ANOTHER Crewkerne Lib Dem Councillor in Council Tax Arrears! Robin Pailthorpe

Lib Dem Councillor Robin Pailthorpe

Residents of Crewkerne must be wondering what they have done to deserve not one, but two councillors who have persistently failed to pay their own council tax.

We have reported on Lib Dem Councillor Ben Hodgson, but Councillor Robin Pailthorpe has also failed to represent Crewkerne properly.

As we have previously reported, a group of residents has contacted Somerset Independents to raise their anger about Cllr Pailthorpe and Cllr Hodgson.

These residents of Crewkerne were angry about Councillor Pailthorpe, after they had read our articles and the report on our work in local newspaper "The Leveller".

The spreadsheet response to our questions from South Somerset District Council to Somerset Independents' investigation stated that Councillor Pailthorpe's record on failing to pay council tax was as follows in 2020 and 2021:

Oct-20 - Two outstanding liability orders for 2018 and 2019 can not vote unless pays £878.64 in full before budget setting meeting. If not paid by then will attach to allowances.
08/12/2020 - No payments this financial year, Liability order for 18/19 remains unpaid and £260.62 in arrears so far for 2020
22/01/2021 - Two outstanding liability orders for 2018 and 2019 totalling £878.64.  No payments received this financial year and in arrears for this year by £520.62
29/04/2021 - Vacated this address with outstanding balance of £1328.66, £470.62 of which is in arrears and subject to a liablility order.  Full balance due 10th May.  Not liable at forwarding address.

Somerset Independents has offered Councillor Pailthorpe several opportunities of a right of reply to the questions below. Councillor Pailthorpe has not answered any of them. 

"1. Would you like to give the public an explanation as to why you did not pay your council tax for two months or more?

2. How much did you owe South Somerset District Council at the time of the February 2021 Budget Full Council meeting?

3. How much do you owe now, and for how long have you not been paying council tax?

4. When will you be paying up, in full?

5. Have you voted on council tax and related matters when in arrears, in this year or previous years?

6. Would you like to let everyone know whether you will be paying your council tax in the future?

7. Or will you be resigning your seat, which would seem reasonable? We ask you to consider resigning your seat.

8. What role, if any, did you or any other councillor or officer of SSDC play in keeping your identity secret for several months, before SSDC named you as a non-payer? Please provide full details of any interventions, despite Jill Byron ruling that your identity be revealed."

 

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope, says:

Andrew Pope

"Councillor Pailthorpe could try to explain, but he has not.

He could apologise to residents, but he has not.

He could resign, but he has not.

Councillor Pailthorpe has continued to receive councillor's allowance, at taxpayers' expense.

Robin has been robbing from the taxpayer. And the Liberal Democrats have done nothing to remove him or Councillor Hodgson.

I understand from the group of residents that they are discussing what action they are going to take next. We will be supporting them."

Somerset Independents has asked the other Crewkerne Lib Dem councillor - there are three - what he thinks of his Lib Dem colleagues' refusal to best. His name is Councillor Mike Best.

Lib Dem Crewkerne Councillor Mike Best

We have also informed the Lib Dem Leader of the Council, Councillor Val Keitch, who was named in the scandal surrounding the dismissal of senior Council officer Clare Pestell. The scandal has been reported widely, following the investigations done by The Leveller newspaper.

Liberal Democrats Gambling Millions of Taxpayers Money

And we have informed the Leaders of the "opposition" groups - Independent Group Councillor Dave Bulmer, and the Conservative Group Councillor Martin Wale.

We have told these "opposition" councillors that they need to take action over Conservative, former Conservative and current Liberal Democrat councillors who were persistently in arrears - Councillors Osborne, Clarke, Hodgson, Bloomfield and Pailthorpe.

But we are sceptical that they will do so, because these councillors have provided little scrutiny or action on the wrongdoing at scandal-rocked SSDC. 

If they had done their jobs as opposition councillors, then SSDC might not be hit with scandal after scandal relating to Leaders of the Council and senior officers:

• Ric Pallister (jailed)
• Clare Pestell (dismissed)
• Alex Parmley (resigned)
• Val Keitch (still in post)
  

We understand that the previous Leader of the Conservatives, Linda Vijeh, resigned suddenly during the revelations regarding Clare Pestell, Alex Parmley and Val Keitch. Whether there is any link, may become clear over time.

Somerset Independents will continue to stand up for residents. We have more to reveal, when we are ready to do so.

