In these arresting times with another senior Conservative
member up before the beak, this time it’s Councillor Mrs Shirley Tomlinson
Shadow Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning.
She can’t do what her fellow ward councillor Ken Gregory did
as this is much more serious than wanting another councillor to die a horrible
death, so a caution isn’t an option.
This time unfortunately she wasn’t pretending to have had a
few for a lark, but had had a few before going for a drive.
It is a bit hard to tell who are the local Conservatives
worst enemy at the moment, Labour, TIG, the police or the DPP. However it is looking increasingly like it's the local Conservative councillors.
Once again I will make my plea for the local Conservatives
to sort themselves out, disassociate themselves from the old ways and provide
us with an effective opposition.
Perhaps having no real chance of getting back into power for the foreseeable future will concentrate the Conservative group on some sort of useful activity. I would suggest a move to being an open and transparent group, live webcasts of their meetings and a strong internet presence with a genuine interest in attempting to publicly communicate with local voters would be a good start. I don’t see they have that much to lose at the moment and moving into the present could be a risk worth taking.
I don't think you have to look beyond your own mirror to answer your question about who is the Conservatives worst enemy locally, Michael.
ReplyDeleteTypical of LOCAL Conservatives to shoot the messinger. Unless they own resposiblity for their collective behaviour, they will see Labour take more seats from them, like the recently lost Westgate-On-Sea seat..
DeleteIt was with a bit of luck she didnt run someone over with Aids.
DeleteBoth her and Ken Gregory are invited to stay in the Tory party without an apology unlike Mike Harrison who was made to apologise before being allowed back to his group.
I guess that means that its ok to be a homophobic drunk in Thanet Tory Party? That tells us how their minds work.
They are their own worst enemy
ReplyDeleteYou reap what you sow
If they don't face up to that, they will carry on making mistakes!
As for the comment about Tory bashing, I will defend the Conservative party tooth and nail, but I refuse defend the actions of the local conservatives..
ReplyDeleteI feel sory for the people of Garlinge ward. Two of them now!
ReplyDeleteDrink driving is a serious issue, however, if you've read the report Michael in the Gazette you'll be aware that the transgression appears to have been minimal, "She is due to appear before magistrates in Margate on December 3 accused of driving a Toyota People Carrier in Nash Court Road when she allegedly had 84 micrograms *(milligrams surelly) of alcohol in her blood. The legal limit is 80mg"
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeking to condone drink driving, just suggesting a sense of proportion, still to give some perspective, in my job drug testing is mandatory and random, more than 29 milligrams of alcohol in blood (100ml) and you've lost your job.
Finally it is unconnected Ken Gregory etcetera, so claims of "This isn’t some sort of Tory bashing blah blah, look a bit limp Michael and of course I myself wouldn't wish to suggest that you yourself Michael seem to be one of Labours & Clive Hart's poodles but hey, if it walks like dog and barks like a dog.
Keep up the the good a fearless work Michael.
"the tansgression appears to be minimal" but the police must have been concerned about her driving to stop and test her.
DeleteJust the odd 500 killed by drunk drivers each year and 2000 serious injuries where the lives of the victims can never be the same again.
Do councillors have a drinks culture in Thanet?
At least the practice of using the chairmans allowance (tax payers money) to buy booze at council meetings was exposed and stopped in 2011.
There is an element within the Thanet blogs who delight in leaping on any Tory fall from grace or indiscretion, but do the same people ever mention Labour villainy. Very current at the moment is Margaret Moran, expenses thief in chief, found guilty as accused, but, wait for it, the poor dear is too depressed to be punished. Perhaps Shirley Tomlinson was depressed and had a glass of the juice to drown her sorrows though I doubt that would get her off.
DeleteIt was the same with the Gregory and Harrison homophobia, the Tory one was a real criminal who you all wanted kicked from office, but Harrison just used the language of his work place making the loveable rogue forgiveable - leastways it suits the happy Labour/TIG marriage to treat it that way.
Have any of you ever stopped to think how childish all this finger pointing and name calling is and just what does it do for local governance. Where is your criticism of a mouthy councillor who just over a week ago called for a boycott of a local business. I guess that's all right then as he is not a Tory.
I suppose the only consolation is that you all get the governance you so richly deserve.
Where in Thanet does Margaret Moran live?
