Claire has signed the EDA charter.
Category Archives: Democracy
The Queen’s Speech says that we can remove a dodgy MP? Er, no it doesn’t
You think that, from the Queen’s Speech, if an MP has been a Very Naughty Boy or a Very Naughty Girl and enough people (10% of the electorate) signs a petition to remove him or her within 8 weeks then that MP will lose his seat?
Think again: What the Queen didn’t say is MPs in Parliament then decide whether or not to agree with you ….. and if they don’t he or she stays.
More detail here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/06/04/sack-mp-voters-queens-speech_n_5447530.html
Shafted again everyone, shafted again.
Hugo Swire has a plan …..
Please read this and let us know what you think the plan is:
MP “buddying” with big businesses – why?
Senior coalition MPs are paired with big businesses. Our MP Hugo Swire is buddied with Proctor and Gamble – a US company.
In April 2011, P&G was fined 211.2m euros by the European Commission for establishing a price-fixing cartel in Europe along with Unilever, which was fined 104m euros, and Henkel (not fined).
Though the fine was set higher at first, it was discounted by 10% after P&G and Unilever admitted running the cartel.
So what exactly do WE get out of them being buddied?
West Country MPs rebel 220 times in Parliament – but East Devon MPs not quite so rebellious!
Most rebellious was MP Andrew George (Lib Dem) who has rebelled 56 times in 4 years. Honiton and Tiverton MP Neil Parish has rebelled twice against the Government in the 4-year life of this Parliament. Hugo Swire (East Devon) has never rebelled.
Old Etonians stick together perhaps!
Seeds of change
In this period of rebellion in the ballot box, the incumbent East Devon Member of Parliament may be expecting to have a battle on his hands at the next election, less than twelve months’ from now (May 2015). As signalled in our earlier post, one very popular, Independent, County and District Councillor, a signatory of the EDA Charter, has today declared her intention to stand against him, and others may of course follow ( We’ll keep you informed). This was how Councillor Roger Giles, the long-standing and much respected District Councillor for Ottery St Mary, introduced her to the assembly in Sidmouth:
“A very warm welcome to everyone. Welcome to the Dissenters’ Room, which was provided by Annie Leigh Browne. Annie Leigh Bowne is a local heroine who not only gave Sidmouth the Byes and the Cottage Hospital, but was also a leading suffragist who successfully led the national campaign for women`s representation in local government, which was achieved in 1907.
A very appropriate location for the launch of Claire`s parliamentary campaign!
Many of you will know of all the fantastic work that Claire has done whilst she has been an East Devon District Councillor. She has been a beacon in the cause of openness and transparency and fairness at EDDC – often in the face of animosity and hostility from conservative party councillors.
One of her great successes was to expose the undue influence of East Devon Business Forum members on EDDC`s planning policies, and also the undue influence in their own members` planning applications. The Chairman of EDBF was former Councillor Graham Brown.
When Claire raised this matter at the EDDC meeting on 25 July 2012, she was accused by senior Conservative Councillors of:
“impugning integrity”; of engaging in “speculation, misinformation and
innuendo”; “debating through the media”; and making “scurrilous”
allegations.
There never has been an apology. Not even after the Daily Telegraph exposure of March 2013.
Claire has been amazingly energetic and persistent. Just look at some of the things she has done:
* Successfully campaigned to retain maternity services at Honiton Hospital
* Provided the first play park at West Hill
* Pressed for better protection for trees
* Fought against the Government relaxation of planning policy (NPPF)
* Vigorously opposed unnecessary and damaging levels of development on
greenfield sites in East Devon
* Got EDDC to allow recording of its meetings
* Pressed for the creation of a cycleway from Feniton to Ottery to Tipton to
Sidmouth on the disused railway line
* Regularly engaged with and sought the views of people, young and old
* Communicated extensively with electorate by various means, including the
extensive use of her excellent blog
* Opposed planned cuts to local services, and is currently fighting to save
Ottery`s youth centre, childrens centre, and library
* Pressed for openness and transparency in planning at EDDC, demanding
that planning committee members reveal if they have been lobbied
* Fought EDDC`s vanity project to relocate its offices at a cost of millions
of pounds of taxpayers money at a time when EDDC is slashing the
services it provides to the public
That is an amazing level of energy and determination.