Standing Up For Residents

Council Tax Arrears Of The Year: Lib Dem Councillor for Crewkerne Ben Hodgson

Lib Dem Councillor Ben Hodgson

For much of 2021, Somerset Independents was investigating Somerset councillors who persistently failed to pay council tax.

Councillors at South Somerset District Council were the worst at paying council tax.

But of course they increased the council tax in 2021 during a Pandemic, despite some councillors not paying it themselves.

One of these councillors is Councillor Ben Hodgson, the Liberal Democrat Councillor for Crewkerne.

The spreadsheet response from South Somerset District Council to Somerset Independents' investigation stated that Councillor Hodgson's record on failing to pay council tax was as follows in 2020 and 2021:

"Oct-20 - £423.46 in arrears - no payments this financial year
08/12/2020 - Now £593.46 in arrears, still no payments
22/01/2021 - £678.46 in arrears - no payments this financial year.  Applications for disregards being processed
29/04/2021 - £834.22 in arrears, £678.46 relates to last financial year.  Application for disregard in progress but SMI application* will be turned down"

Somerset Independents has offered Councillor Hodgson THREE opportunities of a right of reply. He has not answered.

Residents of Crewkerne are angry about Councillor Hodgson, after they had read our articles and the report on our work in local newspaper "The Leveller".

A representative of a group of residents got in touch with Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope, who led the investigation into councillors.

Andrew Pope, Leader of Somerset Independents

She wrote:

"Thank you for your diligence in pursuing SSDC in regards to unpaid council tax.  

Two of my local councillors have been implicated in your 
investigations,  Cllr Ben Hodgson and Cllr Robin Pailthorpe.  

At a time when local precepts are being set I and others within my community are 
concerned that behind closed doors councillors could still have the 
opportunity to add their vote to the precept.

Have Somerset Independents advanced any further with their investigations in this matter?.  I am trying to uncover if summons have been sent and payment of arrears has been settled by our councillors.  

Thank You"

Andrew told her that Councillor Hodgson has failed to respond to our enquiries on three separate occasions. Hodgson has failed to answer our questions, which were as follows:

"1. Would you like to give the public an explanation as to why you did not pay your council tax for two months or more?

2. How much did you owe South Somerset District Council at the time of the February 2021 Budget Full Council meeting?

3. How much do you owe now, and for how long have you not been paying council tax?

4. When will you be paying up, in full?

5. Have you voted on council tax and related matters when in arrears, in this year or previous years?

6. Would you like to let everyone know whether you will be paying your council tax in the future?

7. Or will you be resigning your seat, which would seem reasonable? We ask you to consider resigning your seat.

8. What role, if any, did you or any other councillor or officer of SSDC play in keeping your identity secret for several months, before SSDC named you as a non-payer? Please provide full details of any interventions, despite Jill Byron ruling that your identity be revealed."

The group of residents are considering their next actions. They told Andrew that the three councillors, who are supposed to represent Crewkerne, are not representing them.

Andrew says:

"I'm delighted that the work of Somerset Independents has led to this group of residents being angry.

They should be angry, because the Liberal Democrat councillors for Crewkerne:

• Councillor Mike Best
• Councillor Robin Pailthorpe and 
• Councillor Ben Hodgson
  

are NOT representing them on the issues that matter.

Worse than this, two of them - Pailthorpe and Hodgson, have been persistently failing to pay their council tax.

Meanwhile, other Liberal Democrats voted in 2021 to INCREASE Somerset residents' council tax!

And as we've documented on our website, officers at South Somerset District Council tried to prevent us from finding out the councillors' names. We had to go to the Information Commissioner's Office to take action and the ICO is still investigating.

Somerset Independents has now involved the Leader of the Council - another Lib Dem Val Keitch.

And Cllr Keitch is now implicated in the mess regarding the dismissal and cover-up of senior officer and CEO-never-to-be Clare Pestell. 

Will Councillor Keitch be removed as Leader - do you think that she should be, if the Lib Dems have a shred of integrity? I think she has to go.

Let's not forget that the previous Leader of South Somerset was also a Liberal Democrat. He was Ric Pallister, who has been jailed for multiple sex offences.

What else will be revealed about the Liberal Democrats in Somerset?

Somerset Independents will continue to work with residents to find out."

Standing Up For Residents

*According to the gov.uk website, a discount can be allowed for SMI, if SMI means "Severe Mental Impairment". This does not explain the arrears and SSDC refused the belated attempt to get a discount.