DeleteWhat about the ex leader of Essex county council, £300,000 spent on a council credit card?
Its easy to cite cases from the national press and play the tit for tat game but what we have here are local councillors and in recent years a few have come and are comming before the courts.
That is the whole point, 10:47, it is easy to cite tit for yay but it is also very childish. I notice you carefully avoided the Harrison issue. All very biased I am afriad.
DeleteA silly mistake by her but as Tony says, a minor breach. I guess it underlines the point that its impossible to know whether you are within the limit or not.
ReplyDeleteJames, I do not doubt that all the anti-blues will be saying you should not drive if you have had a drink and then the limit is irrelevant. You know, all those ones who drive home from the pub knowing they are OK on a couple of pints, aren't they?
DeleteI personally make it an unbreakable rule that if I have had a drink then I don't drive. Remove the ambiguity - the upper limit should be zero then no-one will be in any doubt.
DeleteAnd....?
DeleteBusy day in the bookshop today so I won’t reply to the individuals here.
ReplyDeleteMy assumption is that those councillors who have stepped over the line into criminal activity are toast, in this case Shirley, a pleasant enough person and fun as evidenced in the photo.
The further problem comes when these people hold senior positions in the local community, leading by example comes to mind.
I have posted about both the other parties indiscretions, yes, don’t think homophobes, racists, sexists of any party should have any place in running our community.
Perhaps I should have been harder on Driver over the pizzagate earlier this week, but it wasn’t criminal activity, just idiocy, probably produced by a clever reporter, there may be a case for civil action, but this seems unlikely to me.
I thought the post above was pretty mild in the circumstances, what with it being November and there is I serious priority related to trying to prevent people from drinking and driving over the festive season, as this result in death and injury.
My problem is with the Conservative group at the moment, a total failure to take some sort of initiative, other than blaming others for their not being in power, and various unsubstantiated bits of information about Labour ruining the council finances.
The one I looked into here was the business about the maritime museum, as it’s on my patch, this seemed to be about the council losing car parking funding to make space for the liveliest event in Ramsgate during he whole of the summer.
So apart from closing down our maritime museum and the associated public events, the real question is what would a Conservative administration be doing now if they were in power at the council?
Apart from Simon Moores, they seem to have no tangible internet presence at all, not a tweet nothing on facebook, in fact a total absence of any engagement with the local voters.
Granted the other parties are not doing much better, but this is a huge vacuum they need to address.
In this the modern world, local government should apart from avoiding criminal activity, be transparent, communicative and responsive. Keeping your head down and trying not to get arrested isn’t an option.
Of course there is the alternative, which when I hear about a news item like this, I don’t first check it and discuss it with the group concerned and then post about it, but just ignore it and put up, what? An advertisement for an interesting book, Fly Fishing by Hartley? and yes I do have it in stock.
Simon has commented on his blog:
Delete"Drink driving is completely unacceptable behaviour regardless of politics and Shirley is stepping aside which is the proper thing to do."
But its is totally acceptable for Moores and his two-faced colleagues to let someone back into the Conservative Group on World Aids Day, that has failed to apologise after offending people living with HIV-AIDS...
DeletePeter. Mike Harrison DID apologise and unlike the actions of the two Garlinge Councillors his silly remarks where not of a criminal nature. If Mike had not apologised he would not have been let back in the Labour group. The fact that Gregory is to be let back in the Conservative group without apologising makes his colleagues appear institutionally homophobic. STRONG CASE!
DeleteStrange comment, 10:47. Are we to take it that it is OK for people to commit crimes as long as they do not live in Thanet?
ReplyDeleteYou may not have spotted that this topic was about local councillors whereas the poster cited an ex Luton MP to try to illustrate that it was just not the Tories that had a monoply of criminal charges. Local voters want to know the kind of people that they have entrusted their council to and what MP's and councillors do eleewhere is irrelevant in this context.
Delete10.47 this whole website is about Thanet and the area immediately surrounding it, I occasionally do a post about Canterbury, Herne Bay or Deal, but if I venture further afield I don’t post about it here.
DeleteIts ok to commit crimes as long as those crimes are against Cats and Gay People.
