Three Independent Councillors to join UKIP
As three very experienced and long serving Independent Councillors on Rutland County Council we have decided to join the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) forthwith.
Councillor Richard Gale, a businessman and now farmer, is one of the longest serving Councillors on Rutland Council, having served for 18 years.
Councillor David Richardson, an ex-serving RAF Officer and fighter pilot, has been a Councillor for 10 years.
Councillor Nick Wainwright, a Building Project Manager who has overseen such projects as the build of the British Embassy in Moscow, has been a Councillor for 6 years; formerly a member of the Conservative Cabinet before becoming disillusioned with the way in which the Conservatives were running Rutland Council in the pretence of Conservatism.
In May 2011 we all stood in the election as Independents on a platform of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency along with upholding the fundamental principles of democracy, believing we should always be accountable to the electorate and were there only to serve them.
We formed an Independent Political Group on the Council, under the name of the Rutland Anti-Corruption Group, to make it quite clear where we stood. Having grave concerns in the way Rutland Council was being run, the Group asked a number of questions in line with our duty and responsibility as Councillors, especially given the number of major multi-million pound land deals; asset disposals; suspect planning approvals and the squandering of millions of pounds of grant funding. Instead of answers we found ourselves being blocked from receiving the very basic information we are entitled to as Councillors. As a consequence, with a growing suspicion and concern of serious fraud and corruption, this was duly reported to all appropriate authorities, including Mr Pickles Office. Nothing was done except prevarication and a determination to ignore the basic facts and interpret law to suit. As we pressed for due diligence and proper investigation, we found instead ourselves to be on the receiving end of accusations and a co-ordinated attack to now do nothing more than denigrate us. A law firm, Bevan-Brittan, being employed at public expense to investigate us; a Kangaroo Court; vilification by our Local Conservative MP; along with suggestions that we had harassed Officers merely for doing nothing more than ask questions in line with our duty; being placed on a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) restricting us from communicating with the public and Council; finally a Police enquiry against us on the grounds we had supposedly harassed the ############. It was, in fact, ourselves being harassed for doing nothing more than asking straightforward and reasonable questions. We are, however, determined to see democracy upheld and the truth revealed and will not be intimidated by such actions.
Having endured all of this, trying to do the best for a Country we love and are proud, a Country we believed upheld the principles of democracy, we came to recognise that as Independent Councillors we are not afforded the protection of a Political Party, this has allowed this Conservative Council to do nothing more than pillory us, whilst running a Council to suit their own end rather than that of the public.
We therefore decided to join UKIP to afford some protection and to have a Political Party supporting us in our endeavours to do nothing more than reveal the truth. The current misuse and misappropriation of public money is an utter disgrace.
UKIP was the obvious choice, as they supported the same ideals as ourselves; those of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency, along with upholding the fundamental principles of democracy. UKIP also does not impose a whip, thus allowing Councillors to exercise their own judgement and vote in line with the wishes of their electorate.
We believe, as does UKIP, that Local Government has to be returned to the people and must no longer rest with the bureaucrats, working too closely with Council Leaderships, bureaucrats who do nothing but use the tools of burdensome bureaucracy, created by them, to suit nothing more than their own agendas and interests and most certainly not those of the people.
http://www.4rutland.com/ukip-statement
As three very experienced and long serving Independent Councillors on Rutland County Council we have decided to join the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) forthwith.
Councillor Richard Gale, a businessman and now farmer, is one of the longest serving Councillors on Rutland Council, having served for 18 years.
Councillor David Richardson, an ex-serving RAF Officer and fighter pilot, has been a Councillor for 10 years.
Councillor Nick Wainwright, a Building Project Manager who has overseen such projects as the build of the British Embassy in Moscow, has been a Councillor for 6 years; formerly a member of the Conservative Cabinet before becoming disillusioned with the way in which the Conservatives were running Rutland Council in the pretence of Conservatism.
In May 2011 we all stood in the election as Independents on a platform of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency along with upholding the fundamental principles of democracy, believing we should always be accountable to the electorate and were there only to serve them.
We formed an Independent Political Group on the Council, under the name of the Rutland Anti-Corruption Group, to make it quite clear where we stood. Having grave concerns in the way Rutland Council was being run, the Group asked a number of questions in line with our duty and responsibility as Councillors, especially given the number of major multi-million pound land deals; asset disposals; suspect planning approvals and the squandering of millions of pounds of grant funding. Instead of answers we found ourselves being blocked from receiving the very basic information we are entitled to as Councillors. As a consequence, with a growing suspicion and concern of serious fraud and corruption, this was duly reported to all appropriate authorities, including Mr Pickles Office. Nothing was done except prevarication and a determination to ignore the basic facts and interpret law to suit. As we pressed for due diligence and proper investigation, we found instead ourselves to be on the receiving end of accusations and a co-ordinated attack to now do nothing more than denigrate us. A law firm, Bevan-Brittan, being employed at public expense to investigate us; a Kangaroo Court; vilification by our Local Conservative MP; along with suggestions that we had harassed Officers merely for doing nothing more than ask questions in line with our duty; being placed on a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) restricting us from communicating with the public and Council; finally a Police enquiry against us on the grounds we had supposedly harassed the ############. It was, in fact, ourselves being harassed for doing nothing more than asking straightforward and reasonable questions. We are, however, determined to see democracy upheld and the truth revealed and will not be intimidated by such actions.
Having endured all of this, trying to do the best for a Country we love and are proud, a Country we believed upheld the principles of democracy, we came to recognise that as Independent Councillors we are not afforded the protection of a Political Party, this has allowed this Conservative Council to do nothing more than pillory us, whilst running a Council to suit their own end rather than that of the public.
We therefore decided to join UKIP to afford some protection and to have a Political Party supporting us in our endeavours to do nothing more than reveal the truth. The current misuse and misappropriation of public money is an utter disgrace.
UKIP was the obvious choice, as they supported the same ideals as ourselves; those of honesty, integrity, openness and transparency, along with upholding the fundamental principles of democracy. UKIP also does not impose a whip, thus allowing Councillors to exercise their own judgement and vote in line with the wishes of their electorate.
We believe, as does UKIP, that Local Government has to be returned to the people and must no longer rest with the bureaucrats, working too closely with Council Leaderships, bureaucrats who do nothing but use the tools of burdensome bureaucracy, created by them, to suit nothing more than their own agendas and interests and most certainly not those of the people.
http://www.4rutland.com/ukip-statement
