ANTI-CRIM COUNCILLORS CAMPAIGN LATEST: Mendip and Taunton Lib Dems Delay and Block

 

You Can't Trust the Fib Dems

CAMPAIGN UPDATE (13/11/20)

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope

"Whilst we do not like the Westminster parties and think they have no record of properly standing up for Somerset's residents, and we campaign to see the system change, we are pragmatic too and have to work within the current system. So Somerset Independents will work with those of no party and the Westminster parties on issues that we believe are important to the people of Somerset. I am therefore delighted that prominent people in Somerset are contacting us to support our campaign. Here is our latest update."

As well as the councillors below who have already declared their support of our campaign, we are pleased to announce that the Leader of the Conservative Group on SWT Council, Councillor Anthony Trollope-Bellew, has given support. He did say that it was his personal view, so we have suggested to him that he asks his group, especially as another member of the Conservative Group Roger Habgood has expressed his support. The Tories must try harder to provide strong opposition to the Lib Dems!

And...former Conservative Somerset County Council Leader John Osman has contacted us to say:

"totally agree with your view on CRB checks for all councillors."

We have gone back to Mr Osman, and asked him to ask his Conservative colleagues across Somerset to come out in full support of our DBS campaign. 

Despite being chased by us, we have had no further response from the Mendip Lib Dems who claimed they supported DBS checks, but then kicked it into the long grass to the end of 2021. Yes, they are Councillor Sam Phripp and Councillor Richard Pinnock, both chairs of Mendip's Licensing and Standards Committees. Typical Fib Dems!

And this week's Special Prize for passing the buck, instead of taking action, goes to SWT Council Cabinet Member Chris Booth. Other members of his Council, including Lib Dems and Tories, responded positively to our campaign. But not Chris Booth!

Councillor Booth dismissed our campaign, and challenged our assertion that SWT Council was being "badly-run". When we provided substantial evidence of the Council being badly run, he became defensive and tried to blame it all on the previous Tory Administration. Then he suggested that it was all the Government's fault for not making it the law. Typical buck-passing Westminster party politician! 

Meanwhile another Lib Dem SWT councillor has supported our campaign. Councillor Sue Buller said:

"I would agree with you regarding DBS checks for all Councillors".

Andrew Pope says:

"What is wrong with Councillor Booth's Lib Dem SWT Council that they don't do the right thing, take the initiative and do the DBS checks? They have the power as they have a majority on the Council but they don't want to do it and try to blame the Government instead. Other districts including Sedgemoor are doing it. What are Somerset Lib Dems trying to hide?"

Independent County and District Councillor John Hunt has also told us that he supports DBS checks for all councillors.

CAMPAIGN UPDATE (3/11/20)

We updated you recently on our campaign for ALL councillors in Somerset to have criminal records (DBS) checks. 

There have been further developments.

We contacted all Somerset West and Taunton councillors to ask them what they thought of the official response from their own Council.

So far, only a few have replied.

Councillor Roger Habgood (Conservative) has responded positively.

Councillor Caroline Ellis (Liberal Democrat) has also responded positively.

And Councillor Lee Baker (Liberal Democrat) too.

BUT and it is A BIG BUT...

Councillor Baker, who is "CHAIR - AUDIT, STANDARDS AND GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE", agreed with Councillor Ellis' request, in response to us, to put it on the Agenda for his Committee.

Yet very quickly after that, when our Leader Andrew Pope 

Andrew Pope

 contacted Councillor Baker to clarify when it would be considered, this was his response:

"I will commit to NOTHING AT THIS STAGE, PLEASE BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT."

So we are being clear about that. By making sure everyone is aware of his flip-flopping.

And at Mendip District Council, when our Safeguarding Spokesperson Denise Wyatt 

Denise Wyatt

 

contacted them again to clarify the commitments that Lib Dem Councillors Sam Phripp and Richard Pinnock to DBS checks...

This happened...

The Council's Monitoring Officer David Clark said:

"Ms Wyatt,

 

As previously advised the Standards Board most recently considered this issue in October 2019. The Chairman of the Standards Board has agreed that this issue will be placed on their forward plan to be reconsidered by the Board in October 2021.

 

Kind regards

 

David"

 

Denise says: 

"Delaying until A YEAR'S TIME? This isn't a commitment at all.

As a local government governance expert, I know that there is nothing stopping these councillors from making this happen, via their committees. I even gave the Mendip councillors suggestions of how to make it happen.

Instead of actually ACTING to bring in DBS checks, they have delayed and blocked any action.

They do not appear to be really committed to checking if councillors have criminal records.

WHY?

What do Somerset's Lib Dem councillors have to hide?"

 

Andrew says:

"There are a lot of councillors in Somerset's district councils. Surely at least a few would actually act to bring these checks in. But actually they seem to say they support it but then go all floppy when it comes to acting.

Councillors such as Lib Dem Councillor Marcia Hill have questioned our campaign.

And Lib Dem County Council Candidate Natalie Dyson questioned our campaign too. She opposed DBS checks for all councillors.

What she did not realise is that IF she was elected to the County Council, she would be DBS checked! It is County Council policy.

How can she not know this? This is despite Ms Dyson's claims to be a "qualified lawyer".

She opposed our campaign without being aware of this simple fact, about the very council that she wants to be elected to!

And then, she deleted her tweet, calling our campaign, a "smear campaign"!

The tweet that she deleted is below, just in case Ms Dyson thought she could hide her ignorance from the public that she claims to want to represent.

Lib Dem Natalie Dyson's Deleted and Ignorant Tweet

What is wrong with the Somerset Liberal Democrats? A lot, it seems. Perhaps they haven't got over their Coalition with the Tories. I've always thought of them as yellow, plastic Tories who don't like to be challenged.

