CAMPAIGN: Criminal Checks for Councillors - Mendip Councillors Commit to Checks

 

 

Somerset Independents is campaigning for ALL Somerset councillors to have criminal records checks - now known as DBS checks.

Early in August, we wrote to all four Somerset district councils and Somerset County Council, asking them what they did on these checks for their councillors.

So far, as we have reported, Mendip District Council said that councillors had considered the matter twice in the last four years. And BOTH times, councillors refused to bring in checks.

After dialogue with the Chairmen of two Mendip committees, Licensing and Standards, we are pleased to have received the support from Councillor Sam Phripp and Councillor Richard Pinnock who chair each respective committee. The Licensing Committee makes decisions to approve or revoke licenses on taxi drivers, the serving and sale of alcohol, and other establishments. The Standards Committee makes decisions relating to the rules of the Council (including the Constitution) and on the discipline of councillors under the Code of Conduct.

We are delighted that both councillors have given support to our campaign. But we need to see action, so we have written again to both Councillor Phripp and Councillor Pinnock, asking them to ensure the Council brings in these checks immediately by recommending to the other 45 councillors at Mendip.

 

So what of the other councils?

 

Despite having several weeks to reply, the only one that has replied has been Sedgemoor District Council. They DO implement the Basic DBS Checks for all councillors, which we are pleased to hear, although we would prefer that they implement the Standard Check, which includes more information about a councillor's record. But they do not implement Enhanced DBS Checks. We would like to see them do so.

Shamefully: 

• Somerset County Council has still not replied, although we have chased. Instead of giving us the answers, they created a Freedom of Information request instead. They have only days remaining to give us the information.
  
• South Somerset District Council assured us that we would get a reply, but we have not received one.
• Somerset West and Taunton Council have not replied, although we have chased.

 

And we have discovered from our research, that 17 (SEVENTEEN) Mendip councillors did not return their financial "party returns" to officers at Mendip, despite them being legally required to.

We have asked Mendip District Council to tell us which councillors they are. But they are "seeking legal advice", instead of giving us their names.

So if councillors want to be trusted by Somerset residents, isn't it really better to be open and transparent, and to be checked out?

What do these councillors have to hide? We think that Somerset residents deserve better councillors.

Tell us what you think by contacting us at somerinds[at]gmail.com , or via Twitter @SomerInds or via our Facebook Page @SomerInds (Somerset Independents).

CAMPAIGN: Criminal Checks for Councillors - Somerset Independents Receives Apology

 

Our Leader Andrew Pope has today received an apology from the Chief Legal Officer (Monitoring Officer - MO) of Mendip District Council.

 

As in our earlier article, Somerset Independents has been asking questions regarding whether Mendip District Council checks criminal records ("DBS checks") for councillors.

 

The short answer is NO. 

 

How many councillors have been checked? ZERO.

The MO wrote to Andrew today to apologise for giving incorrect information about when councillors considered the issue.

He originally told us that they last considered it in 2018.

But the MO apologised and now he says that another set of Mendip district councillors considered the issue again as recently as October 2019.

 

"Apologies for a small error in my previous response... This matter was considered again by the Standards Committee in October 2019 and the papers and minutes can be found here

 

I apologise for any inconvenience caused."

 

And incredibly, the councillors present decided AGAIN to not have councillors be subjected to DBS checks.

Somerset Independents Spokesperson for Safeguarding, Denise Wyatt, has written to councillors on the Standards Committee and Licensing Committee, to ask them why, and to urgently recommend that DBS checks are brought in.

Somerset Independents now believes that ALL councillors should have the Standard Check - which includes more checks than the Basic Check - and the Enhanced Check must apply to councillors in the roles that the law allows those increased checks to occur.

We have also asked the three other district councils and the County Council, and still await their answers to our questions.

Protecting Somerset Residents

 

 

 

Is Glastonbury Festival 2021 Going Ahead?

Pilton Festival, in Pilton

 

Not even the Festival knows. How do we know that?

