Turn on the television and watch the news and you will see how brutal and pressurised the cut and thrust of modern political life can be. Whilst viewpoints may vary on any given topic, there is one thing that unites all the members of the Houses of Parliament.
Pressure.
The same is true at local authority level, especially with the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock both commanding the headlines, whether it’s near bankruptcy, or yet another unfathomable scandal.
Regardless of the blame, there will be an acute sense of pressure on every politician and officer within the organisation. One of the factors is the huge cuts to government funding which has led to councils having to prioritise where they need to make cuts. It’s not surprising that one wrong step could lead to an outburst of rage or frustration.
Leigh-on-Sea
Which brings us to Leigh Town Council.
It is a small council within the Unitary Authority of Southend, and was formed in 1996. Like many other town councils, residents have the opportunity to engage with them over services offered such as local planning.
Compared to the cut and thrust of Westminster, Leigh on Sea is usually a quiet, uneventful place. Though not without its pressure, or its potential overreactions.
When an unidentified person used sticky tape to attach a leaflet to the clear plastic cover of an official noticeboard, rather than having it placed inside, it could easily have been due to impatience or frustration at the lack of staff to open the screen. Clearly there was a desire by the perpetrator for residents to be made aware of an upcoming meeting. But to Bernard Arscott, the chairman of Leigh Town Council, taping the notice to the outside of the noticeboard represented criminal damage and thus warranted being referred to Essex Police.
Adhesive tape
Arscott told the BBC the leaflet had been placed there without notification and that: “The type of adhesive tape used has damaged the Perspex covering. A report has been made to police and they will be investigating criminal damage.”
Yes, Arscott made some hapless official file a report. He also emphasised that whoever had taped the notice up had done so in “less than good faith”. He added, that the “actual notice is now up within the council noticeboard”.
In response to Arscott making the police complaint, Independent town councillor Carole Mulroney echoed what most rational people would be thinking: “A little bit of soap and water would take care of it. It beggars belief.”
The leaflet itself is reported to have related to an online petition aimed at councillors who stood in uncontested seats, so getting automatically elected. It is demanding that they stand down and be voted on at an annual community meeting, postponed from April 2024 to 17 May.
Councillor Mulroney added that “There is a petition online put up by the Looking After Leigh Group seeking members who were not subject to a vote and asking for them to resign and submit themselves for a proper vote. The meeting on Friday is the annual town electors meeting. It was in the programme for April 26 then it suddenly disappeared.”
Police called before
This is not the first time that the Police have been contacted by Leigh Town Council. In January of this year the Police were called to attend when a Council meeting descended into chaos.
Speaking at the time Mr Arscott said: “Our locum clerk was subjected to abuse by members of the public. We have a legal duty of care to her and it was her advice to call the police. I accept it’s not an ideal situation.”
Jean de Tourtolon, who was at the January meeting told the BBC at the time that residents “felt their questions were not being answered” by councillors. They wanted to know how much the on-going suspension of the town clerk was costing the taxpayer.
The Police did not attend in January. Only time will tell if they do so now.
