Wages, Prices, Strikes and Disputes: Bridgwater MP Calls Rail Staff "Lazy and Incompetent" But Bridgwater Unions Say "Save Ticket Offices!"

 

Ian Liddell-Grainger Tory MP for
Bridgwater and West Somerset
(Photo: UK Parliament)

 

Somerset Independents puts residents first. We were formed to stand up for residents. And we hold councillors and MPs to account.

As we have reported, a whole host of workers are going on strike, in a wage-price spiral of inflation where inflation feeds on itself. Union leaders from the RMT (Mick Lynch) and Unite unions (Sharon Graham) have denied that their actions to gain above inflation pay increases, will lead to higher prices. They blame rail bosses and the Tory Government. Ms Graham said:

"I will not apologise for demanding and winning fair pay rises for my members".

The Tory Government, which seems unable to deal with inflation and the rising cost of living, is in dispute with rail unions.

Bridgwater Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has attacked staff at Taunton Railway Station, in a speech in the House of Commons. He said:

"Another issue of confidence, on which we need an urgent debate, has come to my attention: Taunton station. 

The staff there are utterly lazy and incompetent. 

Those who are young, vulnerable, disabled or need help cannot get from one side of the station to the other, because passengers have to walk around a main road and up a ramp, taking all their suitcases with them; it makes Gatwick and Heathrow look positively balmy. It is beyond belief! 

Great Western Railway says it is inclusive and stands up for its customers—well, Taunton does not. Can we please have a debate on the issue before somebody gets injured or, worse, killed?"

At the same time, trade unions in the Bridgwater area are launching a campaign to "Save Somerset's Rail Station Ticket Offices".

Dave Chapple, Secretary of the Bridgwater and District Trades Union Council, told us:

"Rail union, RMT has launched a campaign to resist closure of 1000 rail station ticket offices across Britain, with the loss of thousands of jobs. Rail bosses will carry out a “consultation” in August, but it is clear that the plans are to start closures in October. It is clear that, without opposition from workers and the public, ALL rail stations in Somerset, and indeed the west country, will lose their ticket offices!

All passengers, especially disabled and elderly, and those with little experience of train travel, need on-station support and information. Without that support, many will be excluded from rail travel entirely.

This is all part of the wider, ongoing attack on jobs, pay and conditions in the privatised rail industry, which the RMT is fighting so bravely and with so much support. Train drivers’ union ASLEF is also taking widespread national strike action on 30th July. We support the rail unions on all fronts, and encourage everyone to get involved:

•    join a picket line near you on 30th July (ASLEF) and 18th and 20th August (RMT)

•    you can sign the petition to save ticket offices

•    write to your MP telling him to oppose the closures"

Meanwhile, a Labour MP has been fired for doing exactly what the unions are asking above - joining a picket line. The Labour Party removed Sam Tarry from his junior Shadow Minister post, saying that he must have "collective responsibility" and stick to the collective responsibility and agreed media lines. Unions have criticised the Labour Party. Ms Graham called Tarry's sacking an "insult to the trade union movement".

Somerset Independents has contacted Somerset Labour, Somerset Lib Dems and Somerset Tory MPs for comment on the rail strike. None of them have responded.

Have you written to your MP?

Did you get a response? We ask because residents regularly complain to us that the Somerset Tory MPs do not respond.

What do you think of the unions?

Tell us what you think.

 

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

Another Day, Another Strike: This Time It's the Railways (Again)

 

The RMT's Campaign Badge

One of our Official emblems

While the Conservatives continue their in-fighting, giving their members only a Hobson's choice between proven failure and potential disaster (Sunak and Truss), our country has another crisis on its hands - ANOTHER rail strike.

Somerset Independents puts residents first. We stand up for workers. And we try to give fair treatment to campaigners and those they are fighting.

Before the first strike, we contacted the local RMT branch with some questions. We asked the same questions of others but Somerset Labour, Somerset Lib Dems and Somerset Tories did not answer.

But the RMT's Barry West did answer and we published. He also gave us a statement. We did not publish it at the time.

Now we are publishing it. Mr West told us that this was:

"A dispute the RMT did not want and has done all it can to avert, and avoid.

The RMT are seeking reassurances around no compulsory redundancies, they are seeking to protect our members from scathing cuts in incomes for some, and for others it means job losses and changes  on a massive scale, this we believe in some cases would pose a serious safety risk to those that travel by rail.

The wholesale loss of ticket offices, huge changes to terms and conditions, changes to the pension scheme resulting in future hardship are amongst some of the issues.

The last dispute I can remember here in the South West was 1998.

So it is clear to many that rail workers are not militant, for many they have had a pay freeze for around 3 years, the rises in inflation affects rail workers also and I have heard many stories about how it is affecting them as it does many others at this time.

