We have a County Council that is not trusted by local councils and a leadership that is so tied up in their own pockets that they cannot see beyond next months allowances.
We have seen a decade where everything they have touched has turned to dust.
I did once think that they were holding on to power for ideological reasons - that they thought the County Council was the only one to take through Labour policies.
I was naïve.
Allowances have gone up so much that some councillors now describe themselves as ‘full time councillors’. That is part of the problem not an answer to them.
Everyone is against them and their future.
MPs Districts, the public, even their own unions, nowadays the papers describe them as a destitute spent force.
Now even their own councillors have taken a stand and are voting against the Executive, that is the centre of all their woes.
How else can we explain why Bill Brooks will not allow the full council to vote on support for a single unitary.
As one senior officer put it – he has been painted into a corner, only he hasn’t worked that out yet!
I don’t know whether or not the Tories would carry them through, carrying 8-10 Labour councillors that want to vote against the party line,whatever - they are staring down the barrel of a Tory or Liberal run authority.
The latest treachery by Bill Brooks has a lot in his group dazed and not knowing which way to go.
His leadership is weak and the wolves are circling to take over – what chance John Whiteman making a come back?
As Bills nemesis, Bob Watson wrote, ‘ Bill has stated the obvious – he cannot work with other partners’ – not a good start for a unitary bid is it?
He has two ways to go, after crying off any future partnership working
Win the government round to thinking one huge single unitary will suffice, at which point all the Labour support in the South East of the county will fade away. Bill had hoped for a continuing authority – one in which he would see out his current term of office. The latest announcement from DCLG puts paid to that then.
With no general election to bolster his election chances and with the threatened disintegration of his own CLP a likelihood – he stands to get only 20 seats on any new single authority, based on last years elections.
The latest tittle-tattle from Morpeth, amongst the officers, is that there is a strategy in which the Government seeing there is to be a blood letting in Northumberland and that the preferred option of a single unitary is not universally welcome, they will stop the move and re-instate the option of closer working.
As Bills other arch-nemesis has said his ‘hat is on a shugley peg’.
Bill knows which ever way he turns his time is up – his colleagues are hoping he will fall on his sword after publicly stating he, he not the council, cannot work with the districts. He knows he will have to do a volte-face if he wishes to salvage anything.
Divinity
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Taken From Northumberland Today 17 November 2007
There is no support in Alnwick for Bill Brooks views on a single unitary
One of the snippets from the debate
We all know the county council couldn't organise a party in a brewery and are £213 million in debt," he said."No wonder Bill Brooks has his beady eye on us
Shake-up could lead to a two-way split
LOCAL government in Alnwick district could undergo a radical shake-up after councillors gave a vote of confidence to proposals to split the county in half.
Members have announced they would like to see a single authority running rural Northumberland (Alnwick, Berwick, Castle Morpeth and Tynedale), with a similar authority managing the south-east of the county (Blyth and Wansbeck).But they expressed serious misgivings about the decision to re-launch a debate it was thought had been quashed after the proposed North East Assembly was rejected in November 2004.A full meeting of Alnwick District Council came to the decision on Monday after hearing a report from chief executive Bill Batey and petitions for and against from fellow councillors.
He called on them to work with other district councils to submit plans for two unitary councils.They were also asked to approve estimated costs of £15,000 to complete the switch-over and agreed for a further £5,000 to be provided if necessary.
A stormy debate on the abolition of county and district has been raging since the release of a Government White Paper on October 26 asking shire councils to take a view on the future structure of local government.Councils were offered the chance to opt for unitary structures, pioneer new two-tier models, or remain within the current system.Within three hours of publication, county council leader Bill Brooks spoke of the "confusing and expensive" current two-tier structure, and gave his backing to a single authority for the whole of Northumberland.
