EDDC now calls developers “Customers” and in many cases puts these “customer” interests ahead of those of the local electorate that they are supposed to be working for.

Now the EU is considering something similar, putting corporations ahead of citizens in a proposed law to provide compensation to corporations whenever a law has an adverse affect on them (called ISDS in TTIP). See

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/m/74c0440d/2d720dbc/4ab73af9/464437c5/2117595504/VEsD/

if you want to find out about this particular proposal.

However the point here is that democracy is under attack at all levels, including in our local councils.

Cllr Roger Giles has recently spoken out on Cllr Claire Wright’s blog about how the EDDC Monitoring officer has overturned a motion agreed by majority vote by Ottery St. Mary Town Council to publish the full details of one of her rulings in favour of a request from two minority dissenters on OSMTC to keep it secret.

EDDC and its Leadership needs to recognise that their role is to serve us, the citizens of East Devon, and that we have the right to know what is going on. That, after all, is presumably what Leader Diviani meant when he promised transparency in his nomination speech in 2011.