West Country Voices Refuses To Publish Our Article on Somerset Councillors Who Didn't Pay Council Tax

 

West Country Voices Formerly Bylines

Following our continuing and long-running investigations into Somerset councillors who persistently failed to pay their own council tax, our Leader Andrew Pope was asked by the Editor of West Country Bylines, Anthea Simmons, to write an article for them to publish.

West Country Bylines has recently renamed itself West Country Voices.

Below is the article which West Country Bylines then refused to publish! 

Here is what Somerset Editor Mick Fletcher said in the refusal:

"Anthea Simmons has forwarded your emails on council tax to me as Somerset editor for West Country Bylines. We have carefully considered the matter but do not feel there is sufficient evidence of serious and deliberate wrongdoing to justify our publishing an article on this topic.  Thank you for your interest in Bylines

 

Best wishes

 

Mick Fletcher"

 

Andrew Pope says: 

Andrew Pope

"I wrote to Mick Fletcher and Anthea Simmons, pointing out that we know that there is definitely evidence of serious and deliberate wrongdoing by several Somerset councillors.

And we know that Private Eye and The Leveller HAVE published our work.

We also know that Somerset residents have thanked us for our investigations and hard work.

So we are publishing the article... despite West Country Bylines refusing to."

Arrears Of The Year: Somerset Councillors Put Up Our Council Tax But Did Not Pay Their Own

In February 2021, campaign group Somerset Independents asked councillors at all four district councils, and Somerset County Council, to not increase council tax for Somerset residents during a Pandemic. But councillors did put up our council tax and have spent public money on the wrong things. Some councillors did not pay their own council tax over months and even years. 

In a detailed and prolonged investigation, residents at Somerset Independents exposed these councillors and their councils for their wrongdoing.

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Somerset Independents is a campaign group of Somerset residents that was formed during the first Coronavirus Lockdown in March 2020. It was formed by residents to stand up for residents and for promoting the good reputation of the County of Somerset in the West Country, in the UK and overseas.

At the 2021 budget meetings of all councillors, we asked councillors at all four district councils, and Somerset County Council too, to not put up council tax during a Pandemic. 

But councillors did put up our council tax. And some of them did not pay their own council tax - some of them over months and even years in arrears. Our investigation exposed these councillors and their councils for their wrongdoing.

Why Should We Care About This?

Councillors hold public office and are elected to serve the public. Elected office is supposed to be a privilege and it is a responsibility, because authority comes with responsibility. But these councillors in arrears on their council tax have brought the office of councillor, and their councils, into disrepute.

Somerset residents told us that it was "disgusting" and that these councillors should resign. We agreed. 

So we asked each councillor to resign, asked them the same questions and offered all of them a right of reply. Most of the councillors have not even replied, despite multiple contacts by us. Those that did reply, refused to resign. Some claimed to have paid up - though only after we had exposed them.

What Did The Councils Do To Make Sure That Councillors Paid Up?

Councils did not make sure that councillors paid up. They remained in arrears for months and in some cases, years.

Worse, and showing how far councils will go to protect councillors, two of the district councils - South Somerset and Mendip - even tried to cover up the names of the councillors. Somerset Independents had to fight hard to expose these rogue councillors, involving local media and complaining to the Information Commissioner's Office about the councils.

The other three councils answered our Freedom of Information requests. Sedgemoor said that they had no councillors in arrears. Somerset West and Taunton Council gave us the names of the councillors in arrears. They also gave us the written correspondence of chasing councillors up and ensuring that councillors did not vote on the budget and council tax matters. Because to do so, for a councillor in arrears, is a criminal offence.

Somerset County Council told us that it was the responsibility of the district councils to ensure council tax was collected, and that county councillors were expected to declare their interest. Some councillors are "dual-hatted", being on the district council and county council too. More about this later.

What If The Councillor Was Facing Financial Hardship?

The vast majority of residents that we asked told us that there is no valid excuse for a councillor, because residents are expected to pay. 

Somerset Independents was formed to stand up for residents. Once a resident becomes a councillor, they hold a privileged position and elected office. They are no longer just a private individual. This is a very important distinction.

We fought for residents to not have their council tax increased. But councillors did it anyway. So we believe that there is a valid and urgent need for an investigation to see whether those councillors paid their own council tax. And whilst the majority of councillors did pay up, some councillors did not pay and for a long time.

Resident after resident told us that there is no valid excuse for a councillor not to pay their council tax over a prolonged period. Residents say that one or two months is reasonable and can just be an administrative error in a busy life. But that is all.

