Who has final authority over councillors, party-wise?
Discussion
Our local council down in Gosport is known for being a bit corrupt and full of in-fighting, but recent events have come to light which are pretty scandalous in addition to Peter Viggers claiming for a duck house - see below.
What I want to know is, if a councillor is affiliated with, say, the Liberal Democrats, does Nick Clegg for example have any power over those councillors if they indulge in a bit of skulduggery?
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/gosport/Tory-39deceit3...
What I want to know is, if a councillor is affiliated with, say, the Liberal Democrats, does Nick Clegg for example have any power over those councillors if they indulge in a bit of skulduggery?
http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/gosport/Tory-39deceit3...
The News said:
Tory 'deceit' charge over Lib Dems' failure to pass on council resignations
A party leader has been refusing to hand in the resignations of two councillors who moved to Australia.
Gosport Lib Dem councillors Michael and Julia Salter moved in early April, left their letters of resignation with Councillor Peter Chegwyn and asked him to hand them in at the Town Hall.
But the leader of the Lib Dems refused to do so and has consistently denied any knowledge of the couple permanently moving 10,000 miles away and claimed they were 'visiting family'.
The News has discovered that the Salters, who represented the Brockhurst ward, were furious that their resignations weren't handed in and have sent a second set of letters of resignation from Australia, which have now been received by Gosport council.
A Lib Dem councillor said he believed Cllr Chegwyn, who is standing for a county council seat, was waiting until the elections in June passed before revealing the news.
Leader of the Tory council Councillor Mark Hook said: 'If I was a resident in the Brockhurst ward I would be absolutely fuming.
'They have been deceived by the Lib Dems and it is a shame that Peter Chegwyn has used the Salters to help his own chances at the county council elections.'
Lib Dem councillor Keith Gill confirmed Cllr Chegwyn had been holding on to the resignation letters and said the situation had been handled 'very badly' by his party.
When asked why the letters of resignation had not been handed in, Cllr Gill said: 'I think it may have been to delay the by-election until after the county council election.'
A postcard was also sent by the Salters in Australia to a close friend in Lee-on-the-Solent, postmarked April 11.
It says: 'We were supposed to have had our resignations handed in on 1st May, but it's been delayed until after the county council election on June 4, so we are not happy.
'We've sent a note to our reps in the party to hand in our resignations as soon as possible.'
A party leader has been refusing to hand in the resignations of two councillors who moved to Australia.
Gosport Lib Dem councillors Michael and Julia Salter moved in early April, left their letters of resignation with Councillor Peter Chegwyn and asked him to hand them in at the Town Hall.
But the leader of the Lib Dems refused to do so and has consistently denied any knowledge of the couple permanently moving 10,000 miles away and claimed they were 'visiting family'.
The News has discovered that the Salters, who represented the Brockhurst ward, were furious that their resignations weren't handed in and have sent a second set of letters of resignation from Australia, which have now been received by Gosport council.
A Lib Dem councillor said he believed Cllr Chegwyn, who is standing for a county council seat, was waiting until the elections in June passed before revealing the news.
Leader of the Tory council Councillor Mark Hook said: 'If I was a resident in the Brockhurst ward I would be absolutely fuming.
'They have been deceived by the Lib Dems and it is a shame that Peter Chegwyn has used the Salters to help his own chances at the county council elections.'
Lib Dem councillor Keith Gill confirmed Cllr Chegwyn had been holding on to the resignation letters and said the situation had been handled 'very badly' by his party.
When asked why the letters of resignation had not been handed in, Cllr Gill said: 'I think it may have been to delay the by-election until after the county council election.'
A postcard was also sent by the Salters in Australia to a close friend in Lee-on-the-Solent, postmarked April 11.
It says: 'We were supposed to have had our resignations handed in on 1st May, but it's been delayed until after the county council election on June 4, so we are not happy.
'We've sent a note to our reps in the party to hand in our resignations as soon as possible.'
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