Council leader Heather Cairns opened the debate on Monday by welcoming proposals within the white paper allowing councillors to speak out on planning and licensing issues in their ward.But she also warned: "However excited we get about this, it is about delivery of services to the people." Coun Andrew Duffield, Liberal Democrat member for Rothbury and South Rural, launched a scathing attack on the White Paper, calling it the "latest pig in a poke from the Labour Government.""This is a missed opportunity and a major disappointment.
We all know the county council couldn't organise a party in a brewery and are £213 million in debt," he said."No wonder Bill Brooks has his beady eye on responsible and well-run councils."
Coun Gordon Castle, Independent Alliance member for Alnwick, spoke in support of the proposed unitary authority but harked back to the 2004 referendum on a regional assembly, when voters were also offered the option of a single authority, had the assembly been given the go-ahead.Just 33 per cent came out in favour, with 67 per cent preferring to see the county split into two local councils – Rural Northumberland and South East Northumberland. But a resounding defeat for the regional assembly meant the single-tier plans were also shelved.He said: "Here we are again, two years down the road. Just as we think we are settling down, the hornets' nest is stirred up again, quite unnecessarily I believe. The rug has been pulled from under our feet.
"Coun Heather Cairns said the councillors were all "extremely disappointed" they had not been able to work with the county as they would have preferred."The fact that within hours the county council indicated that they were going to go for a single unitary body meant we were not able to consider partnership working. I feel we have not had that option. We are being forced to put plans forward for two unitary authorities."Both the motion to work towards two unitary authorities and the request for extra funding were passed.The district council now has until January 25 next year to present its new model of working.
One of the snippets from the debate
We all know the county council couldn't organise a party in a brewery and are £213 million in debt," he said."No wonder Bill Brooks has his beady eye on us
Shake-up could lead to a two-way split
LOCAL government in Alnwick district could undergo a radical shake-up after councillors gave a vote of confidence to proposals to split the county in half.
Members have announced they would like to see a single authority running rural Northumberland (Alnwick, Berwick, Castle Morpeth and Tynedale), with a similar authority managing the south-east of the county (Blyth and Wansbeck).But they expressed serious misgivings about the decision to re-launch a debate it was thought had been quashed after the proposed North East Assembly was rejected in November 2004.A full meeting of Alnwick District Council came to the decision on Monday after hearing a report from chief executive Bill Batey and petitions for and against from fellow councillors.
He called on them to work with other district councils to submit plans for two unitary councils.They were also asked to approve estimated costs of £15,000 to complete the switch-over and agreed for a further £5,000 to be provided if necessary.
A stormy debate on the abolition of county and district has been raging since the release of a Government White Paper on October 26 asking shire councils to take a view on the future structure of local government.Councils were offered the chance to opt for unitary structures, pioneer new two-tier models, or remain within the current system.Within three hours of publication, county council leader Bill Brooks spoke of the "confusing and expensive" current two-tier structure, and gave his backing to a single authority for the whole of Northumberland.
Council leader Heather Cairns opened the debate on Monday by welcoming proposals within the white paper allowing councillors to speak out on planning and licensing issues in their ward.But she also warned: "However excited we get about this, it is about delivery of services to the people." Coun Andrew Duffield, Liberal Democrat member for Rothbury and South Rural, launched a scathing attack on the White Paper, calling it the "latest pig in a poke from the Labour Government.""This is a missed opportunity and a major disappointment.
We all know the county council couldn't organise a party in a brewery and are £213 million in debt," he said."No wonder Bill Brooks has his beady eye on responsible and well-run councils."
Coun Gordon Castle, Independent Alliance member for Alnwick, spoke in support of the proposed unitary authority but harked back to the 2004 referendum on a regional assembly, when voters were also offered the option of a single authority, had the assembly been given the go-ahead.Just 33 per cent came out in favour, with 67 per cent preferring to see the county split into two local councils – Rural Northumberland and South East Northumberland. But a resounding defeat for the regional assembly meant the single-tier plans were also shelved.He said: "Here we are again, two years down the road. Just as we think we are settling down, the hornets' nest is stirred up again, quite unnecessarily I believe. The rug has been pulled from under our feet.
