Last Wednesday, Margate Charter Trustees met to discuss the problem of The Mayoralty. An excellent result seemed to have been achieved that Cllr Mick Tomlinson should be considered for Mayor 2010/2011 and that Cllr Iris Johnston should be Deputy Mayor. It would seem that this was regarded as a 'gentleman's agreement' to be ratified this coming Monday, 22nd February. Last Wednesday's Charter Trustee minutes seem to omit this.
It has come to my attention that within a few hours, the jaundiced hand of twice disgraced TDC Leader, our our own 'Two Hats' Charter Trustee, Cllr Ezekiel, was probably at work. I will ignore the fact that he was probably prime mover behind the scenes last year to appoint the now disgraced Cllr Ted Watt-Ruffell as Mayor, but what are we to make of Cllr Brian Sullivan overheard canvassing support to be Deputy Mayor (instead of Cllr Iris Johnston) from Cllr Bert McCastree after Planning Committtee? An immediate thought is why should a past Mayor of Margate want to stand as Deputy Mayor?
To understand the situation, you need to remind yourself of The 2nd Standards Rap that 'Two Hats' earned (together with a standards rap for his Deputy, the leaping salmon impersonator, 'Woger' Latchford) at The Edinburgh Woolllen Mill Shop in Margate. Who was shouted at, intimidated and had to protect a petition? Of course it was Cllr Iris Johnston, going about her legitimate duty as a Ward Cllr in her own Ward. Quite rightly, she made a complaint to Standards about the matter and her complaint was up-held.
As 'Two Hats' sat at the Charter Trustees on Wednesday and saw the situation developing that Cllr Johnston seemed to have support to be Deputy Mayor from The Trustees, what must have been crossing his mind? My speculation is that it was an outward smile hiding an inward grimace. How soon did the Ezekiel Party Charter Trustees have 'Two Hats' whispering in their ears " I trust you aint gonna be supporting HER'. I expect you to support my choice, Sulivan, eh. Get it?"
With Cllr Sullivan canvassing support for Deputy Mayor from Thanet's Ind Conservative, Bert McCastree, after Planning Meeting, only a few hours later, it might be fair to assume, the answer was, within minutes of The Charter Trustees meeting ending!
What Cllr Hart and other absent Labour Charter Trustees need to remind themselves is, that they, by their obdurate attitude concerning the past, are allowing Cllr Ezekiel to yet again effectively dictate what happens in the Margate Charter Trustees. Is this doing a service to the electorate in The Borough of Margate?
I challenge The Margate Charter Trustees to recognise the services of a Cllr not only to her Ward electorate but also to Margate Charter Trustees for the past 15 years (since 1995), who has not had this service recognised or acknowledged by The Charter Trustees. You can either show yourselves to be politicised 'cronies and henchmen' or Trustees of integrity and worth. You should elect Cllr Iris Johnston as Mayor, let alone Deputy, in recognition of her service to Margate or reveal yourselves to be politicised cronies of poor integrity, who were happy to elect a Mayor last year who had already let you down as Deputy Mayor.
Your actions, Trustees, will be closely watched by many. Perhaps Tony Flaig and Tony 'Beachcomber' are right and that having brought yourselves into disrepute in your poor choice last year, Margate would be better off without you all and that we should have no Mayor at all.
24 comments:
I believe that the Margate Charter Trust is a poisoned chalice that affects all who join. They all seem to end up seffering from amnesia!
For example;
Ted - owns cats for years, then forgets what fleas are.
Mick T - can't remember where he has held his disco in the past.
Iris J - Kindly helps out a fellow councillor in Westgate, and then forgets all about her actions.
It is lucky for us that family members, and club visitors, manage to hold onto their memories much better so that we can remind our Councillors when necessary.
Looking at the names of Trustees I would say that Iris is the most political of them all. Electing her would be the closest thing to a dead cert disaster that could be imagined. Even more stupid than giving Mrs.Ezekiel the secretary job.
She would have to stand down from the front bench of the group and if Labour win the election in 2011could certainly not be both in the Cabinet and mayor, let alone the leader of the council which I know to be her real ambition.