Claire`s work was recognised by the electorate of the Ottery Rural ward in the Devon County Council elections of May 2013. She obtained 74% of the vote. She got the biggest vote; the biggest share of the vote; and the biggest majority of any councillor in the South West.
We know what you have done Claire – and we thank you for it.
And we are delighted to come here today to endorse your campaign to be the next Member of Parliament for East Devon.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you Claire Wright – our next MP.”
More comment, with photographs of today’s campaign launch at http://susiebond.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/cllr-claire-wright-launches-her-campaign-for-a-seat-at-westminster/
Overview and Scrutiny Agenda – meeting 12 June 2014, 6.30 p.m. Knowle – very little overseeing and almost no scrutiny and two elephants not in the room
The 154 page agenda for the next Overview and Scrutiny committee on 12 June 2014 at 6.30 p.m. at the Knowle is HERE
Mostly it is a re-hash of some old reports and surveys, a new report (NHS) and some other surveys done with very few people (in one case just 7). There is almost nothing that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee can do about any of the items on the agenda and one has to wonder why they are there as it is the items NOT on the agenda which are more important. For example, not a mention of the Business Task and Finish Forum (examining the influence of the disbanded East Devon Business Forum, Chairman – disgraced ex-councillor Graham Brown). It shows the current Overview and Scrutiny function as neither overseeing nor scrutinising.
They will not discuss relocation until at least the September 2014 meeting and even that is not guaranteed.
One little pearl hidden away in these 154 pages:
EDDC reviews a consultation exercise done in 2014 where many people were displeased with how EDDC runs its Planning function. Under “Actions we are taking” is this:
We will run an awareness campaign about the way we deal with planning applications especially how this operates within nationally laid down rules and regulations. This campaign will explain how the planning applicant is the council’s customer for the service as they have to pay for it.
And there’s us thinking that we are paying for this service through our Council Tax!
A little nugget on office relocation too which once again illustrates that the cart of desperately wanting shag pile has gone before the cart of what has to be done first:
Office Relocation
EDDC is looking to relocate their offices. This has already entailed some community consultation. We are also regularly engaging with a stakeholder group that includes Town and Parish Councils,
Chambers of Commerce and interested community groups. We are soon due to begin consulting widely on the impacts of moving to SkyPark of equalities groups and other affected people and organisations and carrying out Best Value consultation to make sure we get the best out of any move. This consultation will involve randomly selected households, businesses, equalities groups and others. The results will be presented to Cabinet as part of the decision making process.
If anyone is in one of the groups of randomly selected households, businesses, equalities groups and (ha, ha) “Others” we would love to know!
Oh, and if you come across the agenda item “Update on the corporate engagement work being carried out as part of the Organisational Development function of EDDC” – er, what this actually appears to mean is “Report on Public Consultation”!!!
Page 146 reveals that our Chief Executive budgeted as costing a total of £86,500 per year for 2.5 days work each week. That would equate to an annual salary and extras totalling £173,000 (South Somerset pays 50% for their 2.5 days of his valuable time).
What would happen if they did this survey here?
http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Council-morale-rock/story-21179107-detail/story.html
100% of the staff would be happy 100% of the time with a 100% turnout wouldn’t they!
Claire Wright officially launches bid to become East Devon’s MP
Claire Wright, EDDC Councillor for West Hill and DCC Councillor for Ottery St Mary Rural officially launched her campaign to become Member of Parliament for the East Devon Constituency at the Annie Leigh Brown Room, Dissenters Chapel (URC) Sidmouth this morning. She will be up against current MP Hugo Swire (Conservative) and others standing for other parties at the General Election in May 2015.