DeleteI have in the twenty odd years of living in this house only had one councillor knock on my door to see if all was OK. I may have been out on a couple of occasions so say I could have had four call in 20 years shows how much the councillors of any persuasion show scant regard for any of my opinions. Maybe they read these comments and judge the way of the wind of local despondency by the flavour of the comments, MAYBE THE DON’T. I doubt if they actually care about individuals opinions and feelings Cllr Driver makes that very clear in his call for a boycott of Lisa Richards establishment So maybe my opinions of the drunks and bigots who represent us on the local council are represented, they don’t really care what I think and I reciprocate that back to them, it is a tradition dating back to serfdom and I know my place in all of it.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a long standing problem with both parties and as a lifelong Tory myself, Michael you are absolutely right in what you say. So you are a socialist and we live in a democracy. You have a right to your views as everyone does. Some Councillors again on both sides need to face up to the fact that they are not there to represent their own interests, or what some claim is what their party stands for, or as we hear claimed so often for the money. First and foremost both parties need to start considering who they select as potential Councillors. If anything is going to improve, we need Councillors more with specialisms, or at the minimum with just a few more brain cells than some current incumbents possess. We don't need need 52 Einsteins but just one or two might help. The difficulty with that is of course that the reputation of TDC has been so appalling throughout, that the right people want nothing to do with local politics.
ReplyDeleteVery few decisions are political and Councillors on all sides should be pooling resources and working together. That seems impossible with the unholy war going on currently which impresses no-one. What they don't seem to appreciate, is that while they continue with their petty squabbling and tit for tat allegations, the Council is being run entirely by officers. God help us. Perhaps it is time to say Bye Bye to TDC.
3.41 you seem to have fallen into the trap of assuming that because I post a news story about a Conservative politician getting caught over the drink drive limit, this makes me a socialist.
DeleteI am most unhappy about the situation at our district council and apart from posting about Harrison and his homophobia, with the conclusion that homophobic councillors should be removed from the party whip, the Labour group just haven’t given me as much opportunity for posting as the conservatives.
I am sure that time will rectify this situation, but as I said above I don’t think I give the Conservative councillors a particularly hard time.
On the subject of a future for the council, the options are either they all sort themselves out, or we petition for a mayoral referendum, which given the state of the council would probably be successful.
In Thanet I think as much of the polarisation is between the towns as the political parties, with many Conservative voters not really considering the council’s Conservative group as being in any sense Conservative or representing them.
But as I said above, there is a huge vacuum for any local political group, just to offer what they are supposed to anyway, open, communicative, responsive and transparent government.
What I and I expect we are sick to the hind teeth of is why everything is the fault of the other groups, be it Labour, Conservative or TIG.
Perhaps we should abandon TDC and join with Canterbury.
DeleteJohn my understanding is the only options open to us, the voters, is either doing nothing, or getting a petition signed by 5% of the electorate that would trigger a mayoral referendum allowing voters to vote for which system the wanted.
DeleteThe council were obliged to carry out a public consultation on this issue, all of the respondents said the wanted a chance to vote on the type of government they wanted, the council rejected this result out of hand as invalid.
Taking the personal politics completely out of it which can be very cruel at times, I just hope Shirley will not be remembered just for this incident because as a person she has worked hard for Margate and people should not forget that.
ReplyDeleteTony
DeleteUnfortunately this is exactly what she will be remembered for. The trolls and political opponents still keep dredging up Ewen Cameron - after all David Green couldn't wait to get it on Eastcliff Matters at the time - must have seriously interfered with his pie consumption that afternoon.
Tim, the only real political opinion on this issue is not from opposition or trolls as you put it but from conservatives having a dig at Michael for reporting the story and having an opinion.
DeleteNot so Tony, most of the comments are constructive. You will always gwet the odd one or two that you have to ignore. The problem is with both parties anyway
DeleteRotten way to go Tony, but with most professional people getting caught over the limit, means loss of licence, which often results in loss of job, in my case it would probably result in bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteI don’t see she has any other option Peter
DeletePeter I think the point here is they didn’t have to and so they haven’t.
DeletePeter,
Deleteif you were on minimum wage and part time you wouldn't be able to run a car or even a night out drinking.
If all the transgressors and idiots resigned there wouldn't be many left. Woopee
DeleteThanks John.
