May 15th 2008. The Postman delivers a rambling missive

....but it wasn't as neat as this one, or as grammaticaly accurate. The letter was signed by Mrs Shortland, Liberal Democrat leader of Somerset County Council, and David Busby, leader of the Labour Party. But I find it hard to credit that they composed the words. It is an extraordinary document and well worth quoting from:

".....whilst we appreciate that, as an MP, you are entitled to political privelege with regard to the workings of the County Council, we believe that this privelege does not entitle you to try and make fun of and discredit, in such a public way, our Chief Executive. We specifically cannot condone thelanguage you repeatedly use on your blog with reference to your descriptions of the Chief Executive which, understandably so, he and his family find deeply offensive. You have also made allegation that our Chief Executive is corrupt and is a liar which are extremely serious allegations for you to make, particularly in your capacity as a Member of Parliament.

We respectfully ask that you cease forthwith this campaign against the Chief Executive, that you restrain from using such offensive language against him and any other of our officers and that you withdraw all offensive remarks from your blog"

The grammar is inexcusable. The sentiments are ridiculous. Alan Jones is not some pathetic, powerless wimp. He could attempt to sue for libel. He hasn't. My reasons for attacking him are simple. It is he, not the Councillors, who drove the deal with South West One through. It was he who hired Sue Barnes (wife of the Chief Constable)  - by-passing all the normal council procedures -the ruling Liberal Democrats were not even consulted. Mr Jones is grinding the organ. Stickler for peculiar grammar that he is,  I wonder if he penned the aggrieved paragraphs reproduced above.................................

..........and told the councillor monkeys to sign it?

Here is my reply in full:

 

Dear Mrs Shortland and Mr Busby,

I received your letter of 13^th May with interest.

You complain of my “personal and ferocious attacks” against the Chief Executive. You respectfully ask that I “cease forthwith this campaign” – a curious, slightly Dickensian turn of phrase; was it really your own?

I will certainly consider the request. But I now invite you to consider this:

SouthWest One is as much a mystery to me as it must be to you. I have not seen the contract. You, so I am reliably informed, have not studied it either. My understanding is that not a single elected member of the Council has been able to scrutinise the document in full. This makes a complete mockery of the term: democratic scrutiny.

The Chief Executive, on the other hand, has made great play of his superior knowledge. He issued a so-called “fact-sheet” after my Westminster Hall speech.

He stated that there are only seven members of the Board despite the fact that the company website lists nine:

“There are 7 members on the Board, 3 public sector representatives, 3 IBM representatives and one independent Chair which will be appointed in consultation with all parties. 

He claimed there are three public representatives. Who are they? The only source of published information lists two councillors (one from SCC, the other from Taunton Deane. There are woeful inconsistencies here. No wonder I get letters from aggrieved constituents complaining that the search for facts about SouthWest One is much harder than the hunt for Lord Lucan.

And then there is the matter of MAANA, to which you refer - at length - in your missive.

You are as wrong as Mr Jones about this. 4Ps does not accredit other companies. 4Ps is not a franchise hamburger chain. I obtained guidance in writing from Brian Standen of 4Ps: Let me repeat what he wrote:

“4ps as an organisation does not "accredit" other consultancies or individuals to work for local authorities. From time to time, as an organisation, we use individuals/consultancies

who work for us in an associate capacity and these are "accredited" by us to perform specific roles, an example of which would be as Members/Leaders of Gateway Review teams.”

MAANA did not conduct a Gateway Review for you. You use the weasel words “Gateway-style” Review instead. Or were these the words of the Chief Weasel? Reeling again at the strange grammar employed in your letter I am tempted to wonder if Mr Jones dictated all of it.

If he thinks I have wrongly accused him of purveying a whopping great porky then he can sue. If he suggests that I have accused him of corruption then he can sue some more.  

When and if the political leadership of Somerset County Council starts running the show and stops rubber-stamping the dubious decisions of its unelected Chief Executive then I will not only cease my attacks upon him, I may even break into a joyful jig, garland you with flowers and plant a huge wet kiss on his ample forehead.

But, be very clear, not before.

XXX

 

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