Hemsworth Cabal Independents: The Vote of No Confidence in Jean Eccles…

Last night’s meeting saw an item on the agenda for a vote of no confidence in Council Chair – Jean Eccles.

This was proposed by Councillors Dodson, Hardacre, Hird, Middleton, Moran and A Westmorland.

It was always going to be a long shot to dethrone Jean Eccles, for 2 reasons:

• Due to her having as chair, a second and casting vote to ensure a majority, in the event of a “tied” vote.
• She can chose to ignore the vote and carry on regardless and in defiance of the wishes of the majority of councillors.

Now anyone would think this would be straight forward given her track record but low and behold, she was supported by her cabal colleagues listed below:

• G Eccles
• J Kenyon
• S Wilson
• L Pringle
• G Hirst

So, She actually lost the vote and she refused to resign!

Unfortunately that is the legal position but it does show the principles and values of those councillors who voted to support her.

Ferret could understand loyalty and support if it was warranted or there was a lack of supporting evidence to remove her.

During the item, it was clear to Ferret that Jean Eccles actually had no idea how the process should work and even tried to stifle the debate before it had begun.

Ferret is pleased that Councillor Middleton understood the process and he set out his reasons for believing Jean should relinquish the Chair including:

• Jean failed to set a Council agenda for the year – she set her own.
• Jean should involve all Councillors in everything and she doesn’t.
• Jean makes people go through the chair except the person to her right, Cllr Kenyon.
• Jean is making decisions without the rest of the Councillors.
• Jean has made some false claims in exclusions of press and public.

Ferret would like to add to the list with a few of the reasons Jean Eccles should never have been even considered for the highest position of our community:

• Community money and a lot of it, was spent on renovating the former Farmer’s club car park, owned by the Eccles, on the pretext that it would be used free by the community

• At the time of its first use, the pubic were charged and only after a public outcry was £200 pounds handed over to the council.
• No one except the Eccles’ really know how much was actually taken.
• Ferret doubts if that money was ever or could be returned to the members of public who had paid it.
• Was that money added to council funds or was it given over to a charity?
• The Eccles had their watercourse, their responsibility, on their land cleared at community expense, another misuse of council funds.
• The Eccles recommended their previously employed accountant to become the new internal auditor and failed to leave the room during the vote and discussion.
• The Eccles have control over the access gate to the Waterpark and lock it to restrict access to the Waterpark.
• Jean Eccles has repeatedly been verbally abusive to members of our community and refuses even to apologise.
• She has been responsible for spending money without any business planning in place.
• There has been no compliance to the Nolan Principles of standards in public office.

Jean Eccles is not fit to be a Councillor, let alone hold the office of Chair of Hemsworth Town Council.

Anyone of the above list should have seen her resign and yet she still commands the support of her cabal colleagues.

This surely says a lot about their own fitness for office and their ability to act as our representatives…