Excerpt below from Swire’s Twitter feed.
Disingenuous Mr Swire (Owl refuses to call him Sir when he got his knighthood for being Cameron’s bottom pinchee):
– very disingenuous. Hypocritical and frankly rather stupid – it smacks of sour grapes.
Category Archives: Ben Ingham
Lib Dems and Indies unite against Tories – in Torbay, not East Devon
Here in East Devon it seems the larger group of Independents is working with Tories and very recently ex-Tories (called TiggerTories by Owl), leaving the smaller Lib Dem and East Devon Alliance Independents groups out in the cold. Not what most non-Tory voters were expecting. … or wanting.
“The new political leadership of Torbay Council has announced plans to invest £100m in the local economy.
The authority’s Liberal Democrat leader Steve Darling revealed the initiative to drive economic growth in a video posted on social media.
He said they had told council officers to develop business plans for £100m worth of investments.
The strategy was a key election pledge by the Liberal Democrats, who saw a big rise in support at the election in May.
The party’s councillors have joined with the Independents in a formal alliance to take control of the authority, leaving the Tories in opposition. …”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/new-council-leaders-announce-100m-2949176
How does an “Independent Group” become an independent group?
Owl is confused.
The Local Government Independent Group website says:
“The Independent Group represents councillors in England and Wales who are Independent or of a political affiliation outside of Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat. It provides a voice at the national level and works within the cross-party Local Government Association (LGA) to ensure that the values and interests of its members are promoted.”
Who created the EDDC Independent Group? Who was invited to join? How did they elect their leader? What were people who joined told? Are they still independent if they include Tories in their Cabinet and as a committee chair? If EDA is “independent” according to the LGA what is different about EDCC?
Would really appreciate a tutorial!
Mark Hawkins (amended from Councillor Shaw) asks EDDC Tory Chair for clarification
THIS POST HAS BEEN AMENDED AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY ATTRIBUTED TO COUNCILLOR SHAW – OWL’S ERROR – APOLOGIES
“In the interests of clarity could Cllr Hughes please advise us of the date and time he received the invitation from Cllr Ingham? He seems to be trying to infer collusion and deception of Cllr Ingham’s own colleagues which in fact does not exist.”
COUNCILLOR SHAW, ON NOTING THE ERROR, HAS ADDED:
“I was not criticising either Cllr Hughes or Cllr Howe or indeed the Conservative Group. My criticism was directed at the Independent Group for failing to reach an agreement to work with their fellow Independents in the East Devon Alliance, instead allowing the Conservatives to take so many major positions. Cllr Hughes’ statement that Cllr Ingham approached him only reinforces my concerns.”
TiggerTory EDDC Chairman responds to EDA Councillor Martin Shaw
Owl says: Not really sure this makes things any better! Proof positive of TiggerTory chats …
Still not sure this is what voters anticipated … and since when was the post of Chairman of EDDC “non political”? Anyone ever remember Tories electing a non-Tory Chairman in the last 45 years?
“I take exception to Martin Shaws assertions that the Independents who formed a minority administration allowed the Conservatives to take the key position of Chair/Chairman of the Council……Wrong Cllr Shaw…. I actually was approached by the leader of East Devon Ben Ingham and he asked if I would consider taking the (non-political) position of Chairman having done a good job from 2015 to 2017….. I accepted the position and he contacted Andrew Moulding to give him the news and Andrew called to congratulate me and asked if I’d get a seconder lined up for the AGM.
I also believe that Mike Howe was approached to see if he would take on the Chairmanship of DMC and so once again Cllr Shaw is barking up the wrong tree.
The East Devon Alliance Party had the opportunity to put names forward for the Chairmanship of the Council … however they chose not to and I do believe some of their members voted for me.
Many outside bodies went to the EDA including Recycling and Waste with Conservatives voting for Denise Bickley…..the Conservatives also voted for other positions to be taken by EDA.
I am delighted to have EDA member Cllr Val Ranger as my Vice Chairman who was voting and she was not only voting for EDA nominations but for also Conservatives, Lib Dem’s and true Independents.
It is comments like yours that are unhelpful and perhaps before writing again you should take time and get your facts right.
Stuart Hughes CC
East Devon Alliance county councillor Martin Shaw adds his thoughts about TiggerTories
From his blog “Seaton and Colyton Matters”:
“I was unfortunately unable for personal reasons to attend last night’s annual meeting of EDDC, but many Independent supporters who were there have expressed considerable disappointment. I have however close knowledge of the situation and offer the following comments.
Mandate for change
On May 2nd, after 45 years of increasingly dysfunctional rule by the Conservatives at East Devon District Council, the local electorate reduced their number to just 19 of the 60 councillors. Instead voters elected a majority of 31 Independents, including 11 members of the East Devon Alliance (EDA), 8 Liberal Democrats, and 2 Greens.
A clear mandate was given by local people. Big gains by Independents – both EDA and others – Liberal Democrats and Greens all represented their desire for change. The best administration would have been a coalition of some of these groups, which could have formed a progressive majority of up to 40 seats out of 60.
A new ‘Independent Group’ excludes the East Devon Alliance
Before the elections, all Independent councillors including EDA members were part of the Independent Group, led by Ben Ingham. EDA expected this to continue and looked forward to working with other Independents to form a progressive new administration, possibly in cooperation with the Liberal Democrats and Greens.
However on the day after the elections, Ben formed a new Independent Group, which EDA councillors were not invited to join. He was elected leader and Susie Bond deputy leader. As a result of this exclusion, EDA councillors formed their own group but continued to work for an alliance of EDA with the Ingham-led Independent Group.
