Letter to the Editor - Kentish Express
24 January 2012
Dear Sir
In your article on page 24 of last week’s paper, (“Meeting of council ‘that can’t agree’ is cancelled”), you quote Cllr McClintock as saying, “This is a further demonstration that through the actions and behaviour of the new ’majority’ on the parish council, we find ourselves in this situation”.
As a member of the public, I have been a regular attendee at PC meetings over past months. It is abundantly clear that, if there is a problem, it is not due to the six councillors who were elected by a landslide last October on a platform of opposition to the proposed Chilmington Green development – the problem is Cllr McClintock himself.
He has made it very clear that he is not prepared to work with the new councillors. Attempts at mediation and diplomacy have been firmly rebuffed. Instead he has issued a stream of allegations against his new colleagues, including lying and harassment.
He took the decision that none of his fellow councillors could be trusted to take the minutes unilaterally and without consultation. He seems to think that anyone who disagrees with him is a liar and is guilty of criminal harassment; and yet he has warned his fellow councillors that if they come to meetings in agreement on key issues, their “discretion is said to be fettered” and they are in breach of the Code of Conduct. He can’t have it both ways!
He really shouldn’t be in politics, or perhaps he should go somewhere where everyone agrees with the leadership – North Korea for example.
Yours sincerely
Ralph Carpenter
Chilmington Green
Greta Chart
