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Our Election omnishambles – and the Returning Officer’s pay

In addition to the omnishambles about postal vote mistakes (twice) we should not forget this, too:

“East Devon’s returning officer has defended the delays at the count for the General Election in Sidmouth.

In a statement given to the press Mark Williams said: “This the first time since 1979 that we have had three elections in one night. The reasons why the government stopped this was that in rural areas like East Devon means the sheer volume of ballot papers that are prepared for counting causes a huge volume of work.”

Earlier Mr Williams said his team was ready and said the count would conclude at 2.30am. …

http://www.devonlive.com/election-2015-east-devon-returning-officer/story-26463810-detail/story.html

Question: How come other rural areas didn’t have this problem?

AND remember Mr Williams is paid EXTRA for his election duties. Wonder how much extra and whether cock-ups mean a pay cut? We will never know, because the job is not covered by the Freedom off Information Act and EDDC refuses to tell us. AND the Returning Officer has a big budget but because of that Freedom of Information block, we are not allowed to know what it is and, crucially, what happens to any underspend.

However, we do know that the Sheffield returning officer refused his fee of £20,000 in 2015 and here is a list of what other election staff are paid:

“Fees

Election officials’ fees vary widely from constituency to constituency but might typically be:
Presiding officer: £250-£300;
Poll clerk: £115-£190;
Postal vote issuer: £8 per hour;
Postal vote opener: £9 per hour;
Count supervisor: £150 night shift;
Counting assistant: £12.50 per hour (plus £10 training fee).”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/general-election-2015-explained-who-registers-the-parties-who-counts-your-vote-and-how-much-do-they-10171387.html

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Oh no! East Devon’s General Election postal voting screwed up AGAIN

It happened in the 2015 election when the wrong voting instructions were sent out with postal votes:

http://www.devonlive.com/apology-issued-east-devon-postal-voters-affected/story-26395839-detail/story.html

and now it’s happening again this year – but worse and affecting many more people.

And in an election where a handful of votes might decide a winner between Swire and Claire Wright.

If Claire Wright is within 9,000 votes of Swire could she demand a rerun?

Our Returning Officer was called to Parliament to explain why he “lost” 6,000 voters too – saying he preferred to telephone them rather than sending canvassers into deepest, darkest East Devon:

We have identified most of those 6,000 missing voters – just in time for the coming elections

In 2015 he blamed his postal vote fiasco on “inexperienced staff”:

Being in charge of elections at EDDC means never having to say sorry and blaming your staff

What will it be this year?

Is it perhaps time for Mr Williams (EDDC CEO and Election Officer) to consider his position(s)?

THIS YEAR’S FIASCO AFFECTS 9,000 POSTAL VOTES

“A total of 9,000 postal voters in East Devon have been reassured after a mistake meant their slips did not have the correct security mark.

A statement has been issued today by the Acting Returning Officer for the East Devon Constituency (Mark Williams) to reassure postal voters who have not yet returned their postal votes.

He said: “It has come to my attention that the postal vote packs we issued on 25th May contained voting slips that did not have an official security mark visible on the front of the ballot paper. This has affected a total of 9,000 postal voters.

“I want to reassure those postal voters affected that if they have not yet returned their postal votes they should still do so. We have taken all the necessary steps to ensure the postal votes are valid and will be counted. I apologise for the error but want to reassure postal voters that they should still complete their postal voting statements and return their postal voting envelopes back to me for validating as part of the normal postal voting process.

“To be valid, a postal vote has to be accompanied by a valid postal voting statement containing the voters date of birth and signature. After these are checked, the envelope containing the postal voting slip is opened and the slip is put into a sealed ballot box where it is kept safe until the formal count. My postal vote opening teams will ensure that all validly completed postal votes are double checked so that they will go forward to the count along with all the other votes that will be cast on polling day itself.”

There is a second issue of postal votes tomorrow (31st May) and all the postal voting slips will have the appropriate security mark. Similarly all ballot papers issued at the polling stations will have the necessary security mark.

The news comes after it was revealed East Devon was chosen as one of eight UK constituencies to be monitored as part of an international mission to ensure elections are fair.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has announced that the constituency will be one of its target seats for the general election.

An Election Assessment Mission (EAM) will be conducted in the area from June 4 to 9 by Phillip Paulwell, an MP from Jamaica who will lead a team of Observers from the Commonwealth.

