Our place to talk – an independent website for supporters of the Liberal Democrat party in the UK.

The most-read independent website by and for Lib Dem supporters. Not paid for by trade unions or millionaires.

Advert

Tag Archives: graham tyler

Should parish councils be “completely apolitical”?

By Stephen Tall | Sat 29th August 2009 - 11:40 am

An intriguing row has broken out in Shoreham, West Sussex, in the lead-up to a by-election to fill a vacancy on the parish council. The local paper tells all:

CONTROVERSY is stirring in grassroots politics, with the nomination of a Liberal Democrat to stand in a Rustington Parish Council by-election. Jamie Bennett’s punt at parish politics has rippled the normally tranquil waters of the council, on which all 15 current members sit as independents.

Lib-Dem Jamie will contest the West ward seat vacated by former parish council chairman Mike Warrington, who has moved away from the area, in a two-horse race with Andy Cooper, described as the “Keep Rustington Council Independent” candidate. The by-election is on Thursday, September 17.

This kind of debate isn’t unusual at parish council level – the size of most parishes, and their limited budget powers, tend to mean the decisions they can make are small-scale: what place does party politics have in such circumstances?, goes the argument.

Continue reading »

Posted in Local government and Op-eds | Also tagged jamie bennett, parish councils and shoreham | 20 Comments

Most Read

Op-eds

Britain’s gas gamble: Why Jackdaw is a bad bet for our energy future (Mark Hofman)
Vince Cable writes: The endless hunt for painless taxes (Vince Cable)
Jane Dodds to step down as Welsh Lib Dem Leader (Caron Lindsay)
The silent scandal of ME…and in praise of Tessa Munt (Paul Walter)
The Lib Dems should be bolder. Here’s how…. (James Hill)

Advert

Recent Comments

Hywel
"According to the regulator’s own figures, pipeline gas from Norway is produced with less than a third of the emissions of Britain’s North Sea output." W...
Chloe
Well said David. There are 20 million gas boilers in the UK & not everyone has a spare few grand to change to heat pumps or have a suitable system that enab...
Mick Taylor
John Shipley was never a Liverpool councillor, but he was leader of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne city council...
David Evans
It's profoundly sad to see how easily greenwash is accepted by so many good Lib Dems when it comes to the UK extracting oil and gas from the North Sea rather th...
Jana
“ There is a better use for what is left under the North Sea: leave it there” I’m afraid this is an extremist position to take at a time when there is ...