Because Somerset Independents has been trying to get answers from the organisers of Pilton Festival (a.k.a. Glastonbury Festival), about how the 2020 festival was cancelled and who by. And due to a lack of sufficient reassurances, we remain concerned about 2021.

 

We have now asked the Festival organisers about this twice and have struggled to get straight answers. 

 

More helpful with answers were Somerset's Director of Public Health Trudi Grant and Mendip District Council, who confirmed that they had provided advice to the Festival and that it was the Festival alone that decided to cancel.

 

We will be publishing the timeline of Lockdown in Somerset, including the cancellation of the Festival. UPDATE: Published here.

What the Festival organisers have stated publicly, and what the local authorities have told us, do not seem to tally as we showed in our previous piece on the Festival.

So we went back to the Festival to ask them again. Perhaps they would be more helpful this time?

 

Unfortunately, in response to our second set of questions, and we did ask nicely, the Festival organisers did not really answer.  

We asked Glastonbury Festival organisers:

"Somerset Independents has contacted Mendip District Council and the Director of Public Health, who both told us that advice had been provided to the Festival. This appears to be in contrast to the article in the Daily Mail:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8465591/Emily-Eavis-says-Glastonbury-bounce-despite-losing-millions-forced-cancel.html

"According to Ms Eavis, a mother-of-three, Glastonbury was given no specific advice in the lead-up to its cancellation."

 

Here is the Festival organiser's second reply, for what its worth:

 

 "Due to Covid-19, we are not yet in a position to confirm our plans for 2021. However please rest assured that the Festival always works in line with national guidelines, and that we will continue to work closely with relevant local / national agencies and authorities to ensure that the Festival operates in adherence with our Premises Licence (obtained in 2018). 

We will also continue to closely monitor developments with the coronavirus situation and put in place all necessary measures to protect the public and maximise safety, reviewing our plans as and when circumstances change." 

 

So their replies have not been very helpful, so far. 

 

Unfortunately, because what they have stated publicly in the Daily Mail and elsewhere contrasts with what the local authorities have told us... 

And bearing in mind the washing facilities, loos and general standards of hygiene at a "normal" festival (before Covid-19)...

And as the founder of the Festival says, it is "wishful thinking" whether the 2021 Glastonbury Festival will go ahead, especially after Michael Eavis' recent comments last week to ITV West Country interviewer Max Walsh...

 

Somerset Independents remains concerned about the protection of public health, and the health, noise, traffic and other impacts of Glastonbury Festival on local residents and festival goers.

 

Therefore we have urged Glastonbury Festival to learn from 2020 and asked them:

"Somerset Independents is not opposed to the Festival. It is one of the greatest global musical and cultural events. We also applaud the local work such as the new Co-operative Group shop and Post Office in Pilton that Mr Eavis has facilitated via the Working Mens Club. If only other local business people were so enlightened.

But we agree with local residents who feel that it is already too large and should not grow any more. Local residents also feel that it is not being regulated enough and the impacts on local residents are too much.

We urge Glastonbury Festival to discuss repeatedly and fully with the Director of Public Health and other authorities, as to whether the 2021 Festival should go ahead, in the interests of public health and safety."

 

 

 

Glastonbury Festival: What the Authorities Told Us

 

2020 Cancelled - 2021 Unknown

Somerset Independents has been asking questions on Covid-19/Coronavirus on behalf of local residents and Festival goers.

Regarding the cancelled ("forced fallow year") 2020 Festival The Director of Public Health for Somerset, Trudi Grant, told Somerset Independents:

"There was a multiagency discussion, that considered a number of issues but focused particularly on the capacity of partners to support the  festival given the emerging pandemic. This information and viewpoint was fed into the festival organisers for them to take the decision."

 

"PHE (Public Health England) and SCC (Somerset County Council) Public Health worked jointly to consider the public health advice. A representative from PHE, who has worked closely alongside us for many years regarding the festival, attended a meeting to give our jointly agreed advice. We ensured festival organisers were aware of the current position of national guidance on mass gatherings."

