COUNCILLOR "OUT TO GET WORROW & BREAK HIM" - SAYS STANDARDS INSIDER
At the Council meeting last night I said that the Standards regime was being corrupted and abused by politicians hell bent on destroying opponents and settling personal scores. Some members of the Council, hurled abuse and vitriol at me for having the gall to say this. Well lo and behold less than 24 hours after making this statement I have been passed a copy of an e-mail which was copied to an extremely senior Thanet Council officer. I believe the e-mail to be from someone closely connected with the Thanet Council standards regime to another person closely connected to the Thanet Council Standards regime . The e-mail explains that the author was told in February this year, by someone who is now a very prominent UKIP councillor that he is "OUT TO GET WORROW" and intends to "BREAK HIM".
Here is a copy of that e-mail which for obvious reason I have redacted. I am appalled but sadly not surprised by the content of this e-mail. Politics in Thanet is a lot more than disagreements in the Council Chamber. It gets very nasty and very personal and can have a major impact on people's private and family lives. This has happened to me as well.
Is it any wonder that many people believe Thanet Councillors are dysfunctional bullies. I think this e-mail proves this beyond doubt.
Hi ....
It was nice to see you on Thursday evening, and fascinating to see how Council failed
to engage with the large number
of Notices of Motion and questions before
it.
During the evening, I was sitting in the public gallery
behind a (senior UKIP
Councillor), who took to the habit of passing
me notes regarding Cllr Worrow and the various NoMs. I thought nothing of it . I understand that he recognised Peter , next to whom I was seated. However,
at the end of the meeting, he informed me that he "is out to get Worrow”
and to "break him”•
I have no idea what he means by this, but Peter suggested that I should let you know about the conversation.
I hope that
it means little
and that it amounts to nothing more than political posturing. See you soon.
Kind regards
Ian, I am rather confused by this for your refer to a Senior UKIP councillor using their influence with a very senior Thanet Council Officer to some how harm Councillor Worrow and that transpired from an over heard conversation, and notes, back in February. Well in February last were there any senior UKIP councillors on TDC or even at county hall? Unless I have missed something somewhere, the only UKIP councillor on TDC is a lady from Broadstairs who defected from the Conservatives a while back. I doubt that she has much of an axe to grind with John Worrow.
ReplyDeleteThen the evidence for this accusation is pretty old now, is very much hearsay and does not appear to have provoked much reaction within the Standards Committee itself.
The senior ukipper spoke directly to a witness, you really do need to READ councillor Epps
DeleteSo the evidence for your shock/horror story is a copy of an email which may or may not have been sent by someone you "believe" may be connected with the Standards Committee, involving an unnamed councillor, referring to a conversation that may or may not have taken place. You really do skate on dangerously thin ice.
ReplyDeleteAnon I have the original e-mails. I know the identity of the UKIP councillor but for obvious reason will not reveal this information, but others tell me they will reveal this information soon. I know who the e-mail was sent to and I know who the senior council officer was to whom the email was copied. I am sure this will all become apparent soon. Then you will know just how morally repugnant some of our councillors can be.
DeleteSadly, it is not uncommon for Epps to be confused. Typical of councillors in Thanet, he refuses to acknowledge or listen to the evidence put before him and continues to play his silly party political games. It's all hearsay, councillor Epps, until it turns out to be true, as Ezekiel will confirm.
ReplyDeleteI bet this is just the tip of the ice berg. Well done Ian
ReplyDeleteWilliam Epps needs to learn how to read properly
ReplyDeleteMust Cllr Epps comment on every blog and almost every post? We know his views and they are a mix of stupidity and Tory propaganda. Can he not be quiet?
ReplyDeleteMy dear Anon 5:49, for you to know I comment on every blog you must follow me around. Now that sounds obsessional so is it my fine Barnett or possible my Saxon blue eyes. Whatever, your adoration is appreciated although you seem to have my comments rather misconstrued. As a Conservative nothing would please me more than to have a senior local UKIP councillor embroiled in some unseemly witch hunt, but I was merely querying the authenticity of this allegation. Hardly Tory propaganda is it though, in your case, if I said Ed Milliband would make a promising prime minster, you would construe it as such.
DeleteOn thread, that Ian has said "all will be revealed" will suffice for now and I await the breaking news with bated breath.
Thank you, Ian, good to see democracy in action.
DeleteThings always backfire on bullies
ReplyDeletePeter. Simon is not evil
DeleteI am not a lover of Simon, but he is NOT the councillor who wants to BREAK WORROW... Simon is not evil
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DeleteThe comment about Jodie Hibbert was posted by an ill informed anonymous who did not even know that Jodie is a female. I regularly get branded stupid, senile, demented and a waste of tax payers money by anonymous commentators, particularly on Thanetonline and Eastcliff Richards blogs, but I do not blame Michael or Richard for it. It is the form it would seem in Thanet blogging and there was one such comment above with Ian graciously allowed me to respond to. I did not ask him to delete it, but just to give me the right to reply.