The Mission, which is being arranged by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK) as it did in the 2015 and 2010 general elections, will also observe elections in seven other UK constituencies to oversee:

polling
counting
post-election complaints or appeals

The team will compromise of three parliamentarians and one election official from Tonga who will monitor Election Day procedures at polling stations, meet with candidates, returning officers, local officials, community groups and other relevant stakeholders in order to assess the conduct of the election.”

http://www.devonlive.com/thousands-of-east-devon-postal-voters-reassured-after-voting-slip-error/story-30362465-detail/story.html

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Essex council switches to ‘more democratic’ committee system

“Councillors at Basildon last week (25 May) voted to switch to a committee system to run the council in place of the Leader and Cabinet.

Following a vote at the council’s annual general meeting, councillors were appointed to various committees and other positions.

The committees include: policy and resources; housing and community; regeneration and environment; infrastructure, growth and development; planning; licensing; and audit and risk.

Cllr Gavin Callaghan, Policy and Resources Committee Chairman, said: “We have taken a very important step to change the way that decisions are made because we believe it will make the council more democratic and more effective. It is now down to us to prove it.

“All of us need to commit ourselves to listening to what our constituents and our communities are saying and to making sound decisions based on good evidence and careful consideration. We will need to work together and listen to each other too.”

The council has resolved that no one should use the title of Leader of the Council but that the chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee shall assume the responsibilities of a Leader of the Council in a committee system.

Basildon councillors had resolved on 15 December 2016 to cease operating the Leader and Cabinet form of governance and start operating a committee system from the earliest permitted time, which was the AGM in 2017.

The authority cannot resolve to make another change to its governance arrangements, including a return to the Leader and Cabinet form of governance, for five years, except if approved in a referendum.”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31324%3Aessex-council-confirms-switch-to-committees-in-bid-to-be-more-democratic&catid=59&Itemid=27

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Time running out to tell Clinton Devon Estates what you think about them

The survey is here:
https://www.research.net/r/CDECommunity

And, for information, here are the questions the survey asks – perhaps you have questions you would like them to answer that don’t appear on this rather arbitrary list:

“Clinton Devon Estates Survey, time is running out to take this survey. They’d love your views.

“We look to listen carefully to our staff, customers and those in our community. How we engage with you and what you think about our approach to sustainability is important to us and we want to get it right. Your feedback to this survey will play an important part in helping us develop our future communications.”

“Please click on the button below to start the survey. It will take around 3 minutes to complete.”

https://www.research.net/r/CDECommunity

“Everyone who takes part in the survey will be entered into a prize draw with a chance of winning one of three £100 high street gift vouchers. The prize draw will take place on the 7th of June and the winners will be notified on the 9th of June 2017.”

1. Which of the following do you associate with Clinton Devon Estates?
Residential properties;
Venison;
Forestry and timber;
Equestrian events;
Wildlife conservation and management projects;
Commercial properties;
Farms and land;
Other (please specify)

2. To what extent do you agree with the following?
Clinton Devon Estates puts responsible stewardship and sustainable development at the heart of everything they do?
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

3. Clinton Devon Estates understands and conserves the wildlife it manages
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

4. Clinton Devon Estates contributes to the local economy
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

5. Clinton Devon Estates supports the local community
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

6. If you disagree strongly or slightly with any of these statements, please tell us why………………………

7. To what extent do you agree with the following?
Clinton Devon Estates takes the views of its staff and the local community into account when making decisions.
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

8. Clinton Devon Estates communicates the reasons for its decisions and actions to its staff and the local community.
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

9. Clinton Devon Estates is transparent and open about the decisions it makes as a business
Disagree strongly; Disagree slightly; Neither agree/nor disagree; Agree slightly; Agree strongly

10. If you disagree slightly or strongly with any of these statements, please explain why…………………

11. Clinton Devon Estates is considering using the sentence: “We pledge to do today what is right for tomorrow” to help communicate their commitment to sustainability and making decisions that will have a positive impact on future generations.
In this context – How would you describe the word “pledge”?
Traditional; Meaningful; Irrelevant; Old-fashioned; Powerful; Meaningless; Don’t know what it means
Other (please specify)

12. What does the word “pledge” mean to you?……………………………………………..

13. Again thinking about the meaning of the words : “We pledge to do today what is right for tomorrow” in relation to Clinton Devon Estates commitment to sustainability – Do you prefer the word “promise” to the word “pledge” ?
Yes; No; Don’t know

14. Why do you say that? ………………………………………………

15. How credible do you think “We pledge to do today what is right for tomorrow” is as a statement from Clinton Devon Estates?
Not at all credible; Not very credible; Neither; Quite credible; Very credible

16. Why do you say that?………………………………………………….

17. If you’d like to be entered into the prize draw to win one of three £100 high street gift vouchers, please complete your contact details below: Thank you and good luck with the prize draw.”

