Category Archives: Phil Twiss

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19 Dec 2014

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Claire Wright, Latest news, Phil Twiss

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“Cullgate” spreads through the blogosphere thanks to “The Independent”

East Devon’s recent “cullgate” affair has reached the national newspapers, in this snippet from ‘Andy McSmith’s diary’ headed Misplaced Tory sensitivities

‘I am sorry I missed the recent fun in Devon over the meaning of the word “cull”. It centres on an independent councillor from Ottery St Mary named Claire Wright, who plans to run against the incumbent Tory MP for East Devon, Hugo Swire, next year.

Last month, a member of the public wrote a comment on her blog, saying: “Cull all Tory councillors.” It is pretty obvious to almost anyone that this was a call to throw the Tories out of office at the next election, but the secretary of the Tory group on East Devon council, Phil Twiss, interpreted it as a “highly offensive and threatening” incitement to mass murder.

He demanded Wright remove it from her blog, which she did – and then he complained to the police, who have, understandably, decided to take no action.

I wonder how Twiss would have reacted if he had been alive in the 1830s, and had been introduced to the MP for Pontefract, Sir Culling Smith. I imagine he would have run away screaming in terror.‘

source: http://thetruth24.com/article/62794/andy-mcsmiths-diary-the-enemy-within-chequers-at-sam-cams-delayed-40th

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18 Dec 2014

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EDDC, Exmouth, Honiton/ Gittisham, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news, Paul Diviani, Phil Twiss

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EDDC’s relocation project….let’s take a close look

Last night’s Full Council gave the all clear for deputy Chief Executive Richard Cohen’s team to press on with the sale of the Knowle site, and the relocation of Council offices.

“At what cost?” is the burning question still unanswered, and unlikely to be any clearer for many months yet. As acknowledged at yesterday’s Full Council meeting,  it may not established before next May’s elections.

Another kind of reality check is possible, though. See photos below:

The first shows Exmouth Town Hall (energy rating ‘C’) , and the second, Honiton’s (energy rating ‘D’) East Devon Business Centre. These are to be refurbished, together with some newbuild council offices, to the tune of £10,000,000.

ExmouthHQEDDCBusCen

In contrast, at EDDC’s current HQ at Knowle, pictured below, (energy rating ‘C’), employees and visitors currently enjoy ample cost-free parking and a short pleasant walk into Sidmouth town centre (where there is regular bus service to other parts of the District). Save Our Sidmouth has long argued that the former hotel on the site could be sold off, possibly for flats, with no loss of the peaceful parkland. Does the planned decimation of a typical site that makes East Devon a place with a special identity, add to the highly questionable costs of the Cabinet’s “ambition”?

Knowle, Sidmouth

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13 Dec 2014

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Phil Twiss

One law for the rich … One law for Councillor Twiss?

Isn’t it interesting that majority party Councillor Twiss can make serious allegations about another councillor with apparent impunity, yet when a minority party councillor makes much less serious complaints about an officer, she got the book thrown at her?

Anyone see the hypocrisy here? Not to mention double standards.

Remember this?
http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/exmouth_councillor_censured_by_standards_cttee/

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10 Dec 2014

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Phil Twiss

Out-Twiss-ted? Tory MP erases troublesome Tory councillor from group photograph!

“… Mr Liddell-Grainger said one of his researchers had altered the image as councillor Taylor had been acting like “an idiot”.” …

And they are supposed to be on the same side – heaven help their Independent councillors!

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Somerset-Tory-MP-removes-Conservative-councillor/story-25547973-detail/story.html

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8 Dec 2014

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General Election, Phil Twiss

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Twiss-ted again?

Read the two statements below, both from the same newspaper article:

1. “Cllr Twiss told the Echo that following his complaint on November 27, officers visited him this morning, Monday, December 8, and told him they were taking no further action but the matter would be kept on file.”

and

2. “... a police spokesperson, said: “We can confirm police were contacted about comments made on a blog. Officers from the force’s neighbourhood team spoke to the reporting person and offered words of advice.  The matter has been logged and at this time no further action is being taken.”

(1) could be taken to imply that Councillor Wright had not been exonerated and might face proceedings at some later date whereas (2) could be read to imply that no action is being taken against Councillor Twiss as this time.

Diametrically opposite inferences.  Very, very different.

Now, “keeping a matter on file” can be done ONLY by the Crown Prosecution Service and not by the police and is done when there has been a trial and no verdict has been reached.

“In the Crown Court the judge has the power to order that entire indictments or some counts on an indictment are ordered to ‘lie on the file’. There is no verdict, so the proceedings are not formally terminated. There can be no further proceedings against the defendant on those matters, without the leave of the Crown Court or the Court of Appeal.”

