Joyce, whilst Martin and I are not bosom buddies and don't always agree on everything, I do feel very sympathetic towards him for all the abuse he has suffered. However I understand that many have suggested to Martin that he cuts all communication with me and he has had the strength of character to ignore that advice.
If Councillors want to tell Martin what he can and can't blog they will find they are making the situation infinitely worse. He feels that his lifestyle had been unnecessarily condemned and, although I believe you were merely the chosen messenger, it was perhaps unwise to tell him that it was inappropriate to put his birthday celebration on his blog.
Free speech and democracy appear to have bypassed Oakham and it is time that we all embraced the modern world. To paraphrase Oliver Cromwell: The Town Council have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately.
My own view is that you do work hard and effectively and for that I admire you.
But this rump of a Town Council have lost touch with reality and frankly they do little if any real good. The behaviour of Mr Beech, pointedly trying to embarass Martin at every Council meeting, should not be tolerated. The ex-Mayor, Paul Beech, is insidiously, tendentiously and unnecessarily insulting and it is clear that many of his comments are directed toward Martin. It is also perplexing that Mr Beech's outbursts are so frequently heard without comment or condemnation in Council meetings. The three ex-Councillors and their friends were twittering or texting throughout the last Council meeting and handing one another scraps of paper, presumably notes and making comments. They then left in such a fashion that they were clearly wanting to be seen to be making a fuss. Why is this behaviour acceptable? I do wonder what sort of hold Mr Beech and his entourage of six have over current, more reasonable Councillors. After all the three Councillors who resigned did so because they could not work with Martin, yet all three turned up to the Council meeting to make his life difficult.
The fact that Martin is being prevented from holding a surgery inside Victoria Hall should make all Town Councillors hang their heads in shame.
I do hope you and Martin can develop a good and productive working relationship in the future, after all your heart does lead you to serve Oakham well and effectively and the miles you walk in serving Oakham are invaluable.