The Lib Dem councillors' actions and their lack of action on criminal records checks for councillors suggest that I am right.

Somerset Independents will carry on its campaign to protect Somerset residents from dodgy councillors."

We Trigger Auditor Investigation Into Mendip Council "Openness and Transparency"

 

Somerset Lib Dems Hiding YOUR Money

For many months now, Members of Somerset Independents have been investigating the finances of Mendip District Council, which is controlled by the Liberal Democrats.

We have publicly expressed our concern about the finances of this Council, and its governance. Our members have taken action to expose the state of the Council. On many occasions and in different ways, members and supporters have contacted the Council to express our concerns.

Following our extensive research, questions and investigations, we formally objected to the Council's accounts.

Denise Wyatt, expert in Local Government governance, was the lead objector. She explains:

 

Denise Wyatt, Member of Somerset Independents

"Mendip District Council as with all councils is required to appoint auditors to audit their accounts.

When a council publishes its accounts, residents have the right to ask questions on them and make objection to the external auditor. Mendip Council appointed Ernst & Young as its auditor.

There were a number of financial and procedural matters that we objected to. One was regarding Mendip Council's political blindness and hidden decision-making process regarding the purchase of commercial investment property.

The External Auditor advised us today that Mendip Council's decision-making process:

'on the face of the information provided identifies a matter in relation to which a public interest report could be warranted'.

The Objection has passed Stage 1 and Stage 2 and has entered Stage 3 of the process. 

The Auditors, in looking at our objection, have said that on the evidence that we have provided that they need to investigate further whether Mendip Council lacked transparency and openness in its decision making process, for investment of property. 

Ernst & Young are now investigating this matter further and are asking the Council more questions."

 

Leader of Somerset Independents, Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope, Leader of Somerset Independents

"Somerset Independents will continue to stand up for residents and taxpayers and to expose the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Tory councillors on Mendip District Council for what they are - incompetent and obstructive. This is another reason why it is only reasonable to conclude, and the evidence points to it, that Mendip District Council is corrupt."

 

Standing Up For Mendip's Residents

CAMPAIGN Update: Somerset West and Taunton Finally Replies!

 

Somerset Lib Dems
Do Not Support DBS Checks

 

Following our campaign for DBS checks for all Somerset councillors, and our previous updates, we have an update on one of the district councils.

Somerset West and Taunton Council was formed by the forced merger, against residents' wishes, of Taunton Deane and West Somerset councils.

The merger has already cost taxpayers millions of pounds.

But has the change from Tory control to Liberal Democrat control resulted in better responses to residents?

No.

Friends of Galmington Playing Fields, who are fighting to save their beloved playing fields from development by the NHS or its charities, were given promises by the Liberal Democrats before last year's elections. We have seen from public statements given by the Friends, that the Lib Dems were once again the Fib Dems. They have not kept their promises.

Also before last year's elections, the public was told by Lib Dem Councillor Mike Rigby, who is responsible for heritage in the Council, that the Tory record was awful on Tonedale Mill, the derelict mill. Yet eighteen months later, he will not answer questions from us on what he has done differently. This is despite being given several opportunities to do so, and his Tory "Heritage Champion" Councillor Roger Habgood also promising us answers. Instead, they want to meet with us to talk about it. We have told them that we will meet, but only when we have answers from them in writing first!

And so to DBS checks for councillors, what was SWT Council's response to our questions?

We sent them a set of questions back in August. It took them TWO MONTHS to respond, and we had to chase them to get those answers. The Leveller had also asked them similar questions about DBS checks.

The Leveller Article on DBS Checks

 

SWT Council told us and The Leveller very similar answers, but we have a lot more than the below. They told us and we quote:

"SWT does not carry out DBS checks for Councillors as there is no legal basis to do so.  The DBS advice, given to another District Council in 2016 was “Councillors and Mayors, as named positions, are not eligible for a DBS check. However, it is accepted that individuals tasked with certain functions would have been eligible for an 'Enhanced' level check with a check against the appropriate Barred list. However, following changes in legislation, and the enactment of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, those positions were removed from the scope of Regulated Activity and consequentially an entitlement now only exists for a Councillor (not Mayor) at 'Enhanced only' level if the individual retains those same responsibilities. Please take into consideration that DBS checks are not mandatory unless there exists a piece of legislation that makes checks a requirement for the role being offered.”

 

If the councillor or Mayor has other duties that they carry out outside of their role of Councillor, that would meet the conditions for a DBS check with barred lists then it would be for the organisation to determine what level of check would be appropriate for those duties. For example, if they volunteered with a youth club on a regular basis, the youth service would be the organisation required to ensure that a DBS check has been completed as per their procedures."

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope

"What do you think of this Lib Dem Council's response?

 

Do you agree that councillors should have criminal records checks before they represent you?

 

From their responses to our campaign, Somerset's Lib Dem-controlled councils - Mendip, South Somerset and SWT - ALL DO NOT SUPPORT DBS CHECKS. In contrast, Tory-run Somerset County Council have implemented DBS checks, as has Tory-controlled Sedgemoor District Council. We like to criticise the Tories, but on this one thing, they have got it right.

What do you think of the SWT Council's actions, or lack of actions, on Galmington Playing Fields and Tonedale Mill?

 

What do you think of the Liberal Democrats record over the past 18 months on Somerset West and Taunton Council?

 

Contact us, join us and donate to us to fight for a better representation on Somerset's councils - independent councillors that listen to you and act for you."

Standing Up For Somerset's Residents