On Wednesday May 21st the Director of Resources of Somerset County Council, Roger Kershaw, held a number of meetings inside County Hall about the contract signed last September with IBM to form SouthWest One.

He also met with Cllr Sam Crabb (Portfolio Holder with reponsibility for ISIS) and the Leader of the Council, Mrs Jill Shortland to discuss how to counter adverse publicity my legitimate questions about this deal have been generating. In particular those participants talked over what legal action might be taken against me - and, sad to say, came to no definite conclusions.

(I would be delighted to meet them all in court and bring to light many other related events that they, ACAS and the Chief Executive would rather keep secret)

Then Mr Kershaw returned to his office and asked David Corry the County Solicitor to step by. Their conversation revolved around how access to the contract might be restricted - and sections of it regrouped. An interesting form of words was used - if someone asks to see a copy of the contract the request can - apparantly - be denied. Mr Corry should know. He's a lawyer. But if you want to see the contract then you must request to "have sight of it"...not just a copy of it.

So, at last, everyone knows one of the strange rules of this secretive game of hide and seek.

Mr Kershaw proceeded to seek the advice of the Head of Client Services, Matt Jones. There was specific reference to the possibility of thinning out the complete document by 500 pages.  500 pages is not what anyone would call "judicious editing" - its a paper pogrum. Imagine telling the publishers of the Bible to leave out the Ten commendments, the Sermon-on-the-Mount and the Cruxifiction!

How have I gleaned these details?

That would be telling. Suffice to say that my informant/s is/are known to all those named above and has/have access to them. The conversations were overheard and recorded in considerable detail. They are also prepared to give evidence under oath.

I used Business Questions in the House of Commons to draw urgent public attention to this matter.

MPs are protected by Parliamentary privelege when they speak in  the House.

(click on the mugshot)

Cllr Sam Crabb attacked me on BBC TV for sheltering behind that privelege. That is why I am now publishing the details on my website.

I believe there has been a deliberate attempt to cover-up some glaring omissions in this contract. I fear that there is no proper Business Realisation Plan - merely a list of woolly financial aspirations and an absence of hard facts. The County can try to prove me wrong by releasing the contract in full for proper scrutiny. NOW.

If you want to share information with me about this or any other matter here's how: [email protected]