DeleteMichael. My apologies if my assuming you were socialist has upset you. There was no intention of doing so. This current situation is more than just the clash of personalities within the political groups. Few of them seem able to look beyond the squabbling and see what is actually going on. They also seem to have a blind faith in what their officers, who are running the Council behind the scenes, are doing. I have watched your attempts to get to the truth behind the Royal Sands matter only to be given the runaround. Where is your Councillor with the ability or willingness to represent your concerns. Unfortunately, he is not there. What is not appreciated by many Councillors, is that officer advice is just that, advise. There is nearly always a counter opinion. Few seem capable of questioning what they are told or in some cases to even read an agenda, let alone understand it.
ReplyDeleteAs I said earlier, the remedy lies in gaining the interest of those with ability to engage with the political parties and then getting them to stand for election. I am unsure of the mayoral system. It would only result in one of the current Councillors being given massive unilateral powers. Who would you chose?
Anon 5:19, your apology to Michael is quite unnecessary. Most of us Thanet Tories have him matked down as Labour's main blog outlet even though he regularly protests and claims his apolitical credentials. In essence he protests too much, but, rest assured, he will be back without another anti Tory missive sooner or later which he likes to pretend is intended to advise the party of where it should be going.
DeleteAgree with you about the officers running the place instead of advising, but then, whilst some of the Tories may have their limitations, the current Labour administrations is hardly strong on executuve level experience or even brain cells. Add their soul selling in return for power to a group of renegades and all does not auger well for the poor people of Thanet.
With you on the mayor front as well for, as you so rightly say and as we have seen elsewhere, this simply gives all the power to one political figure, usually on an ego trip. Who indeed would be our local Ken and Boris vying for power, Clive and Bob, the mind boggles at the prospect.
I did try to get Steve Ladyman to go for it, you may remember his period as council leader, but his wife had had enough of Thanet.
DeleteI would say our best bet would be someone on the political ladder to MP, or an MP who has just lost the constituency, not sure it matters which party.
If Laura Sandys loses the next general I will probably try to persuade her to have a go.
I think the pay would be about the same as an MP.
Favourite for me though would be to get one or another of the local political groups to change their style to what is expected of modern government.
At the moment shadow cabinet meetings live steamed on Youtube, with all of the shadow cabinet members trying to achieve at least the internet presence of Simon Moores, and I recommend this as a shadow cabinet move, because there would be mistakes and I don’t think they have much to lose at the momenn, changes the whole face of government in Thanet. How do you think the cabinet would respond? An opposition openly and publicly engaging with the electorate couldn’t be just ignored, could it?
Ah Allan perhaps if you could explain the policy difference and general aims of the two main political groups, then I would know if I am a socialist or tory, we all know the areas where they concur, keeping your head down, following officer advice, fighting with each other and so on.
Michael, not a big fan of executive mayors myself as it tends to result in large egos with other agendas. Typically at the moment with Boris in London, one could ask whether mayor or vying for the party leadership is his primary aim.
DeleteYou having raised the issue, I would have to say I do not go much on your choices, though I recognise the attempt to appear even handed, for MPs are usually very different animals to mayors. The former are mainly team players, under the whip and often not strong on real leadership qualities, which is true of both Steve Ladyman and Laura Sandys. Executuive mayors on the other hand, need to be strong leaders, entrepreneurial and very much their own person. As such they would be best found from the commercial or industrial world, but I doubt the pay would attract them.
Without those strong CEO types, you finish up with yet another job for former politicians, bit like police or EU commissioners, invariably just adding to the gravy train, Kinnock style, but serving little or no other purpose. Frankly, even with warts, Hart and all, we are probably still better off with TDC.
Finding the right individual to control badly behaved Councillors as well as an officer machine that is riddled with incompetence or worse, and has had carte blanche to do whatever they want for years, would be almost impossible. Things are so bad here and have been for a long time, that the only way forward is to go for an East Kent Authority. Perhaps we should petition the MP's for that.
DeleteAllan,
ReplyDeleteWhether Michael is socialist on not doesn't really concern me. In this posting at least he has identified a problem across the board. I see no reason not to engage with him. Despite the political credentials claimed by many Councillors of both persuasions, I am not sure that many from either party actually know what they are supposed to be doing. Many are not there because of any ideology or vision for this district's future, and that begs the question, what are they there for? I am certainly not limiting my criticism to any one group. In different ways they are as bad as each other.
We have stupid laws in this country. We have the highest allowed alcohol limit in the EU along with Ireland, Luxemborg and Malta. It should be illegal to have an alcoholic drink and then drive a vehicle because alcohol affects everyone differently.
