Fysh calls for special measures
Yesterday the Draft Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022 was debated in Parliament in committee. This rather wordy title, is the document that will create a unitary “Somerset Council”. It is not a council for the whole of Somerset, and excludes both North Somerset and BANES. The latter two are already unitary authorities.
The debate should have been a brief affair to nod the thing through. But there was of course plenty of opportunity for political point scoring. Opposition MPs made regular references to the referendum conducted by the district councils or Somerset. The outcome of which was indeed ignored by the Minister. Partly because he had told them not to conduct it. Partly because only one side took part in it.
MP for Yeovil Marcus Fysh waxed lyrical about South Somerset District Council (SSDC). He mentioned the jailing of former council leader Ric Pallister. He noted that SSDC is “currently also under investigation for endemic and widespread corruption.” No doubt it was pressure of time that caused him to omit any reference to The Leveller’s work in exposing this. Without which the MP would have been unaware of the extent of the corruption, cover up and investigations.
However the most extraordinary part of his tirade was this. “I wonder what the Minister can say about whether she will, for this period, which is so important in making the transition to a proper integrated unitary council, put the Lib Dem South Somerset administration—today—into special measures.”
In fact The Leveller® investigation into SSDC is already in the hands of Michael Gove. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is well aware of what has been happening. If SSDC is to be put into special measures, he will be the one to make it happen. Meanwhile in Committee Kemi Badenoch Minister for Levelling Up Communities was having none of it. “My hon. Friend specifically asked about putting Lib Dem South Somerset into special measures. I cannot do that in the SI debate, but I will update him about some of the issues that he has referred to. I am sure I can get officials to write to him to provide additional information.”
“Yesterday the Draft Somerset (Structural Changes) Order 2022 was debated in Parliament in committee. This rather wordy title, is the document that will create a unitary “Somerset Council”. It is not a council for the whole of Somerset, and excludes both North Somerset and BANES. The latter two are already unitary authorities MP for Yeovil Marcus Fysh waxed lyrical about South Somerset District Council (SSDC). He mentioned the jailing of former council leader Ric Pallister. He noted that SSDC is “currently also under investigation for endemic and widespread corruption.” No doubt it was pressure of time that caused him to omit any reference to The Leveller’s work in exposing this. Without which the MP would have been unaware of the extent of the corruption, cover up and investigations”.
Local Government Elections May 2022, many a ‘challenge’ & opportunity presented by Somerset Unitary, notwithstanding the ‘balkanisation’ of Somerset, pace North Somerset & B & NE Somerset and the ‘absurdity’ of WECA? Those ‘nominees’ need an over-arching ‘strategic-vision’? I do trust CPRE an ‘integral-consultee’ pace Jenrick, of Tower Hamlets imbroglio? It’s my ‘witness’ (first three quadrennials of MDC) increasingly the ‘disregard’ of parish councils.
We rely on those ‘elected’ members charged with a ‘huge-responsibly’ with ‘de riguer’ to rise above the ‘mundane’ shenanigans currently witnessed and articulate’ the ‘raison detre’ of this ‘historic’ Shire County ‘coterminous’ prior’ to LG Reform 1974, with the diocese of Bath & Wells, at which on Whitehall ‘dictat’ the wanton ‘abolition’ the ‘municipality’ of City & County of Bristol & ‘Shire’ County of Somerset, destroyed on the wilful ‘altar’ of ‘arcane’ party-politics; both having served the ‘electorate’ pace two ‘world-wars’ with distinction and honour.*
C B Fawcett, Professor of Geography, Newcastle University, who did all the basic work & drew up boundaries for Bristol’ Province’ decades ago; therein what should be the ‘vision’ for WECA/Somerset Unitary/City & County of Bristol, the latter by its history, the ‘administrative’ capital? Nonagenarian, Sir Ray Tindle, whose 220 titles from the Abergavenny Chronicle to the Cowbridge Gem, in a valedictory message asserted “Local news in depth is what people need” supported by someone at the opposite end of the media food chain, Sir Martin Sorrell former head of the world’s biggest advertising company, advocating advertiser should keep ‘faith’ with newspapers. We’re witness to the ‘demise’ of our century’ local newspapers, wilfully ‘castrated’ to the ‘false’ panacea of everything ‘digita’. An irony not lost on the writer when the ‘lamented’ Reg Dickenson retired from the Bristol publications, he became a ‘consultant’ to Sir Ray Tindle’s group and looked after his ‘titles’ in the West Country; whither his successors?
The writer a ‘special-interest’ in Yeovil Constituency, sometime PPC, having ‘ploughed the ‘furrow’ for the ‘incumbent’ MP
https://onesomerset.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/PwC-Stronger-Somerset-Review.pdf
“Ich Dien”!
GEL
*Civil parishes in their modern form came into being through the Local Government Act 1894, which established elected parish councils to take on the secular functions of the parish vestry.
**Burning the Books: Richard Oveden: ISBN 978 0 67421 206
Greater Bristol: Lesser Columbus: WDP: “Chapter 1V ‘On Ink Spilling’ (1885)