Daily Archives: 8 Dec 2014

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8 Dec 2014

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Democracy, EDDC

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Full Council agenda: Knowle – Wednesday 17 December 2014, 6.30pm

Full council isn’t in the mood to do anything much this month UNLESS a shock announcement is made under agenda item 6 – announcements from Chairman and Leader provokes surprise. That leaves public questions (PLEASE!) and the following motion which, not unsurprisingly, has no paety political support – just (truly) independent councillors!

“10 Motion – East Devon District Council Scrutiny

An effective and independent scrutiny function is important for achieving
a transparent and an effective council. Scrutiny should be a completely open and impartial process, not subject to interference or pressure.

This Council believes the Overview and Scrutiny Committee alone should determine what matters it considers, who it calls as witnesses and who forms part of
its considerations. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny must be non-majority party councillors in order for the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be fully effective.

Proposed by Councillor Roger Giles, Seconded by Councillor Ben Ingham and supported by Susie Bond, Trevor Cope and Claire Wright.

Agenda for Council
Wednesday, 17 December 2014; 6.30pm

Click to access 171214-council-combined-agenda-inc-minute-book.pdf

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8 Dec 2014

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General Election, Phil Twiss

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Twiss-ted again?

Read the two statements below, both from the same newspaper article:

1. “Cllr Twiss told the Echo that following his complaint on November 27, officers visited him this morning, Monday, December 8, and told him they were taking no further action but the matter would be kept on file.”

and

2. “... a police spokesperson, said: “We can confirm police were contacted about comments made on a blog. Officers from the force’s neighbourhood team spoke to the reporting person and offered words of advice.  The matter has been logged and at this time no further action is being taken.”

(1) could be taken to imply that Councillor Wright had not been exonerated and might face proceedings at some later date whereas (2) could be read to imply that no action is being taken against Councillor Twiss as this time.

Diametrically opposite inferences.  Very, very different.

Now, “keeping a matter on file” can be done ONLY by the Crown Prosecution Service and not by the police and is done when there has been a trial and no verdict has been reached.

“In the Crown Court the judge has the power to order that entire indictments or some counts on an indictment are ordered to ‘lie on the file’. There is no verdict, so the proceedings are not formally terminated. There can be no further proceedings against the defendant on those matters, without the leave of the Crown Court or the Court of Appeal.”

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/termination_of_proceedings/

It is highly unlikely that the “officers from the neighbourhood team” would, or could, use the phrase.  Rather like the confusion over the different meanings of the word cull, perhaps?

Once again it appears to show that Councillor Twiss is determined to attack the reputation of Councillor Wright.

Isn’t it now time that he should publicly apologise to her on her blog on in the local press for the distress this must be causing her?

And still six months to go before the district election and the General Election.

Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Police-confirm-investigation-East-Devon/story-25422252-detail/story.html

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8 Dec 2014

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General Election, Latest news, Phil Twiss

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Twiss ” cull” complaint: police confirm no action but Twiss says they are “keeping it on file”

But why does Twiss add that the police will “keep the complaint on file” when the newspaper article simply say it was simply “logged” and no action taken? If I were Councillor Wright I would be wanting to know what this means as the two phrases are very different. A bit like the different uses of the word “cull”.

… Cllr Twiss told the Echo that following his complaint on November 27, officers visited him this morning, Monday, December 8, and told him they were taking no further action but the matter would be kept on file.

Twiss-ted?

And how much quicker the police were investigating this particular complaint compared to the one about Councillor Brown which took more than 18 months to investigate!

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Police-confirm-investigation-East-Devon/story-25422252-detail/story.html

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8 Dec 2014

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EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Knowle relocation fiasco….a closer look at costs and options

More information with helpful photos and links, are given at http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/knowle-relocation-project-comparing.html

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8 Dec 2014

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Budleigh Salterton, Hugo Swire

Hugo Swire: ace at getting you a statue financed by the tobacco industry!

You want a very large, imposing iconic statue? Don’t have the money for it? Fear not! MP Hugo Swire will have a quick word with his mates who represent the tobacco industry and it’s yours!

http://3rd-dimensionpmsa.org.uk/features/2014-07-25-new-statue-to-change-iconic-view-of-house-of-lords

Wonder how many useful things the cost of these statues might have financed? How many Mulberry ipad cases one statue could have bought for the homeless!