Today's Holyhead and Anglesey Mail carries the following paragraph on the resignation of Cllr Goronwy Parry:
On Friday morning, Council leader Clive McGregor announced that Cllr Parry, who had been the education and leisure portfolio holder, had resigned after the letter of support he had sent to Cllr Barrie Durkin, was made public on Anglesey political blog, The Druid.
I would like to make it clear that The Druid did not publish the letter until after Cllr Parry had resigned on the evening of April 29th. In fact the letter was originally posted as a comment by someone who identified himself as a "County councillor who wishes to stay anonymous" on the evening of April 25th. Here is the comment in full:
As a County councillor who wishes to stay anonymous for obvious reasons I understand why Cllr Durkin is keeping the substance of his investigations, close to his chest.
Cllr Durkin to my knowledge has been investigating Anglesey County Council since 2004. He knows exactly what he is taking about.
I seen his evidence on most matters.Letters documents, emails, film and photographs and would say, he got the buggers bang to rights with lots more to come.
There's a lot of support for Barrie at Council. Cllr, Goronwy Parry, the Chairman of the ruling group, wrote a letter to him after he was sacked, saying.
"I write to you as a friend although you may doubt this after last night's events".
"I regret any hurt that you have felt and understand how you must feel".
"There are many members of the group who feel your hurt. You may think that your friends have left you, but the truth is that they are still there and will miss you".
"I admire your forthrightness, your sincerity and your firmness that there is a difference between right and wrong. Take this opportunity to carry out you intentions".
"In time you will return in an important capacity within the group. Don't forget that the foot-soldiers of the group are still your friends"
After that, what more can I say, keep at it Barrie, I wish I could be of more help
25 April 2010 11:18
Cllr Parry might be forgiven for thinking that with friends like that as a fellow councillor he doesn't need enemies... Anyway for what it is worth, the Druid considers Goronwy Parry to be one of the 'good guys': a long serving, hardworking, and - most importantly - honourable councillor.
Having said that, I think that now is the ideal opportunity to restate the aim of this blog with reference to Anglesey County Council. In the Druid's opinion, the opinion of most Anglesey residents, and also obviously the opinion of the Welsh Assembly, the IOACC is not functioning. It is riven with in-fighting: both councillor against councillor, and councillor against senior officer. At a time of crisis for the Island - and we are undoubtedly in a crisis - this cannot be allowed to continue. Despite the closure and downsizing of a large number of the Island's biggest employers, Anglesey residents are being asked to pay one of the largest council tax rises in the UK (4.5%) whilst the council simultaneously pursues a policy of closing local schools and leisure centres. I think its fair to say that the council has lost the confidence and patience of its residents - yet Ieuan Wyn Jones, Albert Owen and the majority of the candidates for Westminster have not so much as said a word about the council during this general election campaign. Why not? Its a problem which needs sorting out - and the Druid believes that transparency is the soonest cure. Accordingly this blog will continue, from a neutral perspective, to shine a light on the goings on at the council and provide a forum for Anglesey residents who are anxious to see the problems at the council solved.
3 comments:
"...for what it is worth, the Druid considers Goronwy Parry to be one of the 'good guys': a long serving, hardworking, and - most importantly - honourable councillor. "
Druid - it's worth a lot. I agree entirely with your views on Cllr. Goronwy Parry.
It is very regrettable - and for an ex-policeman, worrysome - that Cllr. McGregor is wrong about the sequence of events, especially with regard to this blog. But this blog is clearly widely-read and widely-respected. Whilst there is plenty of rubbish in some of the posts, on balance, there is quite a lot of truth coming out in the wash, too.
It is the people of Anglesey's ability to discuss openly and without fear that gives the power to this blog. It is well-managed, is as close to neutral as any human being can be. For my money, Druid's blog is now an essential and required part of the debate about how Anglesey politics got into this state - and what we are going to do about it.
In the meantime, enjoy the general election. May the best man (for it is still men) win.
This blog lets us discuss the reality of Anglesey politics, not the Great McGregordini Evening Show version of it.
We're not mugs, McGregor. We don't buy ready-prepared statements, either.
I have always been an admirer and supporter of free speech, there have been serious misgivings and problems that have oozed out of the cesspit called IOACC, we are all entitled to an opinion, and we can all write here about torture and pain, I know the traitors read these posts, they read them avidly and try their best to identify the writers and the readers reactions to the tone of the post, please continue Druid, to allow the victims of this miserable torturing Council to post any grievances and cases of torture so that the readers can see what IOACC really does to the people of Anglesey.
Would all readers be defiant, like me, and take wisdom from these words that were taught to me by my old english teacher.." Facts are sacred, opinion is free" let's stick to the facts, let's get all the dirt out, and let's see what change we can bring, for the good of the people. Remember, Mc Gregor, reads these postings, let's see if we can make him shit his pants.
Huw Terry
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