We have not investigated private individuals who have not paid up. In fact, we have tried to help them by asking for council tax to remain the same and for council tax to be spent well. But councillors ignored our requests to not increase council tax. Councillors are not private individuals while they hold office.

Councillors expect residents to pay up, even when councillors wrongly put up council tax during a Global Pandemic. Councils pursue non-payers. We understand that unpaid council tax can be deducted from the allowance that councillors receive. Have the councils done this? If not, why not? Councils need to tell the public who ultimately fund Somerset's councils.

Councillors hold a privileged position of elected public office and are supposed to set an example. They also vote on the council tax and set the council's budget in February of each year, at the so-called "Budget Meeting" of their Full Council.

Cases elsewhere in England have proved that councillors are not private individuals when it comes to non-payment of council tax. It is a public matter because they hold public office. 

For example, after a four year battle by journalist Dale Haslam in Bolton in 2016, Judge K Markus QC in the Upper Tier Tribunal ruled that the identity of councillors should not remain secret and that it is in the public interest that they be revealed. The most important part is paragraph 40 of the ruling - see * below.

It is incredible to note that the case had to go to appeal, because the Information Commissioner and the First Tier Tribunal agreed that the councillor's identity remain secret.

 

So What Happens Now on the Arrears Of The Year?

The Bolton case is important and the ruling by Judge Markus is clear.

So Somerset Independents has named the councillors and their councils on our website. We will be revealing more details, because it is in the public interest. Both Private Eye and The Leveller have reported on our investigation and also offered the right of reply to the councillors.

Somerset Independents will continue our investigation, and urge the councillors to resign. Too many of these councillors think they can get away with it.

We are investigating whether criminal offences were committed by any councillors in voting on budget-related items while disbarred, and whether they properly declared their interest at the council meetings. 

Somerset Independents has the evidence, including the official minutes and recordings of the meetings, that at least two councillors did commit criminal offences in voting on budget-related matters while disbarred, and that interests were not declared at meetings, despite the law requiring them to.

We are considering whether to give the evidence to Avon and Somerset Police and what action we expect the councils to take on these councillors in arrears.

Andrew Pope, Somerset resident and Leader of Somerset Independents

* Judge Markus wrote in the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber):

"40. But, in the case of a councillor, it is not only a private matter. A councillor is a public official with public responsibilities to which non-payment of council tax is directly and significantly relevant.  A number of specific features of this were advanced in submissions to the First-tier Tribunal.  In particular, section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 bars a councillor from voting on the Council’s budget if he or she has an outstanding council tax debt of over two months.  If a councillor is present at any meeting at which relevant matters are discussed, he or she must disclose that section 106 applies and may not vote.  Failure to comply is a criminal offence. Thus council tax default strikes at the heart of the performance of a councillor’s functions. It is evident that setting the council’s budget is one of the most important roles undertaken by councillors.  The loss of one vote could make a fundamental difference to the outcome. This adds a significant public dimension to the non-payment of council tax.  The very fact that Parliament has legislated in this way reflects the connection between non-payment and the councillor’s public functions.  Moreover, as the Commissioner observed in his decision notice, recent failure to pay council tax is likely to impact on public perceptions and confidence in a councillor as a public figure."

 

"The Leveller" Newspaper Accuses South Somerset District Council of Corruption AND SomersetLive of Plagiarism

The Leveller 15th January 2022

Mendip and South Somerset Councils - Are They Both Corrupt?

Somerset Independents have repeatedly asked whether Mendip District Council is corrupt. We have provided the information for residents to make up their own minds and you can see the evidence that we have presented on this website by clicking the tag at the top of the website, clicking this link here, or using the search facility.

Somerset newspaper "The Leveller" has gone one step further. Their 15th January 2022 edition front page headline reads "The Corrupted" and reports on a long-running investigation into South Somerset District Council (SSDC).

While they do have a website, much of The Leveller's reporting is not available online - you have to get a printed copy to see the full details. The Leveller is free and you can also subscribe for delivery.

Thankfully our friends at East Devon Watch have provided links to some Leveller online content from last month.

Leveller Accuses SomersetLive Of Plagiarism

As well as accusing SSDC of corruption, The Leveller has also accused another news organisation - SomersetLive (Reach)- of "passing the story off as their own" and that "they have syndicated the story without acknowledging the fact that the story first appeared in The Leveller." 