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Pensioners, disabled and mentally ill scapegoated by Tories in this election?

“The dementia tax betrays the Tories’ underbelly. For a leader who protects our homes and offers our grandchildren hope, it’s got to be Corbyn for us pensioners.

The Conservative manifesto assault on pensioners bore all the hallmarks of Thatcherism – without the competence. Even the U-turn on the “dementia tax” will do little to win back pensioners who’ve been thrown under the bus – the one with £350m a day for the NHS emblazoned on the side – once too often.

Theresa May’s intervention was designed to mollify us oldies, but it did nothing of the sort. There was nothing that made me feel more secure in my home than I had before the whole sorry mess had started.

That the Tories would come after their most loyal supporters wasn’t a shock to me. We’re vulnerable and compliant and, in the past at least, voted Tory out of habit. Even with the extortionate charges for residential care and the drive to force people into buying their hip replacement surgery, pensioners were still set to vote Tory. But the election’s triple whammy – scrapping the triple lock guarantee on our pensions, attacking the winter fuel allowance, and the social care plans that mean vulnerable pensioners could be made homeless – has changed that.

This attack came in a context in which pensioners are increasingly scapegoated. The headlines would have us believe that it’s “bed-blockers” making the NHS grind to a halt. Not Tory cuts. There’s a constant, nasty subtext that, in times of austerity, old people are living too long which is damned inconvenient because we’re expensive to maintain.

The fact that May thought she could get away with this flagrant attack on her most steadfast supporters shows just how out of touch she is. But blaming the vulnerable is a strategy that has worked for the Tories. Deflecting the financial crash away from financial institutions and political failings, and on to the poor, the sick and the old, has allowed the Tories to justify austerity, to say: “It’s not bankers’ bonuses we should be cutting back, it’s the welfare state.”

The elderly, disabled and mentally ill are portrayed in much of the media as shirkers and spongers, so it’s no wonder we’re seen as easy prey.

Pitting the elderly against the young has been a growing and divisive tactic. Our protected state pensions and our dominance in the housing market are cited as causing the financial misery of the younger generation. We have our great big madeira cake and we’re jolly well going to eat it.

The reality is quite different; 1.9 million pensioners live below the poverty line, one in four people over 65 struggle to survive to the end of each month, the waiting list time for elective surgery is anything up to a year, and now, should we need nursing home care, our own homes will be sold to pay for it. Old people are not the cause of the problems of today’s younger generation, they are scapegoats for a social care system that has been made bankrupt by reckless cuts and Tory incompetence.

May’s dementia tax betrayed the underbelly of the nasty party. It has not only abandoned but attacked a generation of citizens, many of whom lived through the second world war and the dire austerity that followed. She would rather steal from her loyal pensioners than ask her friends in the city to pay their fair share. The curtain has been lifted, and we see May as she really is – a reverse Robin Hood, stealing from the palms of the poor to line the pockets of the rich.

This gigantic own goal will be followed by days of grovelling promises to “look after” older people. I may be old but I’m not stupid. Who on earth would trust anything Theresa May now says? I’ve lived through many an election but never in my life have I seen a U-turn on a manifesto pledge before an election has even been won. Incompetence on this scale is unprecedented. If Theresa May can’t get this right, how can we possibly trust her to handle complex Brexit negotiations? … “

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/30/theresa-may-most-incompetent-leader-dementia-tax-pensioners-corbyn-hope

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Parliamentary candidate Peter Faithfull (Ind) running to publicise 40 year old local murder case

One has to ask if this is a proper use of the parliamentary election process and indeed whether it was an appropriate use of his district council bid (which was successful as he now represents Ottery St Mary):

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Claire Wright 4 – Hugo Swire 0 (or possibly minus 4)

Today’s View from … letters page:

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Quote from Tory candidate for seat of murdered MP Jo Cox

“A Conservative candidate for the seat formerly held by the murdered MP Jo Cox has apologised and blamed fatigue for telling a hustings: “We’ve not yet shot anybody so that’s wonderful.”

