Legal Threat to Council Hecklers

I was wondering through cyberspace and came across this bombshell. It was reported in the Carmarthen Journal (1st August) that Carmarthenshire County Council will “take legal action against members of the public if they continue to criticise and undermine the work of officers.”

Mark James (Cheif Executive of the County Council Executive Branch) highlights the case of a Mr Adams, who had made defamatory and unfounded statements against the Council Head of Planning Eifion Bowen and had even made an allegation of corruption to the council Ombudsman.

I have to agree with Make James on his position regarding Mr Adams, but I am extremely worried about his threat to take legal action against those who only criticise the work of council officers. Mr James has to realise that county citizens contribute a huge proportion of their income to pay council tax and it should be their highly held right to criticise both County Councillors and Council Officer to ensure that their monies are spent properly.

Further on into the article it reports that some Councillors support Mr James’ stance and blames the Llanelli Stradey Park debacle on fuelling such criticisms. The council is increasingly becoming an untrustworthy institution and the use of commercial confidentiality and other excuses for withholding truths and holding sessions in camera will continue to worsen the situation.

The time is long overdue for Councillors and Officers to address the concerns and needs of their “lord and master” (to quote the timeless BBC comedy ‘Yes Minister’), the taxpayer.