According to press reports, it seems that a majority of Gorseinon town councillors managed to lived down to local expectations when they opted to discuss the hot potato of council largesse with the public locked out. In the ruckus that followed, five members who had voted for details to be heard in public walked out in protest.
Mayor Bruno, whose inauguration dinner allegedly cost local residents over £4000 - and which was supposed to be the subject under debate – later stated that “checks would have to be made to see if any councillors had breached the authority's code of conduct”. However it’s not exactly clear if he was speaking about the events of the night or the manner in which detailed costs of the civic shindig fell into the hands of the local press.
Either way, the comments possess as much sensitivity as a house-brick given the circumstances and will do little to help the reputation of an elected body that is seen in the locality as fast becoming an embarrassment rather than an asset.
In fact, for a meeting that was held in private, there seems to have been an awful lot said afterwards, including an insistent mayor stating that the whole purpose of the dinner was to recognise the work of “ordinary people in the community”. Yet sceptics are likely to ask just how many ordinary people were actually invited along with all the other civic dignitaries, official guests and entertainers.
Celebrating what is good in a community is always something that should be supported. But refusing the give the same community an opportunity to be told how its money is being spent in such endeavours only serves to put the credibility of its councillors, both at a personal and political level, in a very poor light. ‘Nuff said.
Oh, and by the way, we’ve noted that this site has received a regular number of hits in recent weeks from a Gorseinon-based firm of solicitors (83.104.243.202). We wait to see if said interest is a professional one.
9 Comments:
As it says on Mayor Bruno's own website - www.gorseinon.com - "My personal opinion is that politics these days seem to exist on a need-to-know basis. Decisions made in apparent secrecy cause apathy."
What a shame that he does not practice what he preaches to others.
I was fortunate and privileged to be at St Mary's Church yesterday for the thanksgiving service for His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury. His humility,his engaging charm was so apparent that all members of the congregation were so impressed when at the end of the service he took time to greet and thank all,as leaving church.
Independent Councillor for Gorsienon
Mayor Bruno was also spotted there walking around with his chain of office and a sidekick also wearing a chain like a pair of puffed up peacocks, not sure if they were there for religious belief or to been seen as "The Emperor and his new Clothes"
What really surprised and concerned me is that Lord Mayor Lewis had a group 'photo with all their cronies. Is tricky Dickie still involved with the Independents at Swansea? I was informed he joined the Lib Dems just a little before he was elected as Lord Mayor. If I was an elected Councillor I would not want to be seen or associate with Bruno, with feelings and emotions running high after his recent cocktail party.Is it possible that rumors of a anonymous letter sent to all independents at Swansea complaining about their leader the venerable John Hague and were lobbying for a replacement, may have an element of truth. I ask the question,is Tricky ready to jump or cross the floor to become a leader ?
Pardon my presumption, but the verbiage spouted by Anonymous sounds very similar to the twaddle usually heard in the chamber from a certain Clydach windbag who also has a tendency to jump political ships when it suits his purposes.
I seem to recall that a community council on his own patch has its own particular difficulties and it occurs to me that people who live in glass houses should take a lot more care.
I heard on Swansea Sound this morning that it would need a petition from about 340 people to force a referendum on whether the town council should be scrapped. Malcolm Curtice, one of the councillors who walked out in protest, later called the show to say that a petition was being raised to demand Bruno's resignation.
Personally, I think that Gorseinon has outgrown its council and the sooner it divests itself of this expensive anachronism the better.
The demise of Dunvant community council was engineered by the Lib Dems because Liz Davies and others were becoming a thorn in their side. Haven’t you noticed that the Lib Dems who were forever calling for community councils to be created all over Swansea have noticeably cooled on the idea? Two reasons for this: (1) Community councils were seen as a very useful way of setting up a campaign base in a Labour held ward. No longer a tactic now that they have enough seats on the county council. (2) Community councils can be used in the same way against sitting Lib Dem county councillors by other parties - which is what happened in Dunvant.
Matt needs to check his facts! The largest political group in the campaign to get rid of Dunvant Community Council was the Labour party. I know because I was one of that group. The rest of the committee were from other political and community groups and people active in the local churches. People who stepped forward because they had had enough of seeing their money wasted on council running/administration costs, 123% increase in the community charge when interest free loans were available, little chance to ask questions at council meetings, local residents told to leave council meetings when they objected to misleading information being spouted by the Chair and Vice Chair, police time wasted by the Chair when he could not keep order, financial information witheld from councillors, public excluded from financial meetings, not enough people believing the council had a useful role to play when other community groups were more active in delivering services and activities etc. Sounds like several community councils at the moment. So Matt, don't know where you got your info but Lis Davies and friends pushed their own self destruct button. The Lib Dems, the Labour Party, other political parties and community groups just listened to their own community who voted 10-1 in favour of ending the expensive farce. There is nothing worse than a bunch of self styled 'Independents' with no coherent set of polical beliefs against which to measure what is right and what is wrong. Once you start refusing to allow the public to attend meetings you are on a very slippery slope. That's why the Swansea City Labour group objected to the Lib Dems trying to hush up Capgemini cock up.
I stand corrected but unconvinced.
Is this Jen Raynor now a Labour spokesperson. If my memory serves me correctly it was Raynor and her 2 Lib Dem lackies that misled the local residents of Dunvant. Jen Raynor has always been a stranger to the truth. A fact that is evidenced in the old Dunvant CC minutes which are held in the archives. If Jen Raynor is the best Labour can do in Dunvant - they are finished locally.
Matt you don't need to be corrected, but you did not go far enough. Jenny Raynor and our two jackass lib dem ward councillors lost control of the Community Council when under their watch they failed to ensure the councils accounts were audited for two years.
The jackasses and Jenny thought that the council should do as they said and conform to the policies of the controlling group on the city council. The loan that jenny refers to, would have come from the city council and would have amounted to £10-000, nowhere near enough what was needed to renew the play equipment. In any case we were informed that we would not get that amount, if any, as the request would have to go before the cabinet.
The 123% precept Jenny refers to was for one year only to pay for the play park equipment and would have been reduced by about 120% in the following year as stated in my letter sent to every house in Dunvant.
These three councillors orchestrated their friends, and actively supported the 17th of May committee to bring about the demise of the Community Council. their attics included distributing half truths and bullying anyone who supported the council. I stand by what I told the people of Dunvant it was the truth.
Can Jenny and he fellow jackasses tell me what have the groups she refers to done for Dunvant since the demise of the community council. The last thing done in Dunvant was the meadow play area and I am proud of that. It is a very well used amenity used by both young and old, and value for money 5 years on
Duncan Community Council left no debts, indeed there was money in our bank account and this was handed over to the city council.
Rowland Bevan, Dunvant Square.
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