Isn’t it interesting that our doctors and nurses can work without complaint in Victorian – even Georgian – buildings, yet our councillors can’t bear working in offices built in the 1980’s?
Haven’t the priorities of our councillors put their taste for luxury before what they could have spent the money on had they stayed put.
Sad days – but remember, your Independent councillors were prepared to stay put and spend the money saved on US.
East Devon District Council had published its timetable for elections in May 2015.
Click to access election-time-table.pdf
Candidates must register between:
9:00 am – 5:00 pm from 31 March until 4:00 pm Thursday 9 April 2015
If you are interested in standing as an Independent candidate under the East Devon Alliance umbrella please contact them as soon as possible, details on their website:
eastdevonalliance.org.uk
A full house of 7 Independents for Sidmouth including 4 EDA members standing as EDA candidates:
http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/news/20150227/electoral-registration-first-set-of-candidates/
And it has already started! Sidmouth Herald front page story to follow!
…”The Constituency’s MP Hugo Swire appears to pay very little attention to local matters, preferring instead to concentrate on his Ministerial activities. It is rare to hear about Hugo intervening or commenting on local matters, something that a good proactive local MP ought to do. Is Hugo distracted by all of his Ministerial trips abroad?
Our District Council, as everyone knows, has an overwhelming Conservative majority. As everyone will also know the District Council has, particularly over the past 4 years or so, been beset with an apparent indifference by the Conservative majority group to the concerns and wishes of the electorate; those they were elected to serve. More and more the word “arrogance” is used when electors describe the Conservative Councillors attitude to them.”
http://realzorro1.blogspot.co.uk/
September – December 2014
Conservative: £8,345,687
Labour: £10,888,480
Lib Dem:£3,048,434
UKIP: £1,505,055
or will you vote for the Independent parliamentary candidate (Claire Wright) and local prospective Independent councillors whose campaigns run on a shoestring with no mega-corporate donors or union contributions.
As you will have noticed, the East Devon Alliance has grabbed the headlines, and been prominently featured in the local press and radio over the past week or so.
Now this invitation has come from EDA, for any EDWatchers who might like to follow EDA news for themselves:
There are 4 options:
a. Subscribe to emails on the site – http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk
b. Subscribe to RSS on the site – http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk
c. Like EDA on Facebook – EastDevonAlliance
d. Follow on Twitter – EDevonAlliance
And if anything specially grabs EDWatchers’ attention, it can be shared with neighbours and local friends by:
a. Forwarding the email
b. Clicking the share buttons on the EDA website
c. Sharing EDA posts with friends on facebook.
d. Re-tweeting.
……There seems to be lots going on!!
The quote from Cllr Susie Bond comes from this post on her blog: https://susiebond.wordpress.com/2015/02/12/local-plan-update-well-sort-of/
But strangely no mention of the Local Plan (nor of the precise costs of EDDC’s planned move from Knowle ) from Cllr Bond’s colleagues representing Sidmouth, in their current leaflet to residents (mentioned on our website yesterday) . EDWatchers can view the leaflet’s two pages here: In Touch Feb 2015 and here In Touch East Devon residents’ survey. Feb 2015
Two thorough articles in today’s Midweek Herald, on some burning East Devon issues, in case readers missed them in our earlier posts:
Real Zorro (http://realzorro1.blogspot.co.uk/) gives the welcome news that Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce members have been encouraged to object to EDDC’s land grab at the Knowle. This land grab is being attempted in order to give potential developers a nicer package.
It is a pity that the majority of local Tory district councillors do not appear so far to have followed suit – not a peep out of them.
Sidmouth might be better off with Shaun the Sheep, who at least displays some feistiness and fighting spirit, rather than the sheep they voted in at the last election.
Better luck at the next election in May, Sidmothians. What you need is more Independents!
Message sent in to EastDevonWatch:
FIND OUT HOW CLAIRE WRIGHT WOULD REPRESENT YOU AS OUR NEW MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT IF EAST DEVON ELECTS HER IN MAY. She’ll be at a PUBLIC MEETING IN SIDMOUTH, WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2015,
7PM, UNITARIAN CHURCH (AT THE JUNCTION OF HIGH STREET WITH ALL SAINTS ROAD).
The public meeting scheduled for 7 pm on Wednesday 11th February in Sidmouth’s Leigh Browne Room has been moved around the corner to the larger premises at the Unitarian Church on the corner of the High Street and All Saints Road.
A spokesman for Independent Candidate Claire Wright said: “Claire lives in West Hill, Ottery St Mary. Sidmouth was chosen as the first venue in her planned series of public meetings throughout the East Devon constituency as she bids to become our next Member of Parliament.
