rent rise to "live in the real world" and that Councillors simply cannot conjure housing out of thin air and to consider renting in the private sector.
Conviction for assault Coleman was arrested for assault for an incident that took place on 20 September 2012. Helen Michael, a café owner in
North Finchley who had actively opposed Coleman's policy on parking charges, saw him park his car in a loading bay opposite her café. She claimed that she was filming him on her mobile phone when he noticed her and attempted to grab the camera. A policeman intervened and Coleman then jumped into his car and attempted to drive off with both doors open, hitting a truck before speeding off. Coleman was charged with assault by beating and driving on a road without reasonable consideration. Coleman pleaded not guilty to the charges of assault by beating and careless driving at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on 5 November. On 3 May 2013 he pleaded guilty to the charge of assault and was fined £270 after CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court. He subsequently claimed that he entered a guilty plea as part of a deal to ensure he retained his driving licence. On 5 June 2013 he was expelled from the Conservative Party but he remained a member of Barnet Council and announced he would seek re-election as an Independent candidate in the 2014 election.
Further abuse allegations On 10 September 2013 Coleman was described as having 'stormed out' of a Barnet Council meeting after losing an appeal against a ruling that he had broken the members' code of conduct by failing to treat others with respect. According to a report in the
Edgware and Mill Hill Times on 13 September he had referred to a psychiatric nurse as "a twat" at a Cabinet meeting and had sent abusive e-mails to the chair of the local branch of
Age UK. Coleman, whilst not denying the allegations, claimed that the procedure was unlawful as the code of conduct had been superseded and that he "couldn't give a toss" about the council's decision. ==Council of Europe==