I'm indebted to reader Joshua for pointing the old Eastcliff eyeball in the direction of a story that appeared on the BBC News website yesterday. Apparently 11 out of the 15 councillors in Somerton, Somerset have cashed in their chips following a campaign by a local blogger. According to the Beeb:On his Muck&Brass blog Niall Connolly called members 'jackasses' and said a leaflet was 'like a Nazi call to arms'... He added that he had been trying to 'bring attention to the local problems in Somerton concerning Somerton Town Council.'
The council will have to hold new elections as there are now too few councillors to make official decisions.
Hurrah! If only the Thanet Reich would take their cue from Somerton! After all, here on the island's premier blog I've been banging on about their incompetence and corruption for years. I've stopped short of labelling them 'Nazis' though. Perhaps that's where I've been going wrong. But then, there's nothing especially Nazi about them. Unless you count the rather blocky design for the Turnip Centre, which looks as if it may have been inspired by Hitler's architect Albert Speer (see photo above). No wonder the locals are now referring to it as 'Das Kunstbunker'!
Click here to read full story on BBC News website
Click here to go to Muck&Brass blog
15 comments:
No ECR we don't have Nazis in Thanet but our council acts like an incompetent Mafia.
That raises an interesting conundrum 11:32. Would we be better off with a competent Mafia running the place? Discuss!
Great to see the power of blogging
I think it ties in well to the Husband and Wife stream on the caravan site item . The amount of of partners on the council would seem to be halving our representation as they always back one another up on any decision .
IF it is now basically a club like the Rotarians or the North Foreland then how do we expect it to shed its amateur bumbling image ?.
The council should comprise of a broad section of the community but given the H&W teams how is that going to happen ? . I seem to remember reading that the "Dr" was trying to get his wife in as a councillor and Ezekiels wife works for them too .
It does look more like a Saga coach party to the Algarve rather than a serious attempt at running a council. It also make me wonder when councillors moan on various blogs about how hard it is ,that they cannot get their partners in fast enough so it cannot be quite as difficult as they want you to believe .
I amazed that councillor Broadhurst did not manage to get his wife on board before leaving just to double his Panamanian pocket money. Has his resignation been resolved yet?, it is no wonder that there is so much corruption and self interest in Thanet when it is played out in the council chamber for all to see.
A friend of mine who was involved in the recent excellent Food festival in Broadstairs , tried to gain council help . They wanted to know how much money was going to be involved to try and get their mitts on it, and could not comprehend that the people involved were largely doing it for free to stimulate the event and make money for local businesses who pay the council business rates .
Such an intitative should come from the council and they should be forward thinking enough to encourage locals hard work , not instantly try and profit from it as they do with exorbitant road closures during folk week .
Normally local knowledge is seen as a good thing running for local office.
In Thanet it has not served us well , and comfortable deals involving
friends and family seem to determine everything locally. I would love to see the council leave enmass and have some new blood without a lot of vested interests.
Bring on the DFLs they can only do a better job in this underachieving sold short part of Kent.
I'd vote for that!
Thanet
Munching on their giros and moaning about their council.
NMW employers in retail and care moaning about lack of TDC contribution to their profit.
Do nothing know alls advocating what someone else should do to pick the area up.
Plus ce change
More like extremely well off DFLs moaning about the old sytle Tory carpet salesmen and and no-hoper bureaucrats running their council, 8:32.
Tour doit changer around here.
Think it needs an independant party "Putting Thanet first" that must be a rallying call - not lining ours or cronies pockets !
A crony tells me Hart and his clique haven't attended a Margate borough (what is it called now?)meeting in ages and consequently events to raise money for Margate charities have been cancelled because of lack of support from the labour councillors. Does that mean the voters in Dane Valley will be supporting a candidate (Mrs.Hart) who is only going to do half of the job?
There can't be many Councils where a local builder/developer is on the planning commitee. No wonder gardens are either being built on or overlooked by ginormous developments.
Not many where people are allowed to park on whatever pavement they please either. Car park allowed on listed pier. Recyled rubbish dumped in land fill. Library building trashed by dopey benefit office/library combination. Development on clifftop site with environmentally important cliff hollowed out for car park (Joss bay)
Major concreting planned for main Water aquifer.
Knackered (or not) jumbos flying 24/7 over major seaside resort.
Drunken fracas in public places.
Hmm. We owe them so much.
If Mrs H gets elected in Dane Valley, perhaps Clive and Sandra can restyle themselves as 'Hart to Hart'. I've always thought Clive modelled his hair at least on Robert Wagner, and Sandra does a good Stefanie Powers impersonation. All they need is a dog called Freeway and a grumpy butler called Max (any suggestions for Max?)
Is it an urban myth that Frank Thorley used to sit on the licensing committee ?.
Facts are important 11:45, you are absolutely correct.
Try getting your facts in order, TDC do not charge for the road closures, KCC do. Try lobbying them and get it changed.
Oh, and incidently, Ezekiels wife works for the Charter Trustees and the Mayor of Margate, which is also the group that 10:26am reports that Hart and his cronies have been boycotting. Yes it is a charity not politics
Charity not politics??
Oh pulleease!
10.55 Said builder/developer isn't just 'on' the planning committee he is vice chair. Nice work and he can get it!
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