MPs I understand were to get a £2,212 pay rise on 1 April, seeing an MP's basic salary go up to £84,144 a year.

At a time when millions of workers had their wages hit by a National Insurance increase. 

 

And now huge rises in the cost of living and inflation at record high levels.

There has been overwhelming response and support from members and the General public."

 

 

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

UPDATE (26/7/22): The NHS Responds. Why Is It that GPs ("Doctors") Are On Huge NHS Pay But Patients Can't Get Appointments?

 

One of our Official emblems

UPDATE (26/7/22)

We asked the NHS to respond to the patient's letter to the Weston Mercury, asking them:

"We are writing to you because we believe that you are responsible for managing the supply and demand of GP care in North Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire."

A spokesperson for NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB, said:

“GP practices are working hard, and are seeing more people than ever to make sure everyone can access the right support when they need it; whether that’s online or face-to-face. Surgery teams are growing, and patients may be offered an appointment with a specialist, such as an advanced nurse practitioner, physiotherapist, or clinical pharmacist rather than a GP.

“More than 5.5m appointments were carried out in GP practices across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire during 2021; with 442,207 appointments carried out in June 2022 alone.

"All appointments within primary care are triaged, with appointments offered based on the clinical needs of the individual. The majority of the time, people are seen on the same day as their appointment request; and in many cases, conditions can be managed remotely. However, if a person’s condition means they need a face-to-face appointment, or if they would prefer this, this will be offered."

Does this answer the patient?

Do you think they should be doing better?

What do you think of GP pay?

Tell us what you think. 

You can message us on Facebook at Somerset Independents, or Twitter @SomerInds or email us at somerinds (at) gmail.com. Or you can phone us on 07591691543.

---

Doctors are on double, treble or even quadruple the average weekly earnings. So why can't patients get an appointment?

Somerset Independents puts residents first. Residents regularly complain that they struggle to get appointments at their local General Practitioner (GP) - their doctor. The Weston Mercury published a letter from a patient, which we quote here:

"I recently needed an appointment with the doctor, so I telephoned at 8am and eventually, somebody answered.

I was told that I was number 18 in the queue! So, I waited and at 9am I spoke to a lady who told me that the only doctor’s appointment I could have was in 23 days’ time. 

I asked why Congresbury Surgery was not open and I was told that Congresbury has no longer got a surgery, it is now an admin centre. 

So, a purpose-built doctor’s surgery with examination rooms, a good size waiting room and a reception area is now being used for two or three people to write letters! 

People like me, who face having to wait over three weeks, are going to put more pressure on the A&E and ambulance service because whereas now a 10-minute doctor’s appointment would have got things sorted out; by waiting longer thing are going to get worse! 

How can a village the size of Congresbury be stripped of a doctor’s surgery like this? 

In fact, there’s a small office to rent only 50 yards away, why couldn’t this be used as an admin centre and the surgery opened?"

So we have investigated the pay of GPs (doctors).

According to NHS figures, the estimated figures for GPs in England were in 2019/20 (later figures are not yet available):

"The estimated average income before tax of GPs in either a General Medical Services or a Primary Medical Services practice was:

£100,700 for combined (contractor and salaried) GPs

£121,800 for contractor GPs

£63,600 for salaried GPs"

The NHS negotiates with the trade union for GPs, the British Medical Association (BMA). GP pay is determined by these negotiations. The pay for each GP varies above or below the average stated above, depending on the contract that they have.

 

But if we convert the above figures to weekly figures and compare with average weekly earnings, you can see that GPs in England on average get two, three of four times the average pay in England.

 

(1) £100,700 converts to £1936.53 per week

(2) £121,800 converts to £2342.30 per week

(3) £63,600 converts to £1223.07 per week

 

According to the Office for National Statistics, the Average Weekly Earnings in May 2022 was £601 per week.

 

This converts to £31252 per year.

 

So a GP on (1) gets over THREE TIMES the average pay.

A GP on (2) gets almost FOUR TIMES the average pay.

And a GP on (3) gets over TWO TIMES the average pay.

 

And bearing in mind the above NHS figures are from 2019/20, not 2022.

 

GP pay will have increased since then!

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

EXPLAINER: What Is A Local Democracy Reporter? We Interviewed One to Find Out...

Somerset Independents Investigates

 

It’s the “purest form” of journalism being a “window into the Council” but your work might get garbled, edited or completely misinterpreted - even by media organisations - a Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) tells us.
 

One of our Official emblems

 

Somerset Independents puts residents first. 

Residents have been asking "What is a Local Democracy Reporter?" when they see it in articles on the BBC website, SomersetLive (if they can get past the ads), Somerset County Gazette and other local media outlets. 