She was introduced by fellow Independent Councillor Roger Giles and made a short speech to an invited audience which included journalists. She then answered questions from the audience.
Details of visits she will be making to towns and villages in the area during the next year will appear on her personal website www.claire-wright.org which also has a link to an online donation site for her campaign.
Claire has signed the EDA Charter.
Will new UKIP and Independent councillors get the support they need?
Thought-provoking article HERE.
Given that EDDC has punished only Lib Dem and Independent councillors for transgressions this year (transgressions that have patently been either minor or those of ALL parties) it seems unlikely.
Still, our council vote is not until May 2015 – along with the General Election if the coalition can keep itself together that long – and it will be one of the yardsticks against which current councillors will be judged.
Hit out only at your opposition, ignore your own failings and one gets the distinct impression that it is fear and jealousy rather than right that are the drivers.
Deputy Leader suspended for sending texts under different names
It wouldn’t happen here would it …. and if it did, would the Monitoring Officer report the offender to the Standards Committee if he were the Deputy Leader of the majority party?
Paul Shotton [Deputy Leader, Stoke council] contributed to debates on BBC Radio Stoke both supporting the council and criticising the opposition over a period of six months. Staff rumbled the councillor after he sent text messages from the same mobile number under names such as Alison, Jean and Dave. He also pretended to be from different areas of Stoke-on-Trent, including Fenton and Smallthorne.
Mr Shotton yesterday admitted sending the texts and will now face a council standards board hearing. He said: “I apologise fully for my actions. They were plain stupid. I will never do anything like this again.”
BBC Stoke presenter Tim Wedgwood warned listeners recently that DJs at the station can see the phone number of people texting the station. A BBC spokesman said: “Audience interaction is an important part of our programmes and we read out texts from listeners in good faith but we are reliant on the audience being up front and honest about who they are. “In this case, we became suspicious after recognising the phone number and then referred the issue to the council.”
The Labour party has now launched an investigation into the incident after suspending the councillor. A spokesman said: “The Labour party takes these matters very seriously. Councillor Paul Shotton has been suspended pending an investigation.”
Mr Shotton is cabinet member for economic development and a ward councillor for Fenton East. He recently fought off a challenge to his position as deputy leader from Janine Bridges, cabinet member for housing.
Mr Shotton was not at a meeting of the council’s cabinet held last night, but it was reported that Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader Mohammed Pervez has taken on his cabinet responsibilities. Mr Pervez, said: “I was informed of the issue yesterday and immediately contacted the Labour party. The Labour party suspended councilor Shotton pending investigation.”
Gerry Clarke, the council’s deputy monitoring officer, said: “We have been alerted to allegations made against the deputy leader of the council. On the basis of information that has been provided, the council will initiate a standards board process to enable the facts of this case to be investigated.
“We understand an internal investigation is also being undertaken by the Labour Party, and it would therefore be inappropriate for the council to comment further until such investigations have been concluded.”
Read more at http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/Stoke-Trent-deputy-city-council-leader-suspended/story-21164310-detail/story.html#BqgY7xkFw1GVUozr.99
EDDC & Planning…a comparison with nearby authorities.
Changes to rules for public speaking is one of the most sensitive items on the agenda at the next EDDC Cabinet meeting (Weds 4th June, 5.30pm at Knowle).
Many questions from the public are to do with Planning. Why is this issue so acute here? How does East Devon compare with nearby areas? Here’s what an EDA researcher found, in a study done earlier this year Public speaking analysis_EDDC
No-one gets paid anything …
Just to reassure EDDC: no-one gets paid anything for posts on the EDA website – see this attempt to stop a blogger in Whitby criticising his local council – they had him investigated by the Department of Work and Pensions but it backfired spectacularly on the council:
http://www.real-whitby.co.uk/private-eye-slams-scarred-borough-council
and no councillor or officer is involved it its ramblings!
