DISHONOURABLE AS TO BE DESPICABLE?

These words are a description of Gordon Brown from Simon Heffer's Column in Saturday's Telegraph and it struck me that they are apposite in regards to matters in Thanet as they are to the financial state of this country and the risible Budget forecasts and measures we heard on Wednesday.

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However, just like Gordon Brown who has lost all credibility, I am sure Cllr Ezekiel will similarly attempt to hang on to his position as 'Leader' at TDC despite what appears to be a serious attempt by more principled Conservative Council members to remove him. Rumours seem to point to a two week repertoire of threatening, bully-boy, cajoling behaviour and even 'crumbs' being offered to those of weaker character.

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I find it strange that the antics at Westminster by Brown have echoes in Thanet. Brown too close to Banking interests; Ezekiel too close to businessmen. Spin by Brown and spin by Ezekiel (via Cllr Moores) to show that the TDC senior officers got 0% payrises but failed to mention new banding meant more pay. (Consultancy bills for TDC would indicate that these new higher banded officers still need lots of expensive outside help.) Politicisation of the Civil Service and the disgraceful business of McBride and the politicisation of Council Officers in Thanet (how else can you describe Mr Bunnet's deposition to Standards?).

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All good Conservatives can list the slease, hypocrisy and crass stupidity of a Labour Central Government but why do our local Conservatives fail to see the same in Thanet? There is no Conservative Council Leader in the South-East who has ever been hauled before Standards and found to have breached acceptable conduct, let alone twice in 18 months on THREE counts.

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But what else can our Conservative Councillors consider?

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Carpet and flooring contracts with TDC by his business Northdown Carpets and even with a developer with a live application before TDC? Not criminal but inappropriate perhaps? A TDC expenses declaration of July 2008 that states that Chinamex organised and paid for a visit to China reference China Gateway when Mr Wills of CGP stated on BBC TV that CGP organised and paid for it with re-imbursement to come from Chinamex. Misleading? You bet. Even Mr Samuels received a CGP letter asking him and his 'colleagues' to submit to CGP any other out of pocket expenses for this trip to China.

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An acceptance of £12,500 sponsorship for The Big Event 2008 from CGP whilst its application was before his own Council's Planning Dept? An attempt to get Thanet Conservatives to accept £25,000 from Mr Wills as a political donation with an application pending? Fortunately Roger Gale shot this foolishness down quickly despite Dr Steve Ladyman accepting a similar amount for Thanet South Labour. Cllr Broadhurst's (Con) Security business has the TDC Security contract? The chief security officer for this business is Cllr Watt-Ruffell (Con but very much ex-Labour)? Nothing illegal but all very much in-house.

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Projects with TC and Old Town get funding but museums can be closed and Northdown House flogged off? A Dreamland site decision that flies in face of Planning Inspectors advice and benefits a property company by doubling the value of its holding but ends up with the site remaining derelict as the Planning Inspector forecasted. Again , nothing illegal or criminal but for many highly worrying. The decline of Margate in particular and Thanet in general has ocurred in the 'boom' years with our 'carpet fitter' at the helm since 2003. What a sad record.

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Could I draw your attention to an article in The Evening Standard of Tuesday 21st April by the former editor of New Statesman, John Kampfner. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23679151-details/Darlings+all+boxed+in++and+his+partys+lust+for+power+is+to+blame/article.do

Here is a little extract; if you insert Thanet and Ezekiel instead of Westminster and Labour you can see the parallels I have tried to make.

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"Since 1997, their every working day has been based around the task of prolonging their term of office. It is what drives them all when they wake up in the morning. It fills in the hollow. Sure, we can all point to various changes for the better, but as a check list for 12 years of virtually untrammelled power, it is deeply disappointing. And they know it. Their anger is not manufactured; it is deeply ingrained and directed at anyone who criticises them. I would suspect - although psychologists would have a better understanding than I - that deep down it is directed at themselves.What is so frustrating is that those few MPs, and the odd minister, who do have strong principles and deep ambitions to change Britain felt forced to hide them. They began to look and sound like automatons in order to avoid ritual humiliation at the hands of the Prime Minister's henchmen for speaking out of turn."

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How ironic that this is a left wing journalist of impeccable Labour credentials who outlines for us all, with a TDC led by Ezekiel, the price we pay because of those who lack principles.

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