And they've been asking, "How can one person work for so many media outlets?".

To get some answers, Andrew Pope (pictured) interviewed a Local Democracy Reporter from a City in England, who we have agreed to keep anonymous to protect his position and his career as a journalist.

Andrew Pope
Leader of Somerset Independents

Why did you take the job as an LDR?

“I thought it’s the purest form of journalism, because you’re doing exactly what a journalist is supposed to be doing.”

What do you see as the role of an LDR?

“To be a window into the Council so that people in the City or the Council that you’re doing it for know exactly what is going on. The Council do issue press releases that go to the newspapers but those press releases are always what the Council is doing, they are not two-sided. They are one-sided.

It’s the Council celebrating themselves and that’s not democracy so your job is to get straight through that press release into the Council. You’re not part of the Council, you’re an independent person and so people know that you are on their side and they tell you what the Council is actually doing.”

Who gets to use your work and are they allowed to modify the articles?

“It is published on The Wire which is run by the BBC. I put everything as an LDR on there... only 1,000 different publications in the country can access it.”

“They can completely (modify the articles), that’s the thing.”

So they can take a completely different editorial attitude to what you’d written?

“Yes.”

And what can you do about that? How can you complain if they garble your work?

“You can’t do anything about that. They can do what they want with your work, as long as they do it professionally.”

 

 

Daniel Mumby
Local Democracy Reporter

 

Daniel Mumby (pictured above) is the Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for most of Somerset, the part of Somerset that is covered by Somerset County Council and the four district councils that fall within the same boundary. He is hosted by Reach (SomersetLive), not the BBC.

Stephen Sumner used to be the LDR for North Somerset Council and Bath and North East Somerset Council. He left many weeks ago. 

Somerset Independents have confirmed with Reach, who employ all LDRs in the Somerset/Bath/Bristol Region, that the position remains vacant. 

The job ad is at the link here, although the ad had expired one month before the time of this article.

Adam Postans is the LDR for Bristol, also hosted by Reach.

Reach is a private media organisation (formerly Trinity Mirror). It receives public money from the BBC for the LDRs. It is one of three media organisations that dominate LDRs across the UK, as shown by our analysis here.

Somerset Independents approached Reach LDRs to ask them to report on our investigations into councillors who were in arrears on their council tax - in all parts of the county of Somerset and in Bristol.

No story whatsoever has been published by Reach using our investigation, although we did provide significant information to the Reach LDRs. They did not prioritise it.

We have complained to their editors, Pete Gavan and Stephen D'Albiac, as we believe this story is clearly of significant public interest.

We know that the public is interested, from the reactions that residents express. Residents are usually outraged and angry when we tell them that councillors did not pay up.

Who Are Somerset Independents?

We stand up for residents and help residents to stand up for themselves.

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

Tories Go, Chief Executive Goes: Lib Dem Councillors at Somerset County Council Appoint New Chief Executive

Tory Councillor David Fothergill
is now ex-Leader of the Council

 

One of our Official emblems

 

Somerset Independents puts residents first. The Tories at Somerset County Council conspired with Boris Johnson's Tory Government to force through changes to Somerset's councils - against the wishes of the majority of Somerset's residents. If you remember, previously they had cancelled an election in which our candidates were ready to stand. Then we boycotted the 2022 elections which were not cancelled.

So we laughed with glee when Councillor David Fothergill refused to speak to the Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby. He blamed "inappropriate" coverage by Mr Mumby. But everyone knows it was because the Tories had lost so many council seats in the May 2022 elections and Fothergill was having a strop.

Councillor Fothergill was, until then, the Leader of Somerset County Council. Now his "Local Conservatives" had lost control of the Council. Fothergill's candidates tried distancing themselves from Boris Johnson's corrupt Government despite working hand-in-glove with them - including proven dodgy Cabinet Member Robert Jenrick - to change Somerset's councils. Johnson has gone and so has Fothergill. Good riddance to both of them.

Sadly, the Lib Dems gained from the Tory demise. Lib Dem or Tory, same old story.

When the Lib Dems took majority control of the County Council, they discovered that Chief Executive Pat Flaherty was leaving to go to Harrow. Not the school, but the Council. Obviously they may have persuaded him to leave. These details are not shared with the public - see our reports on other senior officers at Somerset's councils who left under a cloud of mystery. The public just pay the council officer's huge wages, possibly huge severance package and suffer when they cut services against what the public wants or needs.

So the new Fib Dem councillors had to appoint a new Chief Executive. And they have chosen Duncan Sharkey. Unlike the lazy and censored news outlets in and around Somerset, Somerset Independents does not parrot press releases. If you want to read what Somerset County Council wants you to read, you can go to their website and see a huge photo of Mr Sharkey's impression of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. We include the same photo but much smaller.