 

"By working in partnership with PHE and other partner organisations, we made festival organisers aware of national guidance regarding mass gatherings and the capacity of local partners to be able to support the festival. Festival organisers then used this information to help inform their decision.

 

Mendip District Council told us:

“Mendip District Council did not make any recommendation to the organisers prior to their decision to cancel on 18th March 2020, but we ensured they were made aware of advice from Public Health England at the time included this advice from Central Government published on 16th March 2020 https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-guidance-for-mass-gatherings”

 

Regarding the 2021 Festival, Ms Grant said:

"There is no advice currently as it is impossible to look that far into the future with this current virus. This will depend on the situation nearer the time and the evolution of the pandemic."

In contrast, Festival organiser Emily Eavis told the Daily Mail that she had received no “specific advice in the lead up to its cancellation".

 

Please see our other articles for what Somerset Independents have done in response to this apparent contrast - here.

 

Putting Somerset Residents First

 

Timeline of Lockdown and 2020 Glastonbury Festival Cancellation

Pilton/Glastonbury Festival

 

 

Protecting Somerset

 

This article was compiled using our own research on Glastonbury Festival and based on a very useful timeline compiled by the excellent human rights "EachOther" website.

Summary

 

Glastonbury Festival 2020 was cancelled the day after Wetherspoon's supremo Tim Martin warned that a lockdown would harm pubs, and before Martin stated on 20th March that he intended to keep pubs open. 

 

It was cancelled on 18th March, between the Prime Minister advising against pubs, clubs, theatres etc, but before the FORCED shutdown of pubs (which almost coincided with Martin's statement of defiance). 

 

This was five days before the full lockdown.

 

Somerset Independents applauds the decision. We do, however, question how it came about and whether lessons have been learned for 2021. This is explored elsewhere on this website.

 

Evidence

Thursday 12th March 2020

Glastonbury Festival in jeopardy amid coronavirus outbreak as Ireland goes into lockdown

The UK's biggest music events are believed to be under threat as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread with Ireland confirming the country is going into lockdown from 6pm tonight.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/glastonbury-festival-jeopardy-amid-coronavirus-21680327

"A number of festivals, including Coachella and Snowbombing, have already been axed over fears surrounding the ongoing pandemic."

"Another major music gathering which could fall victim to the coronavirus outbreak is the Reading and Leeds Festival - despite organisers insisting they are ploughing ahead with plans to run the 2020 event as scheduled despite the coronavirus outbreak."

 

Sunday 15th March 2020

"Hancock warns that over-70s would be asked to “self-isolate”, by not leaving their homes, for an extended period “within weeks”. Due to the voluntary nature of the restrictions, there is no interference with human rights."

Advice to be given on social distancing on Monday (16th March), the BBC article says.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51895873

 

Monday 16th March 2020

"Boris Johnson advises everyone in the UK against “non-essential” travel and contact with others and suggests people should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and work from home if possible. At this stage, these are merely suggestions. He warns that other vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and those with underlying conditions, may be asked to self-isolate. Many business express anger that the PM has not forced them to close – which could have offered them financial protection."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51917562

Tuesday 17th March 2020

Wetherspoon boss warns against coronavirus lockdown on pubs 

Hospitality sector calls for immediate government action to avert potential “cashflow catastrophe.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/03/17/wetherspoons-boss-attacks-coronavirus-lockdown-pubs/

 

 

Wednesday 18th March 2020

Glastonbury 2020 cancelled over coronavirus with 50th anniversary rescheduled

Organisers Michael and Emily Eavis have confirmed this year's festival will be postponed in a dramatic U-turn after announcing the line-up last week.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-glastonbury-cancelled-over-coronavirus-21712613

One commenter:

"About time, what were the organisers thinking in even letting the Glastonbury festival even go ahead a few weeks ago? Common sense has prevailed at last."

