| Suffolk
County is subject subject to a unitary authorities
review,
which will hopefully break up Suffolk into more accessible
and accountable units, eg the formation of an East Suffolk.
The final recommendation originally delayed until July 15th,
2009 has now been further delayed. On
10 July, Mr Justice Foskett ruled that the planned publication
by the BCE of its final recommendations on 15 July 2009 was
flawed as the process used by the BCE in drawing up its final
recommendations was flawed. This decision will probably mean
a further delay in the review. The Government and the BCE
are considering appealing against his decision. The judgement
was made following a judicial review requested by Suffolk
Coastal, St Edmundsbury and Forest Heath councils. The councils
bringing the legal challenge have brought their own ideas
to the table for three
unitary councils
in Suffolk.
photo
courtesy of BBC Suffolk
On
Dec.2nd 2009, the appeal was upheld when the Court of Appeal
recognised that the process the Committee followed in formulating
its draft proposals in Suffolk was lawful and consistent with
the guidance that the Secretary of State issued.
On
Dec.7th 2009, the Boundary Committee made two proposals for
Suffolk:
- a
unitary county of Suffolk (the Committeeâ€'s
preferred alternative proposal for Suffolk); and
- a
two-unitary pattern comprising an Ipswich & Felixstowe
authority and a Rural Suffolk authority.
On
Feb.10th, 2010 the Government decision was summarised to Suffolk
local authorities...
"From
the representations received the Secretary of State is clear
that there is wide agreement across the county that there
should be a unitary solution in some form. However, it is
equally clear to him that neither of the unitary proposals
which the Secretary of State considers meet the criteria is
supported by all the principal councils in the county. Accordingly,
the Secretary of State has concluded not now to take his statutory
decision on any of the Suffolk unitary proposals before him,
and to invite all the Suffolk councils, with their Members
of Parliament, consulting other stakeholders and through a
county constitutional convention, to reach a consensus on
a unitary solution for that area. We will be writing shortly
to you with further information about this initiative."
| Well,
after 3 years of wasted time and expense, it's back
over the wall to local representatives consulting
with other local stakeholders...What a farce! The
saga rumbles on...
The
proposed vehicle for this consultation will be the
"Countywide Constitutional Convention" which
would be held over until after the General Election
outcome in May, 2010.
Meanwhile
the current District Councils appear to be slowly,
and quietly, working towards "Super Districts"
- combing Suffolk Coastal & Waveney, Mid Suffolk
& Babergh and Forest Heath & St.Edmundsbury.
If this were to be the final solution then we would
be left with Ipswich District Council and district
councils for "East Suffolk", "Mid Suffolk"
and "West Suffolk".
And
the local peoples' wishes..? |
Any
new unitary authorities may come into being around May, 2011
or 2012...
|
Suffolk
County Council 2009 Election Result for the Blything
division
Candidate
Name |
Party
Name |
Votes
|
%
votes |
Leighton,
Rae |
Conservative
|
1382
|
42.26
|
Slater,
Barry |
Liberal
Democrat |
1075
|
32.87
|
Barrett,
John |
Green
|
399
|
12.20
|
Bennett,
Paul |
Labour
|
222
|
6.79
|
Remy,
Dave |
Independent
|
192
|
5.87
|
There
was a 46% turnout.
2
Independent councillors were elected to the county council.
When
Don Tricker stood as an Independent candidate in the
2005 election,
he
received 508 votes - and that was without a party machine
behind him...
|
Thanks
to the success of some recent Judicial Reviews brought by
local authorities, unhappy with the consultation process,
the Government has instructed the Boundary Committee to further
delay their recommendation for Suffolk - until July 15th,
2009!
Of
course the UK economic/political/social scene has recently
started to undergo some extreme changes, as a major recession
has now dramatically changed the scenario. With dropping local
authority revenues the whole background for "budget savings"
coming from further re-organisation is becoming very suspect...
Meanwhile,
the consultations has been reopened and hopefully show majority
support for a 3-way split (based more on existing district
boundaries) - Greater Ipswich, West Suffolk & East Suffolk
(with a heavy Suffolk Coastal/Waveney core).We've come too
far, and spent too much money, to turn back to the status
quo!
The
Boundary Committee will consider all the representations they
have received throughout the review. If you have written to
them before they will take what you've already said into account.
The Boundary Committee for England
Trevelyan House
Great Peter Street
London SW1P 2HW
Email:
reviews@boundarycommittee.org.uk
Unlike
parish, town and district councils, the county (or unitary)
local authority makes decisions on a number of key factors
that affect all local lives eg Education, Social Care, Transport
etc...Help
keep national party politics out of these local issues!
Don
Tricker, previously standing as a non-political Independent,
had a very credible showing first time out in the County Elections
in 2005, coming in only 384 votes behind the Labour candidate
- and without a party machine behind him.
His
result outperformed virtually all the Independent, UK Independence
and Green party candidates across the whole of Suffolk.
Don
plans to stand again when the unitary authorities have been
agreed and elections take place on a more permanent and meaningful
basis.
NB.
This website has remained essentially unchanged since May
5th , 2005, but will receive a radical revamp, serious
overhaul and extensive updating when we have one or more local
independent candidaters. A great deal has changed since then
with several more significant developments and achievements
by Don who continues to volunteer and work tirelessly for
the community. Precisely because he is not a "career
politician" Don doesn't just pop up at elections! Don
continues to make a positive impact on the local community,
but as an elected county/unitary councillor, with the mandate
of the community, he could be even more effective...
Soon
it will be time for a real
change!!!
If
you would like to find out what's involved in standing as
an Independent candidate
and
what advice and support you can expect, call Don on tel: 01728-604944
and/or
click on the Local Government Association's Independent Group
web
pages
2005
Blything county division Results
| Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
% |
| Leighton,
Raeburn Harold (Rae) |
Conservative |
1807 |
38.07 |
| Slater,
John Barry |
Liberal
Democrat |
1539 |
32.43
|
| Jeremy,
David |
Labour |
892 |
18.79
|
| Tricker,
Donald Derek (Don) |
Independent |
508 |
10.71 |
| |
TOTAL |
4746 |
100.00 |
For
the councillor and council summary results of the 2005 elections,
please
click here.here.herehere.
DON
TRICKER
YOUR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
ACCOUNTABLE
TO YOU, THE LOCAL RESIDENTS,
NOT
A PARTY BUREAUCRACY!
FIGHTING
TO KEEP NATIONAL POLITICS
OUT
OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT!
AND
PROVIDE TRUE LOCAL REPRESENTATION,
FOR
DEALING WITH ALL LOCAL ISSUES AS THEY ALL MATTER!
DON
TRICKER stood in the May 5th (2005) Suffolk County Council
elections, in the new Blything Division - covering
the wards of Saxmundham, Walberswick & Wenhaston and Yoxford.
For
the case for Independent candidates, please click here
For
Don Tricker's pen picture, please click here.
For
Don Tricker's manifesto summary, please click here.
For
a message from Mike Ames, please click here.
Other
related links:
Saxmundham
IP17 Community
PASTEL
Rural
East Suffolk Carers Action Network (RESCAN)
Social
Enterprise Network Suffolk (SENS)
The
Saxmundham & District Community Development Partnership
Suffolk
Enterprise Business Support
BFRA |