Duncan Sharkey

Mr Sharkey is currently Managing Director at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. You can go and find out about what has happened there, if you know how to look.

It seems that we know more about Mr Sharkey than other media outlets. 

And it seems that we know more about Mr Sharkey's performance at previous councils than the Lib Dem councillors that hired him. Or perhaps they omitted some information from the County Council's PR spin?

Nice things are said about these highly-paid council officers by councillors when they join. 

Nice things are said about them when they leave by councillors (usually). Sometimes honest councillors make balanced assessments in public, but not often.

Mr Sharkey will be paid:

• £195,000 per year. Yes, you read that right:
• £16,250 per month or 
• £3,750 per week. 

This is what the Lib Dem councillors have decided.

Will Mr Sharkey be worth this huge sum? 

Will Mr Sharkey be able to cope with the huge change of scale from a Borough Council to the New Somerset Council that covers a much larger area and will destroy the district councils AND County Council, and take on bad debts, suffer proven bad councillors and take on the disastrous legacies of the districts and county councils? 

And does Mr Sharkey know where the skeletons are in the closet, some of which have been exposed by Somerset Independents and Somerset Tory MP Ian Liddell-Grainger (where are the other MPs - filling their coffers with Boris Johnson's corrupt payroll, or under investigation by Parliament)?

Somerset residents, who will pay his extortionate salary, are about to find out all of the above when he finally takes up the post in a few months time - the County says "the Autumn" which is a bit vague. The reasons for the vagueness were not explained.

Is Mr Sharkey "the boss" as described by the BBC's part-time reporter Ruth Bradley? No, he is the Head of Paid Service. The councillors are supposed to be the boss, especially Councillor Bill Revans but also his Cabinet. Councillors are supposed to represent the public.

But as readers of this website will know, many councillors lack the leadership required, and rely on officers who then can run things in their interests instead of the public interest. The proverbial "Sir Humphrey" as fans of Yes, Prime Minister will know.

That is not democracy, but bureaucracy. Sadly that seems to be all-too-common at Somerset's councils because the Lib Dem or Tory councillors are not up to the job.

Time will tell in all of these things.

Who Are Somerset Independents?

We inform Somerset residents. We advise Somerset residents to be able to stand up for themselves and to hold to account national and local authority.

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

UPDATE (25/1/23): Regulator Agrees With Bristol! - Regulator Confirms Investigation into Bristol City Council - Council Refuses TWICE To Tell Us Which Councillors Did Not Pay Their Council Tax - We've Complained To The Information Commissioner

 

One of our Official emblems

UPDATE (25/1/23)

You may find it hard to believe... But after many months since they were going to investigate, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a Decision Notice as below, which shows that they agreed with Bristol City Council that they can keep the identity SECRET of councillor or councillors who did not pay their council tax.

The ICO, in their Decision Notice have written to us to say the following. Therefore the people of Bristol will not know the names of councillors who did not pay up.

"The Commissioner does not require the Council to take any steps."

and despite:

"The Commissioner considers that the complainant is pursuing a
legitimate interest and that disclosure of the requested information is necessary to meet that legitimate interest."

that the ICO decided:

"The Council explained its reasons to the Commissioner as to why the circumstances in this case are compelling enough that to disclose the information would be unfair and unlawful."

"The Commissioner has chosen not to put the council’s explanations in this decision notice, as to do so could, in itself, reveal personal data of the Councillor which could lead to their identity being revealed...
Having considered the Council’s explanations for this case, the
Commissioner has determined that there is insufficient legitimate
interest to outweigh the fundamental rights and freedoms of the
individual in this specific case and considers that there is no legal basis for the council to disclose the withheld information and to do so would be in breach of principle (a)...
The Commissioners decision is that the Council is entitled to rely on section 40(2) of FOIA to refuse to provide the information it has
withheld to this request."

We would also like to remind you that we asked local media outlets to cover this story. They did not.

---

UPDATE (23/7/22)

The Regulator has confirmed today that our complaint about Bristol City Council is now eligible for investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

We imagine that Bristol is used to this, as they have been reported, repeatedly, to have failed to meet their obligations under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (see below). Anecdotally, we know this from other concerned citizens such as Mike Owen (again, see below).

So we await the result of the investigation, which might be a long wait.

It confirms that we were right to go the ICO.

---

So we have submitted another complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office about Bristol City Council's refusal to name councillors and give details of arrears.

Local campaigner Mike Owen told us: 

"I was surprised how councillors could manage to ignore reminders, and offer the public excuses akin to the dog ate my coursework.