 

Friday 20th March 2020

Tim Martin spoke before the Johnson announcement, to say that he intends to keep Wetherspoons open.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/mar/20/coronavirus-wetherspoons-boss-says-uk-pubs-will-stay-open-as-long-as-possible

Boris Johnson orders all pubs, cafes, restaurants, bars and gyms to close. The chancellor also announces that the taxpayer will meet 80 percent of the wages of employees temporarily sent home from firms hit by the crisis.

Though peaceful enjoyment of property is protected by the ECHR in Protocol 1 Article 1, this right can be interfered with in the public interest. As advice to avoid social contact had not been voluntarily heeded, it can be argued closing premises is in the public interest.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/20/london-pubs-cinemas-and-gyms-may-close-in-covid-19-clampdown

 

 

Monday 23rd March 2020

The prime minister announces a nationwide lockdown – a drastic set of measures restrict movement and assembly. It is announced that police will be granted powers within days to enforce the government’s “social distancing” measures.

The public is supposed to stay at home and only leave for list of reasonable excuses.

It comes following reports of  many people flouted its advice on “social distancing” – staying home as much as possible to curb the spread of the virus.

The government also asks about 1.5million vulnerable people who will likely need hospital treatment to “shield” themselves. This involves voluntarily staying at home for 12 weeks to avoid getting the virus. This is not currently a legal requirement.

Wednesday 25th March 2020

The Coronavirus Act 2020 is passed granting the government and other authorities “unprecedented” powers.

It provides the health secretary the power to prohibit events and gatherings, for the purpose of preventing the transmission of coronavirus.

This power affects our right to freedom of assembly but pursues a legitimate aim that is necessary and proportionate to the threat posed by coronavirus.

However, there are concerns that the Act lacks safeguards to protect industrial action, which could be likely given the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis.

The Act also grants police, immigration officers and health officials powers to detain “potentially infectious” persons.

These powers further interfere with the rights to liberty and assembly. However, they are limited to the legitimate aim of controlling coronavirus. The legislation states that restrictions must be necessary and proportionate, and must take into account that person’s well-being and personal circumstances.

Due to this balancing act and requirements of necessity and proportionality, the restrictions on an individual’s rights are likely to be valid.

Thursday 26th March 2020

The police’s new enforcement powers come into effect following Johnson’s announcement of a nationwide lockdown on 23 March.

The legal basis for the police’s strengthened powers is the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020.

People are no longer allowed to leave their home without reasonable excuse. This is, in effect, a form of house arrest. It means that we are only supposed to leave our homes for limited reasons. The four most common reasons are:

• Shopping for necessities like food and medicine
• Taking exercise – but only once a day
• For medical reasons, to provide care or help to vulnerable persons
• For essential work (list here), and non-essential work where working from home is not possible.

Also banned are public gatherings of more than two people – with those found in breach facing a fine of £30 in the first instance. There are even fewer permitted reasons to gather than there are to leave your house.

 

Skip forward three months to when the festival would have been on... more PR releases were cleverly released by the Festival organisers...

Thursday 25th June 2020

The Mirror

Glastonbury Festival future uncertain as Michael Eavis warns event could go 'bankrupt'

The festival's organiser Michael Eavis said it 'could be curtains' for Glastonbury Festival if they can't return in 2021

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/glastonbury-festival-future-uncertain-michael-22253507

Saturday 27th June 2020

Daily Mail

Emily Eavis Says Glastonbury Festival will bounce back.

"We paid everyone up to the point they stopped working and some we furloughed."

"Ms Eavis lamented the loss of income to the hundreds of individuals and businesses usually employed by the festival."

...

"It was on March 18 it became apparent that the pandemic was unstoppable and Glastonbury 2020 was cancelled."

"According to Ms Eavis, a mother-of-three, Glastonbury was given no specific advice in the lead-up to its cancellation."

"Every day following the daily news briefings, she spoke to her husband Nick, the festival's head of music programming, as to the odds the festival would go ahead."

