What DO you get a chief executive for Christmas? The MJ asked two of local government's most prolific shoppers, Caroline Tapster and Darra Singh, to give a few tips on what they have got on their Christmas lists* Caroline Tapster says... Top of my wish list would be an extra hour in the day but, if Santa can't manage that, I'd be happy with a crystal ball in order to be prepared for anything 2007 has to throw at local government. My fantasy Christmas stocking would definitely contain a speed- reading course to enable me to whiz through the daily avalanche of e-mails and paperwork in record time. I'd also receive an Armani–designed fluorescent jacket to add a touch of glamour when I'm out and about with our frontline workers. There's never enough time for retail therapy, even with plenty of temptation in Hertfordshire, so a personal shopper wouldn't go amiss. Two tickets to an inspection holiday would help, together with persuading Daniel Craig to forego his new James Bond role in favour of a career in local politics. And how about Ant and Dec to whip up the electoral turn-out to 80% at the next polls? But my ideal gift would be to be whisked away for a weekend, out of reach of Blackberries, mobiles or any other gadgets, where I could play golf with my neglected husband, and perhaps take some professional sporting advice from local lad made good Nick Faldo. However if Father Christmas thinks this is all too ambitious, then you can never have too many pairs of shoes… Darra Singh says… One of the things I would want for Christmas would be to know that anyone wanting to buy a present had even more shops to choose from in our borough. Keeping main shopping centres and smaller town centres strong and competitive is a huge challenge for any council, especially at this time of year. Another item high on my list is a pair of work shoes. I have worn out more than one pair recently while out and about with our council leader, seeing for ourselves if we are succeeding in one of our priorities – to make the streets cleaner. Patrick Cox has fantastic shoes for men and women – as I am sure Caroline will confirm. And gents' outfitter Hackett has some great ties to add to any collection. I should add at this point that a wide range of ties is an absolute must for any chief executive. This is a busy time for all senior staff, especially because of the inspections going on. I also have my ongoing work as chairman of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion to contend with. We all have ways to unwind. For Caroline, it's golf and, of course, shopping. For me, I love to get out on my Ducati motorbike. This is why my best gift would be the Alpinestars racer jacket I saw recently, as it looks great and would definitely keep me warm. Caroline Tapster is chief executive of Hertfordshire CC, and Darra Singh is chief executive of Ealing LBC* The MJ would like to point out that we do not encourage bribery of chief executives in any way – unless you are absolutely certain you won't get caught.
