August 1st saw the publication of this in the Advertiser, from Judy Dalton:
This outrageous piece, evoked the following response from Colin Tawn published in the Advertiser of this week.
Part time Councillor.
The ‘open’ letter by Judy Dalton published in the Advertiser 1st August contains false and erroneous information.
She claims she and other Parish councillors are ‘bullied’. Jacqui Collins (Monitoring Officer for RMBC) cannot and will not define bullying therefore what Cllr.Dalton complains about is being held to account by the residents she was elected to represent. She is also aware councillors should not pick and choose which meetings to attend, she was elected to attend every Parish Council meeting, not to be a part time councillor at her discretion.
Judy Dalton goes on to say she ‘enjoyed’ the purchase of Rackford Meadows “to enhance the woods”. When I questioned the decision by Anston Parish Council to spend £254,000 of our money buying Greenbelt land there was no mention of ‘enhancing the woods’ by any councillor, her statement is pure spin to try and justify the land purchase.
Her claims that meetings are beset by ‘rudeness, interruptions and snide asides’ is laughable, what actually happens is that parishioners point out instances of procedural impropriety, the Labour party councillors’ attempts to stifle legitimate debate and their failures to adhere to the Nolan Principles. I would add Judy Dalton cannot accuse me of being guilty of any of the accusations she makes.
Her assertion that members of the public have been ‘offered training’ by the Independent Member of the Standards Board is completely untrue. Training for Anston Parish councillors was ordered by Martin Kimber (RMBC CEO) and Judy Dalton, who is Vice Chair of Anston Parish Council knows this.
I suspect there was collusion between Judy Dalton and John Ireland otherwise how did Cllr.Ireland know the ‘open’ letter was being written and published? I question Cllr.Dalton’s motives for publishing her letter in August which happens to be the month when there are no parish council meetings, furthermore I also suspect Judy Dalton will attempt to bring her pet subjects onto the agendas of the Finance and General Purposes Committee meetings because members of the public are not allowed any questions at F&GP meetings.
Is it any wonder Anston Parish Labour councillors are held in such low esteem?
Colin Tawn
Rotherham Politics 
Jacqui Collins MUST intervene – and MUST have a definition for bullying.
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There are over 30 written complaints about APC which have been sent to Jacqui Collins and Martin Kimber.(A sizeable number were about Beck and St.John) Jacqui Collins has ‘resolved’ 28 of them by “Informal Resolution”. No I don’t know what it means either.
Martin Kimber had words with Ms.Collins and Phil Beavers the Independent Person was ordered by Kimber to speak to Anston Parish councillors and the public to try and defuse the tensions and to set up training sessions for APC councillors.
This calls into question just how Independent is an Independent Person who acts under orders from the CEO?
On the three occasions Phil Beavers has spoken at public meetings in Anston the Labour councillors sat there paying rapt attention to his words-allegedly-and agreed with him to be less confrontational. Within one minute of him leaving the meetings they reverted back to Rat Pack mode.
Part time councillor Dalton overules and argues with Independent councillors whenever she chairs meetings but lets her Labour buddies have full freedom to interrupt whichever Independent councillor is speaking and does nothing to stop Labour councillors abusing members of the public who attend APC meetings.
Nearly every council meeting ends in uproar and most APC meetings are a mix of Fawlty Towers and Mr.Bean. (Guess who plays Sybil?)
@Anonymous.
Jacqui Collins is quite aware what the word bullying means however she has painted herself into a corner because she refused to define the word when confronted by Stuart Thornton therefore she cannot now define it for part time councillor Dalton.
I believe the term is ‘over a barrel’.
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Jacqueline Collins intervene! What has she done so far about the shocking behaviour of the Labour Parish Councillors at Anston – Iain St John’s VERY prolonged and VERY serious verbal attack on a respected elderly parishioner – Burton & Dalton pulling faces at the public. Dalton directing her ire at the independent members of the pubic, myself included, Failing to address the constant talking and commenting by Labour Party members of the public and notably failing to call to order Mr Phil Beavers who was talking throughout to contractors to APC. For those who don’t know, Phil Beavers is the person Jacqui Collins has appointed to sort the problems created by Anston Parish Council.
I think Judy Dalton has been rumbled for having secret meetings. At the July Finance meeting she attempted to remove Cllr Baker from the Finance meeting. As he walked in she leaned back and spoke to him in an earnest manner – the upshot – he could not sit on the Finance Committee any more. It was obvious Cllr Baker and the Chair of the Finance Committee knew nothing of this.however Cllr Baker took his place and quite rightly. Secret meetings have no place in what should be a democratic body.