ReplyDeleteWhat she did was wrong and she should pay the price similar to anyone else where driving a vehicle isn't part of the job. I don't see why she should step down exactly, given that a teacher, doctor, lawyer, judge probably wouldn't be made to resign in similar circumstances.
Maybe she is just fed up with the shambles that now passes for a council in Thanet, controlled by clowns and turncoats, and this unfortunate incident has presented her with a heaven sent chance to go. I do agree with you though, having met the lady, that she comes over as a decent person.
DeleteAlso agree with you that Gregory and Harrison should have gone, not out of any regard for the victims of their outbursts, both of whom are despicable and make a joke of the post of councillor, but because they demean their office and show poor self control.
On your poinr about others would lose their job, it seems in our modern world that you can do that by simply opposing gay marriage or even wearing a crucifix. On the other hand, you can wrap your head in a towel, incite fire and brimstone against the infidels, but then you cannot be kicked out for doing so. There seem to be strange priorities and double standards afoot!
Too many have stayed when they shouldn't and that is now the norm. It doesn't matter what they do. If they had been made to resign, the next lot of prospective self interested types might think it all wasn't worth the effort if they would also have to go when they were found out. There are just no standards or morality left.
DeleteI like the idea of joining with Canterbury, but would Canterbury want us? Perhaps we need to look further afield.
In medieval times Thanet, or rather St Lawrence, was part of the diocese of Canterbury and made rich by the wool trade. Present evidence suggests to me that we would better administered from Canterbury. I do not see why they would not want us; we are not that bad; are we?
DeleteJohn, this option isn’t open to us the electorate, the only change we can initiate is to petition for a mayoral election and if this proves to be unsatisfactory the same route is open to us to change back.
DeleteAn aspect of the process that appeals to me is that even if it fails it would eventually mean that there would be an option of going back to the present system with as a new system.
Another aspect is that the mayor’s salary is sufficient for a professional person to give up their job to do it full time for the period of office.
Best though I think to try and trigger some introspection amongst our councillors and hopefully start them communicating with us, in the way every other professional person does in 2012.
My guess is that several of them are practicing here anonymously, which I think is a good thing, better they make their mistakes in this way, than make us all look stupid by doing it in a national and public forum, under their own names and offices, without sufficient practice.
Believe me, as someone who does this every day, it aint easy.
When did Shirley announce she was resigning?
ReplyDeleteHmm I'll believe it when I see it.
DeleteBoth Gregory and Tomlinson are a total waste of space as Garlinge Councilors. Niether of them live in Garlinge, niether of them have bothered to show up or contribute to the Garlinge Residents Association for nearly a year. Gregory ignores emails about Garlinge residents problems.
ReplyDeleteThe only real help Garlinge gets is from KCC Cllr Burgess, and Cllr Iris Johnston.
Cllr Burgess commenting then?
ReplyDeleteA bit of a clarification here, perhaps not so much of the facts but at least my understanding of the facts.
ReplyDeleteThe first being that if the prosecution is successful this will result in a criminal record.
The second being that I don’t believe it is possible to remain a councillor, let alone senior member of the council with a criminal record.
Thirdly a police caution, while on one hand being a criminal record, on the other hand doesn’t seem to count as a criminal record where councillors are concerned.
Fourth I asked a senior member of the Conservative group what their position was over Shirley’s position and the answer was, toast.
Fifth I am not asking for her resignation here, far from it, she strikes me a pleasant innocuous women doing good works with local groups, which on the few occasions I have encountered her is what she has been doing. Evidenced in the picture above, where she was standing in for the Margate carnival court, raising money for charity at Ramsgate carnival and doing a much better job of that I could have done.
Whether she is suited as shadow member for planning or whether the officers are just able to run rings around her and whether she is able to deal with constituency problems I just wouldn’t know and the same applies to other councillors of all political persuasions.
Good points in the council on all sides: Moores does and did make an attempt to communicate with us even when he was a cabinet member, which Green did and doesn’t now. Hart does tweet and hasn’t so far done a Bayford, don’t know they are born type foot in mouth. Driver does seem to be scrutinising issues and is a very good and convincing speaker. Perhaps all 52 working together could improve Thanet, some chance of that.
Driver a good speaker!!! Following on from Ladyman or Sandys for mayor it would seem that someone's judgement is seriously impaired.