“Since the meeting was announced last month, Claire has been overwhelmed with messages of support from Sidmouth residents. She has therefore decided to move the event to a larger venue to accommodate the likely numbers.
“Another public meeting is scheduled for Woolbrook on 1st April and Claire will also be attending several events and taking part in election hustings with other candidates in Sidmouth during the run up to May 7th’s General Election.”
When Claire Wright first announced her candidature the bookmakers gave odds of 66-1 against her winning. The odds have shortened week after week since then and she is now seen as the front-runner to displace the current MP.
From today’s Exmouth Journal:
New group “a breath of fresh air”
David Beasley
A brand new alliance for independent candidates is vowing to change the political landscape across East Devon.
On Tuesday, just 93 days before the national and local elections on May 7, the campaign group East Devon Alliance (EDA) revealed that, as far as the Electoral Commission is concerned, it is now a political party, unveiling a website and manifesto.
However, in reality, the EDA is a broad, umbrella group for similar-minded activists – and now more independent candidates are set to contest district council seats in East than at any point since 1973.
At the launch at the Axminster Heritage Centre, its leaders urged residents – tired of the old political parties – to rally to their cause.
Its leader is Woodbury and Lympstone’s independent district councillor Ben Ingham, with freelance BBC documentary maker Paul Arnott as chairman and Ian Mckintosh, founder of the EDA, and retired circuit judge, its president.
Councillor Ingham said: “For years the three main national political parties have been telling us what they want to do instead of listening and then delivering what we need to have.
“People are so fed up they have even been voting for the nationalist parties as an alternative, but these alternative parties prey on people’s gravest fears… they preach division and separation instead of unity, respect and understanding.”
He said it did not have to be like that and insisted that prospective parliamentary candidate Claire Wright, EDA’s council candidates and other independent councillors had a ‘very definite set of ideas.’
“Our campaign is like a breath of fresh air in a stagnant room,” said Cllr Ingham.
“So, over the next few weeks, all of us in East Devon should open the windows to change, breathe in deeply and take part in the most exciting political event to happen in East Devon for decades.”
Their policies range from ensuring that East Devon District Council (EDDC) is more open and accountable, supporting local businesses, preserving the environment, keeping local hospitals open and backing new developments – but only if they are `sensitive’ to what local people want.
Mr Arnott said: “We will allow vulnerable independent candidates to stand as independent East Devon Alliance candidates in May
“We know how hard it is for independents to stand without the help of a party machine.”
He said that the EDA had heard many complaints from residents about the way things were done at EDDC ‘because of national parties first standing in local elections 40 years ago, it has led today to an atrophied one-party disaster…’
“There’s no point just moaning from the sidelines…the only way to reform our council is through the ballot box,” he said.
“In May, the people of East Devon will be offered independent candidates across the district on a previously unknown scale.”
BOURNEMOUTH Independent Alliance, which aims to support Independent candidates standing in council and national elections, has launched its election campaign.
… “Uniting to create a strong and effective non-whipped group of residents, representing residents, willing and able to challenge the current administration, presents a fresh choice at the local elections in May.”
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/11752970.Rochford_district_councillors_join_forces_against_the_Tories/
It is almost a year since a coalition of Labour and Independent councillors took control of East Staffordshire Borough Council, after a Tory leadership which had been in place for 11 years.
http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/East-Staffordshire-political-battle-ground/story-25958819-detail/story.html
Intense media interest in the new East Devon Alliance of Independent Candidates for the 2015 elections, has begun with reports of yesterday’s press launch.
Radio Devon was the first to pick up the story on its news bulletins on Monday, and prominent coverage was given in today’s editions of Pullman’s ‘View from..’ in Axminster, Colyton & Colyford, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton & Beer and Sidmouth. Here’s a sample: AxminsterViewLaunch
Independent Councillors, Susie Bond and Claire Wright, wrote enthusiastic accounts on their respective blogs: https://susiebond.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/eda-offers-assistance-to-independent-hopefuls/
And needless to say, the Real Zorro, too, gave rave reviews, and has this especially useful post http://realzorro1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/eddc-its-time-for-change-its-time-for.html
EDWatch will keep you updated on any further reporting this week….and up to and beyond the May 2015 elections…
And so, we’re sure, will http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk
See http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/ , report from Editor’s Chair of Pullman’s ‘View from..’
The following was issued today:
The EDA people realise it’s pretty tough being an Independent. Standing outside party ranks around here leaves them vulnerable to some below-the-belt stuff where they live, and they also have a limited ability to explain who and what they are beyond just local knowledge. There is no party slush find to pay for double-sided A3 colour leaflets.
