Maybe it's a first in British politics but it would appear that, Kent Police, in issuing Cllr Mike Harrision with a notice under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, it may well have, the consequence of directly interfering with Thanet Council business.
I'm told a decision on Cllr Mike Harrison's future in the Thanet Labour Group has been passed on to the Party's chief whip for consideration also advice has been sought with TDC's legal bods, clearly since no charge has been made or accepted this is different to Cllr. Gregory's situation. Still I just wonder whether implications of the notice issued to Mike Harrison have been fully appreciated.
Labour leader Cllr. Clive Hart to his credit acted swiftly on hearing of latest developments with Mike Harrison, saying this " Immediately I learned of yesterdays events I instructed our Chief Whip to start an investigation on behalf of our group into matters leading to Cllr Mike Harrison being given an harassment warning by the Police. That investigation is underway".
I don't doubt we all expect and want a swift resolution to this messy matter, and a return to issue led politics not the personal insults, threats and provocation of recent, still it occurs to me, that we now have a situation in which Kent police have become an unwitting player, in the democratic process, not something you expect in a civilised western society.
Although there has been no police investigation, a notice has been issued to Mike Harrison under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 which prevents him contacting or communicating via third parties with Cllr. Driver, a clear impediment to democracy in my view, since Councillor Driver is Chairman of the important Scrutiny and Overview Committee, rather unfortunately Cllr Mike Harrison is the Vice Chair a fairly tricky situation if the two cannot communicate.
Imagine the potential situation which would be funny, were it not so serious, your council the Chair of Scrutiny and Overview invites comment on the Leaders commitment to equality issues, the Vice Chair communicates a desire to speak, a pause, a council officer is summoned, a discussion ensues the question on everyones lips 999 or 101, 999 the answer and so ends democracy!
In my view there are occasions where you cannot do right, for doing wrong.
Finally perhaps to prevent the embarrassment and shame of the police arresting a democratically elected councillor for speaking to a fellow councillor it might help if Mike Harrison just resigned particularly after this quote from Thisiskent website Mr Harrison said "I probably did say them things and somebody deleted it, that is why I thought I was hacked , but as far as I am concerned I have not been found guilty of anything."
Simple solution would be for Harrison to be replaced by another Labour Member. OSP would at the next meeting vote on a new Vice-Chair. The situation at the moment would allow Driver to bully Harrison through threats of the police simply for being present.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Labour now realises it was a big mistake to tie up with TIG at Annual Council, making this possible. We all knew there was no love lost between Driver and Harrison three months ago.
Both appointments were ill thought out if you ask me, quite why Clive Hart or his colleagues thought it advisable to pair up the two is beyond me.
DeleteStill although Clive moved swiftly to pass this latest development on to the party whip, it seems a fairly long winded process is about to take place, I cannot imagine a single member of the Labour group wants this to drag on for a second longer than necessary.
Just to correct a few misunderstandings flying around, Cllr Gregory has not been found guilty of anything either. He has simply accepted a police caution.
ReplyDeleteCllr Harrison has now effectively owned up by admitting he probably did say those things, but then hides behind the fact he has not been found guilty of anything.
Here you have an example of the different ways police can act. On Cllr Worrow's complaint, they had to investigate, found out who sent the call and issued a caution. Cllr Driver's complaint actually was against a person with visual evidence, so the police did not have to investigate and, at the request of the complainant, issued a Protection from Harassment notice.
I agree with James that this does seem to infringe upon the democratic process, creates an intolerable situation within the council and makes life very difficult for all involved. That said, this is what TIG are about folks and there are parrallels with Ken Livingstone's antics when he was hijacking the GLC.
Tom I thought, I mentioned the impediment to democracy a bit by myself.
DeleteThe remark allegedly made by Harrison offensive as it was, and I take it he accepted has his "I probably did say them things" should not impinge on the democratic process, I hope Cllr Driver values democracy as much as the rest of us, perhaps he could withdraw his complaint so that we don't see Kent Police trample of freedom of speech and democracy and be force to arrest a councillor for speaking.
I cannot tell you which contemptible Cllr called me an idiot as I asked for an apology for them falsely alleging that I allowed some phobia to be promoted.