"Coun Heather Cairns said the councillors were all "extremely disappointed" they had not been able to work with the county as they would have preferred."The fact that within hours the county council indicated that they were going to go for a single unitary body meant we were not able to consider partnership working. I feel we have not had that option. We are being forced to put plans forward for two unitary authorities."Both the motion to work towards two unitary authorities and the request for extra funding were passed.The district council now has until January 25 next year to present its new model of working.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Berwick to fight plans to scrap council tier
Berwick Today, Latest News
BERWICK Borough Council is to join forces with its district council colleagues to mount a campaign for two separate unitary authorities in Northumberland.
The decision has been taken in response to the government's seemingly inevitable plans to scrap one tier of local government.With the leader of Northumberland County Council having already indicated his support for a single unitary authority, it would appear the battle lines have now been drawn up.However, a final decision will not be made by the public as was the case two years ago when voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed regional assembly and single unitary status.Coun John Stephenson, leader of Berwick Borough Council, accused the government of trying to impose the new structure through the back door."I believe this is misguided revenge for the people of the north east saying no to a regional assembly," he said. "It's terribly disappointing that we are having to revisit this - and the expense that will be incurred - just two years since the expressed wishes of the electorate were made clear."The council believes a single unitary authority dominated by decision-makers from the south-east of the county would fail to take into account the needs of rural areas such as Berwick Borough.It believes the best course of action would be to split the county into rural and urban authorities - with Berwick joining Alnwick, Tynedale and the northern part of Castle Morpeth in the former and Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and the rest of Castle Morpeth in the latter."I don't believe a unitary authority which doesn't take into account the rural needs of people in places like Berwick Borough is appropriate and therefore we are being pushed back into going for two unitary authorities," said Coun Stephenson.Ironically, the districts had been in talks with the county council about enhancing the existing two-tier structure but there appears to be no way back now.Coun Stephenson said: "We really wanted to enhance the two tier system but after meeting with the leader of the county council we have been left in no doubt that option is not on the table."The leader has since admitted this is his own personal view after being tackled by Coun Diana Beith at last week's full meeting of the county council.Coun Beith said: "The council has never discussed this issue and there are no meetings yet arranged for them to do so. In the regional referendum in 2004, people in Northumberland clearly voted against a unitary authority for all of Northumberland. District councils have yet to be properly consulted, and by reaction so far it is clear there is no consensus on the way forward."Coun Beith went on to accuse the leader of being out of touch and dismissive of the democratic views of the people of Northumberland, particularly in the Berwick Borough area.The shake-up will mean the loss of a local government base in north Northumberland and Coun George Miller expressed his disappointment at this.However, Coun Bill Ferguson felt that in theory a rural/urban split could benefit north Northumberland residents - although funding was the bottom line.This was also a concern for Coun David Stewart who expressed doubts about how a two unitary structure could provide quality health and education services.e-mail: iansmithBERWICK Borough Council is to join forces with its district council colleagues to mount a campaign for two separate unitary authorities in Northumberland.