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/s_to_u/termination_of_proceedings/

It is highly unlikely that the “officers from the neighbourhood team” would, or could, use the phrase.  Rather like the confusion over the different meanings of the word cull, perhaps?

Once again it appears to show that Councillor Twiss is determined to attack the reputation of Councillor Wright.

Isn’t it now time that he should publicly apologise to her on her blog on in the local press for the distress this must be causing her?

And still six months to go before the district election and the General Election.

Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Police-confirm-investigation-East-Devon/story-25422252-detail/story.html

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8 Dec 2014

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General Election, Latest news, Phil Twiss

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Twiss ” cull” complaint: police confirm no action but Twiss says they are “keeping it on file”

But why does Twiss add that the police will “keep the complaint on file” when the newspaper article simply say it was simply “logged” and no action taken? If I were Councillor Wright I would be wanting to know what this means as the two phrases are very different. A bit like the different uses of the word “cull”.

… Cllr Twiss told the Echo that following his complaint on November 27, officers visited him this morning, Monday, December 8, and told him they were taking no further action but the matter would be kept on file.

Twiss-ted?

And how much quicker the police were investigating this particular complaint compared to the one about Councillor Brown which took more than 18 months to investigate!

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Police-confirm-investigation-East-Devon/story-25422252-detail/story.html

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7 Dec 2014

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Phil Twiss

More people to be reported to the police? Journalists ignore Twiss warnings!

In spite of exhortations to ban the word “cull” unless it refers to badgers or seagulls, newspapers all over the UK have ignored Councillor Phil Twiss (how dare they!) and have continued to use the word in a political (and therefore unacceptable – at least to him) way. Here are three examples from the last few days. We trust that Councillor Twiss will report all the journalists involved to the relevant police forces in Wales, Northern Ireland and England.

(But at least a “natural cull of councillors” sounds quite “sustainable”!)

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/11645479.EDITOR_S_CHAIR__If_councils_ask_the_public_how_to_save_money__they_ignore_the_answers_at_their_peril/

“Council mergers will lead to a natural cull of councillors, but what about those authorities that refuse to merge?”

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/massive-bus-cull-on-way-13-towns-to-lose-all-local-bus-services-metro-services-will-be-less-frequent-30800756.html

“Massive bus cull on way: 13 towns to lose all local bus services, Metro services will be less frequent.”

Councillor Twiss really is going to be a busy man!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2860576/Mugabes-party-expels-ex-spokesman.html

“A series of top officials, including former spokesman Rugare Gumbo, have been expelled, but it is Vice President Joice Mujuru who has taken the brunt of the cull.”

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2 Dec 2014

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Democracy, EDDC, Phil Twiss

Is a part-time/temporary/interim/shared Monitoring Officer going to be enough for EDDC in these rumbunctious times?

Since our Deputy Chief Ececutive/ Monitoring Officer departed earlier this year we have shared the Monitoring Officer post with South Somerset District Council (as, of course, we share our Chief Executive). Our Monitoring Officer still has his job as Legal Officer at South Somerset on what appears to be a full-time basis.

We were given no time-scale for the appointment of a permanent EDDC Monitoring Officer but it now seems to be an urgent need as we suspect that activity requiring constant Monitoring Officer monitoring will be a permanent feature of political life in the district until at least May 2015.

And, as neither of the mainstream political parties in East Devon admits to having a Party Whip, which might moderate the more outrageous comments of errant councillors, the Monitoring Officer is even more needed.

Oh, and a definition of rumbunctious in case there is any argument: uncontrollably exhuberant, boisterous, difficult to control or handle, turbulently active and noisy.

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2 Dec 2014

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Democracy, EDDC, Phil Twiss

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Political row hits regional news headlines

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Police-urged-investigate-cull-Tories-blog-remark/story-25016293-detail/story.html

and this comment from Damien Mills on Councillor Wright’s web blog adds an interesting new perspective to this fracas:

“If I was Claire, I would be consulting a solicitor.

Dare I suggest Cllr Twiss might be well advised to forget about the Malicious Communications Act 1988 – which, plainly, he grasps about as well as he does the English language – and to concern himself instead with garnering a better understanding of the Defamation Act 2013.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/26/contents/enacted

Cllr Twiss has sent an email to his 58 fellow East Devon councillors in which he accuses Claire of ‘knowingly publishing a threatening and highly offensive comment’.

That’s a very serious allegation which, clearly, could do serious damage to Claire’s reputation – all the more so when you consider Cllr Twiss didn’t just voice his concerns in private to the Monitoring Officer but chose instead to share them with more than 50 others.

