Since the local council election in May of this year, concerns have been raised about the correct democratic processes not being observed within Hemsworth Town Council, with some councillors being left out of the decision making process.
How reminiscent of the Kenyon Eccles Cabal, which is not a pleasant thought.
Councillors have even resigned over this issue and to do this after such a short period of time is astonishing and must make people wonder just how bad it was or is.
Also unacceptable is the candidate selection process, or lack of it, being used by the local Labour party branch.
What have Hemsworth Town Council and the local Labour party got in common, that may just explain why the democratic processes are being ignored and it could be said trampled down as if they don’t exist?
Well the Chair of Hemsworth Town Council is Stan Bates, who just happens to be the Chair of the local Labour party and the Labour party branch secretary just happens to be, Hemsworth Town Councillor Keith Fernie.
As has been reported previously “official” Labour party candidates should be selected by the members of the local Labour party branch and this has not been happening.
Under the leadership of Councillors Bates and Fernie candidate selection meetings have routinely not been called.
The only one which was called was cancelled by this dynamic duo and Councillor Kevin Conway.
In a post on yesterday’s Ferret, Keith Fernie tried to defend their undemocratic actions by quoting a labour party rule that he thought may legitimise their actions or perhaps more likely deflect people’s attention from the real culprits, that is themselves.
Unfortunately he made the big hole they have dug for themselves even deeper and in the process made himself look stupid by quoting a “note” that is in one section of the Labour party rules that doesn’t even apply to the selection process for local government elections!
How reminiscent these two clowns are of the Kenyon and Eccles’ show we had as a community to endure for four long and money draining years.
Ferret also understands that the local Labour party is currently under investigation by the Constituency Labour party.
So just why are the rules being disregarded at both Hemsworth Town Council and the Hemsworth labour branch?
Ferret believes the real reason is to simply ensure that Bates, Fernie and others, surround themselves with people who will be compliant with their way of thinking and obviously at the same time to rid themselves of any dissenting voices.
The “official” Labour party candidate for the Fitzwilliam and Kinsley ward, who was not selected by the membership but Ferret now understands was handpicked by Stan Bates, is Ernie Bacon, who judging by his posts on social media is clearly racist.
Others have said that he is also a misogynist.
Ferret believes he was chosen purely and simply to prevent Maxine Hird being selected by the branch members, as the official party candidate if the selection meeting had not been cancelled by the branch officials.
Once again, hasn’t this community seen enough of this behaviour over the last 4 years?
In May 2023 this community wanted a change from unacceptable behaviour and here we are seeing good and decent councillors resigning after a matter of only weeks.
One of those was Maxine Hird.
Maxine has demonstrated that she is a very hard working community minded person who continued to do just that when she was elected as a councillor.
She did not sit back but continued her hard work even when coming under constant fire from certain other councillors, in council, in the community and on social media.
She was even targeted in her own home.
Kinsley and Fitzwilliam have a clear choice, vote for the known racist and undemocratically nominated Ernie Bacon for more of the same or vote for change and a return to decent values and democracy by supporting and voting for Maxine Hird.
And the final nail in Keith Fernies coffin…He admitted in a post on yesterdays Ferret that he was selected as a candidate by the Labour Party branch in March 2023.
This proves he knew the correct procedure for candidates to be selected as he had taken part in the process himself!
Keith Fernie and Stan Bates: A return of the “Clowns”, surely it’s time to vote for Decency and Democracy…