General Discussion

In todays Dawlish Gazette advert for a New Councillor anybody interested, I am not as I prefer not to be gagged by the other Councillors which is what happens, I prefer my independence

It raises the question of how democratic our Town Council is. Would they embrace someone who doesn't follow the herd?

On a personal note, why do all men on the council still insist on wearing suits and ties? Are they not aware that this outmoded form of dress, no longer commands respect or assumes authority? Remember...a costume is worn by actors to perform lies.

And who in their right mind, is truly impressed by a tacky piece of chain hanging round the neck? Once again, affectation worn to command respect but, it is in fact, ludicrous and laughable. Do you have to be a dinosaur, clinging to musty traditions, to be on the council?

i am intrested but doubt id be considered as i am currently 10 weeks away from my due date with my second child and i bet thats frowned appone for a councillor to go on maternity leave. perhaps in a few years. id love to speak up i do enough of it anyways

Best wishes for baby Mouse. People like us on the council would make Dawlish a much better place, but they would not accept us as we are not part of the clique. There appears to be an inner circle including, Protheroe, Hockin, Mugford (whose son was best-man to Protheroe's son), Price, Clemens and Bush to name a few.

Did you know that after Protheroe (mayor for the umpteenth time), it will be Price again, then they will introduce new-blood Humphries (or Humphrey's). Democracy? Or a 'members-only' club? I am not against a council....just the people in it!

For too long, these councillors have trundled along, unopposed. Now they don't like the fact residents of Dawlish are asking awkward questions.

The likes of you and i could do a much better job than these leeches.

thanks. yeah it would shake the council up having people that speak there minds instead of being hushed up. plus think im too young for the council im only in my early 20s and think they might see that as a threat and not like it, although i probably have more common sense etc than any of them.

i thought someone new might cme into the releme but thing is noone one on the council wants to be mayor. nor do i have a problem with the council just some of them who always want publicity and thats not how life should be.

You lot are full of crap. You continously moan about the council and how corrupt it is , yet when you have a chance to do something about it, you come out with some cock and bull about how you will be alienated by the other councillors.
So what if you are, at least you can tell everyone else what is going on. Afterall you claim that only councillors get to hear what is going on, WELL AS YOU'LL BE ONE OF THEM YOU'LL BE GETTINg THE INSIDE INFO.

The next time another vacancy comes up, they'll be 2 of you.

All over this country parties sit their with 1 or 2 councillors, in different councils. Green,Ukip, BNP,Respect and other independent councillors dont say "oh i'll be on my own, whats the point"

Get off your winging arses and do something or never criticise again because theirs nothing worse the wingeing keyboard warriors that are full of crap

Well said VOF, come on Viaduct, Bob and all the other moaners.

Put up or shut up!

VOF and Anon Sorry but you two have put a complete load of rubbish here you obvously have not had any dealings with the Council or your are Councillors, I have and also been to many council meetings seen for myself how they act. you two have your heads so far up your rear end that all that comes out of your mouth must be brown.

i didnt say ill be on my own i was just stating i probably wouldnt be alowed to apply as im only weeks away from having my esecond child

At long last there are some people that are taking notice of some of the threads on these forums.
Criticising what we do is a sign of weakness. What Voice of Freedom and another Anon (As there appear to be many ‘Anons’ on this site) are saying is, that there is nothing wrong with our council and if there is JOIN IT. I beg to differ and I will raise one issue that you can if you like get your teeth into.

There was recently a vacancy that occurred on Dawlish Town Council, it arose out of the resignation of cllr Smith. Now the law says, that the vacancy must be advertised in a conspicuous place.
232.
Public notices.
— (1) Save as otherwise expressly provided, a public notice required to be given by a local authority shall be given—
(a)
by posting the notice in some conspicuous place or places within the area of the local authority; and
(b)
in such other manner, if any, as appears to the local authority to be desirable for giving publicity to the notice.

Now the ONLY conspicuous place was the notice board at the Manor House, (how many people go to the Manor and read what is on the notice board?) There is a Dawlish Town Council web site, why wasn’t it placed on there (That is a crap site, years out of date)and why was it the only conspicuous place they could find? Surely the Library would have been a more conspicuous place than one notice placed among many at the Manor.

That said, the notice had this to say in part,
An election to fill the vacancy shall be held if, within fourteen
days after public notice of the vacancy has been given, a notice in writing of a request for such an election has been given to the returning officer by ten electors of the area
Doesn't say anything about a ward or Parish, does it?

Now the people that took the trouble to call for an election were all rejected as they were NOT from the WARD in which the vacancy had occurred.

That error was pointed out to the returning officer and the electoral commissioner (based in Exeter). Was anything done to rectify the error (if that is what it was) NO!

Some good may have come out of it though as has been said, there is now an advertisement in the Dawlish Gazette advertising that, “A vacancy has arisen at the Dawlish Town Council which councillors shall fill by co-option.” No Election by the electorate, IS THERE?

There has since that debacle, another vacancy has arisen. It will be very interesting to see how that will be handled. And the vacancy has occurred by the resignation of Tom Scobie who as you will all now know, has taken up the post of reporting for the Dawlish Gazette.
So don’t anyone complain about the council or any of their misdemeanours through the Dawlish Gazette, It would probably not see the light of day.

Mouse, You go for it girl and good luck to you, dont bother about some of the shorted sighted people that write on here.

Mouse if you want to stand you go for it, being pregnant won't stand in your way nor would your age, Tom Scobie who has just left is 25. Provided you could attend the meetings you could be a councillor, younger voices are needed to be heard.

Dave - just to point out that Mr Bush is no longer a councillor he lost his seat last year. The deputy mayor is not Cllr Price so he probably won't be mayor next time.

Go for it mouse, the process is long drawn out, so by the time you have hatched the youngun, the world will be your oyster.

Cllr Wills is the councils deputy mayor, so more than likely he will fill the boots of pro-the-roe when the time comes.

attending the meetings might be a problem especially in the forth coming weeks i have left to go. so i think ill hold fire until the next opportunity comes up, dont get me wrong im not using it as a cop out but im having some problems with baby and that has to come first my health and babys.

i WILL however be going for councillor in a few years guarenteed as i feel they need some youth back into it and frsh ideas rather than old and people who cant see differently.

Good for you Mouse, there's less than 3 years to go until the whole council is up for re-election so you will hopefully have time to find a good babysitter!!

Hope all goes well with the baby and you're absolutely right - both your welfare comes first.

Thanks Resident - ill be ready by then. so watch this space for councillor mouse!

Japper are you standing for election?

No, didnt think so, because your a gutless wonder, keyboard warrior.

As for me having my head up my arse, or being a councillor (Is that the best you can come out with ?)

I suppose you'll have to start posting under another of your aliases, moaning about the council, yet still sit on your backside and do nothing about it.

Good luck Moose, at least someone is prepared to stand up and be counted.

Hopefully you will be able to change some of the corruption that goes on.

Just in case someone wonders why i'm not standing. I dont live in Dawlish.

Voice of Freedom, I have to make a guess as to what you are, just like you have to do, and how do you know what and if I do anything with regard to the Council, well idiot, I have attended council meetings and had discussions with them. HAVE YOU?