As much as it upset me to realise that this councillor was happy lie, use the political system, act like a parasite, to take it further would be a waste of time, although it would expose the lengths militant extremist are capable.
Democracy is always the loser when militants gain any kind of power and to that you can frequently add, the abuse of legislation and the misuse of police. Just think how much police time has been involved in these two cases involving grown men insulting each other. Then report a burglary and, unless the burglars are still in your house, all you are likely to get is a crime number.
DeleteTony
DeleteI think we can guess which one since only two seem to have any problems with phobias and only one comments under his real name. The rest of us just develop a thicker skin as we pass through puberty.
Even more worrying than a Councillor saying these things is his attempt to worm his way out of it by saying his Fbook account had been hacked.
DeleteDisgraceful.
Democracy is overhyped in my opinion, especially when the populace is made up largely of brainwashed tv heads.
DeleteTom Clarke, were you aware that your beloved establishment is funding the marxists? Daft question really, of course you're aware, not that you would admit as much in public though.
What, not yet another psuedonym for our conspiracy expert. Well we live and learn don't we because I thought they were funding the EU facists. Just shows how wrong you can be.
DeleteAnyway, you keep taking the tablets and stay well wrapped up on this rather chilly day. I really would miss all your theories.
They are funding all of it, Tom, with our money, just shows you how stupid we have all been.
DeleteNow we have a dyslexic parrot who copies what he reads, but gets in wrong. Mind you, I do find the concept of funding Marxists and Facists simultaneously a fascinating one.
DeleteFascinating? Why dat tommy-wommy? Rockefeller funded the red revolution and the third reich, didn't he? Granted, it wasn't his dosh and he was jus' follerin orders, but he was there organisin it, n'all.
DeleteDictatorial shenanigans in local government seems to be a universal phenomenon at the moment:
Deletehttp://youtu.be/A0sU-tSd4rA
Nothing else going on in Thanet then this weekend?
ReplyDeleteNope! Have you seen the weather?
DeleteStormy I reckon.
DeleteNot much fun in Thanet then. Monday looks dry after 10am but cold. And what about that new £86 million bottleneck just opened and meant to boost the economy.
ReplyDeleteYou mean that road that goes from a roundabout in the middle of nowhere to a roundabout that was OK until they introduced traffic lights. 'When will they ever learn, when will they ever learn,' and the answer is no time soon as it was when this little song was penned way back in time.
Deletenothing seems to have happened with growing pfizer except 87m on this new road? councils and construction companies again.
ReplyDeletea new road but a sewage leak onto the beaches. Who are these idiots we're funding from tax?
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of activity at Foreness over the last couple of days. Lorries coming and going. I have seen a lorry empty a tank into the drain outside the plant in the past.I bet this has something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteOh no not the honest upstanding private company operating in the public aka Kent Police we all know how much we can trust and rely on them NOT
ReplyDeleteWhat we need is at least one politician with balls to speak the truth like this one
ReplyDeleteIllinois rep EXPLODES on the House floor! IT's ALL FALLING APART.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbNzDnDoDOg
Not as we've got here, just those that sit there like morons ignoring him, like useless puppets that they actually are
Suspended from the Labour group for a month? Disgraceful lack of bottle. Anywhere else in the country and he would have been expelled.
ReplyDeletesack these idiots
ReplyDeleteWe need to sort this lot out first before any of us will be-able to see any kind of transparency as they all work together with the local authorities to conceal rather than expose.
ReplyDeleteProtest against police corruption
[ we all know that Kent Police are in the thick of it with their cover ups and bullying, so many of us will be there ]
Central Westminster 8am - 6pm
WHY ?
police corruption is at a serious level in the UK
there is little if any accountability of the police
the public have little faith in the police watchdog
a gathering of movers and shakers in policing
to demand accountability of our police
to support decent hardworking police colleagues
to tell the powers in policing 'enough is enough'
because we support the rule of law
'Policing 2012 - Delivering accountability and results'
http://twitpic.com/9spdp1
British corruption is more common than recognised, report warns
DeleteCorruption in Britain is more prevalent than is currently recognised with potentially damaging consequences for the economy, Transparency International warned.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/9314932/British-corruption-is-more-common-than-recognised-report-warns.html#disqus_thread