Marvin Rees promised to carry out checks on councillors' council tax arrears, can I assume that all is 'really' ship shape and Bristol fashion when no public update is provided?"

Our Leader Andrew Pope submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to Bristol City Council in March 2022. 

 

Andrew Pope
Leader of Somerset Independents

The FoI was ignored by Bristol City Council. So Andrew contacted the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), who ordered Bristol City Council to respond. 

Eventually, they responded. And the FoI was refused by Bristol City Council.

Then Andrew asked the Council for an Internal Review. Despite taking an age for the internal review, Bristol City Council still refused to give out information on councillors in arrears.

Andrew has referred the case to the ICO in a complaint.

 

Why are you looking at Bristol?

Somerset Independents puts Somerset residents first. So why are we reporting on Bristol City Council, when it is not in Somerset? It is because:

• What happens in Bristol affects Somerset (e.g. on the resources for policing or on changes to governance such as the Mayor of Bristol being scrapped for a committee system - something which we are campaigning for in Somerset)
• Bristol City Council, like the district and county councils in Somerset, is mired in controversy and is lacking in even basic governance and accountability. Councillors in Bristol and Somerset must be held to account for this, in a democracy where citizens are concerned about the lack of representation.
  
• What happens in Somerset affects Bristol (e.g. the scrapping of the districts and county council which will have a knock-on effect on Bristol)

 

Our Victory In Somerset

Somerset Independents has claimed victory in its investigation of all district, county and unitary Councillors in Somerset on whether they paid their council tax or not. The results of our investigations are published on this website - link here.

 

Previous Investigations of Bristol Councillors

During our investigations in Somerset, we became aware from Bristol residents who contacted us that in 2017, the Bristol Post/BristolLive online published two stories on councillors at Bristol City Council that had been in arrears on their council tax. 

1. "Deputy mayor owed more than £5,000 in council tax arrears - and Labour group paid it - Councillor Asher Craig paid the arrears - thanks to loan from the Labour group", 28th March 2017, Ian Onions
   
2. "The five Bristol city councillors who fell behind with their council tax payments revealed - All of the councillors have given reasons for their late payments", 17th March 2017, Esme Ashcroft
    

A concerned citizen named Mike Owen had earlier submitted an FoI in January 2017. Bristol City Council had covered up the names in that case too, saying (emphasis added):

"Shortly prior to your request, checks were carried out on all 70 councillors to check their position in relation to payment of council tax. Five were found to be in arrears of two months or more and were contacted in this regard. All five have now cleared their arrears. On the basis that these arrears have been cleared in advance of the budget meeting, we are of the view that the adverse consequences of releasing the names of those councillors would be unnecessary and unjustified."

Mr Owen then requested an Internal Review. We do not know whether the outcome of this Internal Review was how the names were revealed. And we do not know whether the Bristol Post used this information in their reports. The instigator of the FoI is not credited in the report.

So the battle that Mr Owen had suffered, has been repeated in our experience by Andrew Pope, too. And possibly by others who have tried to get the information out of Bristol City Council.

We approached Mr Owen for comment on our investigation. He told us:

"I was surprised how councillors could manage to ignore reminders, and offer the public excuses akin to the dog ate my coursework.

Marvin Rees promised to carry out checks on councillors' council tax arrears, can I assume that all is 'really' ship shape and Bristol fashion when no public update is provided?"

Private Eye had also published details of arrears of councillors from the 2016-17 year in a nationwide expose of councillors (see image). They had not been blocked or refused by Bristol City Council. But both Mr Owen and Mr Pope had been blocked.

 

Again, we do not know what relationship there was, if any, between the Private Eye investigation and the Bristol Post's reports. Then in 2018, Esme Ashcroft of BristolLive again reported:

"Revealed: The Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and B&NES councillors who missed council tax payments - Has your councillor made the list?", 29th May 2018

For 2016/17, Ms Ashcroft named:

• Asher Craig (Labour) - again as named in the Ian Onions report, 
• Sultan Khan (Labour)
• Harriet Clough (Lib Dem)
• Cleo Lake (Green)
• Stephen Clark (Green).

Then also in Bristol for 2018:

• Charlie Bolton (Green)
• Harriet Clough (Lib Dem) - AGAIN (also in 2016/17)
• Carole Johnson (Labour)
• Paul Goggin (Labour).

The report also named North Somerset and Bath and North East Somerset councillors, but that is not relevant here. Somerset Independents has done separate investigations into those councils - please see elsewhere on this website.

It has been difficult to find any more recent reports than 2018, if they even exist.

 

Why Are Media Outlets Not Publishing On Bristol Councillors in Arrears since 2018?

We wondered why or whether local media outlets had not investigated councillors and the Mayor on council tax arrears.