Ann Myatt made the comments while discussing the coming together of various communities in Batley and Spen, in West Yorkshire.

“This sort of evening is absolutely first-rate because we have here people of all faiths, we have here people from different parts of the community and we’ve not yet shot anybody so that’s wonderful,” she told the meeting.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/29/tory-candidate-for-jo-cox-seat-batley-spen-gun-joke-apology-ann-myatt

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Claire Wright one of the 25 key tactical voting candidates along with MPs Caroline Lucas, Nick Clegg and Chuka Ummuna

Press release

“Claire Wright, independent parliamentary candidate in East Devon is today named alongside national political figures as one of 25 key candidate “champions” in a campaign for Britain’s biggest ever tactical vote to stop a Conservative led hard Brexit.

The endorsement comes from the Best for Britain campaign set up by Gina Miller whose fight for Parliament’s right to trigger Article 50 went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Announcing the deal the Best for Britain team said Ms Wright had mounted a strong challenge against Conservative Hugo Swire in East Devon. She is the candidate most likely to put principle first and speak up for what is best for Britain in the next Parliament.

Gina Miller, Board Member, Best for Britain said:

“Theresa May has said this election is about her mandate for negotiation with Europe. But this means accepting the Conservative manifesto’s Deal or No Deal rhetoric. Britain deserves considered debate, not posturing.

“By supporting independent minded candidates, we want to help to deliver a Parliament that scrutinises and holds the Government to account to ensure that Britain get the best deal from Europe. Tactical voting will make a real difference in this election. That’s why we are backing strong and talented candidates that agree with our position that MPs must have the right to a full and free vote in Parliament on the terms of the deal, with all options on the table.”

Other figures named include Labour’s Chuka Ummuna, Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg and Green Caroline Lucas. Best for Britain is a non partisan organisation campaigning to ensure the final negotiation with the EU ends with the best deal for Britain by endorsing MPs that will fight extreme Brexit.

Ms Wright has expressed concern about the Brexit process and has a manifesto commitment to fighting for a vote in parliament on any final deal. Responding to the announcement Ms Wright said:

“I am delighted to receive this endorsement which raises my campaign to a whole new level. It is exciting and humbling to be named alongside experienced national politicians. I firmly believe in the democratic right for MPs to be able to properly debate and meaningfully vote on any Brexit deal.

“Again and again I have heard from people who are so fed up with the divisive nature of our politics. I am proud to be an independent and to fight for parliament to have a say on any Brexit deal.”

Claire will not receive any financial support from the Best for Britain campaign. Her funding has come from about 200 donations by local people through an internet funding site, which is transparent and accountable. It has raised ten thousand pounds in just under three weeks.

The Best for Britain endorsement is the latest high point in Claire’s campaign:

On Sunday her crowdfunding website reached £10 000, raised in less than three weeks, last week she was endorsed by East Devon based Booker prize winning novelist Hilary Mantel, the author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Ms Mantel backed Claire saying:

“If you want a different kind of politics, do something different to get it. Don’t waste your vote, give it to Claire Wright: trust a candidate with a clear vision for our unique part of England.”

Claire has also been endorsed by tactical voting website Tactical2017 as the best East Devon candidate to defeat the Conservatives. She is currently the only Independent candidate in the country with this endorsement.

She has also been named by bookies William Hill as the official opposition in East Devon with odds of 9/2 and the only credible alternative to the Conservatives.

Events Diary
Tuesday 30th May 7.30pm, Exmouth Hustings, Holy Trinity Church, 6A Bicton Place, Exmouth, EX8 2SU

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MPs and their tenuous links to their constituencies

Well, we know that Hugo Swire lives in Mid Devon, now here’s another who prefers not to live in his constituency:

Source: Facebook Unseat Marcus Fysh

At least Hampshire is in England – our MP spends lots of time travelling the world as Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council:

“A January 2016 Middle East Monitor investigation revealed that nearly all of the CMEC’s financial backers have strong business interests in Saudi Arabia and its smaller Gulf allies, ranging from defence to manufacturing to energy resources”

Time to pack him off on his camel?