The Leveller on Facebook

Presumably this relates to the article with Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby's name on it, here. The full statement and accusation from The Leveller is below*.

Is this plagiarism or just bad manners?

We let you decide, based on the following definition from Oxford University (link here to source):

"Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition. Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence."

Perhaps Daniel Mumby and/or SomersetLive were unaware of The Leveller's work.

Daniel Mumby refuted that it was plagiarism, telling us via Twitter:

"We had access to the same source. No plagiarism of any kind was involved."

Andrew Lee, Editor of The Leveller, told us ("off the record" - we informed him that we don't do "off the record", as nothing in politics is really "off the record"):

"I just want to be clear that we hadn't accused Daniel of plagiarism."

Mr Lee also provided other words, which we have not used. But he did accuse Mr Mumby of being "dishonest" and "bad manners".

Readers can make up their own minds. This article has been updated to include the above definition of plagiarism and the responses.

Would you agree that if this is the state of investigative journalism in Somerset, then it is no wonder that Somerset's democracy is in disarray and that councils, councillors and council officers are not being held to account with enough regularity or vigour.

What Are the Allegations By The Leveller Towards SSDC?

The Leveller's investigation is mentioned by the Editor, Andrew Lee, on the Youtube video at this link here. It revolves around The Leveller's long-running investigation, although some residents have called it a vendetta, into SSDC.

The main focus is on two former senior officers of the Council:

• Clare Pestell who oversaw "commercial activity" as SSDC's former Director, Commercial & Income Generation
  
• the former Chief Executive Alex Parmley (who resigned), and 
• the Leader of the Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor Val Keitch (still in post).

Ms Pestell was dismissed from the Council after an investigation by the internal audit partnership of Somerset councils, called "SWAP". Pestell was dismissed after being found of gross misconduct. Pestell was appointed as interim Chief Executive but never took up the post. The Leveller alleges that despite knowledge of the allegations, that Pestell was appointed anyway without due process and without keeping councillors informed.

Mendip and South Somerset - Twins Of Corruption?

Not only does The Leveller accuse SSDC of corruption. They also accuse SSDC of a culture of secrecy and cover-ups. This sounds familiar, as it sounds like Mendip District Council. Our regular readers will notice this similarity and we thank The Leveller for doing the work which compliments our work on Mendip and South Somerset.

The lack of awareness of the Nolan Principles, claimed by Ms Pestell during the independent investigation by SWAP, also sounds just like Mendip. 

As we have reported before, at Mendip the Monitoring Officer David Clark and his Deputy Tonya Meers told us in writing that they are not part of the Code of Conduct for councillors, when we complained with substantial evidence about the conduct of Conservative Councillor Nigel Hewitt-Cooper in his role on Mendip's Planning Board. Ms Meers wrote:

"With regard to the Nolan Principles, they are exactly that and underpin the code of conduct but are not part of the code."

We checked that this was also the view of her senior, David Clark. Let's not forget that the level of competence of the Monitoring Officer at Mendip is questionable, as we have proved before (e.g. a chair of Mendip's Scrutiny committee presiding over their own election). 

Conspiracies or Cock-ups?

If Mendip is a corrupt council, then those who thrive under corruption would want an incompetent Monitoring Officer as well as other officers to not do their jobs properly. We have proved the lack of competence and the huge number of "mistakes" on many occasions. 

In two successive years, Mendip's External Auditor Ernst and Young has agreed with our complaints in our formal objections to Mendip's accounts and governance.

So there are many similarities between Mendip and South Somerset.

The Catalogue of Scandal and Failings at South Somerset

The Leveller's investigation is not the only dodgy shenanigans at South Somerset District Council.

Councillors Who Did Not Pay Their Own Council Tax

As Somerset Independents has investigated and reported, and with The Leveller's support, councillors at both SSDC and MDC (and Somerset West and Taunton Council too) persistently did not pay their council tax. And SSDC officers have fought our investigation all the way. Our latest update on the involvement of the Information Commissioner's Office is here, with more information on South Somerset councillors who did not pay up.

Former Leader of the Council Jailed

The former Liberal Democrat Leader of SSDC, Ric Pallister, was convicted of multiple sexual offences.

Standards Committee Rarely Meets

And as we have investigated and reported on multiple occasions, the Standards Committee of SSDC has hardly met. 

The Standards Committee Diary - It Has Rarely Met!

The Standards Committee is supposed to uphold standards at SSDC. 

How can it uphold standards, when it hardly meets? 