At the Finance meeting of Wednesday last Judy Dalton rode rough shod over Cllr Jepson (Independent) when he wanted to raise points. “Will you shut up” says Judy, I want to raise a point says Cllr Jepson but on Judy ploughed speaking over him and moving through the Agenda.
Another attempt to neutralise an Independent Councillor.
It is worth pointing out that at the previous PC Meeting Iain St John berated Cllr Jepson for voting with Cllr Thornton( Independent) – Democracy, Nolan principles. NOT AT ANSTON PARISH COUNCIL.
This lot are NOT working for Anston but themselves and the party.
Jacqueline Collins Intervene – Oh yes by informal resolution i.e. Sweeping under the carpet?
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Has Judy been brought to task by the Party? – This tripe sounds like the tripe Robin Stonebridge used to cover his departure some years ago, when as I believe, he had been called to London and given the option GO or be pushed.
Judy is not even handed. Councillors on APC wrote the book on rudeness and interruptions.
Members of the public offered training – NO – Wake up and smell the coffee Judy and let us have the truth – we are being given lies, lies and more lies. Judy says she believes WE have a lovely village – NO it is our village, you know the one we care about and ask questions about at meetings because we care, only to be ignored and ridden rough shod over by you and other Labour Councillors. . You live in Dinnington Judy and therefore do not have to pay the onerous rates that you and the Labour Party have inflicted on us the ratepayers,with your profligate ways.
Fiscal prudence – an unknown concept.
Make your mind up Judy, you say “Meetings in the last few years have become …..” You then go on to say “Until latterly I have enjoyed being part of an organisation……” Last few years – latterly!?
Been on APC for 25 years, then shame on you – What have you achieved in that time? Purchased Rackford Meadows (Cavill’s Field.) This has left the parishioners of Anston with a huge debt that will take at least 2 generations to repay. OK for you Judy, you live in Dinnington. Enhance the woods! – this was green belt ergo the woods were already enhanced. This major purchase of land should have been put to the public in an open, correct and democratic manner not making the excuse of having consulted the public in the Parish Plan which was ….years ago.
SO you are fed up – WELL SO ARE WE, with you and your Labour cronies. With their undemocratic and lack of business acumen and lack of fiscal matters.
What makes Labour Borough & Parish Councillors think that they can say and do what they please and decry other Councillors who are not in the Labour Party.
As for the comments by John Ireland- Well what can we say – He is absolutely hopeless, unable to follow the agenda a great deal of the time ,heavily relying on the Clerk, whose job is not to prop up a failing Chairman who is often confused, as are his remarks in the piece. Just for once let us have the truth Cllr Ireland. Closing meetings early so you can dash off to the pub is not the way for a responsible Chairman to behave. (and you try to put this as a blame on the public – shame, shame, shame on you.).
I agree Judy – Enough is enough – Time for a change – Next May vote this shower out – Independent or UKIP..
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Must admit this article does not suprise. No longer attending meetings? Read election coming up and doesn’t want extra flack as a result of her incompetence. Bullying surely a monopoly held by the members of APC ! Read inability to be transparent and answer perfectly legitimate questions by the people who have elected you, make up your own minds why. APC’s enhancement of the wood by saddling the rate payers with a £250k bill. The wood in question is a SSSI ultimately covered by governance outlined by Natural England, incidentally who’ve never heard of proposed enhancement to the site. Read Rob Cavills new tractor part 2 ! As for being fed up……..well Cllr Dalton so are we the people who elected you and you have served so poorly.
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If Judy Dalton doesn’t attend Council meetings for 6 months then surely she will be chucked off the Parish Council? Thought this was the rule for all Council’s. So it’s goodbye Judy then. Judging from what I read I doubt she will be missed.
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@anne
You are correct in that if a councillor does not attend any meetings for 6 months they can be disqualified as a councillor. Part time councillor Dalton said she will not attend any public meetings but she will attend Finance and Charity meetings.and in doing so she saves herself having to answer questions from the public.
Being held to account, honesty and transparency are part of the code of ethics laid down in the Nolan Principles, unfortunately for the parishioners of Anston ethics are neither applicable nor visible.
“Judging from what I read I doubt she will be missed”
+1
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Let us all be watching closely for Judy to shuffle items that should be on the Agenda for Parish Council Meetings to the Finance and Charity Meetings thus avoiding questions. Yes we will be watching, you can be sure of it.
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This is typical Labour party behaviour at meetings councillors forget who put them where they are and what for they think they are better than anyone else try to tell them they are wrong and you are told that after the first 30 mins for questions there is to be no public participation even if they are wrong its time something was done about it
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