"By the time the lockdown was announced she said they had come to the conclusion it would have to be cancelled and they made calls the next day,"

"...Glastonbury has built 50 affordable houses in the local area with a vast proportion of its profits going to Water Aid, Oxfam and Greenpeace."

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8465591/Emily-Eavis-says-Glastonbury-bounce-despite-losing-millions-forced-cancel.html

 

 

CAMPAIGN: ALL Councillors Must Have Criminal Records Checks

UPDATE (10/8/20): Mendip District Council has confirmed in writing to us that ZERO of their 48 councillors has had any DBS checks. Why?

They said that councillors did not think it was needed:

"due to the very limited exposure that elected members had to vulnerable people or groups through their role as a District Councillor"

 

Denise Wyatt, our Spokesperson for Safeguarding says:

"What a joke these councillors are, if they think they would not have 'exposure' to people. It's their job! 

If these so-called councillors were any good at representing people, which councillors are elected for and paid an allowance to do, then they would come into contact with hundreds if not thousands of people, including so-called 'vulnerable' people. 

To give two examples - if councillors helped residents with a housing enquiry or if a resident needed assisted collection for their bins.

 

In 2018 they refused to do it - their excuse is pathetic. It's their chance to save their reputations. Other councils have already done it, so Mendip must do it too.

They need to agree to all 48 Mendip councillors having the Basic DBS Check and for Cabinet Members and the Leader to have the Enhanced DBS Check.

 

And they need to do it now!"

---

 

As SomersetLive has reported, former Leader of South Somerset District Council, and former Councillor Ric Pallister, is standing trial accused of 23 counts of indecent assault. Pallister is due to be appear at Taunton Crown Court this Monday 10th August 2020.

 

It is for the court to decide on Pallister's case. Whatever happens with Pallister, Somerset Independents believes that ALL elected councillors - county councillors, district/borough councillors and parish/town councillors - should be subjected to regular checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

These used to be commonly known as Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.

Why do we think this?

There are many reasons:

1. for the protection of children
   
2. for the protection of vulnerable adults
3. so that the public can have trust in their elected representatives
4. for the protection of the councillors from specious allegations, particularly those that may emanate from party political rivalries.

The Ric Pallister trial is an example. As we have said, it is for the court to decide on Mr Pallister's case. He was a councillor. He was a member of the Cabinet, making decisions over large amounts of money and affecting thousands of people's lives. More than being a member of the Cabinet, he was THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL!

As the report says:

"Mr Pallister was the Liberal Democrat leader of the South Somerset District Council between 2011 and 2018 – before he stood down ahead of last year’s local elections."

Whatever the outcome of the trial, Somerset Independents believes that these checks should be required by law, because they are currently not required by law.

 

Liberal Democrat and Conservative Members of Parliament voted the Localism Act 2011 through. It removed a whole raft of punishments and regulation of elected councillors and made the regulation of councillors local, rather than having set laws.

 

And like this "Wild West" for Councils, it is left to local councils to decide. Worse than that, it is left to local councillors to decide whether they wish to order checks on themselves.

To give a few examples:

• councillors at Mendip District Council decided in 2018 - against officer's recommendations - to NOT implement DBS checks
  
• councillors at Somerset County Council decided in 2017 to implement DBS checks for ALL councillors
• councillors at Devon County Council decided to implement DBS checks for ALL councillors
• councillors at Bursledon Parish Council in Hampshire decided to NOT implement DBS checks
  

The case of Bursledon is very important to note. Former parish councillor and Chair of the Parish, Mark McCormick, "pleaded guilty to 14 indecent assaults between 1997 and 2011", as reported by the Southern Daily Echo. McCormick had actively avoided the checks, according to the BBC:

 

"In 2016, while council chairman, McCormick had opposed the implementation of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, which allow employers to check criminal records to see if candidates are suitable for work involving children or vulnerable adults.

Despite being warned the checks were required by Lowford Community Centre's insurers, the council refused to comply and was evicted."