When we asked SSDC why these meetings were being cancelled, we were told by SSDC that they were cancelled by the Chair, who is a councillor. The Standards Committee should have had a lot to discuss and act upon, but it failed to do so.

It was not "just" a backbench councillor that had been found , but THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL. Why weren't standards being upheld?

It is likely that a person who has been jailed, would also have had a substantial negative impact on the workings of a local authority and its culture.

ALL Councillors and Candidates MUST Have DBS Checks

This is why we have been campaigning for ALL candidates for elected office, including councillors, to have to be subjected to independent criminal records checks (DBS checks), BEFORE they are accepted as valid candidates.

Unsurprisingly, when we contacted existing Somerset councillors, including those at Mendip and South Somerset, to back our campaign, we got no action from them. 

As we have reported before - although other councils - including Sedgemoor District and Somerset County - do carry out DBS checks on all councillors, neither South Somerset nor Mendip council conduct checks on all councillors. They have had ample opportunity to do so, but councillors have chosen not to.

When there are so many failings in both Mendip and South Somerset councils, then this is not only unsurprising, it is scandalous.

Does it matter, should anybody care, if these councils are going to be abolished by the formation of the Somerset Unitary Authority?

We agree with The Leveller that it does matter. The people may well be the same. The councillors may well be the same. The Westminster political parties are the cause. And the culture of party first, residents last, will be the same if something drastic does not change.

And it is Somerset residents that will be affected, as they have already been affected. Somerset Independents was formed by volunteers to stand up for residents and with residents.

This is why we want to see a Modern Committee System in the new Unitary Authority, because the existing Leader and Cabinet model has led to this scandalous state of affairs.

 

* The Leveller's accusation towards SomersetLive reads:

"Readers may be aware that following our 7 page exclusive on South Somerset and Clare Pestell, another news organisation has been passing the story off as their own. This despite publishing 8 days after ours had been circulated.

To make matters worse they have syndicated the story without acknowledging the fact that the story first appeared in The Leveller. 

 

We have contacted a number of news organisations to point this out. Several have been very kind in recognising our work. However syndication rules mean where the story is published it cannot be altered.

 

In one case the story contained the completely untrue claim that the facts only entered the public domain after SomersetLive published (over a week after our own exclusive and a month after we introduced the story on Leveller.Live)

 

We are grateful the LGC magazine (their story is here https://www.lgcplus.com/.../director-dismissed-after.../) has included a link to the original Leveller story in the piece.

 

The East Devon Owl went one better and simply posted our original December story in its entirety.

 

We are grateful to these organisations and it is a pleasure to report that there is still some integrity alive in corners of this increasingly mucky world."

Arrears of the Year Part 2: Will Councillors Increase YOUR Council Tax AGAIN Despite Some Of Them Failing To Pay Up?

 

Lib Dem, Green, Labour or Tory
SAME OLD STORY

Somerset's councillors tried to stop residents from finding out that some of them persistently failed to pay their own council tax.

But Somerset Independents stands up for residents. We investigated and exposed councillors who persistently refused to pay. Some councils and council officers - South Somerset and Mendip - tried to hide the names of the councillors.

We are still pursuing those councillors and those councils.

We asked all of the non-paying councillors to resign, because residents told us that these councillors should resign.

One of them is no longer a district councillor - Councillor Paul Bolton - has caused a by-election in the Alcombe ward. 

But other councillors are still there! How can they be? Do they have any shame? It seems not.

To add insult to injury, in 2021, councillors voted to increase your council tax. All parts of your council tax increased, because councillors voted to increase it all:

- your district council council tax

- your county council council tax

- the Police part of your council tax

- the Fire Service part of your council tax

Councillors increased your council tax during a Global Pandemic DESPITE Somerset Independents asking councillors not to increase it. Our officers spoke at the budget meetings and we also wrote to them.

NONE of the Westminster parties - Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Greens or Labour - ACTED to stop your council tax going up. Whether Lib Dem, Green, Labour or Tory, it's the same old story.

Only Somerset Independents stood up for residents.

Soon, councillors will be voting on whether to increase YOUR council tax again.

Will the councillors DARE to increase it, after some of did not even pay their own council tax?

A resident contacted us to say:

"Thank you for your diligence in pursuing SSDC in regards to unpaid council 
tax.  

Two of my local councillors have been implicated in your 
investigations,  Cllr Ben Hodgson and Cllr Robin Pailthorpe.  

