It's Been A Bad Day For The Leadership of Oakham Town Council They have been badgered by a few Cottesmore Hunt Supporters
So much so our Mayor Councillor Alf Dewis emails me to vent his frustration and accuse
me of causing the council embarrassment, because I blogged the result of two votes
held at a public meeting.
It is a fact members of the public posted the results on various pages on Facebook long
before I blogged the news. I forgot I should have exercised my legal right to Tweet
the information from the meeting.
It is a fact unless Oakham Town Council old guard can't stage manage something they
don't like it.
Our Deputy Mayor Adam Lowe has taken to the airwaves all day to campaign on behalf
of the Hunt Supporters. Not something one would expect from our nominated press spokes
person.
When I politely questioned him about this he threaten's me with the police suggesting
I am harassing him.
Of course I don't think Leicestershire Police will again involve themselves in local
politics but it is a worry knowing at least one of their senior officers is a Tory and
a member of another local hunt.
Cllr Lowe was given a special slot on the Radio this afternoon I hope Rutland
Radio are going to give the same amount of time to the anti hunt groups.
Emails received from Oakham Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis
Suggesting I should not report on council business until it suits the Council
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2015 at 3:27 PM
From: "Alf Dewis"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Subject: RE: Communication
Martin
As you know I do not read your blog but I have just been informed that you blogged last night's decision about the Hunt and the CCTV pole before the Council were able to notify either party of that decision. If this is correct you have caused considerable embarrassment to the Council. Although it was a public meeting which members of the Hunt and Council could have attended and heard the decision for themselves , they did not. So they have now heard the news from a third party (you) rather than from the Council. I hope that in future you will consider this and rather than going 'straight to press' you allow the Council time to correspond.
Regards
Alf
Martin
When I write solely to you why do cc to all? I'm afraid that you cannot wriggle out of this one. The press have only attended once or twice since I became a councillor in 2009 and you very obviously aware that they were not in attendance last night. Therefore you should have been aware of what you were doing and the implications and fall out that the Council would receive. It has been said to me that you are only on the Council to furnish information for your blog which I have refused to believe.
Please confirm this is not true.
Regards
Alf
My Comment what a plonker our Mayor is The old guard at OTC would like to go back
in time to when the public were not permitted to enter meeting pre 1970's and anything
released to the public was carefully controlled.
So much so our Mayor Councillor Alf Dewis emails me to vent his frustration and accuse
me of causing the council embarrassment, because I blogged the result of two votes
held at a public meeting.
It is a fact members of the public posted the results on various pages on Facebook long
before I blogged the news. I forgot I should have exercised my legal right to Tweet
the information from the meeting.
It is a fact unless Oakham Town Council old guard can't stage manage something they
don't like it.
Our Deputy Mayor Adam Lowe has taken to the airwaves all day to campaign on behalf
of the Hunt Supporters. Not something one would expect from our nominated press spokes
person.
When I politely questioned him about this he threaten's me with the police suggesting
I am harassing him.
Of course I don't think Leicestershire Police will again involve themselves in local
politics but it is a worry knowing at least one of their senior officers is a Tory and
a member of another local hunt.
Cllr Lowe was given a special slot on the Radio this afternoon I hope Rutland
Radio are going to give the same amount of time to the anti hunt groups.
Emails received from Oakham Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis
Suggesting I should not report on council business until it suits the Council
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2015 at 3:27 PM
From: "Alf Dewis"
To: "Martin Brookes"
Subject: RE: Communication
Martin
As you know I do not read your blog but I have just been informed that you blogged last night's decision about the Hunt and the CCTV pole before the Council were able to notify either party of that decision. If this is correct you have caused considerable embarrassment to the Council. Although it was a public meeting which members of the Hunt and Council could have attended and heard the decision for themselves , they did not. So they have now heard the news from a third party (you) rather than from the Council. I hope that in future you will consider this and rather than going 'straight to press' you allow the Council time to correspond.
Regards
Alf
Martin
When I write solely to you why do cc to all? I'm afraid that you cannot wriggle out of this one. The press have only attended once or twice since I became a councillor in 2009 and you very obviously aware that they were not in attendance last night. Therefore you should have been aware of what you were doing and the implications and fall out that the Council would receive. It has been said to me that you are only on the Council to furnish information for your blog which I have refused to believe.
Please confirm this is not true.
Regards
Alf
My Comment what a plonker our Mayor is The old guard at OTC would like to go back
in time to when the public were not permitted to enter meeting pre 1970's and anything
released to the public was carefully controlled.