It may have been that stories had been written and then had been squashed by editors not wanting to upset "powerful people" - as we know one Editor (outside Bristol) told a journalist recently when he wanted to report on an abusive and offensive MP.

Or it could have been that Bristol City Council refused Freedom of Information (FoI) requests for every year since 2018 when they did reveal the names of recalcitrant councillors to the Bristol Post? That would be true to form of Mr Owen's experience and ours too. 

Since 2018 investigations by Bristol's media outlets seem to have dried up, or not made their way into the public realm.

However, the Bristol Post has reported on Bristol City Council's atrocious record in not responding to FoIs in time:

1. "Bristol City Council regularly misses legal deadline for answering information requests - Deputy mayor Craig Cheney has admitted the council has a "problem" responding to Freedom of Information requests", 16th April 2021
   
2. "Bristol City Council cuts Freedom of Information requests target so it can meet it - Authority says the change followed Information Commissioner's Office advice on 'realistic' goals", 2nd Nov 2021, Adam Postans
   

Somerset Independents has approached the Bristol Post on this story. It was not taken up by them. So as we have done with our other investigations, we are publishing it ourselves. And we have approached Pete Gavan, the Editor at the Bristol Post/BristolLive, to ask what has happened.

Somerset Independents will not be spending much more time on Bristol. We are volunteers that stand up for Somerset, not Bristol.

But we report this in the public interest in the hope that Bristol residents can pick up the baton and discover what is happening, and then do something about it.

 

Who Are Somerset Independents?

We help residents to stand up for themselves and challenge those in power.

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

VICTORY: Exposing Councillors' Council Tax Arrears - Our Campaign To Reveal Recalcitrant Councillors Who Hold Public Office

 

One of our Official emblems

 

Somerset Independents puts residents first. Since early 2021, we have been conducting investigations into councillors that have been in persistent arrears with their council tax.

We have covered the whole of the traditional County of Somerset, and investigated councillors at:

• Bath and North East Somerset Council which claimed that all councillors had paid up
  
• South Somerset District Council
• Mendip District Council
• Somerset West and Taunton District Council
• Sedgemoor District Council which claimed that all councillors had paid up
  
• Somerset County Council
• North Somerset Council
  

That is a lot of councillors - hundreds! 

The results of our investigations are on this website and this page will be updated with links to some of the articles, for your convenience. You can click the council names above.

The campaign has been successful and we are claiming a victory in the Somerset County Council area of the County, because almost all of those district and county councillors that we have exposed have either resigned, lost their seats or not stood in the 2022 elections, meaning that they will no longer be councillors when the district councils and county council are scrapped in 2023. 

All except one - Conservative Councillor Sue Osborne who has been elected to the County Council and will be part of the New Somerset Council. She persistently has failed to respond to our multiple attempts to get her to explain.

We are still battling with South Somerset District Council to get some of the information that we asked for over a year ago. Yes, they are still trying to cover up for their councillors, having kept their names secret until we forced them to expose the councillors.

Somerset Independents is grateful to the journalist who fought against Bolton Council when it tried to withhold the names of councillors in arrears in Bolton. Mr Haslam took it all the way to the Upper Tribunal, where Judge Kate Markus made a very important ruling that we have used to pressure those councils that did not want to follow the Nolan Principles of Public Life. It is a long ruling, but the most important part of it is paragraph 40. 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."

This ruling is key, but Haslam had to fight a long way to get there and it was done despite the Information Commissioner's Office, yes them, supporting Bolton Council to keep the names of councillors secret. 

We are standing on the shoulders of giants like Mr Haslam and Ms Markus, and those that helped them, and we are very grateful.

But we are not grateful to the so-called "media" that is supposed to cover Somerset. The only Somerset outlet that published our work was The Leveller. And the 60th Anniversary Edition of Private Eye nationally carried our work too, although the journalist that did the story, based on our work, got some facts wrong. We have asked him for an apology and we have asked Private Eye for a correction, as our name - not the journalists name - is on the story. Nevertheless, we are grateful that at least two organs carried this key story.

Every other media outlet in Somerset that we contacted refused to cover the story or did not respond to our media releases or other communications.

This raises serious questions about who decides what is in the public interest, and whether it should be private media organisations or the BBC, their editors and journalists, that decide what is or what is not, "a story".

We know that residents want to know about councillors who don't pay their council tax. It is so obviously a story of public interest. Our website stats prove it.

The investigation was done on a shoestring. We are volunteers that have determination, knowledge and the motivation to expose wrongdoing in the public interest.

So we published the results ourselves. That is the wonderful thing about the World Wide Web and community journalism.

Who Are Somerset Independents?

