I WAS very surprised to read (September 10) that “UKIP are at the ready” and that I should be full of gratification to learn that (four) UKIP Councillors are now on Almondsbury Parish Council.
Surprised in that, as a former councillor myself, Code of Conduct for Members requires, amongst other things, that councillors are required to “exercise independent judgement and not compromise their position by being placed under obligations to outside individuals or organisations who might seek to influence the way duties are performed as a member”.
In other words as councillors we always jealously guarded our political independence and never voted on political lines making decisions, as our independence viewed it, in the best interests of those in the parish.
The remainder of the letter references “no communism” and “massive tax reductions” all of which leaves me scratching my head as to whether the four new members fully understand the issues involved in being a councillor.
Richard Jones
Easter Compton
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