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| You Can't Trust the Fib Dems |
CAMPAIGN UPDATE (13/11/20)
Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:
Andrew Pope
"Whilst we do not like the Westminster parties and think they have no record of properly standing up for Somerset's residents, and we campaign to see the system change, we are pragmatic too and have to work within the current system. So Somerset Independents will work with those of no party and the Westminster parties on issues that we believe are important to the people of Somerset. I am therefore delighted that prominent people in Somerset are contacting us to support our campaign. Here is our latest update."
As well as the councillors below who have already declared their support of our campaign, we are pleased to announce that the Leader of the Conservative Group on SWT Council, Councillor Anthony Trollope-Bellew, has given support. He did say that it was his personal view, so we have suggested to him that he asks his group, especially as another member of the Conservative Group Roger Habgood has expressed his support. The Tories must try harder to provide strong opposition to the Lib Dems!
And...former Conservative Somerset County Council Leader John Osman has contacted us to say:
"totally agree with your view on CRB checks for all councillors."
We have gone back to Mr Osman, and asked him to ask his Conservative colleagues across Somerset to come out in full support of our DBS campaign.
Despite being chased by us, we have had no further response from the Mendip Lib Dems who claimed they supported DBS checks, but then kicked it into the long grass to the end of 2021. Yes, they are Councillor Sam Phripp and Councillor Richard Pinnock, both chairs of Mendip's Licensing and Standards Committees. Typical Fib Dems!
And this week's Special Prize for passing the buck, instead of taking action, goes to SWT Council Cabinet Member Chris Booth. Other members of his Council, including Lib Dems and Tories, responded positively to our campaign. But not Chris Booth!
Councillor Booth dismissed our campaign, and challenged our assertion that SWT Council was being "badly-run". When we provided substantial evidence of the Council being badly run, he became defensive and tried to blame it all on the previous Tory Administration. Then he suggested that it was all the Government's fault for not making it the law. Typical buck-passing Westminster party politician!
Meanwhile another Lib Dem SWT councillor has supported our campaign. Councillor Sue Buller said:
"I would agree with you regarding DBS checks for all Councillors".Andrew Pope says:
"What is wrong with Councillor Booth's Lib Dem SWT Council that they don't do the right thing, take the initiative and do the DBS checks? They have the power as they have a majority on the Council but they don't want to do it and try to blame the Government instead. Other districts including Sedgemoor are doing it. What are Somerset Lib Dems trying to hide?"
Independent County and District Councillor John Hunt has also told us that he supports DBS checks for all councillors.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE (3/11/20)
We updated you recently on our campaign for ALL councillors in Somerset to have criminal records (DBS) checks.
There have been further developments.
We contacted all Somerset West and Taunton councillors to ask them what they thought of the official response from their own Council.
So far, only a few have replied.
Councillor Roger Habgood (Conservative) has responded positively.
Councillor Caroline Ellis (Liberal Democrat) has also responded positively.
And Councillor Lee Baker (Liberal Democrat) too.
BUT and it is A BIG BUT...
Councillor Baker, who is "CHAIR - AUDIT, STANDARDS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE", agreed with Councillor Ellis' request, in response to us, to put it on the Agenda for his Committee.
Yet very quickly after that, when our Leader Andrew Pope
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| Andrew Pope |
contacted Councillor Baker to clarify when it would be considered, this was his response:
"I will commit to NOTHING AT THIS STAGE, PLEASE BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT."
So we are being clear about that. By making sure everyone is aware of his flip-flopping.
And at Mendip District Council, when our Safeguarding Spokesperson Denise Wyatt
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| Denise Wyatt |
contacted them again to clarify the commitments that Lib Dem Councillors Sam Phripp and Richard Pinnock to DBS checks...
This happened...
The Council's Monitoring Officer David Clark said:
"Ms Wyatt,
As previously advised the Standards Board most recently considered this issue in October 2019. The Chairman of the Standards Board has agreed that this issue will be placed on their forward plan to be reconsidered by the Board in October 2021.
Kind regards
David"
Denise says:
"Delaying until A YEAR'S TIME? This isn't a commitment at all.
As a local government governance expert, I know that there is nothing stopping these councillors from making this happen, via their committees. I even gave the Mendip councillors suggestions of how to make it happen.
Instead of actually ACTING to bring in DBS checks, they have delayed and blocked any action.
They do not appear to be really committed to checking if councillors have criminal records.
WHY?
What do Somerset's Lib Dem councillors have to hide?"
Andrew says:
"There are a lot of councillors in Somerset's district councils. Surely at least a few would actually act to bring these checks in. But actually they seem to say they support it but then go all floppy when it comes to acting.
Councillors such as Lib Dem Councillor Marcia Hill have questioned our campaign.
And Lib Dem County Council Candidate Natalie Dyson questioned our campaign too. She opposed DBS checks for all councillors.
What she did not realise is that IF she was elected to the County Council, she would be DBS checked! It is County Council policy.
How can she not know this? This is despite Ms Dyson's claims to be a "qualified lawyer".
She opposed our campaign without being aware of this simple fact, about the very council that she wants to be elected to!
And then, she deleted her tweet, calling our campaign, a "smear campaign"!
The tweet that she deleted is below, just in case Ms Dyson thought she could hide her ignorance from the public that she claims to want to represent.
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| Lib Dem Natalie Dyson's Deleted and Ignorant Tweet |
What is wrong with the Somerset Liberal Democrats? A lot, it seems. Perhaps they haven't got over their Coalition with the Tories. I've always thought of them as yellow, plastic Tories who don't like to be challenged.
The Lib Dem councillors' actions and their lack of action on criminal records checks for councillors suggest that I am right.
Somerset Independents will carry on its campaign to protect Somerset residents from dodgy councillors."
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