At a time when local precepts are being set I and others within my community are 
concerned that behind closed doors councillors could still have the 
opportunity to add their vote to the precept.

Have Somerset Independents advanced any further with their investigations in this matter?.  I am trying to uncover if summons have been sent and payment of arrears has been settled by our councillors.  

Thank You"

Councillor Robin Pailthorpe
DID NOT PAY UP!

Councillor Ben Hodgson
DID NOT PAY UP!

According to the information that South Somerset District Council EVENTUALLY gave us,  as of 29th April 2021, Councillor Robin Pailthorpe (Liberal Democrats):

"Vacated this address with outstanding balance of £1328.66, £470.62 of which is in arrears and subject to a liablility order.  Full balance due 10th May.  Not liable at forwarding address."

And Councillor Ben Hodgson (also Liberal Democrats):

"£834.22 in arrears, £678.46 relates to last financial year.  Application for disregard in progress but SMI application will be turned down"

We will be publishing more details of the arrears of other councillors.

Andrew Pope
Leader of Council Tax Investigation

Andrew Pope, who is leading the investigation, says:

"The Information Commissioner's Office has confirmed to me that they will be investigating South Somerset District Council further, because  the council failed to give us the information that we asked for.

Not only did they fail to give it to us, I had to complain to the ICO to get any movement from the council. It has taken months.

It is in the public interest that this information on councillors who have not paid, is published and in full.

That is why we at Somerset Independents are continuing our investigation.

The public pay their council tax and the public deserve to know about their councillors and what their council officers do to protect councillors who have done wrong."

UPDATE (11/1/22): Stop SGC in Frome? Resident Contacts Us To Expose More Frome Green Party Councillors As Conflicted

 

More Dodgy Green Party Councillors

UPDATE (11/1/22): Since we published the below article, Somerset Independents has learned that Councillor Shane Collins, who we name and expose below, has stepped down as Leader of the Green Party Group on Mendip District Council.

Councillor Michael Gay has replaced Collins as Leader of the Green councillors. Councillor Gay has only been a councillor for less than three years.

Of course, the Mendip District Council is due to be abolished soon and replaced with a single council (unitary authority).

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For some time, Somerset Independents has been trying to find out who is behind the Stop SGC (Selwood Garden Community) campaign. It has been shrouded in mystery. Names and photos of individuals rarely appear.

Somerset Independents is a campaign group. We listen to residents and campaign with residents, but because of our suspicions, we have remained cautious when it comes to Stop SGC. This article shows that we were right to be wary.

Whether the SGC development is supported by residents or not appears to be erring on the side of opposition. But how the Stop SGC is organised, and by whom, needs to be exposed.

So we continued our enquiries.

Initially, we were told that members of Extinction Rebellion were involved. We eventually confirmed that this is the case with campaigners and residents, but some of the people we spoke to were quite shy about naming names. This article explores further and exposes councillors.

We also suspected that elected members (councillors) of Mendip District Council (MDC) were also involved. We suspected the Stop SGC campaign may involve councillors that may have serious conflicts of interest - meaning that they should not be involved and/or that those conflicts of interest need to be managed to ensure due process in planning decisions and to ensure that the Nolan Principles of Public Life were followed.

And as several Mendip councillors have done, these councillors could be telling one group of residents that they were opposed to developments, but acting the opposite way when it came to voting on the Planning Board or making decisions in Cabinet. 

Until our campaign to change the Constitution of MDC was successful, MDC did not have any problem with members of the Executive being on the Planning Board, despite this being discouraged by the Local Government Association Guidance on Planning.

And we also suspected that members of Mendip's Planning Committee (which they call a Planning Board) might be involved in the Stop SGC campaign.

This article explores those councillors involved in more detail and exposes Green Party councillors in their double-dealing and having conflicts of interest.

Somerset Independents has campaigned hard for MDC's Planning to be more open and more transparent. 

After a long campaign, we succeeded in getting MDC to eventually change their Constitution. 

But are MDC's councillors and officers actually improving how Planning operates?

Are Mendip councillors now more highly-trained and more competent?

We are looking for the evidence.

And so to the the resident who contacted us recently.

If you remember, we reported on Green Party councillors on the Planning Board who had been voting through planning applications "on the nod" in their words - WITHOUT DEBATE in other words. 

Residents were alarmed that councillors had been doing this, and the Chair of the Board admonished them for not knowing. How many people's lives had they ruined by then?

