Council Leader Forced Me to Quit, Says Independent Candidate Lyon

Published on: 15 Feb, 2019
Updated on: 17 Feb, 2019

Julian Lyon (left) and Cllr Paul Spooner

A leading Independent candidate planning to stand in the May 2 council election has withdrawn because of questions raised about his integrity by borough council leader Paul Spooner.

Julian Lyon, who resigned as chairman of the Guildford Society when he made his announcement to stand in December, criticised Cllr Spooner saying: “…he may take heart that another conscientious objector has been bullied out of his way”.

On Twitter, Cllr Spooner questioned whether Mr Lyons’ employment by real estate agents Savills affected his interests in planning matters.

Mr Lyon responded: “I will always aim to avoid conflicts of interest, as indeed I am trained to do.”

Today, in response to the news, Cllr Spooner emailed: “Mr Lyon has previously stated that the Local Plan would never be found sound. He now describes it as atrocious albeit sound.

“The Inspector was very complimentary about the council and the planning policy team this week at the end of the public hearings. We now await the final report but I am confident that the Inspector is unlikely to describe the plan in a negative way.

“I do not accept that by raising the issue of Mr Lyon’s employment with a significant developer and agent I have ‘bullied him’ into withdrawal and suggest there must be other reasons for that decision.”

Mr Lyon is also a leading member of the Guildford Vision Group (GVG) which has campaigned for their town centre masterplan to be adopted, sometimes bringing them at loggerheads with the council.

John Rigg

John Rigg, chair of GVG who also plans to stand as an Independent in May, expressed regret at the decision by Mr Lyon.

“What a loss,” he said. “A true Guildfordian, absolutely committed to doing the right thing for our town. An expert in the built environment and how to make things happen, an outstanding chairman of the Guildford Society from which, typically, he resigned to ensure he was without conflict.

“He would have been a real asset for the community in the council. We fully understand that Julian had to protect his livelihood, so Cllr Spooner’s attack can be seen to have been successful. Perhaps Conservatives in Guildford are cheering their success although l know some will be ashamed.”

“I wish this council leadership did not confuse winning with being right which they may see as far less important as with the Local Plan. Confusing leadership with control is also an issue.”

Two other leading GVG members, Bill Stokoe and Gerry Lytle, have been selected to stand as Conservative candidates in Friary & St Nicolas and Holy Trinity respectively.

This is Julian Lyon’s statement in full:

I am writing to let your readers know that, as a result of Cllr Spooner questioning my personal and professional integrity, I am withdrawing from the borough council elections in May.

My stance was and remains that there are three principal issues that need to be resolved at the council: the culture of closed-shop, opaque and non-accountable governance; the dereliction of duty towards planning and the environment (witness the atrocious Local Plan – sound or not!); and the prevalence of vanity projects and vast waste of public funds.

Cllr Spooner made it clear that he felt I would be compromised and conflicted by my (completely unrelated) role as a director of Savills Worldwide Occupier Services. I had no intention of opining where Savills or its clients have an involvement, a stance I carefully and religiously took in my erstwhile role as chair of the Guildford Society. I had no intention of seeking to sit on the Planning Committee.

In having made this the subject of his attack on me, he may take heart that another conscientious objector has been bullied out of his way.

On the other hand, he may not be quite so happy to know that I was invited to stand in no fewer than 16 of the 22 council wards, and there is now a groundswell of Independent candidates across the borough who all see no bright future for Guildford under his leadership, under the duopoly at the head of the council, nor under a Conservative-run council.

Although no longer standing as a prospective councillor, I will do whatever I can to support Independent candidates, and I will use my energy to urge anyone who believes in the future of the town, the borough and its residents to vote for a Residents for

Guildford and Villages candidate or Guildford Greenbelt Group candidate where they are not opposing the Residents.
 


Julian Lyon

See also:

Exclusive: Guildford Society Chair Quits To Challenge Council As Independent 

Reactions to Julian Lyon’s Statement of Intent to Stand as an Independent

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