By-elections - 21st March 2013

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2013 18:03:30 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Those vote share changes reported in that sensationalist Somerset Labour article don't seem to bear any relation to reality
The 2011 results for Shepton Mallet are on the Mendip website
www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-A7837682&cat=136#SX9452-A7837A49

thanks for that but the real query is where was the LD candidate in what should be an heartland seat ? Ones in which they have done well in.

[gwynthegriff]

Mar 23, 2013 20:46:58 GMT @ianrobo said:

Mar 23, 2013 18:03:30 GMT Pete Whitehead said:

Those vote share changes reported in that sensationalist Somerset Labour article don't seem to bear any relation to reality
The 2011 results for Shepton Mallet are on the Mendip website
www.mendip.gov.uk/CouncilService.asp?id=SX9452-A7837682&cat=136#SX9452-A7837A49

thanks for that but the real query is where was the LD candidate in what should be an heartland seat ? Ones in which they have done well in.

I'm not sure that holding one seat out of eight constitutes a "heartland"!

[Deleted]

I would say Somerset is one of yours and of course it was a gain from the Tories in 2010 for Wells. At Town Council level you are only just behind the tories and the votes are there. Just found it strange no LD locally could/would stand.

Also in Shepton you have two of the three DC's

[erlend]

I was rather dissapointed with the LD absence from the fight!

[marksenior]

Mar 24, 2013 0:17:29 GMT @ianrobo said:

I would say Somerset is one of yours and of course it was a gain from the Tories in 2010 for Wells. At Town Council level you are only just behind the tories and the votes are there. Just found it strange no LD locally could/would stand.

Also in Shepton you have two of the three DC's

As I have posted previously , there is a much greater reluctance now to stand for a parish/town council following the introduction of the draconian rules of disclosure of financial interests of councillors and their partners on these councils .

[Deleted]

Mar 23, 2013 21:59:17 GMT gwynthegriff said:

Mar 23, 2013 20:46:58 GMT @ianrobo said:

thanks for that but the real query is where was the LD candidate in what should be an heartland seat ? Ones in which they have done well in.

I'm not sure that holding one seat out of eight constitutes a "heartland"!

"Senior LibDem...." can mean "Leaflet pusher...." , remember?

[marksenior]

Mar 24, 2013 15:56:04 GMT @trident said:

Mar 24, 2013 14:58:42 GMT marksenior said:

As I have posted previously , there is a much greater reluctance now to stand for a parish/town council following the introduction of the draconian rules of disclosure of financial interests of councillors and their partners on these councils .

Without wishing to sidetrack the discussion, I do not believe that the new requirements are excessively draconian. In many areas the profile and responsibilities of parish and town councils are growing, for example in large unitary authorities where they are effectively the second tier of local government, and also because of the 'localism' agenda.

Some of them have substantial budgets nowadays, and they can also get involved in planning matters. I do have a particular case in mind, not a million miles away from here.

You may be justified in your statement that the new requirements are a consquence of responsibilities of parish and town councils but the reality is that parish and town councillors are not paid financially and a number of them have given up what they saw as an unpaid contribution to the local community because of new requirements which they saw as an intrusion into the privacy of themselves and their family .

[gwynthegriff]

Mar 24, 2013 17:56:55 GMT marksenior said:

Mar 24, 2013 15:56:04 GMT @trident said:

Without wishing to sidetrack the discussion, I do not believe that the new requirements are excessively draconian. In many areas the profile and responsibilities of parish and town councils are growing, for example in large unitary authorities where they are effectively the second tier of local government, and also because of the 'localism' agenda.

Some of them have substantial budgets nowadays, and they can also get involved in planning matters. I do have a particular case in mind, not a million miles away from here.

You may be justified in your statement that the new requirements are a consquence of responsibilities of parish and town councils but the reality is that parish and town councillors are not paid financially and a number of them have given up what they saw as an unpaid contribution to the local community because of new requirements which they saw as an intrusion into the privacy of themselves and their family .

A Parish Clerk writes:-

In the past I have been able to reassure members that their Register of Interests was held by myself in hard copy, with a second copy going to the Borough Council. I was also able to tell them that in 10+ years I had never had anyone ask to see said paperwork. Now the information has to be placed on websites, and it includes their spouses' occupation etc.

[Deleted]

good, sorry but if you are in the public eye dishing out public money you have to show all of your interests. If that means some feel they can not do that I do question their motivation.

[Deleted]

I think we defeated "If you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear" with the ID card debate, Ian.

[marksenior]

Mar 25, 2013 10:10:51 GMT @ianrobo said:

good, sorry but if you are in the public eye dishing out public money you have to show all of your interests. If that means some feel they can not do that I do question their motivation.

Clearly written by someone who does not have a clue as to what motivates a person to stand for and act as a councillor on a non political parish/town council for zero financial reward .

[Deleted]

I would rather expose all interests than it not being open, surely as a LD you support full open transparent governance ?

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2013 13:24:53 GMT @ianrobo said:

I would rather expose all interests than it not being open, surely as a LD you support full open transparent governance ?

Where appropriate, I do. If Mr Smith is applying to become a Parish Councillor, a job of only limited importance with an even more limited budget, Mrs Smith shouldn't have to worry that being a receptionist at Grabbit & Run Solicitors is of any concern to anybody.

[Deleted]

except if Grabbit and Run are acting in a case on behalf of the council or against it ?

[paulypaul]

Report of the non-political Hinksey PC election.

Hincksey PC

[marksenior]

Mar 25, 2013 13:46:28 GMT @ianrobo said:

except if Grabbit and Run are acting in a case on behalf of the council or against it ?

And how do the new draconian rules impact on that compared to the previous rules . They don't except that Mr Smith may not have bothered to become a councillor or given up his role as one as so many already have .
Democracy cannot function at all in parish/town councils if suitable councillors are put off from standing by conditions that are suitable for Met District councillors on £ 10,000 a year or more .

[Deleted]

In the past you may have relied on a certain level of trust. How many parish councillors may have benefited in the past from decisions they were party to ?

Especially on planning.

Sorry but if elected and if dealing with public money and decisions, total open transparency and if someone can not deal with that they should not be willing to stand.

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2013 14:22:54 GMT @ianrobo said:

In the past you may have relied on a certain level of trust. How many parish councillors may have benefited in the past from decisions they were party to ?

Especially on planning.

Sorry but if elected and if dealing with public money and decisions, total open transparency and if someone can not deal with that they should not be willing to stand.

What you're saying makes sense for District Councils. Not Parish.

[Tony Otim]

Mar 25, 2013 14:22:54 GMT @ianrobo said:

In the past you may have relied on a certain level of trust. How many parish councillors may have benefited in the past from decisions they were party to ?

Especially on planning.

Sorry but if elected and if dealing with public money and decisions, total open transparency and if someone can not deal with that they should not be willing to stand.

I realise that I'm viewing things from Scotland, where as my esteemed colleague said the role of community councils is very much to discuss noisy seagulls and the like, but do any parish or town councils in England actually have any responsibility for planning decisions?

[Deleted]

Mar 25, 2013 14:47:07 GMT doktorb🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ said:

Mar 25, 2013 14:22:54 GMT @ianrobo said:

In the past you may have relied on a certain level of trust. How many parish councillors may have benefited in the past from decisions they were party to ?

Especially on planning.

Sorry but if elected and if dealing with public money and decisions, total open transparency and if someone can not deal with that they should not be willing to stand.

What you're saying makes sense for District Councils. Not Parish.

Town Councils ??

Do Parish councils spend public money then if so the elected reps should be open to their influences.