The Independent Group relies on the discredited Tories
Since the new Independent Group with 20 members is the largest group on EDDC, they had the right to take the initiative in forming an administration. In this light the EDA leader, Paul Arnott, was happy to second Ingham’s nomination as Leader of the Council.
However there was no justification for the Independent Group, with only one-third of all councillors, to form an exclusively Independent Group cabinet. Even the outgoing Conservative administration, which had an overall majority, was more inclusive, including some non-Conservatives in the Cabinet.
In both the Axe Valley and the Sid Valley, the East Devon Alliance had routed the Conservatives, but in Ben’s selection of his new Cabinet and chairs of key committees, he could find no place for EDA Independents from these areas. The east of East Devon is once again drastically under-represented in the EDDC leadership.
Rewarding the discredited Tory party
Clearly there were personal issues here – Ben had left EDA after being voted out as leader in 2017 – but we had still collaborated in the old Independent Group. Nothing can justify Ben’s apparent decision now to rely more on the defeated Tories than on his fellow Independents.
The Conservatives are the official opposition, entitling them to the Chair of the Scrutiny Committee. But the Independent Group have also allowed them to take the key positions of Chair of the Council and Chair of the Development Management Committee. In contrast they offered EDA only the position of Vice-Chair of the Council. In addition they appear to have voted members of the discredited Tories on to other bodies, at the expense of EDA and Lib Dem candidates.
At the very moment when the electorate voted for change, and the Conservative Party has lost all credibility nationally as well as locally, the EDDC Independent Group seems to have breathed life back into this exhausted party and allowed it to keep several important positions, while turning its back on the other advocates of change.
A way forward
The East Devon Alliance believes that many members of the Independent Group share our desire for change at EDDC. They must surely realise that yesterday was a highly embarrassing false start.
Despite the way that group has chosen to form its administration, I know the EDA group will support them, as the Lib Dems have also said they will, when they propose positive policies for the benefit of East Devon, as well as seeking their support for our own proposals.
In particular, I welcome the fact that when questioned by Paul Arnott, Ben Ingham yesterday repeated his long-held position that EDDC should consider the option of a more collaborative Committee system, rather than the all powerful Leader-with-CEO and small Cabinet model which he has inherited, which leaves most councillors with little real input into major decisions (as I know from the County Council).
In any case, EDA councillors will have healthy proportionate representation on key committees such as Planning, Strategic Planning, Scrutiny, Audit & Governance and Overview, and I am certain that this will give them many opportunities to change the district council in a collaborative and positive way.
We must now hope that despite yesterday, both groups of Independents together with the Lib Dems and Greens can do some real work for local communities in the new Council. “
East Devon Alliance leader speech to EDDC last night
Sorry it is all capitals,
“CHAIR
(THANK YOU FOR THIS YOUR CURTAIN CALL IN THE CHAIR. I AM SURE WE WILL ALL BE TALKING ABOUT THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU HAVE CONDUCTED THIS ROLE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME)
TO ME THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE SERIOUS CANDIDATE TONIGHT. HE IS A MAN WHO HAS A UNIQUE RECORD ON THIS COUNCIL. BEN INGHAM STARTED OFF AS A CONSERVATIVE OF COURSE, THEN BECOMING AN INDEPENDENT, AND LATER STILL ASKING IF HE COULD LEAD THE EAST DEVON ALLIANCE INTO THE 2015 ELECTION, AND FINALLY AFTER THE EDA’S LEADERSHIP ELECTION IN 2017 RETURNED CATRHY GARDNER, HE RESOLVED TO BECOME AN INDEPENDENT 1NDEPENDENT ONCE MORE. OR INDEPEDNDENTS FOR EAST DEVON I THINK HIS FACEBOOK PAGE SAID THIS TIME.
THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT NOBODY IN THE CHAMBER WANTS THE ROLE OF LEADER MORE THAN BEN, AND IT HAS BEEN CLEAR TO ME SINCE THE EVENING OF THE COUNT THAT NOTHING WOULD BE ABLE TO STOP HIM.
ULTIMATELY, JUST THIS MONDAY, THE INDEPENDENT EAST DEVON ALLIANCE WAS ABLE TO BE TOLD SOME OF HIS POLICY PROMISES. IN PARTICULAR WE WERE ATTRACTED BY STATEMENT 6.
I QUOTE:
“WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TRANSFORMATION PORTFOLIO HOLDER AND CABINET COMPLETE THE PIECE OF WORK ALREADY COMMISSIONED LAST YEAR; A REVIEW OF THE ALTERNATOVE GOVERNANCE OPTIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY GUIDANCE, WITHOUT PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS. IN THE EVENT COUNCIL CONCLUDES THE COMMITTEE STRUCTIRE IS MORE SUITED TO OUR GOVERNANCE MODEL, THEN THE CONSULATION AND REFINEMMENT PROCESS IS WELL-DOCUMENTED.”
END QUOTE
THE EAST DEVON ALLIANCE OF INDEPENDENTS PROMISED EXPLICITLY TO SEEK REFORM OF THIS PLACE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A KEY ISSUE FOR OUR LIBERAL DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES TOO.
I HAVE PICKED THE BONES OUT THAT SIXTH PROMISE OF BEN, AND CONCLUDED THAT HE WILL NOT ULTIMATELY OPPOSE A MOVE TO THE COMMITTEE SYSTEM OR DRAG HIS FEET IN ANY UNJUSTIFIABLE BUREAUCRATIC DELAY – AND WITH THAT PROMISE SAFELY BANKED IN MY BACK POCKET I AM GENUINELY DELIGHTED TO NOMINATE A MAN I HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR, BEN INGHAM.”
East Devon Watch 