The decision has been taken in response to the government's seemingly inevitable plans to scrap one tier of local government.With the leader of Northumberland County Council having already indicated his support for a single unitary authority, it would appear the battle lines have now been drawn up.However, a final decision will not be made by the public as was the case two years ago when voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed regional assembly and single unitary status.Coun John Stephenson, leader of Berwick Borough Council, accused the government of trying to impose the new structure through the back door."I believe this is misguided revenge for the people of the north east saying no to a regional assembly," he said. "It's terribly disappointing that we are having to revisit this - and the expense that will be incurred - just two years since the expressed wishes of the electorate were made clear."The council believes a single unitary authority dominated by decision-makers from the south-east of the county would fail to take into account the needs of rural areas such as Berwick Borough.It believes the best course of action would be to split the county into rural and urban authorities - with Berwick joining Alnwick, Tynedale and the northern part of Castle Morpeth in the former and Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and the rest of Castle Morpeth in the latter."I don't believe a unitary authority which doesn't take into account the rural needs of people in places like Berwick Borough is appropriate and therefore we are being pushed back into going for two unitary authorities," said Coun Stephenson.Ironically, the districts had been in talks with the county council about enhancing the existing two-tier structure but there appears to be no way back now.Coun Stephenson said: "We really wanted to enhance the two tier system but after meeting with the leader of the county council we have been left in no doubt that option is not on the table."The leader has since admitted this is his own personal view after being tackled by Coun Diana Beith at last week's full meeting of the county council.Coun Beith said: "The council has never discussed this issue and there are no meetings yet arranged for them to do so. In the regional referendum in 2004, people in Northumberland clearly voted against a unitary authority for all of Northumberland. District councils have yet to be properly consulted, and by reaction so far it is clear there is no consensus on the way forward."Coun Beith went on to accuse the leader of being out of touch and dismissive of the democratic views of the people of Northumberland, particularly in the Berwick Borough area.The shake-up will mean the loss of a local government base in north Northumberland and Coun George Miller expressed his disappointment at this.However, Coun Bill Ferguson felt that in theory a rural/urban split could benefit north Northumberland residents - although funding was the bottom line.This was also a concern for Coun David Stewart who expressed doubts about how a two unitary structure could provide quality health and education services.e-mail: iansmithBERWICK Borough Council is to join forces with its district council colleagues to mount a campaign for two separate unitary authorities in Northumberland.
The decision has been taken in response to the government's seemingly inevitable plans to scrap one tier of local government.
With the leader of Northumberland County Council having already indicated his support for a single unitary authority, it would appear the battle lines have now been drawn up.
However, a final decision will not be made by the public as was the case two years ago when voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed regional assembly and single unitary status.
Coun John Stephenson, leader of Berwick Borough Council, accused the government of trying to impose the new structure through the back door.
"I believe this is misguided revenge for the people of the north east saying no to a regional assembly," he said. "It's terribly disappointing that we are having to revisit this - and the expense that will be incurred - just two years since the expressed wishes of the electorate were made clear."
The council believes a single unitary authority dominated by decision-makers from the south-east of the county would fail to take into account the needs of rural areas such as Berwick Borough.
It believes the best course of action would be to split the county into rural and urban authorities - with Berwick joining Alnwick, Tynedale and the northern part of Castle Morpeth in the former and Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and the rest of Castle Morpeth in the latter.
"I don't believe a unitary authority which doesn't take into account the rural needs of people in places like Berwick Borough is appropriate and therefore we are being pushed back into going for two unitary authorities," said Coun Stephenson.
Ironically, the districts had been in talks with the county council about enhancing the existing two-tier structure but there appears to be no way back now.
Coun Stephenson said: "We really wanted to enhance the two tier system but after meeting with the leader of the county council we have been left in no doubt that option is not on the table."
The leader has since admitted this is his own personal view after being tackled by Coun Diana Beith at last week's full meeting of the county council.
Coun Beith said: "The council has never discussed this issue and there are no meetings yet arranged for them to do so. In the regional referendum in 2004, people in Northumberland clearly voted against a unitary authority for all of Northumberland. District councils have yet to be properly consulted, and by reaction so far it is clear there is no consensus on the way forward."
Coun Beith went on to accuse the leader of being out of touch and dismissive of the democratic views of the people of Northumberland, particularly in the Berwick Borough area.
The shake-up will mean the loss of a local government base in north Northumberland and Coun George Miller expressed his disappointment at this.
However, Coun Bill Ferguson felt that in theory a rural/urban split could benefit north Northumberland residents - although funding was the bottom line.
This was also a concern for Coun David Stewart who expressed doubts about how a two unitary structure could provide quality health and education services.
With the leader of Northumberland County Council having already indicated his support for a single unitary authority, it would appear the battle lines have now been drawn up.
However, a final decision will not be made by the public as was the case two years ago when voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed regional assembly and single unitary status.
