Cllr Paul Millar, who represents the Exmouth Halsdon ward on East Devon District Council, confirmed he had joined the East Devon Alliance (EDA) on Tuesday.

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/paul-millar-joins-east-devon-alliance-1-6509015

His decision to join the EDA means the group now has 12 seats on the district council. The ruling Independent Group has 18, the Conservatives 19, the Liberal Democrats eight, Green Party two, and there is one independent.

Cllr Millar had initially joined the Independent group that run the council after he was elected in May, but quit the group in September and had been sitting as an Independent since.

He said: “The Independent East Devon Alliance Group share a set of values and a vision which more closely represent the mantra I stood on last May, especially with regard to how the council ought to be run, and doing things differently from the former administration which too many people seem to forget were voted out.

“I have been assured that by being part of this political grouping my ability to think for myself and speak freely, which is part and parcel of being independent, will not be stamped on by any Leader.

“I will continue to campaign for our taxpayers’ money to be invested in projects that manifestly improve town and village life across the district, rather than shallow vanity projects such as the current plan for Exmouth seafront.”

Cllr Paul Arnott, leader of the EDA, added: “Paul has shown courage and integrity as a ward member for Exmouth Halsdon since May 2019, making a leading contribution at District in the fight for democracy, accountability and transparency in the context of a still opaque administration.

“I hope our experience as Independents and willingness to battle will help both Paul and his constituents.

“His presence will certainly help us too.”

As a result of the change in the political balance, the next full council meeting on Wednesday, February 26, will be asked to approve changes to the committee memberships that have to be politically balanced.

Many find it difficult to understand why, if the East Devon Alliance represents independent councillors, it is a registered “political party”. The reason is that it is a government requirement for any group which campaigns under a shared ethos, and with a defining logo, to be formally registered, even if they are free to act independently. There was an electoral reform recommendation that this should only apply to national politics which was rejected by the government of the day.

From the East Devon Alliance website https://www.eastdevonalliance.com/ :

We are purely an alliance of free-thinking, free-speaking, concerned individuals who came together as independents to challenge the insidious culture of secrecy prevalent within the district council, and still sadly evident in 2019.

Our Alliance is simply that; we work together to campaign, to challenge, to question the decisions that are taken at EDDC which we believe favour the select few, and not the many.

Formed in 2013, by the coming together of a number of groups campaigning across East Devon, we represent the silent voice of those residents who are horrified by the lack of transparency and openness in their Councils. We represent those who believe that unfettered development in favour of rapacious landowners and commercial organisations has been given an unfair advantage over those who live and work in rural East Devon and who believe that not everyone shares the opinion that you can promote growth, and prosperity by simply concreting over every square inch of green field.

We represent those who question the financial integrity of the District and County Councils; decisions made by a small “cabal” of Councillors from one dominant group, who use the party system to bulldoze through policy, and legislation – to the detriment of the vast majority of the residents in this County – ably and willingly assisted by a silent and compliant cohort of party members who rarely speak and who rarely object but continue – with a quiet word in their ears and a gentle arm at their elbows – to vote how they are told and when they are told. That is not democracy in our opinion. That is a virtual autocracy.

Owl wonders who will be next to follow Paul Millar?