As pointed out in the comments, the BBC reports:
A Gloucestershire county councillor has resigned his position on the county’s police authority after accepting a caution for theft.
Alan Preest, a Conservative councillor, was arrested on Friday in connection with an incident at a supermarket in Lydney and cautioned.
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17 Comments
Without any knowledge of the immediate circumstances, I find this posting to be offensive. I commiserate with the shop owner and I trust that Alan P will address his offending behaviour.
But if somebody from another party makes a mistake in life, it is irrelevant politically. Unless it is a political (power) mistake.
Are we liberals or Daily Mail readers?
Such is the nature of modern political discourse.
The wider isue is damage to the credibility of the site that this sort of barrel scrapping dross causes. I have complained before but was told these opposition watch pices were the most popular articles statisticaly. I have since adopted liberal self censorship and not read them and allowed others to do so if they wish without complaint from me.
On this occasion its the sheer pettiness of it. As if with 22000 councillors in britain that the odd won’t foul up occasionally, as we all don’t know some of them are LD’s, and as if it in any way reflects on wider politics.
At best it makes Lib Dem Voice lok mean spirited, at worst rather dysfunctional and sad.
I agree with David Morton. There is nothing political about this apart from the fact that it’s a Conservative councillor. Doesn;t reflect on us well. OK, so keep an eye on the opposition and include stories with obvious political impact like Watford, but this is just petty.
I have to be hounest- I disagree with some of the posts on this thread- I think its important that there be criticism of any councillor that breaks the law (or indeed any elected official).
This does of course mean that I think its only fair to post when members of our party are found in similar situations.
The point is that why should any councillor not be judged for breaking the law- they should be whiter than white. This isn’t even a complicated, technical breach of some financial rules or other detailed legislation- I think we can all agree that theft is wrong- most four year olds can tell you that!
If your going to chose to stand for public office you have to be prepared to follow the laws you are there to uphold (which by the by are the laws of the UK NOT Gods laws as per the vile Ms Iris Robinson).
yes, Jiggles, I take your point. But is it really necessary to include this in a national blog. A locally-based one yes.
Jiggles, that wasn’t my point. Its the preponderence of this kind of posting when (a) its a national website (b) this kind of thing crops up amongst our councillors as well.
David: One of the characteristics of political parties is that many people have interests in news from a wide-variety of areas not just because it’s where they live / used to live / relative lives but also because through events such as conferences and by-elections people often strike up friendships with people from many different parts of the country.
As a result, ‘local’ stories often get people’s interest from all over the country. That’s one of the reasons why LDV mixes national and local stories.
David M: I’m not quite sure what you mean by “this kind of posting” but on a quick count of the last 50 postings on LDV, only 2 were about local councillor misdeeds. Even if you define “this kind” more broadly and so add in the story about Cumbria and the one about the London Mayor, that still makes only 4 out of 50. I don’t think I’d pick the word “preponderance” to describe that 🙂
But Mark –
you haven’t addressed the point about how petty it seems when we post these stories about other parties.
Do we post them about LD councillors? (E.g. Ceredigion?)
I find myself in agreement with the general consensus…once again we have another hack job…the kind that discredits politics in most peoples eyes…congratulations Mark!!!!
Barrel-scraping or cream-skimming? where do you draw the line?
I think the relative length of article expresses something about the relative weight of concern we should have.
Honesty might appear petty at times, but it is better than the dishonest conspiracy of silence which ConHome is showing on the matter.
“Honesty might appear petty at times”
I think you’ll find it’s the pettiness that appears petty.
Whatever next?
Town councillor fined for dropping litter?
Parish councillor caught speeding?
Party activist spotted cheating on his wife?
When I was a youngster (about 10 or 11) I went into my local superkarket to buy a notebook and (mind wandering elsewhere) wandered out without paying, suddenly realising halfway home what I had done. There followed a bizarre attempt to get INTO a shop while concealing a purchase! It worked; I paid; I’m not a thief.
A few years ago I filled up at our local petrol station and somehow drove off without paying – realised what I’d done as I got home, rang them up, apologised, and went straight back to pay.
My point? If this story relates to an isolated incident, there but for the grace of God goes I … and I suspect many others.
Well the only thing I’ve ever done is keep a poker face when realising the shop assistant has given me too much change – which, as I’m quite good at getting people to talk without saying much myself, happens quite a lot!!!
:@D
What’s in the cupboard behind you Mark? Anything tasty?
I think the relevance is that the cllr in question was a member of the Police Authority.
and members of Police Authorities are immune to forgetfulness ????
If this guy has a record of lifting things that aren’t his then clearly he’s a very, very naughty boy – but if this was a one-off slip …….