JPC's leaflet error on Councillor qualifications

The JPC has now had to disclose that it published the anonymous flyer about becoming a parish councillor, which was circulated with the last JPC Magazine. Many residents had complained that it was inaccurate and believed that it might have contravened the Electoral Commission's regulations.

Several residents have queried the motive behind the flyer. Was it another example of JPC incompetence or was it a deliberate attempt by the Ruling Group to limit competition at the forthcoming Parish Council election? If it was the latter, this would be a most serious attempt at gerrymandering, which is defined as trying to get extra votes unfairly.

Although this leaflet appeared to have been designed for use by many parish councils with an simulated overprint in blue of the Henley JPC address, we now know that it was printed for the JPC. A cheque for £417.73 was approved by a majority vote, with 2 councillors voting against, at the last JPC Council meeting on Monday 20th Feb. Prior to this, the parish clerk had declined to disclose even to a parish councillor, the publisher of this flyer. Why was the Parish Clerk so reluctant to provide this information?

The "Do I qualify to stand for election?" criteria failed to include the word "AND" ONCE and word "OR" THREE times, turning 4 alternatives into 5 requirements. This would disenfranchise all retired electors and anyone working more than 3 miles outside the parish. It would also mean that 10 out of 12 of the present parish councillors would NOT qualify to stand for election.

Obviously, the JPC does not have the power to overrule Section 2 of the Representation of the People Act 2000 and all the local government electors on the Electoral Register can stand for election without meeting any other qualification.

The JPC election flyer above

The Correct Qualification and Disqualification Requirements

Persons qualify if they are aged over 18 and are a British, Commonwealth or EU Citizen and are also one or more of the following:

1. Registered LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTOR. 
2. OR occupied land or buildings in Henley or Beaudesert during the whole of preceding 12 months.
3. OR principal place of work has been in Henley Beaudesert during the whole of the preceding 12 months.
4. OR resided in one of the parishes or within 4.8 kms of the boundary of either parish during the whole of the preceding 12 months.

The panel, "Am I excluded from standing?" is also very confusing and again inaccurate.

If you have any questions, you should only ask the Stratford District Council Democratic Support Services on 01789 260208 or email: elections@stratford-dc.gov.uk

Residents are now expecting Cllr Roger Hubbocks, chairman of the JPC, to explain whether his group were gerrymandering, or was it just another blunder by this dysfunctional council. The councillors are now considering reissuing the leaflet.

Demand for enquiry into JPC Grants

Residents are considering demanding a public enquiry at the annual parish meetings into the JPC grants for the fiscal year 2012/3. 

There was outrage when it was announced that the Hub Youth Club would receive nothing and why the Christmas Lights would receive their full request when all other applicants had had their requests scaled down. 

The Christmas Lights Working Party, organised by Cllr Les Goodman, receives in addition to the JPC grant, considerable donations from the residents and businesses. Residents cannot remember the accounts being circulated so that they could see the reason why the Christmas Lights are a special case and that this application should not be scaled down like the others.

The annual parish meetings take place on 10th April for Henley and 17th April for Beaudesert, shortly before the parish council election on 3rd May.

Parish Clerk's Political Comments are wrong

In the January 19th edition of the Stratford Herald, the JPC clerk, writing in a personal capacity, said "unlike district and county councils, parish councils are not held in a political format". The editor of the Stratford Herald added a post script; "Ms Walsh's assertion that parish council elections are not held in a political format is false".

In the same letter, the parish clerk endorses a group of the existing councillors "the current parish council who in my opinion do an excellent job working under tremendous constraints from a small group who claim to represent the town when in actual fact they form a very small but vocal minority".

At the JPC meeting on Monday 16th January, the leader of the Henley Independents, Mike Willmott, reminded the JPC that Government officers such as parish clerks are not allowed to take part in political activities or promote any political party or group unless they first resign from office which in this case has not happened. 

Mr Willmott also asked that the JPC observes the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity and he pointed out that there were very specific rules during periods leading up to elections. Recent editions of the JPC Newsletter had been very biased and party political.

During the Council meeting, a debate took place about correspondence between the Joint Parish Council and the Henley War Memorial Trust, which administers the village hall and the playing fields. In a confused speech, Cllr George Matheou, right, said that when he joined the Henley War Memorial Trust several years ago, he told the then chairman of the Trust that he represented the parish council. Cllr Matheou maintained that this declaration meant that the whole parish council were trustees. Cllr Leech responded that whilst he could “represent” the parish council it did not make the whole parish council trustees. Cllr Leech said the Charity Commission rules were very precise and required that all trustees had to be “people”, not organisations.

Cllr Leech went on to say that it was unfortunate that the parish clerk had advised Councillors at their first meeting in December that the Council were trustees “in equal status” to the other trustees. Cllr Matheou had then used this information to issue a press release which had been widely reported, including in the Stratford Herald, and had criticised the way in which the trust had been run. Peter Crathorne, Chairman of the Henley War Memorial Trust previously had described Cllr Matheou’s press release as “a travesty of the truth”. After a lengthy debate without reaching any conclusions, Councillors decided to move on.

At the end of the meeting, the public and the press were excluded so that Councillors could discuss an unspecified complaint by the parish clerk against an un-named councillor. No information on this secret discussion has been made available to the media or Cllr Leech.

Comments from a Knowledgeable Reader

As the Clerk to Henley and Beaudesert Joint Parish Council, it is Ms Walsh's duty to act as the Proper Officer during elections and faciltate the democratic returning of elected members to the council.  This must be an impartial function.  

As an informed reader, I think Ms Walsh ought to know her facts. What she states is utterly wrong.

The beauty of the election system in this country is that pretty much anyone over the age of eighteen can stand for election, with or without the backing of a political party. This includes to all three tiers of Local Government.  

As it appears she does not understand her role as clerk and wishes to indulge in political views in the parish in which she works, this reader thinks she ought to know that she too could stand for election, subject to her resigning from her post and leaving a one year gap.

Look at what happens on a daily basis in countries that do not acknowledge the importance of democracy! 

An Experienced Local Government Officer

Parish Clerk objects to advertising for new councillors

Henley NEWS published a banner advert advising residents that they could stand as parish councillors in the May 2012 parish election.

The parish clerk, Mrs Jenny Walsh, without it being discussed by the full council demanded that the advert be "removed from your website forthwith".

Henley NEWS ran a similar campaign four years ago, which resulted in 2 new parish councillors.

Stratford District Council approves the Advert

Stratford District Council has emailed Henley NEWS advising that: "The District Council has received correspondence regarding this and has responded accordingly.

"There isn’t anything within electoral legislation regarding this concern, but the District Council does regard this as good practice to invite people to be a Councillor (above the statutory notices) and the District Council usually holds an open evening for all prospective candidates."