Sunday, 14 August 2011

Suddenly, Greens Not Happy About Travellers After All!

An outspoken councillor could be suspended after directing travellers away from her ward.
What? ‘Directing’…?

Is that all? Not ‘Chasing away with pitchfork’?
Brighton and Hove city councillor Dawn Barnett sparked controversy when she handed out letters to a group illegally camping in the city which directed them to areas overseen by Green councillors.
SNORK!
The Conservative member, perhaps the most outspoken critic of the administration's “firm but fair” approach to travellers, was unhappy at potential damage to recreation facilities in her Hangleton and Knoll ward.

But a fellow member, believed to be Green councillor Phelim MacCafferty, has reported his colleague to the local authority watchdog for encouraging trespassing of the city's parks.
Suddenly the prospect of ‘traveller’s rights’ isn’t so compelling, eh, Phelim?
The council's standards committee, which is made up of a mixture of elected councillors and members of the public, will then decide if Coun Barnett should be punished.
God, would I love to sit on that committee! Though I suspect the 'members of the public' are carefully hand-picked.

One to keep an eye on….
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5 comments:

  1. Woman on a Raft14 August 2011 at 11:38

    Some public spirited person could do a Googlemaps overlay which shows where the front gardens and, if applicable, the adjoining fields of the houses of Green councillors are.

    Then the travellers would know where they are assured of a warm welcome.

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  2. James Higham14 August 2011 at 11:41

    You might wish to sit on that committee - we'd like to GET you on that committee. Forlorn hope.

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  3. Captain Haddock14 August 2011 at 18:39

    Phelim MacCafferty ? .... Hmmmmm

    Could it be that the good Councillor is something of an expert & knows only too well what to expect ? ..

    So NIMBY .. t'anks very much, like ...

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  4. blueknight14 August 2011 at 22:28

    from The Argus news paper
    ...the local authority added it would continue to monitor the site along with Sussex Police.

    The group is camped just yards from the home of ward councillor Dawn Barnett who has been one of the most outspoken critics of travelling groups in the city...
    If I was Dawn, I would be suggesting that someone had already been 'directing' the travellers where to camp

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  5. JuliaM15 August 2011 at 05:37

    "Then the travellers would know where they are assured of a warm welcome."

    We could make an app out of it; I'd be surprised if most opf them didn't have BlackBerries and iPhones!

    " Forlorn hope."

    I haven't even been called for jury duty, ever! Someone must have me 'black-flagged'... :(

    "If I was Dawn, I would be suggesting that someone had already been 'directing' the travellers where to camp"

    Ooooh, indeed!

    ReplyDelete