We are volunteers who work together to improve representation and to obtain the truth for Somerset residents, as we have done over councillors and their failures to pay their own council tax.

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

UPDATE (20/7/22): Lib Dems in West Somerset TWICE Promised A Committee System Instead Of The Failed "Strong Leader" - So Where Is It?

 

The Lib Dems Stood...
...But Didn't Deliver!

One of our Official emblems

UPDATE (20/7/22)

We offered the right of reply to Liberal Democrat councillors. Only one replied, Councillor Lee Baker, but despite being a SWT Councillor that made the pledge, he did not provide any evidence that he or the Liberal Democrats have tried to meet the pledge of a committee system. Yet another Fib Dem.

 

Somerset Independents puts residents first. We stand up for residents across the whole of the County - North, South, East and West.

The First Lib Dem Promise To Bring In A Committee System

Before the Somerset West and Taunton (SWT) Council was formed in a forced merger by the Tories of West Somerset District and Taunton Deane Borough councils, we understand from residents that the Liberal Democrats pledged to change the way the Council would be run.

The Lib Dems promised to change the new Council to be a "Committee System", and for the "Strong Leader and Cabinet" model, which models the Westminster system, to be replaced.

SWT Council came into being on 1st April 2019 (no jokes please). Having run the Council under the "Strong Leader and Cabinet" model and despite the Lib Dems having a majority of councillors, the Liberal Democrats delayed two years until April 2021.

The Second Lib Dem Promise To Bring In A Committee System

As reported by Somerset Independents, the Full Council of SWT Council agreed on 29th April 2021 that they should have a committee system. It is there in the Minutes. 

Also as reported by us, Denise Wyatt from Somerset Independents asked SWT Council "to ensure that a Modern Committee System was on the ballot paper in the upcoming Referendum on how Somerset was governed, as well as a 'No Change' option." The Lib Dems on SWT Council refused to do that too, sticking with their "two buckets of manure" vote to have two or one unitary. 

The Yes/No Referendum that happened in 2007 - 82% of residents voted against having a unitary - was not going to be repeated. That was a real missed opportunity for democracy in Somerset.

The Lib Dems went with the Sedgemoor Tories and instead supported a two or one unitary Referendum. And the corrupt Tory Government duly ignored the result.

So Where Is The Committee System That The Lib Dems Promised?

At the time of writing, despite pledging to do so before the elections, and resolving to do so again in 2021, the Lib Dems have still not brought in a committee system. It is still the Strong Leader and Cabinet that was used in the precedessor councils.

As shown in our report, and in the Minutes, the SWT Full Council in April 2021 also resolved to ask the New Somerset Council to be a committee system. 

Somerset Independents wanted to see evidence of action. 

So we asked, via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, to see the evidence of letters and any other correspondence between SWT Council and the New Somerset Council - be that from the Leader, Lib Dem Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts or any other Cabinet member from the Lib Dems.

Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts
Leader of SWT Council

 

In their response, Somerset West and Taunton Council did not provide any such evidence that it had advocated for a committee system, although our requests were very clear.

Therefore it is clear that the Lib Dems have failed to bring in a committee system in the SWT Council that they have controlled from 2019 to 2022 and will do so until it is scrapped in 2023 and then replaced by the New Somerset Council. 

The Lib Dems promised to bring in the committee system, twice. But did not.

Somerset Independents also tried to obtain evidence from the now Lib Dem-controlled Somerset County Council that they were going to bring in a committee system. Why did we think they would?

Councillor Bill Revans and the
Lib Dem Cabinet of the County Council
including Cllr Federica Smith-Roberts

Because in the FoI response, SWT Council told us:

"The proposed option for committee system has been taken to the Local Government Reorganisation officers, who will be taking a report to the New Council meeting in May this year I believe, asking the new councillors to decide whether they carry on with a Strong Leader Model or opt for a Committee System."

At the 2022 Annual General Meeting of Somerset County Council when the Lib Dems took control of the County Council, there was no evidence that we could see that they intended to bring in a committee system. In fact, the report that was brought by officers to the AGM was dismissive of the committee system. There was no consideration of it, just a continuation of the Strong Leader and Cabinet - the same as the Tories before them.

If you look carefully, Councillor Smith-Roberts who is still Leader of SWT Council, is in the Cabinet of the County Council. Why didn't she bring up the Committee System. You know why now, don't you? Because she had no intention of doing so - there is no evidence that she did, and we asked SWT Council for it.

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope, Leader of Somerset Independents

 

"To show good intent of the new Lib Dem Administration, the new Leader of the Council Lib Dem Councillor Bill Revans could have insisted to officers that they switch to a committee system immediately, and ordered a report to that effect. The new Lib Dem majority could have forced it through. Cllr Smith-Roberts could have proposed it. But they did not.

