Month: June 2011

Wirral Council – Wirral Council 23rd May 2011 – Part 17 – speech (Cllr Steve Foulkes) on Conservative amendments to committee places

Cllr Foulkes said that as the new leader that the Conservatives could put proposals which they would “be here all night over”. The Chair was not likely to use their casting vote. If Jeff Green entrusted the leadership and executive this was churlish. Anything referred from the Employment and Appointments Committee would go back to … Continue reading “Wirral Council – Wirral Council 23rd May 2011 – Part 17 – speech (Cllr Steve Foulkes) on Conservative amendments to committee places”

Cllr Foulkes said that as the new leader that the Conservatives could put proposals which they would “be here all night over”. The Chair was not likely to use their casting vote. If Jeff Green entrusted the leadership and executive this was churlish. Anything referred from the Employment and Appointments Committee would go back to the Executive and it would make initial difficulties.

In relation to the Audit and Risk Management committee there were high levels of training and it acted independently. However things were “not set in tablets of stone”. Cllr Harney said he would like to say a few words. He wanted to discuss these serious issues and what the real intentions were. Was it to be constructive and work together or be a kamikaze? He was not seeking to unbalance things by a positive abstention. They still had the power to change the committee structure and the leadership. His Group [of Lib Dem councillors] would abstain but be open if there were problems. If there were the leader would be asked to take it or leave it, however it was a new ballgame.

Cllr Green proposed the motion, seconded by Cllr Rennie. 26 Conservative councillors voted for, 30 Labour councillors against and 9 Lib Dem councillor abstained so the motion was lost.

The original Labour motion (proposed by Cllr Foulkes, seconded by Cllr Davies) was put to the vote. Thirty Labour councillors voted for, 26 Conservative councillors against and 9 Lib Dem councillors abstained.

Cllr Foulkes said he would provide the other names of Cabinet members later.

Cllr Green asked how can they plan committees when the papers have not yet gone out? How could new members give proper consideration and not risk maladministration?

Liberal Democrat Federal Conference Arrangements – Outrage at FCC’s agreement to increased security

Liberal Democrat Federal Conference Arrangements – Outrage at FCC’s agreement to increased security

                                             

I feel very, very strongly about the illiberal arrangements made between the Federal Conference Committee and the police regarding the party’s Federal Conference in Birmingham in September.

Many, many members have expressed their outrage online as to what they see as a) a breach of Conference Standing Order 6.2 (which can be read on the party’s website here and the illiberal increased security arrangements which include:-

a) a new passport photo by all going to this conference that meets passport requirements. Previously the same photo was used for up to 3 years
b) the insistence on one of passport number (if a person holds British and Irish then both), NI number or driving licence number
c) 3 year address history
d) Date joined the party (for people who have been party members for a decade or more how are you supposed to answer the specific day you joined?)

Greater Manchester Police are then going to check this all against photos held by the Passport Agency and check conference goers say they live where they live. I now quote from a document agreed (by all but one) of the party’s Federal Conference Committee marked confidential.

"Greater Manchester Police will then check whether they believe the person to be a security threat to conference. If they do they will pass this information onto West Midlands Police. West Midlands Police will then decide whether they are a risk, if they recommend they are barred from conference this will be referred to Andrew Wiseman (Chair of the Federal Conference Committee) and Lucy. The final decision will be made by Andrew, Chris Fox, David Allworthy and Lucy. If appropriate a senior SpAd (special adviser) from Nick’s office (who has the highest level of security clearance) will provide advice."

And "To put this into perspective at last year’s Conservative party conference 3 members ‘failed’ (they have considerably more members attend than we do)."

In addition "The police will run a full accreditation process at conference. This will be available for day visitors and those that registered to late for them to compete the accreditation process. There will also be the opportunity to ‘interview’ those attendees who were not able to provide ample evidence of their identity prior to conference eg foreign nationals."

The latter sounds racist to me. There are many, many, members that feel extremely strongly and angry about this and feel it breaches Conference Standing Order 6.2 (part of the party’s constitution) which is copied below.

