Green Party Thanet District Councillor (TDC), Ian Driver, has submitted a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman about what he described as “an appalling case of mismanagement at the highest officer and political level”.
He claims that TDC’s Constitutional Rules were deliberately broken by top Council bosses and senior politicians of the Conservative and Labour parties to keep an agreement, allowing troubled ferry operator Transeuropa (TEF) to defer fees and charges to the Council, secret from councillors and the public for more than 2 years.
TEF went bust in in April 2013 owing TDC an estimated £3.4 million in unpaid debts forcing the beleaguered Council to raid its reserves including £1 million from Housing Benefits reserves.
Driver also claims that TDC Financial Procedure Rules appear to have been broken by Council Bosses and that the truth about TEF’s escalating debt to the Council was deliberately withheld from the Council’s Governance and Audit Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Panel. He said “had these committees been informed about TEFs large and growing debt, instead of finding out after the liquidation of the company when it was too late, then it is highly likely that action would have been taken to reduce risk to the Council. By keeping the debt a secret Council tax payers in Thanet are now likely to have to find in the region of £30 per household to top up TDCs depleted reserves to the recommended level.
“I hope that the Ombudsman will investigate this matter thoroughly and name and shame those people who thought it was a good idea to play fast and loose with public money. I also hope that certain senior politicians and officers give serious thought about their unconstitutional actions and resign”
Driver is calling on the Ombudsman to recommend that in future any debts to the Council of over £250,000 must be reported to all councillors preventing a “secret deals” culture from becoming established and encouraging openness and transparency in the Council’s financial affairs.
For more information on FerryGate scandal and other local issues visit Ian Driver's blogsite http://thanetgreencouncillor.blogspot.co.uk/
What I find difficult to grasp is just how Cllr Driver thinks he has any credibility left or, indeed, any right to represent the views of the Thanet electorate. He kicks off by getting himself elected for a Ramsgate ward under the Labour banner which he swiftly rejects to become part of the TIG party. Next he goes Independent and now Green. How can anyone fathom out what his views are or just who he is supposed to represent.
ReplyDeleteThen there are his bandwagon campaigns that leap from animal exports to Thanet Earth to Equal Marriage to the Broadstairs Health Centre to the closure of QEQM A & E to Pleasurama to Arlington Tesco to Ferrygate without any being maintained beyond the next starting.
One is left to wonder just what is the point of this counmcillor and does he still represent the views of the Labour voters of Northwood who were misled into electing him. If, as I suspect, he does not then surely he should now resign and call on those fringe protest groups he now claims to represent to re-elect him.
That he will not basically says it all about him.
I think it's very clear Allan, that to claim that Driver represents anyone is pushing the truth well past breaking point.
DeleteI have asked on a number of occasions why he refuses to stand for a by election to give the people of his constituancy a chance to lend him some credibility, but so far he has not commented on the matter. I think his total lack of support at the KCC election might possibly illustrate why he won't be going back to the electorate, and why Driver is completely free of any credibility whatsoever.
Ignored.
DeleteAllan very strange that you are not calling on Cllr Zita Wiltshire to resign for leaving the Tories, becoming independent, then joining UKIP. Strange you have not called on John Worrow to resign for leaving the Tories and becoming Independent. Strange you did not demand the resignation of Cllr Shirley Tomlinson for her drunken driving conviction, or Ken Gregory for his police caution for leaving a message wishing AIDs on John Worrow. Strange you did not call on Sandy Ezekiel to resign following his criminal conviction for misconduct in public officer. To call you an hypocrite would be kind!
ReplyDeleteWarts and all Driver is one of the most dynamic politicians Thanet has seen years. He has taken up issues like Equal Marriage, Pleasurama, Live Exports, Conflicts of interest at the Clinical Commissioning Group, and TransEuropa Ferries that no other politicians have dared to touch. I don't support Driver, but I am glad he is doing what he does. The best you and idiots like John Hamilton can do is to personally attack the guy rather than argue politically. You are pathetic.
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DeleteAnon 12:18, certainly ANYONE changing parties should be made to stand for re-election, and Worrow is simply a disgrace thatr should resign and slink off in shame having bought the office of councillor into disrepute with his behaviour since his election. He should never be allowed to stand for public office again.