So what is the only conclusion that can be drawn from all of these failures by the Lib Dems to meet their promises?

The Lib Dems lied to residents. That's why we call them Fib Dems. 

They broke their promises, not once but twice.

And it's another case of repeating what the Tories did before them. They did that on the western Somerset councils too.

That's why we say Lib Dem or Tory, same old story. 

The Lib Dems stood... but didn't deliver."

The Lib Dems stood...
... but didn't deliver

 

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Join Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.

UPDATE (22/7/22): In Chard, The "Oranges" Run a "Banana Republic" - A Local Campaigner Tells Of A Fruity Tale of Fighting Flooding

Louise Allen
of Chard Area Resilience Group
(Photo used with permission)

 

One of our Official emblems

UPDATE (22/7/22)

Independent Councillor Dave Bulmer was offered a chance to comment, as was Green Councillor Tim Eggins. We have not received any response from either of them. They were contacted via the Chard Town Council website because their names were mentioned in the interview with campaigner Louise Allen.

---

Somerset Independents puts residents first. Our work has helped local residents across the County of Somerset to stand up for themselves.

This includes residents in Chard, who became aware of our investigations into councillors in South Somerset and the District Council (SSDC) itself. Somerset Independents has been providing advice to the campaigners.

Local campaigner Louise Allen told Andrew Pope, in an interview:

"The Oranges run Chard Town Council like a Banana Republic. Recently, the Lib Dem Mayor Martin Carnell stopped residents recording meetings, sent us all out of the meeting and when we were there, the Oranges made it difficult for us to ask questions, and we have received quite toxic opposition from the Lib Dem councillors there. But they were not there when we had the great floods. Other councillors, especially the Independents and Greens from the area, were there."

Ms Allen told us:

"After the floods, myself and a number of residents set up an organisation called CARG, which is Chard Area Resilience Group. I am the Vice Chair Strategy, Communications & Funding. We're a residents association.

Residents are waking up to the fact that they pay their council tax. 

We pay our council tax to the Government for our local authorities to keep us safe. We are doing everything else. They are not keeping us safe. So we’re all beginning to ask where has the money gone?"

Why did you get involved?

"Because I was flooded and our house had been flooded a number of times since we’ve lived in it for 9 years. We weren’t made fully aware by the last residents or the estate agents who were an established estate agent for Chard that the house had been flooded. And at the last flood, we definitely realised that we were on our own. Anyhow, it was pitiful, it felt dystopic the day after, that’s when myself and my neighbour were out in the road sweeping up, wondered if there were other people being flooded in Chard."

Who are your allies?

"The organisations that CARG is working in partnership with, including Somerset Rivers Authority, FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group) South West, Civil Contingencies, Highways and Flooding (Lead Local Flood Authority) at Somerset County Council, Wessex Water and local businesses such as Numatic. We are hoping to work with more."

Who are your enemies?

"Our opponents have made themselves very clear, the Orange councillors, the Lib Dems. We have assets, evidence and research. It's just the Oranges on our Town Council that are horrible. They run Chard Town Council like a Banana Republic."

Is there anything that you would like to add?

"Chard has been flooded. And it has been flooded with negativity. 

It's going now though, and we totally need to be listened to, because we are the residents. We are kind of shifting cultural thinking in terms of our community and also we’ve been in a town that I would say personally has been run down and with that comes low self-esteem, lack of confidence, lack of awareness, so we’re dealing with all these social things as well.

By keeping up our momentum, by keeping going in a straight line, and doing things bit by bit with strategy and cohesion, we’re getting there and people are joining and they’re realising that they will feel safer. 

And people work better as a human collective and it’s all good."

Somerset Independents contacted Martin Carnell, the Liberal Democrat Mayor of Chard, to offer a right of reply. He responded to say:

"The statement made by Mrs Allen is not accurate at all.  At Monday nights full Town Council meeting I simply raised the matter of what appeared to be ‘covert’ filming of a short part of the meeting and reminded members of the public that if they wish to film then out of courtesy they should let either myself or the Clerk know at the beginning of the meeting of their intention.  As to being asked to leave and/or removed from the meeting then again this simply isn’t true.  I suspect what Mrs Allen may be referring to was the ‘Confidential’ agenda item at the end of the meeting where all press and public are asked to leave, which you’ll be familiar is standard practice."

Who Are Somerset Independents?

Join us! We are Somerset's own campaign group and political party to celebrate Somerset's past, protect Somerset's present and prepare Somerset for the future.

We can be contacted at the link here and via Twitter @SomerInds, via Facebook at the Somerset Independents page and via email at somerinds [at] gmail.com.