DeleteAs for Simon Moores, well he is not alone in thinking Will Scobie has been rather fast tracked through the council ranks to PPC when he really has little by way of experience to offer. That said, ultimately it is up to the South Thanet electorate to decide and the next general election is too far in the future to predict outcomes at this stage. Again with Jodie Hibbert, there are many, not just Simon Moores, who have noted her absence from her ward and, as a fellow councillor in the same ward and, as such, a likely competitor at the next election, it is not unreasonable for Simon to point this out. Perhaps Labour on their blog should be trumpeting her achievements as a councillor.
I do agree with Ian, in principle though, that Thanet politics needs cleaning up, but I would tend to target the behind close doors brigade as opposed to those like Ian and Simon who are prepared to bring it out into the open and suffer the attacks and abuse that goes with that.
Peter is right. A lot of the bad feelings at Thanet council start from Cllr Simon Moores (Con) blog but his leader doesnt care
DeleteAnon 22:14, there are 50 years between 20 and 70 when people can be experienced and have something to offer. It really does not fall down to a choice between school leavers and OAPs for our political representatives. Perhaps locally, Ian Driver and Simon Moores are good examples of people who have been around, seen a bit of life and its problems, but still have plenty to give.
DeletePeter, I am not in denial and probably more able to accept the realities of political life than you in many ways. Jodie you see as an attractive young woman, but, having taken public office, she will be judged by her performance rather than her looks. At the moment she stands accused of neglecting her ward. It is something she needs to take on board and address if she wants to be taken seriously in her councillor role.
Peter, so would you prefer Will Scobie representing you to Larua?
DeleteIf councillor William Epps spent half as much time working for the people of Broadstairs, as he does talking about William Scobie and Jodie, he might actually achieve something positive
DeleteDefine performing really well. Since when was Jodie running for parliament?
DeleteWas the councillor in the gallery an election candidate at the time? All male Ukip councillors would have been candidates then hence why he was in the public area?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the identity of the UKIP candidate is much of a secret. There's only one I can think of who has fallen out with Worrow.
ReplyDeleteThe description used was senior UKIP councillor, not candidate. The question remains, was there one last February?
DeleteREDACTIONS were made for legal reasons... your points are not relevant just petty
DeleteHow would someone go about trying to "BREAK" someone without getting their own hands dirty?
ReplyDelete11.11 are you sure that there is not another Ukip candidate today after Worrow's ward seat? ...
ReplyDeleteNo, but the alleged UKIP Senior councillor was back last February, not a candidate for 2015.
DeleteWe all know that you plonker, but he is now. The word (councillor)replaced his (name)
Delete11:47 keep up, the name was removed. At least it was on Ian's copy of this first document
ReplyDelete13:18 your problems are getting worse. It is not about a name but the fact that last February there were no senior UKIP councillors in Thanet. There was one lady district councillor who switched from Tory to UKIP and a number of UKIP County councillors who were elected in the May of this year, but, in February last, none. Has that sunk in OK?
DeleteYou really are dim. The title the person held then is not relevant. Ian replaced ( his name) with his (current title).... you must be a councillor
Delete14:10 you are trying to split hairs over what title the person held in February. This does not change the fact that his name was mentioned in the master decument, not the word candidate or councillor
ReplyDeletePerhaps it might clarify the situation if I was to say that the person referred to in the e-mail is currently a senior UKIP councillor
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ian, in other words they were not a councillor of any shade at the time but have subsequently been elected in the May county council elections.
DeleteWould he represent Thanet villages?
DeleteHe would probably represent a district ward, if there was a by- election ???
DeletePerhaps the soon to be UKIP cllr was also responsible back in February for this nastiness. Although I wasn't sure that some UKIP members could read or write particularly well:perhaps rude notes and threats are al they are up to.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-21404303
some interesting comments about alleged dodgy dealing at St Nicholas at Wade Parish Council Don't want to be sued so cant publish sorry. wish you luck in exposing the dodgy ones
ReplyDeleteMinor point of law Ian. You can't be sued if the story is true. Provided you stick to publishing the facts there's not a damn thing anybody can do about it (unless they are prepared to do something illegal).
DeleteSaw St Nicholas walking around Canterbury yesterday and he looked a fairly kindly, old chap, hardly dodgy at all.
DeleteAnd there are documents to be published ...
DeleteFunnily enough William I was in Canterbury shopping with the family and I saw him too. The St Nicholas I saw reminded my of a certain local estate agent but sporting a beard, who is the spokesperson for Pleasurama developers SFP Ventures. He didn't look in the slightest to be dodgy or tricky either.
DeleteYou're both talking b*ll*cks. St. Nicholas is resting at the North Pole in preparation for his round on Christmas Eve. The guy you saw must be some cheap impersonator; a fake; a charlatan.
DeleteThe bloke we saw was a priest dressed up as St. Nicholas. Don't think the mini estate agent has ever taken holy orders, not unless there was a chance to redevelop Canterbury Cathedral in the process.
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