Mr Pickles LOVES citizen bloggers and is doing his best to make life easier for us!
http://talkaboutlocal.org.uk/eric-pickles-to-use-law-to-open-up-town/
Voter dissatisfaction: direct action – what WE could do
Here a council must change from the tight-knit Cabinet only model (as EDDC has) where a Leader appoints his own Cabinet for a Committee model where committes make binding decisions and are made up in proportion to the parties voted in:
Some background to this is given here:
http://www.rottenborough.org.uk/RachelBattersby.html
And here a town is petitioning to leave one local authority to join another:
and the background to this is here:
Seaton to West Dorset, Axminster to South Somerset, Cranbrook to Exeter City, Exmouth to Teignbridge, Budleigh Salterton to Kensington and Chelsea (sorry, got carried away there!) – interesting!
Knowle relocation news: Richard Cohen to reveal all at Cabinet meeting next Wednesday (4th June)
Well, maybe not quite all? This, and other highlights of the Cabinet agenda, are listed at http://saveoursidmouth.com/2014/05/29/latest-knowle-relocation-update-by-deputy-chief-executive/
Independent Councillor Claire Wright to run for Parliament against Hugo Swire
Independent Councillor Claire Wright (EDDC Councillor for West Hill and Devon County Councillor for Ottery St Mary Rural) has announced HERE that she will be running for Parliament in the next general election in May 2015.
Claire has signed the EDA Charter.
Also link to Express and Echo article HERE.
The shape of things to come?
…..Labour victory in Hammersmith and Fulham has raised questions over the future of Terry Farrell’s £8billion masterplan for Earls Court
Speaking to the BBC after the local elections, Labour Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Stephen Cowan, said that some planned developments in the area would now be scrapped – although he wouldn’t reveal which ones.
The first phase of the Earls Court scheme designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), Terry Farrell Architects and Pilbrow & Partners, had been given planning permission back in April 2014 and includes the demolition of two estates and the Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
Prior to the election Labour councillors had been in discussion with local residents against the demolition of the surrounding estates and had issued a manifesto pledging to take immediate measures to protect homes. .….
“Non Metropolitan England” – your views sought
The non-political and independent commission will be chaired by Sir John Peace, who is also the Chairman of Standard Chartered PLC, and Burberry, as well as Chairman of Nottinghamshire’s local Growth Board. Sir John has been asked by the Local Government Association, which represents almost 400 councils, to lead this major review alongside a panel of leading figures from business, the voluntary and public sectors.
They will explore the unique characteristics of non-metropolitan economies and their drivers, as well as what more can be done to free up their public services to promote growth and deliver better outcomes for residents. By the autumn, it will make recommendations for reform to shape the way economic growth and public service transformation are supported in the future.
As part of the review, the commission wants to hear from everyone who has a stake in non-metropolitan areas. It is calling for evidence from business leaders, voluntary and faith groups, community and public service leaders. It has today launched a public Call for Evidence.
– See more at: http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/media-releases/-/journal_content/56/10180/6207801/NEWS#sthash.xVcbVUsa.dpuf
Yet another big businessman whose personal and public agenda is “growth” to decide the fate of people he probably rarely meets.
Setback for council austerity cuts
Trust in politics and business
In her speech to the Inclusive Capitalism conference, Christine Lagarde, head if the International Monetary Fund, recommended income and property tax changes to reduce inequality, attacked the financial sector for not changing its behaviour quickly enough and said that inequality in the UK was at levels not seen for almost a century.
It was highly political, quoting Pope Francis, John F Kennedy and Winston Churchill.
It was also a demand for the players at the top of business and politics to understand that “trust arrives on foot and leaves in a Ferrari”.
Capitalism needs to change its ways, she said.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27588394
Yes, trust arrives at Knowle on a bus and leaves with BMWs at Skypark too perhaps!
East Devon Watch 