6.2 deals with exclusions from conference

6.2 Appeals against exclusion from conference

Any person excluded from conference by a decision of the Chief Steward shall have the right of appeal to the Committee at the next of its regular meetings. The exclusion shall remain in force pending the appeal. If the person who is excluded is a voting member of conference, their local party or SAO shall be contacted immediately and invited to appoint a substitute for the remainder of the conference.

So, should the Lib Dems agree to all conference goers photos being checked by police against passport records and the final decision over whether to admit someone not being taken by the Chief Steward (as the conference standing order states), but the FCC Chair, Chief Executive Chris Fox, Lucy and David Allworthy (who Cllr Williams’ last Friday cited the advice of giving her "no choice" than to propose a motion suspending me as a party member?

The panjandrums clearly underestimated how well this would be stomached by the grass roots of the party who are in open revolt whether that’s the Northern Ireland Lib Dems, a well respected blogger or the unusually high 151 comments left when the Chair of Federal Conference Committee Andrew Wiseman wrote about the increased requirements on Lib Dem Voice.

Another member puts it extremely well in a letter here.

Certainly standing order 6.2 needs changing if the above is ever implemented. Is this all to stop the next Walter Wolfgang heckler?

Lib Dem Voice award

Lib Dem Voice award

                                      

Well, this blog has received a Lib Dem Voice “Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen” award for the last post about the Birkenhead Liberal Democrat Constituency Executive voting to suspend me from the Birkenhead Liberal Democrat Party.

There’s a certain irony about receiving an award from a Lib Dem members’ association for blogging about being suspended from the local Lib Dem party.

Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice

Birkenhead Liberal Democrat Party Constituency Executive Suspends John Brace

Birkenhead Liberal Democrat Party Constituency Executive Suspends John Brace

                                         

Well, I’ve been suspended from the Birkenhead Liberal Democrat Party following a complaint by Simon Holbrook and Cllr Bridson which centers on two reasons I should be suspended from the party:-

a) disability
b) opening my mouth on the Wirral Globe website in May which led to Cllr Bridson and Simon Holbrook having to "rewrite history" and Simon Holbrook and Cllr Bridson lying to the party in June.

The party didn’t consider it bad enough to chuck me out and reinstated my membership on 6th September 2011. Although they can’t go against Simon Holbrook and a Lib Dem councillor I was removed from all elected party positions within the Lib Dems, barred from holding any position in the Lib Dems for 5 years and barred from being a candidate for the party for five years.

The decision was appealed but nearly three months later nothing has happened since the appeal was received… which isn’t surprising to me, as the resignation of Chris Fox, the Liberal Democrat Chief Executive on September 6th was a way of scapegoating him.

Half of the complaint had to be thrown out due to “lack of evidence”.

The evidence was fabricated for the rest of the complaint, so the complaint was upheld based on fabricated evidence. Mind you the disciplinary panel had had a lot of alcohol to drink by the time they made the decision.

I can’t say much more than that (obviously) as contrary to the complaints procedure I haven’t been provided with a copy of the complaint.

Having written that, if he is concentrating on his career in the Environment Agency he’s showing a funny way of doing it!

We will see what happens when the dust settles. There’ll be a day in court (and a disciplinary meeting sometime in the next 14 weeks) and I’ll write about it here.

It is however quite sad when political parties can’t work together. It seems to be in relation to a comment I left on the Wirral Globe website here.

P.S. Due to the way the party is set up I still remain a member of the Liberal Democrat Party.

UPDATE: 30th October. On 6th September 2011, the disciplinary panel didn’t fully uphold either of the complaints made about me by Cllr Bridson & Simon Holbrook. The second thing I was accused of was impossible, the first was done by someone else.

However, I was accused of being three different people (yes three different people and last time I checked I didn’t have three heads). One was Martin Morton, the second was myself, the third was a person called Hugo.

As the councillor on the disciplinary panel put it in an email to me afterwards, Cllr Steve Foulkes was a Lib Dem party member [which he is incorrect about], and that this was why I should be punished by the Lib Dems.

The disciplinary panel decision has been however appealed and I await the outcome of that Appeals Panel.

It has however shown me the sheer levels of prejudice that exist in people’s hearts towards me on grounds of age, ethnic minority, gender and other “protected characteristics”. I will write more as things unfold and maybe I’ve outgrown the Lib Dems.

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