This is a tale of the two Rogers in a land far far away.On the the left is our own 'Woger' (Cllr Roger Latchford OBE) and on the right is KCC Cllr Roger Gough. The picture shows them trying to promote East kent Opportunities LLP and 'consult' people about the land holdings of their LLP at Haine Road (The Eurokent Site) Westwood Cross. The aim would seem to have been to have more leisure/retail and housing rather than employment provision at Eurokent and push industrial job creation to Manston. I digress.
These two chaps beetled off to China with the minimum of publicity on April 5th of this year, pretty quickly after knowing that CGP had signed off its 'China Gateway' application to TDC on 31 Mar 2008 with , by the way, with an entry for employment stating 'unknown details'. (Where did this myth of 3,000 jobs come from?). Get to the point , Bertie.
I present to you the entry for Cllr Roger Gough as part of his KCC Notice of Registrable Interests that he signed on 25 April 2008. (Click on the entry if you cannot read it clearly).
During this visit it would appear that Commercial Group Properties paid for a number of meals for Cllr Roger Gough, the KCC Cabinet member, who quite properly declared them.He must have been entertained on his 'tod', so to speak, by CGP because in the TDC Register of Interests, our own 'Woger' makes no mention of any hospitality by Commercial Group Properties in April 2008, so Bertie is reliably informed. How extraordinary you might think.
Had they fallen out with each other? Had 'Woger' gone to bed early with a stomach bug? Or was it quite simply that to admit he had received hospitality from CGP, would put 'Woger' in a predicament.? I hope he hasn't made a false statement on his Register of Interests Form 3 sitting in the file at TDC and that there is a perfectly innocent explaination. Perhaps he had the cheaper options on the menus and didn't trigger the £25 limit?
It does strike me as interesting that Commercial Group Properties have been busy spreading largesse around recently. Ken Wills of CGP made a generous political donation of £25,000 to South Thanet Labour and Dr Stephen Ladyman in 2007 at a time when CGP seemed to be buying land at Manston from Struan Robertson at Alland Grange for Phase 2 and 3 of their China Gateway 'vision'.
Also, who can forget that wonderful picture of our 'Woger' in a helicopter with the same Ken Wills, as TDC accepted sponsorship from CGP for the 'Big Event'. (See 'Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts' posting of 6th June). Clearly CGP's generosity did not extend to even buying our 'Woger' a 'take-away' during his April visit to China, at least according to 'Woger'.
22 comments:
Ah don't they make a lovely couple. I can't see why they wouldn't share a cosy candlelit dinner for two.
But who would pay?
TDC councillor interests are not kept online like pretty much every other council in the country.
you are more than welcome to go into council offices to view it. Notes only, no copies allowed. They are kept at Cecil st "old" council offices.
there is no plan to put them online.
councillors have to update interests when elected/re-elected, and as and when circumstances change. There is no specific date for councillors to update their interests by.
is it still the case that TDC makes Freemasonry an exception to the rules of declared interest ?
I think councillors should declare their lodge and chapter. And make a further declaration if there is an issue or decision concerning the interests of a fellow mason.
After all how easy would it be to launder funds through a charitable brotherhood.
Cllr gets a planning consent.
Cllr "down on his luck" gets a non declarable fraternal charitable handout.
The other cllr had double portions bought for him and shared them with Woger for nowt ?
All above board.
Food Chain or
Gravy Train
Nothing to declare.
TDC councillors have to declare their membership of a freemasons lodge. And also any other charitable institution
I am sick of you using peoples real names and address you are putting people in danger people that don't deserve that arnt involved in the development have no real say just happen to live hear.
Please don't be a coward if you are going to put peoples names and address on this site put your own to.
18:43, can you re-write in the Queen's English, then we might know what you are talking about!
I think 18:43 is having a go at the the Thanet Strife blogger.
But i cannot find any reference to any addresses though?
Surely TDC should have the interest published on the Internet?
The CGP issue is not a tenuous one and Thanet Cllrs should be directed to put up or shut up, or even better resign if they do not?
The scheme is open
I do not hok because of there time and hes was too
16.56, the answer to your query has been answered accurately by 17.56 and Councillors have declared their membership of Masonic Lodges by name where appropriate.
18.43,I appreciate the point you are making and please 19.30, let's not criticise spelling and grammar etc as none of us is perfect. However, I do not use people's addresses but most Councillors do put their address on their 'web-page' at TDC's site. The information I have 'shared' is in the 'public domain' and accessible to us all. My speculation is just that.I am perfectly happy for visitors to 'Strife' to remain anonymous if they wish as you have chosen to do 18.43.
I do hope to be in a position soon to get a friend to come and remove the monitoring programmes he installed to track and record ISP 'thingees'to each post as I would like to return to a fully anonymous status on Strife; we live in a 'surveillance' society and I really resent having to be part of it.
Please contribute freely and openly 18.43 and as I have said, I understand the point you are making although I disagree with it.
29 July 2008 20:02
It would be extremely interesting to see what declared interests councillors have including Freemasonary - could make extremely interesting reading. I am sure we would be extremely impressed by the charitable causes some espouse and perhaps less so by others. Perhaps a job for your researcher Bertie?
Rick, I am sorry but I have felt it necessary to edit:
Rick said:
In a written reply, admittedly some years ago, the TDC solicitor Mr Borley told me that Freemasonry is an exception to the rule of declared interest.
Apparently it has changed.
I wonder if that is because of the Standards Board For England and the new Code of Conduct.
As far as Kent Police Authority is concerned I have removed some posts from my blog and replaced them with one post dealing with my first submission to the Rosemary Nelson Inquiry.
The Rosemary Nelson Inquiry will find it within their terms of reference to determine such matters
30 July 2008 08:22
Could I ask you to leave the issue you mention out of things for the time being.
13.03 I put your post back up with the names deleted as follows:
nimby said...
The point about private addresses is surely, that you keep rattling on about 'xxxxx' of Alland Grange, which is clearly a private address.
In the same way, for example xxxxxxxxxxxx Alland Grange Lane, would be a private address, would it not?
30 July 2008 13:03
I take your point about addresses again and forgive me if the penny did not drop earlier. When referring to people whose planning applications are in the public domain, or whose involvement in a project is in the public domain, I will be more circumspect in future. I hope that answers your point and could I in return, ask you to not to do like-wise. Thanks.
Yes indeed, you have taken the point.
I am not too sure about the legality of publishing plans, without the owner's permission. Ordnance Survey are pretty hot on that sort of thing. You need to get permission from copyright holders of photographs used too. fine if you take your own, but otherwise you are stealing someone's property rights...
http://www.thanetextra.co.uk/news/default.asp?article_id=45558&slide_id=6
copy and paste the above picture of Cllr Irish J being kissed by Mrs Cllr T
All good fun!!!!!!!
Thanks for the link 15.43; it's nice to see our Cllrs having fun supporting the Town's events but it looks more like a 'mwugh'unless you took the picture!
Nice to see you back so quickly Nimby. Thanks for the good advice and I am sure we will be hearing a lot more from you yet. Any comments about the content of this strand about odd meals in far away places?
Is that Iris? i think not. Doesn't look like her at all.
That's definitely Iris, she's been giggling about it all over town all day!
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