As far as I can see, Cllr Twiss’s only possible line of defence is that ‘the words complained of are true in substance and fact’ – that’s to say, he can demonstrate beyond all reasonable doubt that Claire deliberately set out to intimidate / threaten the Tory contingent on East Devon District Council. Frankly, I reckon there’s more chance of a new Local Plan being in place by the turn of the year!

Cllr Twiss might, I think, do well to issue a public apology before this goes any further; failing that I fear he might need to get in touch with his fellow correspondent on these pages, John Richards, and seek out the contact details of his learned friend at Lincoln’s Inn! wink

And finally… I would be disappointed if the Monitoring Officer at East Devon has not already communicated their concerns with Cllr Twiss’s defamatory comments to each of the 58 other recipients and instigated an investigation as, it seems clear to me, there can be little doubt such comments represent a clear breach of the council’s code of conduct.”

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29 Nov 2014

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Phil Twiss

Positively the last word(s) on culling politicians and councillors!

http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/local-news/tory-calls-cull-waverley-councillors-4816974

http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/cull-conservative-councillors-ahead-elections-5966664

http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Tories-cull-councillors-ignored/story-11862155-detail/story.html

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/main-topics/local-stories/pensions-decision-follows-cull-of-tory-councillors-1-3026364

http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/8388924.Cull_of_councillors_could_save___200k_in_Southend/

http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/Councillor-cull-cards-North-East-Lincolnshire/story-17985455-detail/story.html

http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/reading/articles/2009/10/08/42051-councillor-cull-plan-in-doubt/

http://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/latest-news/future-councillor-cull-could-help-to-save-cash-1-4272116

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/10390878.Bromley_Council_councillor_cull_call_gets_boost_from_Department_for_Communities_and_Local_Government/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2449331/Ed-bows-union-calls-cull-Blairites-Two-shadow-ministers-dumped-Labour-leaders-Unite-leader-demanded-go.html

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28 Nov 2014

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Democracy, Phil Twiss

Author Frederick Forsythe to be reported to police? Too late!

Funny, he posted this in 2008 but don’t remember him going to prison!

http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/frederick-forsyth/63233/Tories-must-cull-our-bloated-bureaucracy

But the statute of limitations has probably ruled it out now!

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28 Nov 2014

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Democracy, Phil Twiss

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Phil Twiss worried about Tory councillors being assaulted in car parks

This is a reply from Phil Twiss to an elector who wondered whether Councillor Twiss might have over-reacted somewhat to the (correct) use of the word “cull” by a commentator on the blog of Independent Councillor Claire Wright (bold lettering ours). The letter to which this is a reply is below Councillor Twiss’s response:

“Dear (Voter)

The Conservative Party takes all threats of violence or incitement to violence very seriously and will always take appropriate action (no matter how innocuous or isolated/infrequent they may seem to casual observers like yourself) on a better safe than sorry footing. There are no exceptions to this and whilst the problem is more frequent with higher profile politicians (particularly during election periods) it is none the less a problem at all levels. I was election agent for Neil Parish M.P. during the 2010 General election and speak from a position of experience and it is pretty unpleasant.

Following concerns expressed by fellow EDDC Councillors on the precise wording of the comment made on Claire Wrights blog site yesterday as Secretary of the EDDC Conservative Group (a quite distinct role from Party Whip) I asked that it was removed which it was. A complaint was then made to Devon and Cornwall constabulary about the person who submitted the comment and where it was published; this is now subject to police investigation. The police have confirmed that this was the correct course of action to take and if after investigation they conclude there is no problem then that is the end of the matter.

As an illustration of a regrettable and unfortunate aside you may have read that a Councillor was recently attacked in Coventry by three people over a car parking issue, see http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-councillor-attacked-car-8191149 which is also the kind of function EDDC deal with and therefore why this kind of threat is unsettling to our Group members.

I make no apology for this apparently uncompromising position which has absolutely nothing to do with the size of the EDDC Conservative Group.”

Regards
Phil
philtwiss-conservatives@hotmail.co.uk

T: 01404 891327
M: 07971 871651

Web: http://www.tivertonhonitonconservatives.co.uk

One has to hope that the police are more widely read than Mr Twiss.

Here is the original letter to Mr Twiss

“Cllr Twiss,

What on earth has made the majority party, (of which you are not the Whip so why are you reacting on their behalf?) so twitchy as to provoke your over-the-top language and threatening behaviour towards Cllr Wright?

I suggest you read the East devon Alliance website where you will see quotations from Messr Cameron, Clegg and Robinson all using the word cull in the sense of reduction in numbers, not as mass murder.

An apology to Cllr Wright for the threat would be in order if you are man enough.”