What actually happened was that the Leaders of the Conservative and “Independent” Groups met privately and carved up
the Council between them. Not a single Liberal Democrat Member was
appointed to any significant position at the AGM.
Unimportant you may think? Well, leaving
aside questions of common honesty, the only serious bid by the Lib Dems
was that Alison Clish-Green should head the Environment Committee, and
represent the Council at the LGA. Councillor Clish-Green's qualifications
were, to put it mildly, strong. She is effectively the founder of
Environmental activities like re-cycling, and as a former representative
to the LGA had been Chair of the Rural Commission and an extremely
influential member of that body. Nor was there any re-elected Member of
the last Council with experience of either role who wanted to keep
it.
You might have thought that of the eight “Independent”
members at least one would have been sufficiently impressed with Alison’s credential to vote for her. On the contrary, in four
successive votes they voted unanimously for the prescribed
nonentities.
It isn’t really a surprise that there is no
room for talent or experience in a Condependent Crony Council, but it is
bad news for the Council tax payers.
News that, of course, they will never see in
print...
...and a sad footnote
We understand that at the first meeting
of the Local Government Association Council Clish-Green attended as an
observer. The official representatives appointed by the Council did not
turn up, and no apologies were recorded for their absence.
A black mark for bad manners for West
Devon with this key body, and neither voice nor vote for the Council Tax
Payers.
The Council has 31 Members. 29 of them have divided into 3 “Political Groups”,
(the remaining two stood as Independents and are described by the Council
as “unaligned”, since
calling them Independents would be confusing).
The 31 Members had told their electors they
were:
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats each formed a “Political Group”; (no surprises there then).
Eight of the ten “Independents”
formed a Political Group. (How you may ask can “Independents”
be a a “Political
Group”. Don't “Independents” traditionally appeal to voters on the basis
that there shouldn't be politics on local Councils?).
The UK Independence Party Member then asked to join the “Independent” Political Group, who agreed to let him in. (If
you think that's odd, read on!).
And that left the two Independents who didn't join “their”
Political Group, who therefore aren't in bed with anyone. If you are quick
off the mark you'll have noticed that suddenly the word “Independent” has lost the double inverted commas. That is
because these two, - Ted Sherrell from Tavistock and Dawn Rogers from
Thrushel - are the only genuine Independents on the Council. If, that is,
your definition of Independent is people who make up their minds on the
issues and don't follow any particular party line.
The “Independents”
in the Independent Political Group are in some cases known Conservative
Party Members, - at least one is a leading activist and has been an office
bearer. Others have degrees of involvement with the Conservative Party
which vary from active support to just never having had a non-Conservative
thought in their lives. They rarely vote against any proposition that has
official Conservative support, and never against any that is important.
They are therefore known to active Members of other political parties as “Condependents”, - proxies for the Conservatives sailing under false
colours for electoral gain.
A bit hard on the genuine Independents like
Ted Sherrell and Dawn Rogers, - but then it is quite easy to sort them
out. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and always votes like a
duck, chances are it is a duck. And if it still says it isn't a
duck, depend upon it, it's a Conduck!
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