DeleteMallinson and Hamilton are ruining these blogs with their witchhunts. They should be ignored, especially as they've nothing of interest or substance to say.
DeleteAnon 09:23, what exactly is it of interest that you have to say?
DeleteThat Mallinson and Hamilton are ruining the blogs Anonymouse 9:38. Did you not read the post?
DeleteAnon 9:38 said "what exactly is it OF INTEREST that you have to say?"
DeleteHope the caos assist you. I think comment on the Thanets councilor with the most flexible allegence is perfectly valid, along with trying to find out why he will not stand in a by election to test support for his latest political ship jumping exercise.
The point of interest JH was that you are ruining the blogs with your too-frequent posts (already 3 or 4 this morning), utter rudeness especially about Cllr Driver and lack of any interesting points. Why not run your own blog - that's what it's for? Mallinson simply trots out a Tory/far right viewpoint often about Cllr Driver or TDC non-corruption or RAF Manston and then pretends he's not political.
DeleteThe world is full of idiots we just don't need so many here so often - like you and Mallinson or dare I say it AnonyMouse Holyer himself.
Anon 11;45, surely it is you that hog the blogs with your constant prattling on about Manston, pollution and 0% salaries. As for rudeness, even in this latest offering you refer to others as idiots. Is that not rude.
DeleteSeems to me you want rid of everybody else except yourself, but who exactly supports you. In following these blogs I have seen many people challenge you but never one who actually agreed with your point of view. Perhaps, therefore, it is you that should stop infesting the blogs and, please, if you go, take Driver with you.
I haven't commented on 0% salaries etc you have Anon. Nor have I read of them being false or incorrect in anyway. Mallinson explained they were but then went silent with his TDC non-corruption rant. You're simply one Anon who also seems to think 0% salaries are viable.
DeleteName one person who has supported your views, Anon, and I will name five who have opposed them. As for 0% salaries, nobody gives a stuff apart from you.
DeleteGo on then mysterious Anon: name your 5 people who oppose whatever it is you're talking about. And why do you think nobody cares about the 0% scandal? Why do you not care if you're a ratepayer? At the very least Moores would care having approved them? You're sounding more and more like a councillor.
DeleteI said if you could name one person who supported your views, any of them, I would name five who did not so back to you to start, Anon. In answer to your question, although you have raised 0% salaries many times nobody has ever commented in your support. Enough said, I think.
DeleteBy the way, what does a councillor sound like in writing? Can you tell by the way they tap their keyboard you smart little chappie you. As pratt go, you should.
So go on then 13:36 name the 5 who do not support these views so you claim. Many people have commented on the 0% salaries, and they are a matter of public record, and Moores can certainly speak up as to how they were actually pay increases. The rest of your comments are simply childish as with your 5 comments game.
DeleteI said oppose your view rather than claiming they support mine, but, for the record, people who have regularly taken you to task over your statements are John Holyer, John Hamilton, Allan Mallinson, Tom Clarke and Ren Wood to name just five of them. Name just one person who has ever spoken out in support of you on a blog.
DeleteWhat kills threads is post after post by people clearly to ashamed of their own comments to put their own name on them.
DeleteI do run my own blog aswell http://johnhamilton3rd.blogspot.com/ Feel free to comment, I assure you that unlike the clown Driver, I will publish your comments, so long as they aren't spam. DARE you comment with the big boys ;)
No JH, it's you specifically destroying the blogs as your comments are so vacuous and rude. I'm sure you've realised that if you only post on your own blog no-one would read your views.
DeleteWrong again, Anon 9:37, for I, along with many others, regularly read John Hamilton's site and agree with many of his comments. Just check out his visitor statistics. The difference is you need an account to comment there so no anonymous trolls like you hogging the space, just folk prepared to put a name to their opinions.
Delete9:37
DeleteYou are bringing us Anons into disrepute with your inane comments. Something cannot be vacuous and rude, since vacuous means empty, but has to be one or the other. Please try harder or refrain from comment until you have improved your education a bit.