As local Eastleigh News reported in 2018:

 

"people in Bursledon will be asking how it was possible for someone who had been subject to a police investigation into allegations of serious sexual assaults against children could rise to a position of trust within the community that gave him access to the both the local Children’s Library and school that was attended by several of his young victims."

 

When the local Eastleigh Conservative MP Mims Davies accused other Bursledon parish councillors, including the Leader of Eastleigh Borough Council Keith House, of making a "grave error of judgement" in not supporting the DBS checks for Bursledon Council, she was branded as "rude" and interrupted by the Chair (the Mayor)*. House even appeared to suggest that parish and borough councils should not have DBS checks, as "their roles do not include unsupervised contact with children as part of their duties".

 

Somerset Independents points out that councillors, if they are doing their jobs properly of representing thousands of people, will be dealing with children, vulnerable adults and every other kind of people. SO THEY MUST BE DBS CHECKED!

We applaud Somerset County Council and Devon County Council's decisions, but we abhor Mendip District Council's decision. But then this is Mendip District Council, who also do a lot of "odd" other things that other councils do not do. MDC do not do lots of things that are normal in other councils.

These inconsistencies are why it has to be made law. Devon County Council resolved to persuade the Government that it should be the law. We agree.

Spokesperson for Safeguarding, Denise Wyatt, says that:

"As a minimum, Somerset Independents believes that all councillors should be DBS-checked - the Basic Check** - when first elected and every time they are re-elected, which is usually four years. They should also be checked whenever they change role - for example, if they become a Cabinet member - then the Council should put them through the Enhanced Check. There may be also be a case for these checks being re-done annually, which we are prepared to discuss."

"Somerset Independents thinks DBS checks for councillors should be the law, but until it is, all councils should make it mandatory and a breach of their Council's Code of Conduct if a councillor does not have the required DBS checks done."

 

What do you think?

Contact us and tell us.

Protecting Somerset Residents

 

* Davies is no longer the Eastleigh MP, having been replaced by a careerist politician (yes, another one!) Paul Holmes. The siren calls of a safer seat beckoned for Davies in Mid-Sussex. Initially, Davies claimed that she was stepping down from Eastleigh to spend more time with her children.

 ** From the DBS:

 

"A basic check will contain details of convictions and conditional cautions considered to be ‘unspent’ under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 aims to give those with convictions or cautions the chance - in certain circumstances - to wipe the slate clean and start afresh.

Under the Act, eligible convictions or cautions become ‘spent’ after a specified period of time known as the ‘rehabilitation period’, the length of which varies depending on how the individual was dealt with.

A table of rehabilitation periods for the most common sentences and disposals can be found here, along with some example scenarios."

 

Think Piece: Glastonbury Festival - Myths and Legends

Glastonbury (Pilton) Festival

There are a lot of myths and legends about the Isle of Avalon, King Arthur and the Glastonbury Festival.

Here are some of them. Some myths and legends are useful, interesting or just a bit of fun. But some myths and legends have serious consequences for the local residents in Somerset - on our health, on our lives and standards of living.

Somerset Independents has been listening to local residents, questioning local authorities and listening to the Festival organisers.

1. Glastonbury Festival is in Glastonbury, right?

Wrong! It is in Pilton, which is nearer to the town of Shepton Mallet than Glastonbury, which is twice as far away as Shepton.

There is no doubt that this has confused thousands if not millions of festival-goers since 1970, and contributed to the traffic chaos at every Festival.

2. Glastonbury Festival is at Worthy Farm, Pilton, right?

Yes, but it also occupies surrounding land, which the Festival has been expanding into. Some of that expansion occurred under what we feel was a false claim and/or threat and/or negotiation tactic by the Festival organisers that they were going to move the Festival to Longleat. Longleat themselves have refuted that any discussions went beyond initial contact.

3. Glastonbury Festival is one of the greatest annual UK musical and cultural events, right?

Yes, it is one of the greatest annual UK, if not global, musical and cultural events. It is an amazing event, that has been enjoyed by millions of people since its inception in 1970.

