The Local Government Chronicle reports:
Embattled Northampton BC leader Tony Woods (Lib Dem) has stepped down from the authority’s helm following the so-called ‘Astragate’ affair. Cllr Woods was officially sanctioned by the authority for leaving his untaxed Vauxhall Astra in the authority’s Guildhall car park for more than three months earlier this year.
In a brief resignation speech, Cllr Woods said the incident was a “silly, trivial mistake” that had seen him subjected to a level of abuse not even serious criminals faced.
Local paper the Northampton Chronicle & Echo quoted Cllr Woods as saying he was “truly saddened” to be standing down from the helm of the council. “It’s a role I’ve come to love,” he said. “It’s been a massive challenge and I feel immensely privileged, but it’s now a role someone else must shoulder.”
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9 Comments
Do we really have to append ‘gate’ to the name of everything now?
Yes. If the Watergate scandal happened now it would be “Watergategate”.
No – if the Watergate scandal happened now it would have some other appendage as someother scandal would have become the one that all others were known by – cue search for suitably “big” scandal.
Hmmm… I notice that Profumogate is always known as the “Profumo Affair”. (Never sure if that’s “affair” in the sense of adultery or in the sense of events or matters.) So… “The Watergate Affair”. “The WMD Affair”. “The McBride Affair”. “The Astra Affair”. Makes it sound like we’re in a Sherlock Holmes mystery.
One advantage of “gate”, of course, is that it’s also the final syllable in “investigate”.
Must admit that if our council leader were to make such a silly “mistake”, then I’d be wondering if he is up to the job. Thankfully, here in Cambridge, he’s also our cycling champion, so the chances are pretty darned slim.
Has anyone sacked the car park attendant in Northampton BC yet ? 🙂
Except he hasn’t really stood down anywhere – he’s still on the Council’s executive and still claiming a lot of taxpayers money for it.
I’d have thought given his utter ignorance and lack of judgement – he should be suspended from party membership at the very least. The article fails to mention also that two Lib Dem cllrs have resigned from the group over his ‘non resignation resignation’ leaving the party with a majority of one on the council.
His actions also must make the chances of delivering the target seat of Northampton South almost non-existent now. Thanks a bundle Tony!
Dan is wrong. Tony Woods is no longer a member of the cabinet of Northampton Borough Council, and I should know because I am.
The issue was dealt with by the council’s standards committee following a complaint by two ‘members of the public’ (one of who just happened to be the former Labour leader of the council). The Standards committee found that he had misused council property, but that he had not brought the council into disrepute. He was asked to apologise to all councillors which he did, but decided to resign as well following the media fuss.
The car was parked in a space reserved for the use of the leader of the council. The was no dishonesty, there was no money involved, no-one was hurt or put at risk, it was hardly on a scale of the kind of offences that that standards boards are dealing with up and down the country on a regular basis, let alone some of the things that MP’s are being accused of, and how many of them are resigning?
Dan is wrong on something else too – a free delivery route in Corby for the first person to spot it. (unless its Dan when it will be 2 delivery routes)
North or South ?