Cracking article in today’s “View from” newspapers (e-editions available free online):
http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/
regarding yet another exception that Tory Councillor Phil Twiss has taken to yet another (local) election candidate, not surprisingly an Independent.
It seems that he has responded to EDA Chairman Paul Arnott’s challenge to a debate on local issues prior to local council elections in May by saying that he would rather “stick white hot pins and needles in my eyes than share a room with anyone remotely associated with half-wits like Matt Booth”. Mr Booth is an Independent candidate in Sidmouth and campaigner for community use of the town’s Drill Hall who allegedly made remarks on his Facebook page (now removed) that upset Mr Twiss, who appears not to have been named in the remarks.
Surely, if he thinks that these people are “half wits” and considers himself more than half-witted then he would relish the chance of debating with them?
New candidates in local elections are at a great disadvantage – particularly younger candidates such as Mr Booth who are used to social media which allows a much greater freedom of expression than older people are used to – as seasoned politicians, well-versed in the cut and thrust of politics attempt to cut them down to size before they can do them any political damage – though this is not always a successful tactic.
Mr Twiss may well wish to remember his own intemperate words and actions when he reported local Independent general election candidate and councillor Claire Wright to the police when one of her commentators used the phrase “cull of Tory councillors” on her website:
We do not need personal spats of this kind – we need open, transparent debate of the issues that affect us all by all the candidates who seek our votes at this election: our lack of a local plan and the massive building of non-affordable housing and ever-more retirement homes in our area, the reduction of our NHS and social services, over-subscription of schools where even more development is planned, the vanity project of Knowle relocation.
When can we expect local election hustings where we can quiz candidates ourselves instead of watching them trade personal insults via newspapers, which add nothing to real debate – and decide for ourselves who deserves our vote based on what they have to say to us about the important issues rather than trying to denigrate each other?
That’s OLD politics and few of us can bear it any longer. It’s got us into the mess we are in and won’t get us out.
East Devon Watch 
How insulting. Still, he has more protection than the greater horse-shoe bat. Try complaining to the Monitoring Officer if you don’t believe that!
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The word “frit” comes to mind.
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I suppose Mr Twiss will claim that he was speaking as the secretary of the conservative group rather than as a councillor for, if it were the latter, then the question of a breach of the councillor’s code of conduct would seem pertinent. Yes, one rule for him and another for everyone else Eileen.
See http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/175259/code-of-conduct-updated-oct-2013.pdf and the mention of ‘respect for others’ for starters.
His personal judgement might also be questioned given the Twiss Cullgate matter. I thought he might have learned to put the shovel down reather than keep digging the hole he had put himself in.
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Wasn’t the original chap who plunged pins into his own eyes too arrogant for his own good?
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I just don’t see the problem. In national politics ALL political parties are currently weighing up their options if it comes to the need for coalition. This must include talking with representatives of other parties – it’s just common sense. If they aren’t talking and listening to each other, they should be, as it seems likely that coalition will be the outcome whatever happens.
In local politics we really should ban politics at this level – we certainly don’t want party politics as we have seen the immense damage they do, we don’t need party politics as we can run this district without that distraction and party politics is SO last year!
Wake up political dinosaurs and smell the dinosaur poo!
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The electoral commission rules state that candidates (and I assume that Phil (edited in fear of legal action – moderator) will be standing again) campaign materials should “not contain a false statement as to the personal character or conduct of another candidate”.
Is Phil going to report himself to the Electoral Commission or do we have to wait for a member of the public to do so?
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Is it perhaps the very understandable fear of Mr Twiss that, in any East Devon coalition (if the district follows national predictions) it would be East Devon Conservatives v. the rest since “the rest” are likely to share many common values with each other (the urgent need for transparency, care for the environment, a local plan and no “democratic deficit”) and none with Mt Twiss and his old-guard pals?
“Commeth the hour, commeth the man” (or woman or anything inbetween as long as they can do the job better than the last lot).
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