(Claire Wright – Independent – was born, raised, educated and has family in East Devon and continues to live here; the Lib Dem candidate is a Teignmouth Councillor; the Labour Party’s candidate may or may not live in East Devon (says so but candidate documents say Central Devon).

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Claire Wright reaches her £10,000 crowdfunding target

Though Owl is sure she would be grateful for more – she doesn’t have big donors or battle buses to call on – just ordinary people. You know, those affected by health cuts, education cuts and environmental destruction.

The ones caused by Hugo Swire’s party and its fat cat donors.

The choice really is yours.

https://www.crowdpac.co.uk/campaigns/2644/claire-wright

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Health service underfund: nothing to do with patients, everything to do with politicians

All the more reason to vote for Claire Wright and not Hugo Swire, who voted for the Health and Social Care Act 2012 that created the money-gobbling, privatising internal market (though Blair started PFI as a way of cooking the Treasury’s books).

One reason for East Devon bed closures is that Tiverton Hospital (24 beds) CANNOT be reduced in beds or closed because it would be too expensive to break the PFI contract.

And Owl STILL wants to know if Neil Parish’s new hip is private or NHS.

“Councils and hospital trusts are trying to ditch controversial private finance initiative (PFI) deals as austerity makes them unaffordable.

The long-term deals, which were hugely popular in the 2000s, were used to pay for new schools, hospitals, prisons and roads. They were designed to shift risk to the private sector but were often struck on inflexible terms spanning several decades. Cash-strapped public sector bodies are increasingly trying to escape from PFI deals as the contracts eat up bigger slices of their revenues.

Councils are turning to an obscure arm of the Treasury, the Public Works Loan Board, to refinance debt at a much lower rate — shifting the risk back onto the state. Ending deals also exposes councils to hefty compensation fees.

Deals including a £2.7bn highways contract in Birmingham and a waste contract in Essex are under pressure. An industry adviser said several hospital trusts are trying to unwind PFI deals. “They have to balance shrinking budgets in the near term and the PFIs are increasingly gobbling up their revenues.”

Source: Sunday Times (paywall)

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International observers choose to oversee fairness of East Devon General Election

Returning Officer Mark Williams, EDDC CEO must be delighted.

“An international mission to ensure elections are fair has chosen East Devon among eight UK constituencies to be monitored on June 8.

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) has announced that the constituency will be one of its target seats for the general election.

Tory Sir Hugo Swire is bidding to retain the seat – one of the safest in the county – and see off a challenge from popular local independent candidate Claire Wright.

Ms Wright, who finished second in 2015, has been selected by a tactical voting website as the best option for non Tories to topple the long-serving former cabinet minister, the only independent to receive such an endorsement.

An Election Assessment Mission (EAM) will be conducted in the area from June 4 to 9 by Phillip Paulwell, an MP from Jamaica who will lead a team of Observers from the Commonwealth.

The Mission, which is being arranged by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch (CPA UK) as it did in the 2015 and 2010 general elections, will also observe elections in seven other UK constituencies to oversee:

polling
counting
post-election complaints or appeals

The team will compromise of three parliamentarians and one election official from Tonga who will monitor Election Day procedures at polling stations, meet with candidates, returning officers, local officials, community groups and other relevant stakeholders in order to assess the conduct of the election.

Head of Mission Sebastian Pillay an MP from the Seychelles, said: “Exercising the right to vote is a fundamental part of democracy.

“CPA UK’s Election Assessment Mission will seek to ensure the UK election process is legitimate and representative of the electorate.

“On behalf of the team, we look forward to engaging with the democratic process in the UK.”

Chief Executive of CPA UK, Andrew Tuggey added: “This third UK Election Assessment Mission is a vital element of CPA UK’s commitment to enhance openness and transparency in parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth. Assessing elections upholds the core values of the Commonwealth.

The following will observe events in East Devon:

Phillip Paulwell CD MP (lead observer) – Jamaica
-Hon. Yvette D’ath MP – Australia
-Hon. Ichungw’ah Antony Kimani MP – Kenya
-Rt Hon. Lord Dalgety QC – Tonga”

http://www.devonlive.com/east-devon-the-focus-of-international-mission-to-ensure-fair-elections/story-30346585-detail/story.html

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Tory defence minister slams Corbyn for things said by Boris Johnson!

And this twit is our Defence Secretary? Build your bunkers!