Thank you Farnie. I will not allow anonomous trolls 9:37, you have nothing of value to say, and pages and pages of anonomous comments kill threads stone dead.
DeletePleasure, John, and, by the way, have you seen the latest video offering on Thanet Watch. Seems like some attempt at the Guinness Record for saying 'far right' the most times in four minutes.
DeleteI also had to giggle at the infamous councillor who, when still Labour, invited another councillor outside, causing the group chairman to leap in to prevent fisticuffs, yet who now reports a blogger to the police for some alleged written threat to another anonymous. What a total hypocrite.
I;ve not yet seen ThanetWatch's latest 5th rate home movie Farnie, what is it's subject, do you have a link? I always like a good laugh, and Thanetwatch's 5th rate home video's always provide exactly that.
DeleteI had forgotten about that Farnie, Surely you aren't suggesting that any of Thanet's elected representatives practice hypocricy!
It is on their blogsite, John, link in Michael's sidebar. Consists of a few shots of some EDL supporters and a speech from the boy wonder of the sixth form debating society.
DeleteThis Farnie Barnard character may just be more unpleasant than Hamilton. We shall see. I like their post above where they criticise someone for being anonymous - despite their own pseudonym. Classic.
DeleteSo Allan are you saying you that you are happy for the Council to use your money to run a ferry port with no income from the only ferry operator for three years, and to allow a debt of £3.4M to rack up. And are you saying you are happy for officers and Hart and Bayford having keep the debt hidden away in a separate account for all that time and then to have shown the debt as an income in the cash account so no-one would know the Ferry weren't paying. Surely any idiot can see that the debt to the Council had reached an unsustainable level at a much earlier stage. Why did McGonigal and Hart not notice when the Company started hiving off their assets. That surely should have raised alarm bells.
ReplyDeleteSince I have previously made known my view that any person elected under a banner which they then leave should offer themselves for re-election, your comments Anon 12;18, are irrelevant. Perhaps you could also enlighten me just how one argues politically with someone who changes their politics as often as their underway.
ReplyDeleteSee you resort to insults, as is your norm, so you evidently have not much of a case if it consists simply of name calling.
Your second entry at 12:19 is no more reasoned and uses your favourite 'so you are saying' nonsense. Get it straight, Anon, you are saying, nobody else. I was merely commenting on Cllr Driver's credibility and his right to claim to represent anyone.
Michael with respect I am concerned that you have allowed Anon 13.17 to make a threat of violence against one of your commentators. This is not acceptable and is a matter for the police I would suggest.
ReplyDeleteThanks for pointing it out Ian, I have deleted the offending comment and if you wish to take it further you would need to get the police to contact Google, so they could obtain the identity of the commentators involved.
DeleteThanks Michael job done!
DeleteWhy will you not stand for re- election Driver, having changed allegence for the 4th time, don't you think the electorate have the right to endorse your representation of them, or to throw you out on your arse as they did at the KCC election...
DeleteLol lol lol oh Driver, isthere nothing u won't whine about, call the police , and please record the call so we can laugh at you alongside the police.
ReplyDeleteDon't you have another bandwagon to leap onto..
Having followed the Thanet blogs for some years now I can say that it is not uncommon for contributors to exchange insults, wish dire consequences on each other, suggest they foxtrot oscar or STFU and, once, I even read of one suggesting a face to face meet up. Having never read in the IoTG of any two bloggers actually meeting for pistols at dawn, I think we can take this as all part of the banter and particularly as they would not actually have the facilities to hunt each other down. I therefore find it quite ridiculous that Ian Driver, who as a councillor one would hope would no better, wants to turn one of such exchanges into something criminal and involve the police. What an appalling waste of police time.
ReplyDeleteDriver does like to try to make the smallest non issue, into a mountain of media opportunities. Sadly it's how he keeps his name in the media anon 8:57.
DeleteRather sad how Michael will take Driver's side even against his regular supporters to the extent of telling the clown how to take police action. Perhaps he might enjoy having Driver as his only contributor for a while.
DeleteMany thanks to all who have looked at the films on www.thanetwatch.wordpress.com. Please tell us what you think of the content.
ReplyDeleteChristine