On Monday, the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, suggested the government’s attempt to avoid a vote on the issue of the European arrest warrant – and therefore sidestep a backbench rebellion – would be regarded by the public as contemptuous.

In an extraordinary attack on the government, he said:

“I think I have given a fairly clear indication that this has been a sorry saga. And the house should not be put in this position. Most of us think that a commitment made is a commitment that should be honoured, and we should try to operate according to sensible standards, rather than try to slip things through via some sort of artifice.”

“It may be the sort of thing that some people think is very clever, but people outside of the house expect straightforward dealing. And they are frankly contemptuous, and I use the word advisedly, contemptuous of what is not straight dealing. Let’s try to learn from this experience and do better.”

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/nov/11/labour-force-vote-european-arrest-warrant

Posted by

transparencyforeastdevon

Posted on

11 Nov 2014

Posted under

Feniton/ Talaton, Flooding, Wainhomes

Wainhomes apply for 31 more houses on their Feniton site to “tidy it up”

And all because we have no Local Plan

https://susiebond.wordpress.com/

Posted by

transparencyforeastdevon

Posted on

11 Nov 2014

Posted under

East Devon Electoral/Returning Officer, EDDC, Electoral Commission, Freedom of Information Act, Freedom of Information and EIA, Voting

Comments

2 Comments

The missing 6,000 plus voters: Freedom of Information request uncovers worrying developments

It would appear that, far from carrying out telephone enquiries in preference to door-to-door canvassing, the East Devon Electoral Returning Officer (Mark Williams, also CEO of East Devon District Council) did no canvassing at all for several years. Also that the Electoral Commission was aware if this. Indeed, we have no idea what canvassing was done before 2011 because EROs reported on their own performance with no checks or balances at all until then!

What on earth is going on? Will we ever know – as the ERO himself is exempt from answering Freedom of Information requests and, when asked by the Parliamentary Committee who his boss was he said “No-one”. Only the fact that the Electoral Commission IS expected to comply with the Freedom of Information Act revealed the true situation.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/electoral_registration_is_teleph

It would also seem clear that laws may have been broken but, if that is the case, that there will be no sanction as (thanks to EDA and Mr Freeman) at least 28 people are now out in the community correcting a situation that could have affected the outcome of recent European elections when the missing voters might have changed the result.

It should be noted that Mr Williams has refused to answer questions put to him by local residents on this matter because he says he is “too busy” dealing with the current situation.

It seems that, as canvassing is now being done , the Electoral Commission is happy to sweep the past under an already very dusty carpet.