“Defence Secretary Michael Fallon was left red-faced on live television when he slammed Boris Johnson’s statement on terrorism thinking that the quote was made by Jeremy Corbyn.

The Tory Cabinet member began attacking the Labour leader on Channel 4 News last night in response to Mr Corbyn saying we have to admit that the ‘war on terror is not working’.

Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked Mr Fallon to respond to another quote: ‘Isn’t it possible that things like the Iraq war did not create the problem of murderous Islamic fundamentalists, though the war has unquestionably sharpened the resentments felt by such people in this country and given them a new pretext?

Thinking the quote had been made as part of the Labour leader’s speech, Mr Fallon took the opportunity to dismiss and condemn the words. He said: ‘Well they are not entitled to excuses.’ But the words were actually said by Boris Johnson in response to the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005.

Mr Guru-Murthy said: ‘What I just put to you was not Jeremy Corbyn, it was Boris Johnson.’

The presenter then read out more quotes from Boris Johnson that put a blushing Mr Fallon in even more of a pickle. Mr Guru-Murthy said: ‘He goes on to say, “The Iraq war did not introduce the poison into our bloodstream but, yes, the war did help to potentiate that poison”. “It is difficult to deny that they have a point, the ‘told-you-so’ brigade”.’

The Defence Secretary then got his words jumbled as he tried to explain his way out of the blunder. He said: ‘Well I don’t agree with that.’

Mr Guru-Murthy was quick to ensure Mr Fallon continued to enlarge the hole he had dug for himself.

The presenter said: ‘So Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, is wrong?’
When Mr Fallon refused to agree, on the premise that he did not have the direct quote in front of him, Mr Guru-Murthy watched the politician squirm as he continued to press him.

The presenter said he didn’t understand how the politician could refrain from commenting on the words when he had just heard them read out.

Speaking in London yesterday Mr Corbyn, who opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as air strikes against terrorist targets in Syria, said Labour would ‘change what we do abroad’ if it won power.

He stressed that the link between foreign policy and terrorism ‘in no way reduces the guilt of those who attack our children’ and could not ‘remotely excuse, or even adequately explain, outrages like this week’s massacre’.
Terrorist Salman Abedi killed 22 people and injured 119 when he blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena on Monday evening.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4547198/Tory-Defence-Secretary-accidentally-slams-Boris-Johnson.html

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Clinton Devon Estates wants to know what you think of them!

Owl says: perhaps someone could ask why they want to pinch part of the Budleigh Hospital Hub garden to build 2 houses. And how sustainable their AONB developments really are.

“Clinton Devon Estates

Let us know your thoughts.

How we engage with you and what you think about our approach to sustainability is important to us and we want to get it right.

Your feedback to this survey will play an important part in helping us develop our future communications. Take part and be in with a chance of winning one of three £100 high street gift vouchers.

Click here to complete our short survey

https://www.research.net/r/CDECommunity

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Local politics: no change unless WE the voters change it

Another local blog (Facebook – Devon United) republished this article from East Devon Watch originally blogged 3 YEARS AGO

“What a GREAT time to be an Independent candidate!

Grassroots rebellion over arrogant leadership in Devon and Cornwall
By Western Morning News | Posted: October 05, 2014
By Phil Goodwin

Westcountry councils face a growing rebellion from a grassroots movement weary at being ruled by an out-of-touch and “arrogant” leadership, the Western Morning News on Sunday reports today.

Campaigns have sprung up across the region in opposition to a perceived centralisation of power which has left many voters feeling removed from the democratic process.

A revolt in Cornwall has seen parish councils form an alliance against the “emerging dictatorship” of the unitary “super council” and threaten to picket County Hall in protest. [Last week, Cornwall’s Lib Dems and Independents again formed a ruling coalition]

In Mid-Devon, a petition has been launched against the cabinet-style of government, where decision-making power is confined to a handful of senior Conservative figures. [Conservatives majority refused to make the change]

In East Devon a quasi-political pressure group has been formed to unify opposition after a series of controversial planning issues. Paul Arnott, chairman of the East Devon Alliance, said chief executives and unelected officers wield excessive influence and are answerable only to a powerful political elite. [EDA had its first county council success this month and Independents at EDDC now number 16].

“What we see now is a kind of corporate CEO mentality which is just not appropriate at a district council,” he added. “This not Wall Street – it is East Devon, and we are supposed to be following a localism agenda.