Coun John Stephenson, leader of Berwick Borough Council, accused the government of trying to impose the new structure through the back door.
"I believe this is misguided revenge for the people of the north east saying no to a regional assembly," he said. "It's terribly disappointing that we are having to revisit this - and the expense that will be incurred - just two years since the expressed wishes of the electorate were made clear."
The council believes a single unitary authority dominated by decision-makers from the south-east of the county would fail to take into account the needs of rural areas such as Berwick Borough.
It believes the best course of action would be to split the county into rural and urban authorities - with Berwick joining Alnwick, Tynedale and the northern part of Castle Morpeth in the former and Blyth Valley, Wansbeck and the rest of Castle Morpeth in the latter.
"I don't believe a unitary authority which doesn't take into account the rural needs of people in places like Berwick Borough is appropriate and therefore we are being pushed back into going for two unitary authorities," said Coun Stephenson.
Ironically, the districts had been in talks with the county council about enhancing the existing two-tier structure but there appears to be no way back now.
Coun Stephenson said: "We really wanted to enhance the two tier system but after meeting with the leader of the county council we have been left in no doubt that option is not on the table."
The leader has since admitted this is his own personal view after being tackled by Coun Diana Beith at last week's full meeting of the county council.
Coun Beith said: "The council has never discussed this issue and there are no meetings yet arranged for them to do so. In the regional referendum in 2004, people in Northumberland clearly voted against a unitary authority for all of Northumberland. District councils have yet to be properly consulted, and by reaction so far it is clear there is no consensus on the way forward."
Coun Beith went on to accuse the leader of being out of touch and dismissive of the democratic views of the people of Northumberland, particularly in the Berwick Borough area.
The shake-up will mean the loss of a local government base in north Northumberland and Coun George Miller expressed his disappointment at this.
However, Coun Bill Ferguson felt that in theory a rural/urban split could benefit north Northumberland residents - although funding was the bottom line.
This was also a concern for Coun David Stewart who expressed doubts about how a two unitary structure could provide quality health and education services.
Monday, November 13, 2006
From Northumberland Gazette
13 November 2006
School transport tops list of compliants to one MP in Northumberland
Alan Beth MP
SCHOOL transport for over-16s topped the list of complaints raised with Alan Beith MP during his 800-mile tour of 120 villages in his constituency.
Analysis of the subjects covered reveals that Northumberland County Council’s £360 charge for pupils’ transport to school or college, and the withdrawal of rail passes for Berwick students travelling to Newcastle College, was the issue raised most often. Roads and footpaths and NHS issues come second and third. Road issues included the threat to signs advertising local businesses beside the A1. NHS problems included the difficulty so many people are having in registering with a dentist. Also prominent were problems about financial services, threats to local post offices and shops, tax and benefits, housing and the wind farm issue.
School transport tops list of compliants to one MP in Northumberland
Alan Beth MP
SCHOOL transport for over-16s topped the list of complaints raised with Alan Beith MP during his 800-mile tour of 120 villages in his constituency.
Analysis of the subjects covered reveals that Northumberland County Council’s £360 charge for pupils’ transport to school or college, and the withdrawal of rail passes for Berwick students travelling to Newcastle College, was the issue raised most often. Roads and footpaths and NHS issues come second and third. Road issues included the threat to signs advertising local businesses beside the A1. NHS problems included the difficulty so many people are having in registering with a dentist. Also prominent were problems about financial services, threats to local post offices and shops, tax and benefits, housing and the wind farm issue.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Deafening Silence at County Hall. Morpeth . Northumberland
There is a deafening silence these days from Northumberland County Hall.
It is the silence of the lambs, being led down the path by a, not so good, shepherd.
This is not going to be a diatribe on the rights or wrongs of Bill Brooks pre-emptive strike for survival, although I will make a few pertinent points later in the narrative, no its going to more of a forensic examination on what has gone wrong, in an Authority a few years ago that was respected amongst its own party and in government, now its friends are turning away.
