A year or two ago, you couldn’t move for EDDC councillor “champions” – Tory councillors without cabinet portfolios but with “special responsibilities” for specific tasks. Now, without fanfare, they seem to have disappeared without trace.
Those recently memorable to Owl were Councillor Phil Twiss, who had special responsibility for broadband services in East Devon and a councillor who had “special responsibility” for tourism who seems never to have said anything meaningful about it – ever. And who could forget the councillor with “special responsibility” for construction design – whose legacy is … er … perhaps best not go there!
History tells us that at least two councillors in the past declined these “champion” roles, having been awarded championships without even being consulted, of what might be perceived as “poisoned chalices – “beaches and foreshores” (Councillor Wragg) and “affordable housing” (then EDDC councillor Claire Wright)
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/councillors-reject-role-champions/story-12682633-detail/story.html
And who could forget Councillor Philip Skinner being stripped of his role as “rural champion” by then EDDC leader Sarah Randall-Johnson when he sent her what she perceived to be offensive Christmas greetings:
Oh, and finally, perhaps the “creme de la creme” of champions, disgraced ex- councillor Graham Brown who was excommunicated and stripped of his “business champion” role (and his Chairmanship of the notorious East Devon Business Forum”) after a Daily Telegraph front page sting in which he asserted:
“If I turn a green field into an estate, I’m not doing it for peanuts”
Ah, perhaps Owl has accidentally solved its own conundrum!
East Devon Watch 
To summarise in a nut shell, to be a “champion” means that someone might try to hold you accountable – and of course whilst they may say they want to be accountable, no Tory councillor particularly a Cabinet member really wants to be held accountable. After all, if they were happy to be held accountable:
* we wouldn’t have secret deals done behind the backs of both the public and other councillors;
* they wouldn’t spend £x0k of public money on failed FoI appeals and tribunals to try to keep information secret;
* they would hold proper consultations to hear what the public think because they actually want to know
etc. etc. etc.
Enough said?
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Just for accuracy, I was asked but declined. This was because it would have run parallel with some things I was already involved in, & I didn’t think that it would add value.
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The quoted article does make this clear.
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