VICTORY: We Prove Mendip Council Broke The Law of Council Meetings

 

Mickey Mouse Mendip Council
Breaks The Law

We told you so!

Mendip District Council is a Mickey Mouse Council, barely above the worst episodes of the Vicar of Dibley.

They do not even bother to follow the most basic of the laws of council meetings.

This includes allowing a chair to preside at his own election! Yes, really!

AND THEN THEIR CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER EVEN DEFENDS IT!

Denise Wyatt, our expert in council governance, wrote to the Monitoring Officer David Clark following the ridiculous January 2021 Scrutiny Board.

Denise Wyatt

Denise pointed out that nobody can preside at their own election. But David Clark disagreed! 

At tonight's March 2021 Mendip Scrutiny Board, they were forced to admit that they had got it wrong.

Mr Clark's full title is "Head of Law & Governance Services and Monitoring Officer". We quote from the Formal Complaint letter that Denise received.

Fake Independent Councillor Chris Inchley did not step down when he was falsely "elected" as Chair at the 25th January 2021 meeting. Then the Vice Chair Barbi Lund was also falsely "elected" as Vice-Chair.

If you remember, and as documented on this website, the former Chair Tory Councillor Philip Ham Ham RESIGNED as Chair at the November 2020 Scrutiny Board. 

Ham is the councillor who owns land involved in the controversial Sandys Hill Lane development near Frome - as reported by Somerset Independents and Private Eye. He resigned due to a lack of scrutiny, during the Easthill "farcical" meeting (Ham's words, not ours).

On 9th February 2021, the Monitoring Officer had tried to explain it away in his arrogant and incorrect response and claimed that:

"the process followed was all in accordance with our standing orders".

He also told Denise that:

"As I have dealt with your query, I consider our dialogue on this matter at an end and accordingly I do not propose to enter into further correspondence with you in this regard.

With kind regards

David Clark"

Denise replied to tell Mr Clark that it was NOT at an end and that the Council's standing orders were wrong and would therefore need to change.

A month after the exchange, on 17th March 2021, Denise received a letter from the Monitoring Officer.

It was another response to her Formal Complaint. NO, IT WAS NOT AT AN END, BEFORE, BUT IT IS NOW!

Confirming that she was right, and as now admitted by David Clark's second letter, the Monitoring Officer wrote:

"the election that took place at the above meeting does not stand as a valid appointment...

The formal appointment of Chair will therefore be addressed at the next scheduled meeting of the Scrutiny Board."

At tonight's Scrutiny Board, the falsely and void "elected" Councillor Chris Inchley was forced to step down.

Senior Council officer Tracy Aarons was forced take over from him to ensure that he did not preside at his own election.

She informed the meeting that the election of Chair and Vice Chair was to be re-done.

Fake Independent Councillor Chris Inchley was elected as Chair and Green Councillor Barbi Lund as Vice Chair. 

This time, they did not preside at their own election.

Denise Wyatt says:

"This is not the first time I have had to challenge the Council's procedure.

As before, I was told there was nothing wrong.

Councillors are left by Mendip's Chief Legal Officer to run amok and totally undermine democracy.

They do not follow proper process with OUR MONEY and our democracy.

AND EVEN TONIGHT, THEY STILL GOT IT WRONG!

They did not have the re-election of the Chair and Vice-Chair on the agenda!

What a Mickey Mouse Council Mendip Is!"

Standing Up For Democracy