The pathway Bill has chosen was one started by Michael Davey.
It is a path littered with clichés such as ‘what do the public know anyway’, interspersed by the well worn ‘we are here to make the hard decisions’, who has it been hard for Bill?
It has certainly been hard for the people of South east Northumberland, your own backyard. With the closure of homes, doubling costs of home care, loss of firemen and the stations in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, closure of schools, libraries you have seen even your own councillors protesting about it.
You have suspended your own councillors for trying to be true to their principles. You have attempted to suborn democracy in your own party with your Machiavellian machinations, and tried to suspend or get thrown out several members who do not concur with your thinking.
The policies that have been promulgated at County, by a few in the know, are the problem. They are not policies worked out in Labour Group and owned or at least supported by everyone. They are policies that are drawn up by officers who run the executive and ruling group.
This is not an indictment of officers – they are doing their job as they have been allowed to do it for years, even to the CEO stating in public that the reorganisation of the councils in Northumberland are a done deal, because he was responsible for the white paper!
This is the same group that told everyone, wink wink, nudge nudge, we have the money for BSF or was it PLF – what happened to that?
The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the two leading councillors and to a certain extent the Executive, who have failed miserably to hold them to account.
Now we have sweet William walking the stage telling everyone that his way is the only way, sod what the foot soldiers think.
Gone are the promises of a ‘value for money’ council, the Audit Commission put the lie to that in March, whilst praising the vale given by Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, how that must have galled Bill. Even at your own Area Committee an Officer stated it was the intent to follow Blyth Valley and gain ‘excellent’ status.
That is what is behind all the past few years an attempt to ‘tick the boxes’ to gain the ultimate prize of ‘excellence’ from the Audit Commission.
Gone is the vision of superb services well delivered, what services you are closing them all down.
Gone too is the pretence of engaging with the public – even your own Scrutiny Board told you last month that members of the public feel they are intruding when they enter the bi-monthly propaganda machines.
Three months ago the County was labelled the most expensive, in tax, in the country – what price savings in a single unitary now Bill?
All of this pales though in the light of Bill and Peter Hillmans complete disregard for the results of the MORI poll conducted by the Electoral Committee and the referendum that clearly said the public do not want you as a council. They prefer local councils locally accountable.
Even in moderate Wansbeck, known for its pragmatism amongst its councillors you have turned their hand against you by closing their homes and fire stations.
In the forthcoming weeks there is to be a lot of blood letting, caused by you Bill, the result should be a foregone conclusion and should follow the lead of the public.
One thing is for sure, you will not go for a public vote again, of that you are frit.
If there is a single unitary there will be a full vote – something you forgot to factor in, there is no way on Gods earth that you will be in power or Labour even a major play in the debacle that will ensue.
You know that, you know you will consign Labour policies that have achieved so much, to the dustbin that will be a Tory run authority and that’s when the two Labour MPs will fall. North of the Tyne will be a waste land and that will be your legacy Bill.
It is a legacy that we will all be paying Inheritance Tax on for years, it is one you can avoid by allowing Northumberland to emerge with dignity, with a council for South East Northumberland that will flourish.
Veritas
It is the silence of the lambs, being led down the path by a, not so good, shepherd.
This is not going to be a diatribe on the rights or wrongs of Bill Brooks pre-emptive strike for survival, although I will make a few pertinent points later in the narrative, no its going to more of a forensic examination on what has gone wrong, in an Authority a few years ago that was respected amongst its own party and in government, now its friends are turning away.
The pathway Bill has chosen was one started by Michael Davey.
It is a path littered with clichés such as ‘what do the public know anyway’, interspersed by the well worn ‘we are here to make the hard decisions’, who has it been hard for Bill?
It has certainly been hard for the people of South east Northumberland, your own backyard. With the closure of homes, doubling costs of home care, loss of firemen and the stations in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, closure of schools, libraries you have seen even your own councillors protesting about it.
