UPDATED (25th May 2021): There is a lot of commotion about misleading information being put out in the district's deeply flawed public poll that we have called a Hobson's Choice of two buckets of manure. The Tory Leader of Sedgemoor District Council Cllr Duncan McGinty says: "We have taken every measure we can to rectify the situation and hopefully the poll is still valid."
The whole push to change Somerset's councils has been undemocratic since the beginning and the districts are too late in their sudden belief in a strange version of "democracy". At this link is what we have called for all along, and below is how Somerset residents were let down by the Lib Dems and Tories.
Lib Dem or Tory, same old story.
UPDATED (30th July 2020): We have written to all councillors on all five district and county councils, asking for their support. We have received some support, but the abject surrender by all but one of the County Councillors yesterday has driven us to say this on this new post here.
UPDATED (12th July 2020): More Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors are getting in touch to support our call for a Referendum and Citizens Assembly.
We believe that there is support from councillors in districts across Somerset for our campaign.
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UPDATED (17th June 2020): SomersetLive has reported on our call here.
Councillors are already pledging their support for the Referendum.
We will work with other independents and cross-party, to achieve the Referendum.
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Do we think that Somerset's councils are doing a good job? No, because that is what the people of Somerset tell us.
Do we think that Somerset's councils are value-for-money? No, because the council tax that we pay seems to be regularly wasted on bad projects like "commercial investment" that loses money and many other wrong things.
Do we think that Somerset councils need to improve? Yes, by a long way!
So the questions that arise are ... HOW? WHEN?
Is during a National Emergency the right time? Definitely not. Yet they are carrying on proposing to spend millions of YOUR money...
So Somerset County Council Leader, the Conservative David Fothergill, wants to spend £17 million of taxpayers' money in re-organising councils to create a "unitary authority" which would also scrap the four district councils:
- Mendip District Council
- South Somerset District Council
- Sedgemoor District Council
- Somerset West and Taunton Council
Somerset already has two unitary authorities that cover
some of its geography - North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset. If you are confused, you are not alone. It is a mess!
But the four district councils do not agree with Councillor Fothergill!
They do not want a single unitary authority and have issued several statements on the matter, including a joint statement.
Yet Fothergill is carrying on regardless with his plans to spend YOUR MONEY!
And judging by the attitude he displayed at the Somerset County Council Places Scrutiny meeting, and his actions on this issue, Fothergill seems to be uninterested in listening to the people of Somerset.
He confirmed at that meeting that only 125 people had been asked in each district. So a total of 500 people has been asked. You can bet that the questions were loaded in his favour. Why? Because that is how councils do "consultations". How do we know this? Because Somerset Independents have a lot of experience of different councils, going over many decades.
Let's not forget that Somerset West and Taunton is a new council, formed recently in 2019 from two previous councils. This was done against the wishes of local people. Indeed, the involvement of the public in this decision has been described as a "sham" consultation by members of Parliament.
Is Somerset County Council conducting another "sham" consultation? Well, they have already.
And Tory Councillor Fothergill is already trying to blame his Tory Government for forcing this decision on his Tory Council and that the will make the decision. Have they asked you? Are you suspicious of his motives? You should be.
Yet Councillor David Fothergill is spending your money on consultants and one of the consultants Carlton Brand confirmed the "one-off cost" of this unitary is estimated to be £17 MILLION!
Mr Brand also confirmed at that same meeting that the estimates of savings in a previous costly report by Ignite were very wrong. Ignite had previously been rapped by the Advertising Standards Authority for making false claims.
At the meeting, we demanded that the councillors present including Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Independent and Labour, support a REFERENDUM of Somerset residents before any changes are made.
That referendum must also be informed by a Citizens Assembly that would inform citizens on the options, which must include no change.
Do you agree? What do you think of having a referendum?
Tell us by contacting us with your views.
Tell Councillor Fothergill that you don't want him to spend £17 million of taxpayers money.
Tell him that you want a referendum.
His email address is:
DJAFothergill@somerset.gov.uk
His Twitter is:
@DJAFothergill
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