Review of last night Parish Council meeting.

Last night saw my second full council meeting of Shevington Parish Council. It was not as heated as the first meeting, see previous blog for that review, but it still had its moment.

The fact is in my opinion the council has been run like a closed shop with no transparency or openness. They don't seem to vote just simply let things go through on the nod. This is wrong and I continue to say that they should vote and I will continue to have my vote recorded accordingly. This is not to be disruptive but to show the resiodents of the Parsih how I voted on issues so they know what I am doing on their behalf and how I vote.

I strongly objected to another newsletter going out where, in my opinion, they try to mislead residents on a number of issues.

On the back page it asks residents what they think to a number of "projects". I asked at a previous meeting that they include whether residents want a referendum or not. I stated that yet again my opinion is not included and it seems that the Parish Council are of the mind just to try and ignore me. They said that they did not include referendum as they are talking about projects and the referendum would not be a project. But they have put other as title "e". I feel that if residents put referendum on other then the Parish Council will not accept this.

Also yet again jobs where agreed with out going out to tender or the tendering process was not carried out properly.

I objected also to a number of other issues and asked for the minutes to be amended which some parts where.

Most surprising was the Vice Chairman seem not to like the scrutiny that I bring to the meetings where by I ask question and probe on issues and he walked out saying he has better things to do with his time. Also Cllr King threatened to walk too but he was asked not to go as the Parish Council needed him. I would suggest that some of the other Councillors would have felt isolated but I will not give in and I will continue to fight this non democratic closed shop called Shevington Parish Council.

Council pays for Councillors Legal Insurance.

I hear that the Council has taken out an insurance policy for ALL councillors to access if they need it. This is for the likes of a Councillor is being sued or investigated then this cover can kick in and the Councillor can employ a barrister and legal team to defend them ,guilty or not.

This was talked about a number of years ago whilst I was a councillor and it was rejected on the basis that with the high number of cllrs reporting each other that this insurance would cost to much.

Also there is the access and who's pays that too, as I hear it is the Council.

I hear that there are currently 10 Councillors being investigated, some are warranted and some or just something and nothing and spats between cllrs but yet the tax payers have to pick the bill up. This can;'t be fair!

I have been investigated now a number of times and I always represented myself and never had any action taken against me. So why the change of heart from the Council with this costly expense when they should be reducing costs.

First Parish Meeting

Well I was not expecting much at my first meeting in way of good hospitality. After having years on Wigan Council and seeing how bad it can get I did not think I would witness worse, I did not think it was possible. But it was !

The unelected cllr J Malony used his position as chairman to attack my election campaign and call my leaflet. His wife was obviously upset that I did not deliver a leaflet at thier house on purpose and she wanted to know why.

The Chairman, Labour supporter, Cllr J Malony said at the beginning of the meeting that we should all be polite and courteous, which I fully agree with and then launched into a tirade of abuse on myself, like I care what he thinks.

I was call son by Cllr J Malony wife rather than the courteous title of Cllr which you are meant to use. Cllr John Ball said I was talking out of ( my backside) but he did not use that word and the Chairman allowed this to go on.

On the matter of finance the new auditor of the Parish Council have said that when giving out contracts they should go out to tender first and not be given to some one like has been the case. I asked the Chairman in all the yrs that he was on the Council did he not think going out to tender when using tax payers money was correct - he said no!

Repeatedly they interrupted me when I was speaking and the Chairman allowed this just to go an demonstrate his political alliance to all the other Labour Supporting Cllrs.

The chairman made a point that I did not live in the Ward and all other Cllr did - oops I guess he forgot about Cllr Mike Crosby who likes outside the ward and further away than me. and he said that the contractor gave excellent service and then I asked about why the bowling green was a mess and the teams had to go and use the other bowling greens if it was so good.

If they think that they can name call, try to bully, harass and intimidate me then they obviously do not know me. Next May will be interesting but the time between now and then will be more so I fight fire with fire. I genuinely went with any open mind of trying to working with these people for the better of the residents of the Parish but they are hell bent in not doing this. I guesss they are worried and scared that next May the residents of Shevington will have a choice and with our nine candidates in place we are ready.

I know the Labour Cllrs ready this blog so the message is time ticking. May is coming very soon.