I suggest that Iris is in need of the allowance (which is very generous given the work involved) and is seeking to boost her profile before the 2011 elections to help protect her seat Bertie. I think you are supporting something that is unrealistic.
Brian Sullivan is a very uncontroversial figure and has done a good job before. Linda Aldred is in the same mould but without the experience. She would be a much more sensible choice.
And one last thing. The way you put together your post suggests that you are trying to manipulate the result of the ballot in a rather sinister manner. As though you will launch a shock and awe campaign against the trustees if they do not do your bidding. Using your blog in that manner, on something you know almost nothing about, on subjects on which you are fed only one side of all the stories, makes you the arch maniplator. Even worse than Ezekiel whom I have met and whom I have always found to be perfectly reasonable, if a little over enthusiastic at times.
i think Iris would make a dreadful Mayor. She causes mayhem wherever she treads. If you know the lady you have terrible judgement Biggles
so bertie you really are a conservative supporter!!! If Iris became deputy mare she would have to stop talking politics for a year!!!!
Bertie, more like "What chance has Margate on Monday".I must admit I am really enjoying this because people can now see the Margate Charter Trustees for what they really are. They say patience is a virtue and I am so pleased it has all gone belly up. Over the past few years our History, our Heritage and all the things about our Margate of the past has been ignored by them, some of them probably do not even know why they are there. The good thing is that it can all be ressurected in time far easier than they can.
Maybe the answer is to create a Ramsgate style town council for Margate that might see people like Ralph Hoult and Jerry O'Donnel elected. Bertie could speak to Jerry to ask him how to get the ball rolling.
At the moment Margate is the odd town out. A bit like England that is the only UK country without its our own elected house.
Could I apologise for delay in putting comments up: a busy day.
Firstly, 14.43, I am assuming you mean deputy mayor and have a spelling difficulty; if not, please desist from posting rudeness. And by the way, I am conservative with a small c at the moment having had my refund of membership fee from NTCA, albeit 9 months after my resignation!
10.26, I am entitled to post a commentary on the recent activities of The Charter Trustees. Rest assured that the account I have given is accurate. If you fail to see this, then please remain blinkered.
My message has been to Cllr Hart for the need for all Charter Trustees to work together to restore confidence in The Mayoralty after last year's disastrous Ezekiel party choice. If Cllr Johnston, has been a Margate Charter Trustee in the face of her Leader's own personal boycott, and has been so for 15 years, does not that say something about her commitment to The Charter Trustees and her view of the Charter Trustees. I was horrified to discover that this Cllr's commitment to Margate and her ward for this amount of time has gone unrecognised and surely reflects the personal antipathy of TDC's Leader rather than what should be the 'Burghers' acting to recognise the service to The Borough of a member?
I am not manipulating, as you put it and colourful 'shock & awe'language is inappropriate. I am expressing a viewpoint that Trustees can ignore or consider. It is time for the petty nonsenses I have alluded to, to end, as the reputation of The Charter Trustees and The Mayoralty has suffered enormously as a result of recent events and is now held in pretty low esteem. I find it very sad indeed that an opportunity to restore public confidence is being thrown away.
When Hugh Pugh Barley McGrew, Cuthbert Dibble and Grub turn up for the Charter Trustees meeting on monday. Remember to keep a sharp eye on the chimnley, I believe dark smoke means a Mayor hasn't been chosen and if it is white smoke we have a new Mayor.
Ah but Tony, according to the old song, smoke just gets in your eyes...
Anon. 11.27 sounds very like a well-known Conservative councillor for Birchington who tends to use the phrase whenever he refers to Cllr. Johnston.
I nominate Orville the Duck.
I am sure that this wonderful chase to become Margate's next Mayor is inspired by a great sense of civic duty; and nothing at all to do with the £11,400 salary that comes with the post.
Perhaps the edinburgh wollen mill would allow their floor space to be used as a venue for a straw poll beofre the vote, a few of the eminent councillors could drop in to let their views be known, because if push comes to shove and a few papers fly around we could use standards as a an umpire again!!!!