“The effect is setting a tone of unelected arrogance – we would like to see a return to the wise and kindly town clerk approach of days gone by.”

Labour’s Local Government Act of 2000 introduced modifications to the old committee system, including the cabinet and leader model, which is common throughout Devon and Cornwall. This allows the ruling party to populate the cabinet with its own members, regardless of the make-up of the council. [Still the case in East Devon]

In Mid-Devon, where the Conservatives hold a 57per cent majority of the 42 seats, the Liberal Democrats and Independents have no representation and all of the senior power is concentrated in nine Tory councillors. [Still the case in Mid Devon]

The same set-up can be seen at Devon County Council, where Tories hold 61per cent of the seats but all the cabinet posts, and at East Devon District Council, where a 71per cent majority holds 100per cent of the cabinet posts. [No change]

The Campaign for Democracy in Mid-Devon hopes to collect the 3,000 signatures required to force a referendum on the style of governance. [Didn’t happen]

Nick Way, a Lib Dem member at the authority, supports a return to the committee system. “I think it is more democratic, particularly for a small authority like us,” he said.

“The current system is almost like a dictatorship of the majority – at the end of the day they have a majority but a change would make it easier for their back-benchers to have more of a say and influence policy.”

Harvey Siggs, a Somerset county councillor and vice chairman of South West Councils, says he understands the frustration given the cuts but disagrees with claims of a democratic deficit.

“In Somerset we spend a lot of time trying not to be remote,” he added.

“A good cabinet does its absolute best to be as transparent as possible and we still have to be accountable to the full council.

“With the pace of life and all the things that need to be dealt with, I don’t think the committee system is fit for purpose.

“All too often the disaffected people are around planning. There are winners and losers but mostly, the losers don’t complain.”

[Somerset’s Leader, Conservative John Osman was deposed by a Lib Dem this month but Tories still have a stranglehold on the council]

In Cornwall, representatives of 15 parish councils packed a hall in Chacewater last week in a bid to rally all 213 town and parish councils to join a revolt against Cornwall Council. [unsuccessfully]

The gathering came in response to the infamous “Chacewater Letter” which branded the unitary authority an “emerging dictatorship”.

The letter, in July, criticised Cornwall Council’s lack of communication, its savings plans, planning policy, arms lengths organisations and highly paid officers.

At the highly charged meeting on Tuesday, fellow parish councillors agreed and declared change at Cornwall Council must happen.

More militant members called to draft in the local government ombudsman, for the formation of an alliance of parish councils and even for protests at the doors of County Hall.

Truro City councillor Armorel Carlyon, who chaired the meeting despite her own council not endorsing the criticism, told those gathered she could see the “democratically elected members being airbrushed out of the picture” by non-elected council officers.

Read more at http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Grassroots-rebellion-arrogant-leadership-Devon/story-23044099-detail/story.html

When posted: https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/10/05/the-peasants-of-devon-are-revolting/

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“Amber Rudd denies cuts to police were factor in Manchester atrocity”

“The home secretary, Amber Rudd, has denied that cuts in police forces contributed to Monday’s terror atrocity in Manchester.

Rudd was confronted on BBC1’s Question Time on Thursday night by a member of the studio audience who said Theresa May had been warned by the Police Federation that cuts in frontline officers would undermine their ability to gather low-level intelligence about possible threats. Rudd insisted that the majority of such intelligence came from community leaders operating within the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, rather than from police officers on the street.

The audience member said: “We are 20,000 police officers down and we get atrocities like this. Does the government not expect this?” Rudd responded: “I don’t accept that. I have asked the head of counter-terrorism whether this is about resources. It is not.

“There may a conversation to have about policing, we may have that at some stage. But now is not that conversation. We must not imply that this terrorist activity may not have taken place if there had been more policing.”

Beneath Abbott’s police funding gaffes, Labour’s numbers make sense
The home secretary added: “Good counter-terrorism is when you have close relationships between the policing and intelligence services. That is what we have. That is why the UK has a strong counter-terrorism network. It’s also about making sure we get in early on radicalisation. But it’s not about those pure numbers on the street.”

The audience member replied: “I think it is about police numbers, because it is low-level intelligence that gives you the information.” …”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/25/amber-rudd-denies-cuts-to-police-were-factor-in-manchester-atrocity

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Vote for Wright or Swire? This might help

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