This week in government has been bad. Why? Because one of the foundations of national and local government has been abused. Standards in Public Life are meant to be an ethical foundation that supports and guides how all politicians – whether local or national – conduct themselves on behalf of the people who elect them. […]

Word has just come through that the planning appeal for homes west of Pennington Lane, Stansted has been DISMISSED. Well done to all who protested against the outrageous proposal to breach Stansted Mountfitchet’s western boundary and to invade the Stort Valley. Read the Inspector’s report here. I want to express my sincere thanks to Gail […]

A planning appeal began today about Bloor Homes’ proposal to build 168 homes west of Pennington Lane, Stansted and just north of the Bentfield Green conservation area. I spoke in opposition to the appeal and said the following in asking the Planning Inspector to dismiss the appeal. Worryingly, the QC representing Bloor Homes cross-examined me […]

On Monday, thirteen councillors were thwarted by 20 votes to 10 from holding the ruling Residents for Uttlesford (R4U) Party to account for their mishandling of airport planning and for allowing alleged criminality, bullying and dishonesty to continue to damage the reputation of the council. The big issue is R4U’s disastrous mishandling of Stansted Airport’s […]

There will be a Vote of No Confidence in the Leader and the Cabinet at Uttlesford on Monday, June 28th. The agenda for an Extraordinary Council Meeting has just been published and the MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE can be read at the highlighted link to the Council’s website and also below. The meeting and motion […]

This updated version of my previous post was published today in the Comment column of The Bishop’s Stortford Independent.       ==========!!========== Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 was an extraordinary day in both national and local politics. It was, in my opinion, a day of rotten politics. At Westminster, the Prime Minister’s former chief aide, […]

Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 was an extraordinary day in both national and local politics. It was a day of At Westminster, the Prime Minister’s former chief aide, Dominic Cummings, gave a damning account of a government in a state of chaos, dishonesty and incompetence from the beginning of 2020 over its response to the Covid-19 […]

It is thirty years since I was handed the baton   by my colleague and good friend Melvin Caton to become leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Uttlesford District Council. This coming week, it’s time for me to hand back to Melvin the baton    for him to lead the five Lib Dem councillors […]

The letter below was published in this week’s Bishop’s Stortford Independent newspaper. Uttlesford Council is in a sorry state. When routine, public council meetings are cancelled in an attempt to hide the undemocratic and obstructive behaviour of some of the majority Residents for Uttlesford Councillors, one can be certain that things are in a bad […]

Britain faces an uncertain future as it finally pulls clear of the EU’s orbit, continental commentators predict, its reputation for pragmatism and probity shredded by a Brexit process most see as profoundly populist and dangerously dishonest. “For us, the UK has always been seen as like-minded: economically progressive, politically stable, respect for the rule of law – […]