Bertie,your failure to investigate any aspect of the shocking events in relation to the bullying of the mayors secretary by a former labour mayor, supported by her union, and raised inexplicably once again by Cllr.Hart's extraordinary E-mail of last week which you have posted, shows that you are without balance or judgement.
My recollection of events reported at the time is that there were multiple accusations investigated and for which the charter trustees had to apologise, or face the possibility of a tribunal.
It would hardly be surprising if the charter trustees declined to "vote for Xmas" by selecting another mayor who is as controversial as they come in Thanet politics.
So your lamentable and one sided reporting of this sad situation shows again that your grasp of facts is not as strong as you seem to believe.
I have just dug out a letter from Iris 11:27, at least she has the gonads to meet the electorate and those who do not live in her ward as the conservative Cllrs would not!!!
Bertie if you want to post it, I will let you have a copy.
Strangely enough the letters that I have are almost 99.9% from the Labour group since 1994.
Malcolm
Bertie you tell Cllr Hart that it is time to move on yet you continue to vent your bile over.Is'nt time you moved on with your continued bile about Sandy Beach we all know that Irish cant keep quiet for a minute and needs to let the world know how wonderful she is.Bertie stop this nonsense Iris as Mayor would be a disaster and I suspect in truth you know it you are just being mischievous
Arrrrr Bertie
We (the Pirates) were having a larf on the poop deck!!! Having a lot of poop descending on us some time ago we figured we need a new err, figurehead head - and yer right lads it was a figure head all right and like our fighting ship this lady aint for turning Arrrrrr. The ships company rose as one and like a new Red Iris in the blinkered light of a blue false dawn the new figured was christened in the polluted shores of Meregate, Tenet - and my how she cut through the crap.
Arrrrrrr me hearties
Cpt L J Silver (the shorter version)
Eh up she rises, Turnips in the morning?
Message Ends
14.46 and 16:42, you are as bigoted as Cllr Hart is obdurate. Apologies were made; Cllr Clark got his Standards Rap and surely it is time for The Charter Trustees to move on? That is and has been my message. The present attempt to push Cllr Sullivan, comes from the same source that pushed Watt-Ruffell to Mayoralty and you know that. What is so controversial about one of the longest serving Charter Trustees being invited by her fellow Charter Trustees to be mayor? Is it because she is a woman; of Irish ancestory and Labour and therefore fits all your prejudices?
16.37, are you suggesting that Conservative Cllrs do not reply, to letters, e-mails and telephone calls from the public? That's as bad as Labour Cllrs having to resort to FoI requests from their own Council Officers.
19.32, glad to read that the Pirates 'rose as one' at the thought of a woman being Mayor but to save further future embarrasment could I suggest some bromide in the grog or some shore leave?
I suspect that one reason that some are so anti a woman and a Labour woman being Deputy Mayor or Mayor is that they of the funny handshake brigade will have no influence and hold on her.
Perfect!Great! This helped so much! I've seen a couple
rather confusing blogs lately, this cleared up a lot confusion I had.
Bertie. 14:46 comments are correct, but you are wrong to assume that Mrs Ezekiel got an apology from Cllr Clark regarding her grievance. Cllr Hart is making blatant reference to it again, in light of recent revelations about the PM and his bullying tactics, is it now a pre requisite for Labour Leaders to behave in a similar manner?
Post 17.18 - Like Ramsgate Town Council - god forbid- you ain't seen nothing yet - I think Ramsgate's song for the future - will be "I'm Sorry" - bring back the Charter Trustees - they could be trusted
you can't go far wrong if you stick to Cllr Johnston even if people do not support the Labour Party I know of not one person who has nothing but good words to say about this woman, she is a true grit! nothing is too much bother, and works for the people all the time, certainly doesn't put herself first like many I could mention, certainly a waoman to be admired and respected.
Good Luck Iris Johnston if being deputy Mayor is what you want I hope you get it, what Thanet needs is more councillors like you, in fact the whole country needs more like you. Keep up the good work and good luck.
No Mayor at all is the sensible choice if you ask me!
Why do we need a Mayor anyway?
What's the point?
Hardly relevant nowadays is it?
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