This week sees a extra Oakham Town Council meeting, The meeting is to mainly discuss the Town Clerk going off sick and accusing me of being a bully!
At the meeting I have asked a total of 17 questions of the council. It may seem a bit strange to some but this is the only way I can communicate with other Councillors. Nearly all Oakham Town Councillors ignore me, this includes the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, this is why I have taken to using my private blog to expose this childish bullying behaviour of Oakham Town Councillors.
Now the Town Clerk has accused me of bullying the have appointed one councillor to speak to me. I have chosen not to meet with this councillor because he is the only one who has not been a bully. The Town Council is worried about the implications of the Town Clerk going of sick, So they should be. They have bullied him along with some former members to get rid of me from the first day I was elected. His words before the first meeting I attended Mr Beech has just visited me and asked what are you going to do to get rid of him. The Deputy Chairman said I should expect a frosty welcome she was not wrong. One had previously resigned and two more walked out.
Oakham Town Council Additional Members Questions for Wednesday's Councillors Question, submitted within within 24 hrs as required.
Cllr Joyce Lucas forgot to mention all her Bank Holiday activity in her last email.
1. Why was Councillor Lucas in the Council office Monday morning unsupervised?
2. Why does Councillor Lucas have a key to gain unsupervised access to the office?
3. Was Councillor Lucas covering tracks for Richard White or anyone else before the external or delayed internal audit?
4. Why was the lock fitted to the internal office door?
5. How much did the lock and fitting cost the tax payer?
6. Who authorised this expenditure? the cost of fitting a mortise lock is not petty cash.
7. Why am I as a Councillor not permitted into the office unsupervised?
8. Can I have a key?
9. Why do Oakham Town Council continue to exclude me, is it because I am gay?
10. I Have made numerous requests to be included in the official launch of the play equipment at Royce Recreation Ground. This site is within the ward I serve. Why have I been ignored?
From
Cllr Martin Brookes
below is a comment from a member of the public:
Martin - The Town Council do not seem able to accurately record what they have said to you in the past, so perhaps attending a private meeting, in camera, is as you imply not too clever. It seems that those at the meeting say one thing and then deny it.
I really don't know why Oakham parish Council have pre-meeting meetings. Many members of the parish Council appear to be card carrying Conservatives, although they may profess to be Independent.
The reason pre-meeting meetings are held in other Councils is to ensure that the Party members are singing from the same hymn sheet when dividing on Party lines. Since Oakham Councillors claim to be Independent they should exercise that independence by saying what they would like to say in front of the public.
The latest trend to send everything to you marked 'Private and Confidential' is a betrayal of democracy, transparency and accountability.
You would be an idiot to go into a meeting in private without any witnesses to what was being said. However I think you know and understand that, so you are clearly not going to fall for this ruse to discuss the Clerk's spurious bullying complaints against you.
When I have visited the Clerk in the past he has defended Council members rights to remain anonymous when they have bullied you and Jo Goodliffe on the Chat Forum. I do think your question (above) - if answered properly - will get to the bottom of who, if anyone, on the Council has conducted a long term, protracted and tasteless vendetta against you and Jo.
If the Clerk is implicated I hope he is able to do the honourable thing. You have a right under Freedom of Information legislation to know what has been said and written about you over the extended period in which you have been mercilessly bullied.
This private meeting may have been called to dissuade you from pursuing your questions on the basis that to continue to demand this information is tantamount to bullying. Unfortunately for the Town Clerk, pursuing one's rights under the Freedom of Information Act certainly is not bullying.
I do hope he gets well soon and is able to furnish you with the information you require. Being asked to do one's job properly will not be seen as being 'bullied.' You on the other hand have faced a conspiracy of bullies and need to pursue your question in order to bring an end to the unacceptable behaviour which you have experienced over many years.
