More Allegations!

 

At a recent Extraordinary Meeting, Betley Parish Council passed a resolution to explore the possibility of taking legal action against the author of this Blog for a 'potentially' libellous comment, relating to a post published on 15 June 2025.

The post referred to was (Parish End of Year Accounts) and the offending section chosen was:

“Fast forward to this year's accounts where £8000 has been earmarked to cover the cost of an election should one actually take place. The Parish Council has already advertised the vacancy for a seat on the Parish Council which will be in the form of yet another co-option. It would appear that other councils charge between £200–£800 to cover such an event. So perhaps it needs to be explained why Betley is envisaging £8000.”

The content in question appears to relate to the Blog raising questions about election costs, including a comparison with charges made by other councils.  These comments were factual, civil, and made in good faith as part of the Blog's (and my) commitment to open local governance.

This is a fair, fact-based question about financial planning and transparency.  had there been a possibility of libel I would not have written it in the first place!  The statement as written contains no accusations of misconduct by the PC, just a call for explanation and accountability.  Given the Clerk's comments in the Minutes re the NBC setting charges for election costs that PCs have to implement, this, now, also raises a similar question with the NBC.   Ultimately is is public money being used. 

The decision to seek legal advice with a view to the PC taking legal action was made without notifying the Blog author, without offering an opportunity to respond, or stating what in the written comment might justify such a claim.  It was both surprising and disappointing to learn that such a serious allegation had been made publicly and Minuted, and without the Clerk first raising concerns with me privately.

In a healthy democracy, elected bodies must be able to accept both scrutiny and criticism. It is my view that if the Council had legitimate concerns, they would (and should) have approached me directly rather than resolving to ‘investigate’ legal action first, which, in my view, pre-supposes wrong-doing..

I have now written to the Chair of the Parish Council and the Borough Council’s Monitoring Officer, seeking clarification of the procedure.

It also needs to be pointed out that interest shown in such issues, which result in queries arising, are surely the basis for a healthy local democracy - which should be welcomed, leading to interesting and healthy debate, rather than individuals being threatened with legal action and condemnation for speaking up.