DeleteMichael,
DeleteTo be disqualified a Councillor has to receive a three month or more prison sentence (suspended or not) without the option of a fine. Only then does a five year ban apply.
As for them all working together, you would have to lock then all in a room first and I don't think that would work. Nice idea though. I doubt they would all come out alive.
9.11 three exclamation marks, I do hope you are ok! Auntie may have her faults at the moment, but like any media organisation recognises a good speaker, hence the airspace recently.
Delete9.22 I knew there was some level of disqualification, thanks for the info, makes me wonder what with the toast and Simon Moors’s stepping to one side, perhaps some special move in the secret councillors ball.
I do sometimes wonder if the council motto ought to be, never let the right foot know what the left ones doing. Perhaps it would be and economy in the long run to send them all off on a team building course, possibly something involving a lot of paintball.
Michael,
DeleteThis is not always the case with the BBC or any TV news editor. They do not search out the best speaker. Sometimes they just seek out the nearest rent a gob. Some may think that Driver falls into the latter category. I could not possibly comment.
http://www.westgateandwestbrook.co.uk/admin/garlinge-residents%E2%80%99-association-minutes/
ReplyDeleteIf it's anything to do with fulfilling their Garlinge Ward responsibilities, they're not interested or to busy doing Carnivals, Olympic processions or leaving messages on answer phones.
Dont think this pop is limited to just the Thanet Concervative party, What exactly has Cllr Jodie Hibbert done for Westgate? The only things that have happened is when Cllr Iris Johnston has done it in Cllr Jodie Hibberts name. She's nothing more then a Thanet Labour party placebo.
Shut up Simon
DeleteI thought Gregory was a Broadstairs Cllr who comes from Monkton. What happened there then?
ReplyDeleteThat is a different Gregory, Ian not Ken.
DeleteDidn't make myself clear. Ian Gregory is the current Cllr for St Peters. Wasn't the "Hope you get aids Gregory" a Broadstairs, (South Thanet) Cllr last time and now a Garlinge, (North Thanet) Cllr this time. Why the change from a safe seat to a lesser one and from one constituency to another? Does anyone know?
DeleteInternal party ward candidate selection I would imagine.
DeleteCome on now don't start on Jody. She is still under the wing of Mein Fuhrer Iris as are so many Labour Members and probably will be for the forceable future. Give her a chance, she was bounced into the position straight out of kinder garten because Labour haven't any decent candidates either. She has a lot to learn. Peter is right though, she looks so good, so that's all right then.
ReplyDeleteKinder Garten? I thought she was close to 30, though I guess that is almost a child compared to some of the oldie but mouldies at TDC!
DeleteThe blue rinse lot are past it and only take up seats to top up their pensions. Old bigots that hate the young (or younger than them) and Gays... they still live in the 50's
DeletePoor old Ian Gregory having the same name as someone with a criminal caution on his record.. might cost him his seat! They should re-name the party 'Thanet Drunks and Anti-Gay Cat Party'
ReplyDeleteI do not wish to over react. But some of the over excited anonymice that are slinging slurs on here would do well to bear in mind the current actions taken by Lord McAlpine.
ReplyDeletePosting as 'anonymous' does not render a blogger untraceable; and neither can comments be deleted. But then we all knew that already.
Has McAlpine taken actions yet then ? I thought that required compliance with pre-action protocol in which the respondents get to ask questions of him which, to continue, he is obliged to answer. Perhaps with a possible view to a fair comment defence even.
ReplyDeleteSmartarse, 12:41, don't you think his lawyers know the form or maybe he should have engaged you?
Deleteanonymous @ 12:41,
DeleteHis lawyers have, for example, sent a 15 page letter to ITV. Does this answer your question?
With this in mind, perhaps you should not be so free with innuendos such as, "fair comment defence even". You use of the word 'even' is gratuitous and could be taken by some as casting doubt on his innocence.
Michael,
ReplyDeleteHave you tried the 'Greedy Cow' cafe in Margate old town. It is excellent value.
Have the councillors and civil servants done a good job for Thanet? Much of it seems derelict regardless of who is in power? Why? Are they incompetent? Lazy? Thieves? Other councils aren't this bad. Is it the public's fault?
ReplyDeleteThere is a proposal with Ministers that all District Councils should be abolished.
Delete