The councillors were both from the Green Party: 

Councillor Helen Kay (Green Party - Frome Keyford)

Councillor Lindsay MacDougall (Green Party - Glastonbury St. Mary's Ward)

A resident has contacted us with the following:

"RE: Frome Keyford councillor dirt

These two muppets campaign against  Selwood Garden Community but one owns two buy-to-let properties (thus maintaining higher rent demand is in their commercial interest) - this is on their list of members interests, and the other has three cars and imports animal products from africa as a business. Nothing illegal, just downright hypocritical."

So we looked into it.

The two Frome Keyford councillors are the above-mentioned Councillor Helen Kay (Green Party). 

Councillor Helen Kay
(Green Party)

As mentioned, Cllr Kay sits on the Planning Board. Sure enough, Councillor Kay's register of interests shows:

This statement was made in May 2019. It also includes that Cllr Kay is a member of the National Landlord Association.

Councillor Kay's register was updated in January 2021, to say that she is also a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the National Trust. It is also updated to show her name as Helen Kay-Kreizman. There were no other updates to say that Councillor Kay no longer has those properties.

The other Frome Keyford councillor is Councillor Shane Collins. Councillor Collins is also the Leader of the Green Party's Group of councillors at Mendip. 

Councillor Shane Collins
(Green Party)

Councillor Collins' register of interests shows the following:

This statement was made in May 2019. There is mention of two directorships here, but only one directorship further on in the register.

Councillor Collins' register of interests also shows that his "partner" owns a property in Frome. 

We saw Councillor Collins praise Extinction Rebellion and the supposed "Green Surge" on the BBC when interviewed by David Garmston, shortly after the 2019 local elections.

Councillor Collins also did not take action to dismiss Councillor Francis Hayden from the Green Group of councillors, when we notified him of Hayden's failure to pay council tax over many months (see * below and elsewhere on this website).

So our suspicions of the dodgy connections have been proved. 

We support residents in their campaigns, but not when those campaigns have dodgy connections, especially dodgy connections with councillors and discredited campaigners Extinction Rebellion.

These connections are with the Leader of the Green Party Group on Mendip - Councillor Shane Collins - and a member of the Planning Board - Councillor Helen Kay.

There are probably other connections that the public were not previously aware of, and which residents would not support. Officers of Mendip District Council should be aware of these connections, and take action to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing decisions of the Council, including Planning.

Extinction Rebellion are involved with Stop SGC, which has now become a campaign not just against Selwood Garden Community but against ALL developments in and around Frome. 

Somerset Independents has asked the question "Where Should Housing Be Built in Frome?" and supported residents in getting the answers. The answer must involve the brownfield Saxonvale but MDC can't even get that delivered.

Councillors with conflicts of interest, including being on the Planning Board, are involved with Stop SGC. Whilst we support residents in their campaigns, Stop SGC is a shady campaign with connections to councillors that have conflicts of interest. We would not be surprised to find Liberal Democrat and Conservative councillors also involved - but doing so in the shadows, as they did over Easthill.

So while we are pleased that MDC has changed its Constitution on Planning, we wait to see whether MDC will make sure that Planning decisions are made correctly. And that conflicts of interest are managed properly.

And we also wait to see whether Ernst and Young (EY), MDC's External Auditors, will act on the formal objections that we have raised with them two years running. While EY have agreed with some of our objections, they have not yet taken action that has resulted in lasting change by MDC.

We will continue to work with residents and for residents, to hold Somerset's councillors and councils to account and to expose wrongdoing.

Somerset Independents

* Somerset Independents investigated and exposed another Green Party Councillor, Francis Hayden (Cranmore, Doulting and Nunney Ward), who had not paid his council tax. Councillor Hayden was unapologetic. He even bragged about his non-payment in public. 

We gave this to The Leveller newspaper who published the story. Residents were shocked. 

But Councillor Hayden's behaviour is the pattern that we are finding with Somerset's Green Party councillors.

Somerset's Green Party councillors say one thing but does another.

Green councillors voted to put up everyone's council tax but Green Party councillors - yes, we now know that ANOTHER Green Party councillor was behind with their council tax. We extracted this information from MDC after a very long battle involving the Information Commissioner's Office forcing MDC to cough up the name.

So we have three types of Green Party councillors:

1. incompetent Green Party councillors
2. Green Party councillors who don't pay council tax, and 
3. Green Party councillors who are deeply conflicted and hide their interests while telling residents. 

Green councillors voted to put up your council tax. But did not pay it themselves.