That is why the East Devon Alliance announced this morning that they are launching just such an umbrella organisation to help Independent candidates to be heard. And to comply with electoral law they have begun the process of registering as a party at the Electoral Commission – which sadly is obligatory still.
All Independent candidates (if they wish to work with us) will be able to show voters via a new website, launched today, what they really hope to do, including:
1. a shared list of Issues and Aims for all those standing as East Devon Alliance independent candidates
2. a personal page to explain why they are standing in their ward
3. a video interview to introduce themselves less formally
4. a fully researched page explaining the problems and opportunities in their ward
[At her manifesto launch] Mrs Wright called for more councillors of other political parties to stand at this May’s town and district council elections, adding: “We have a Conservative crime commissioner, a Conservative MP and every council locally is Conservative.”
“The county council…tends to be, fairly progressive, but the district council is…a dinosaur. It has always had a large Conservative majority…getting things through is quite difficult because they block vote, and that can’t be good for democracy.
“People are tired of the old political parties, and May 7 has to be about getting a better balance on EDDC, and [a greater number of] other councillors, especially independents, because they don’t have to toe a party line and can vote with their consciences.”
Particularly recommended reading to all those majority party councillors at EDDC who think that there is no such thing as a conflict of interest just meddling Independent councillors making a mountain out of a molehill. And the Standards Committee which continues to drag its heels on this issue.
Well, the National Audit Office appears to side with the Independents – surprise, surprise.
Independent Parliamentary Candidate Claire Wright launched her Manifesto in Exmouth this morning.
Thanks to Real Zorro for this link to the Manifesto:
Click to access CWrightJanFeb2015Leaflet.pdf
And here is the speech she gave this morning – stirring stuff:
http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/election
Take note Ladbrokes!
At last night’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee senior Tory councillor Peter Halse lashed EDDC’s Relocation Project. He said it risked the Council’s reputation for financial prudence. “At the time (the relocation project) looked OK, but now, with hindsight, it looks pretty bad….Quite honestly we have fallen flat on our face!” He was sceptical about Deputy CEO Richard Cohen’s claimed energy savings, and said employees based in the newer 1970/1980s building, “can’t see any reason why they’d want to move”. He concluded “It’s not just the leadership who are responsible. We need to look this thing full in the face. We can get out of this”.
Sidmouth resident Richard Eley, had already mauled Richard Cohen’s assumptions on future energy cost savings which were “way out of line” with those predicted by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Mr Cohen in response welcomed the fact that auditors would now be taking “a useful look under the bonnet, as it were”. In the meantime a preferred developer had now been selected for a mix of care home and residential properties at Knowle. The planning process would have to be gone through by the developer and further attempts to delay the Knowle sale have been factored in to the costs, he added.
When Independent Cllr Claire Wright expressed concern that EDDC’s planning committee would be under extreme pressure to grant permission to develop the Knowle because the whole relocation project depended on it, she was accused of casting doubt on the integrity of councillors.
Independent Councillor Roger Giles didn’t get a clear answer from Mr Cohen about where his 10% annual energy inflation figures came from, only that they were “conservative”! And there was no answer to Cllr Giles’ second question about how much extra the renovation of Exmouth Town Hall would cost.
Tory Cllr Graham Troman (Vice Chair of the OSC) said the Knowle site was an appreciating asset while refurbished offices or new-build on an industrial estate (e.g. Heathpark) would not recoup the money spent on them.
Tory Cllr Sheila Kerridge urged her colleagues to show transparency and “not to be seen to be doing things underhand….Put the matter on hold until we know the figures”. (echoing Cllr Claire Wright’s proposal voted down a few weeks earlier.
Chair Tim Wood concluded that all would be examined in great detail by the auditors so there was no cause for alarm.
The second burning issue was the suggested reform of Task and Finish Forums.
A proposal from a Democratic Services Officer (advised by CEO Mark Williams?) that the scope of TAFFs should be proposed by officers, seemed pretty well acceptable to the obedient majority – though it is going to be thought about first by one of Cllr Bloxham’s Think Tanks.
The controversial Business TAFF will continue with the same members as before, but without too much embarrassing looking back at relations with the East Devon Business Forum whose demise seemed to be lamented by Deputy Leader Andrew Moulding. He assured everyone that the TAFF will now have perfectly respectable relations with the new East Devon Business Group which genuinely represented the District’s entrepreneurs.It was time to turn the page, he said, and stop attacking the perceived influence of the EDBF on crucial planning decisions. The representative from Axminster concluded,fittingly, that he was not “trying to sweep anything under the carpet!”
East Devon Watch 