You have suspended your own councillors for trying to be true to their principles. You have attempted to suborn democracy in your own party with your Machiavellian machinations, and tried to suspend or get thrown out several members who do not concur with your thinking.
The policies that have been promulgated at County, by a few in the know, are the problem. They are not policies worked out in Labour Group and owned or at least supported by everyone. They are policies that are drawn up by officers who run the executive and ruling group.
This is not an indictment of officers – they are doing their job as they have been allowed to do it for years, even to the CEO stating in public that the reorganisation of the councils in Northumberland are a done deal, because he was responsible for the white paper!
This is the same group that told everyone, wink wink, nudge nudge, we have the money for BSF or was it PLF – what happened to that?
The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of the two leading councillors and to a certain extent the Executive, who have failed miserably to hold them to account.
Now we have sweet William walking the stage telling everyone that his way is the only way, sod what the foot soldiers think.
Gone are the promises of a ‘value for money’ council, the Audit Commission put the lie to that in March, whilst praising the vale given by Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, how that must have galled Bill. Even at your own Area Committee an Officer stated it was the intent to follow Blyth Valley and gain ‘excellent’ status.
That is what is behind all the past few years an attempt to ‘tick the boxes’ to gain the ultimate prize of ‘excellence’ from the Audit Commission.
Gone is the vision of superb services well delivered, what services you are closing them all down.
Gone too is the pretence of engaging with the public – even your own Scrutiny Board told you last month that members of the public feel they are intruding when they enter the bi-monthly propaganda machines.
Three months ago the County was labelled the most expensive, in tax, in the country – what price savings in a single unitary now Bill?
All of this pales though in the light of Bill and Peter Hillmans complete disregard for the results of the MORI poll conducted by the Electoral Committee and the referendum that clearly said the public do not want you as a council. They prefer local councils locally accountable.
Even in moderate Wansbeck, known for its pragmatism amongst its councillors you have turned their hand against you by closing their homes and fire stations.
In the forthcoming weeks there is to be a lot of blood letting, caused by you Bill, the result should be a foregone conclusion and should follow the lead of the public.
One thing is for sure, you will not go for a public vote again, of that you are frit.
If there is a single unitary there will be a full vote – something you forgot to factor in, there is no way on Gods earth that you will be in power or Labour even a major play in the debacle that will ensue.
You know that, you know you will consign Labour policies that have achieved so much, to the dustbin that will be a Tory run authority and that’s when the two Labour MPs will fall. North of the Tyne will be a waste land and that will be your legacy Bill.
It is a legacy that we will all be paying Inheritance Tax on for years, it is one you can avoid by allowing Northumberland to emerge with dignity, with a council for South East Northumberland that will flourish.
Veritas
Will Bill Brooks Resign if he fails to win approval for a unitary authority for Northumberland
An open letter to Councillor Brooks Dear Bill Brooks, Re: The Local Government White Paper.YOU are correct to say "Northumberland County Council leaders" welcomed the publication of this paper on local governance; however, I certainly wish it had been published in conjunction with the long awaited Lyons Report on local government and finance.Following the disastrous referendum of two years ago, we have continually heard from you that real efforts were being made to forge partnership working between the county and its districts.Indeed it was only a few months ago that you were lauding the signing of Local Area Agreements by all seven councils.Now, you claim "the current structure of local government in Northumberland doesn't work well".Do you really think a "directly elected cabinet" is (a) innovative or (b) what the public of Northumberland would want?I concur that Northumberland deserves "efficient, effective and fit for purpose" local government.The county has for too long been run by a Labour administration in which you have played leading roles – chairman/portfolio holder for highways and transport; deputy leader and leader – and you now recognise the need for improvement. That in itself is welcome.As well as the severely damaged relationships with our partners in the districts, did you not promise them to have a joint response to this paper?Your early declaration for "a single council for Northumberland" without any debate within the county council has and will continue to give concern about the role of democracy in the county.When will a debate take place? And if you lose that debate or fail to win government approval for a unitary authority in Northumberland, will you resign? COUN ALEX C KERR
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