I have been very busy this week and the column has had to play
second fiddle.
However, I must comment on a letter in the Mercury from Cllr Ken
Rowlands in which he defends his decision to leave Labour and,
subsequently, join the Independent Political group.
The two interesting questions about his defection are: when did
he decide to jump ship and was his decision influenced by the
prospect/promise of a Cabinet post.
Cllr Rowlands maintains there is no connection between the 13
grand special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) and his defection
and, as I've said before, in the absence of evidence to the contrary,
we just have to believe him.
After all, he is a Baptist preacher.,
On the matter of the timing of his decision Cllr Rowlands wrote:
"When I stood as an independent in my own name I was entering
uncharted territory not knowing what path I would follow if I
was successful at the election".
What this is meant to suggest is that he went into the election
as an independent independent (in my own name) and only
subsequently decided to sign up to the IPG.
When I read that, my doubts about publishing the letter written
by his fellow Johnston community councillor, Angie Newman, evaporated.
Because, according to Mrs Newman: "You [Ken Rowlands]
told me of your intention to join the Independent Group and
because of that I did not vote for you, but I had a choice based
on information that was not made available to the majority of
the residents of Johnston."
Clearly, if the way Mrs Newman voted was influenced by Cllr
Rowlands' intention to join the IPG, that knowledge must have
come into her possession before the election.
As Aristotle taught us, two contradictory propositions can't both
be true.
So you will have to decide who to believe.
I hope to further update overnight.