But it is not annual, as it has "fallow" years.

4. Glastonbury Festival has a "fallow" year to let the cows at Worthy Farm have a rest, right?

The cows and Worthy Farm may get a rest, but the local residents need a rest from it too, as they are affected by a multitude of problems caused by the Festival such as noise nuisance VERY LATE up to 6 a.m. over an area of around 20 miles radius, criminal offences and anti-social behaviour associated with the Festival.

All despite the annual month-long Premises Licence granted by Mendip District Council - which is supposed to protect residents from these harms.

5. Glastonbury Festival is regulated by the local councils, right?

Wrong! Mendip District Council has admitted that it has inadequate staffing and training to regulate it, and is using temporary staff. This is clear from the Council's own documents. The Council only receives around £30,000 annually from the Festival, but it is a huge undertaking to regulate 250,000 people - a city the size of Southampton - coming to a rural area.

And residents from as far away as Wanstrow complain every time the Festival is on, due to the problems generated by such a huge event.

Somerset County Council also fail to get the traffic right, every year. Perhaps they can't get it right, considering the huge numbers - in which case, why did they and Mendip District Council allow it to get so big?

6. Glastonbury Festival 2020 was cancelled by the Government, wasn't it?

Wrong! Festival organiser Emily Eavis was reported by the Daily Mail that it was Glastonbury Festival that decided to cancel it. Going from the date of the Festival's website announcement, it was cancelled before the Government announced the full lockdown. So the Daily Mail headline was wrong.

Somerset Independents has written statements from local authorities in response to our questions about the cancellation.

Sadly, when we approached Glastonbury Festival for answers, unlike those authorities - the Festival organisers simply referred us to their public statement, instead of answering residents' concerns. We are trying again to get them to answer.

Somerset Independents is compiling a full timeline of the cancellation, which we will publish in due course with evidence to backup who said what, and who did what. We are continuing our investigations.

But in short, Glastonbury Festival appears to have been cancelled the day after Wetherspoon's Tim Martin warned that a lockdown would harm pubs, and before Mr Martin stated on 20th March that he intended to keep pubs open.

The Festival announced on 18th March, via its own website, that it was cancelled.

This timing was between the Prime Minister Boris Johnson advising against pubs, clubs, theatres etc. staying open, but before the FORCED shutdown of pubs (which almost coincided with Martin's statement of defiance). This was five days before the full lockdown was announced. So the Government did not cancel Glastonbury Festival and it was not because of the lockdown, as wrongly stated by the Daily Mail headline.

In response to our questions, Mendip District Council stated to us that the cancellation was 100% the decision of Glastonbury Festival.

Ms Eavis told the media via the Daily Mail article that the Festival had received "no specific advice" about cancellation.

Yet Somerset Independents has discovered from their answers to our questions, that both Mendip District Council and the Director of Public Health for Somerset, had provided advice to Glastonbury Festival.

What is "specific advice" versus "advice"?

Who does the public believe?

Who should the public believe?

Why is Somerset Independents concerned?

Because of the contrasting information coming from the Festival and the authorities, and the disastrous consequences for public health of getting decisions like this wrong - such as what happened at Cheltenham in 2020, Somerset Independents remains concerned as to how exactly the decision was made, and we are very concerned about the 2021 Festival.

Real lessons need to be learned - actions speak louder than words.

It is good that Michael Eavis has told ITV that he is uncertain about the 2021 Festival going ahead. He is right to be concerned. We would ask that he speaks to the local authorities far in advance of starting preparations, to avoid a repeat of what happened in 2020.

Somerset Independents does not want Glastonbury Festival to disappear. We applaud local initiatives such as the new Co-operative Group shop and Post Office in Pilton, which Mr Eavis has facilitated via the Working Mens Club.

We want the good work to continue, but it needs to be properly regulated and the public's health in Somerset needs to be prioritised and protected from massive events like this, where Somerset residents' lives, livelihoods and standards of living are put at risk for a multi-million pound event that is put on for profit, not charity - another myth that is sometimes encouraged by the Festival.

