LETTER: ‘Nepotism really does rule in Wisbech’
I entirely agree with Alan Lay, our elected stranger in the strange political landscape that is the David Oliver family and friends town council!
Wisbech is riddled with the worst traits of nepotism, under the stewardship of the single most blatant example I have ever come across.
David Oliver’s completely inexperienced daughter, Jess, being made chairman of the planning committee at her very first meeting, and subsequently a member of the council’s resources committee, which is indeed made up of former mayors, and former chairmen of committees – all Conservative.
This really is an inappropriate way of dealing with the business of the council.
When I was a Liberal councillor in Peterborough, up to 1995, the majority of the 48 elected councillors for Peterborough City Council were Conservatives (through and through) - and yet, at the time when Neville Sanders was their Leader, I was chairman of resources committee responsible for all the property, finance and personnel for that ever-so-slightly larger than Wisbech cathedral city.
I also served as chairman for two years on Peterborough city contract works, responsible for the depot and workforce for the city – as a Liberal councillor in a council that had a Conservative majority.
In my last year I was offered the mayoralty of the City of Peterborough, which I turned down because my wife was in training for a particularly gruelling competition and it would have been unfair to her to have done anything else.
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But I proposed Bobbie Day to take my place as a Liberal councillor, and Peterborough had a Liberal mayor that year, as chairman of the council.
Any suggestion that other political parties, or even independents, cannot be chairmen of committees is a truly short sighted and demeaning approach by the local Conservatives.
In my humble opinion, at this seasonal time of good will to all men (and women) the Conservatives continue to be full of humbug.
Nepotism really does rule in Wisbech – doesn’t it?
ERBIE MURAT
(former town clerk)
Guyhirn
