THE FACTS DO NOT ALWAYS MATTER

Last nights Policy and Finance meeting was the busiest I have know since joining the Council; I believe most of them (non-members of the P&F Committee) were there to witness or take part in the public flogging that was to follow.
I had raised the issue that the County Council had made moves to purchase properties in Colwyn Bay prior to the promised Public Consultation given to the Town Council by Bethan Jones and I wanted an explanation as to why that promise had been broken.
Getting information out of the County Council or its Councillors is akin to getting blood out of a stone, so with no information forthcoming I publicised the FACTS that I had, the County Council were making moves to secretly buy properties in the Town. Consequently, it turned out, they also gazumped and tried to silence a local buyer, Mr Arthur Jones, these FACTS were also published. Nothing I have published or made available is not already in the public domain, one only as to search the Council’s own web-site to find the information. In the case of Mr Jones he approached me after getting no satisfaction from his County Councillor in relation to what had happened to him.
At last nights meeting I was accused of stating falsehoods because some of my claims have not yet been agreed by the Cabinet, they have not yet decided (the Cabinet) that they will build their offices on the old indoor market or that there will be accommodation for 600 staff, these are just suggestions that the Council have spent thousands of pounds on researching but, when I asked for guarantees that this wouldn’t happen, none could be given. An accusation that I was still a BNP member was hurled at me, my previous political affiliations has got nothing to do with this issue and should never have been raised. I will accept one remark that was made about me; yes I am a “Maverick” but rather that than a sheep. The suggestion that I was wrong for going outside of the Council with my revelations was the main theme of the debate but if the County Council were open and honest with the public then I wouldn’t have to.
The FACT that a full enquiry as been started into the actions of the County Council because of what I published seemed to be of little consequence. The FACT that the County Council had entered into secretly purchasing properties was of no concern. The FACT that Mr Jones had been gazumped and offered money was of no importance. The only real concern was that I had behaved inappropriately in getting the truth out, it was no more than I had I had expected, as a very good Councillor said to me the other day “Whistle-blowing and telling the truth, you will never prosper”.