And we will not accept further expansion of the Festival at the cost of local residents.

Even Mr Eavis admits that, and we quote from the ITV interview:

"250,000 altogether is too many people I suppose isn't it really."

We agree. And we agree that it is "wishful thinking" that the 2021 Festival go ahead.

We have clear evidence that Mendip District Council is failing in its duties to protect local residents from harm - including from the Council's own documents and with anecdotal evidence from local residents.

Somerset Independents will not accept local residents being put at risk by Glastonbury Festival, or the failures by Mendip District Council and other local authorities, for failing to regulate it.

What do you feel about the Festival?

Are you a local resident?

Do you think it is properly regulated?

Do you want to complain but don't know how to complain?

Are you worried about the 2021 Festival?

Do you think it should go ahead?

Contact us at the details here.

UPDATED (3/10/20): Schools - 1 Month To Go - Government Putting Children At Risk AGAIN

Snippet from Today's Sunday Times

UPDATE (3/10/20): ITV News is reporting today that the infection rates for Covid-19 are rising fastest in young people. They say:

 

"The rise in the number of young people testing positive for coronavirus coincides with their return to school and university"

 

Somerset Independents reacts to this news in the article at this link here, where we announce that we will stand candidates at the next County Council elections.  

 

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The Sunday Times' Education Editor Sian Griffiths is reporting today (snippet above) that schools are preparing to continue e-lessons online. Home learning is set to continue when schools return in just under a month, in early September.

Somerset Independents has been urging Somerset County Council to be honest about their failure to stand up for Somerset's parents and children from the Conservative Government during the Covid-19 lockdown.

We contacted the Conservative Cabinet Member for Education, Faye Purbrick, with a set of questions about whether children could return to school. It was revealed from our questions to her in June, that 94% of children did not return to school, despite the Government opening schools up to selected years.

The Sunday Times report says that OFSTED will be inspecting schools on remote schooling and that:

"All schools will have to be able to deliver online classes, including in real time, to children in their homes."

This is despite the Government telling parents that they will be fined if they do not send their children back to school next month, and the Government telling schools that they have to re-open.

So it seems that home-schooling is set to continue and that lessons being attended online will have to be counted as "attendance".

Ms Griffiths said on times.radio yesterday evening:

"I think schools are in a really really difficult position... It's an almost impossible situation... On the one hand they have to do all the logistical planning of how they are going to bring all the kids back to school on September 1st or from September 1st. I doubt everybody will be back on that day. It will be staggered..."

Ms Griffiths went on to say that teachers were not used to doing remote lessons and that schools during lockdown did not deliver remote lessons.

Somerset Independents Spokesperson for Education, Denise Wyatt, says:

"Just like in June, Boris Johnson's Conservative Government and his Education Minister Gavin Williamson seem to live in an alternate reality from the rest of us.

Parents did not want to send their children back to school the last time. And we are pleased they didn't.

When is this failing Government going to listen to parents, and act in the interests of children, instead of burying their heads in the sand?

If the Government acknowledged the reality that home-schooling and e-learning is going to become more common, they could then work with local councils, parents and school staff to plan for it.

Instead, they want everyone in Somerset to pretend that there is a vaccine and effective treatments for Covid-19. We've got news for them - THERE ISN'T."

Co-Founder of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

"The Tories put their own media image, their wealthy donors and their party first. It seems that the health and education of Somerset residents, parents and children are very low on the priority list for the Tory County Councillors and the Tory Government.

Meanwhile, as we have discovered and shown to Somerset residents, the pathetic effort of Westminster's Labour MPs and the small band of Somerset Labour councillors, are ineffective at standing up for Somerset residents. They put themselves ahead of residents, just like the Tories.

This is another example of Labour or Tory, same old story.

And before the Lib Dems or Greens think that we favour them instead, we want to be absolutely clear that we do not. They have not provided a loud voice for Somerset residents either.

Somerset deserves better than the Westminster parties."