Letter: ‘Bloody Rabble’ Complainants Should Grow Up

Published on: 25 Nov, 2016
Updated on: 25 Nov, 2016

Cllr Moseley, at the April 6th meeting, issuing the erroneous instruction that it was prohibited for the public to record the meeting without prior permission.

Cllr Moseley, at GBC’s April 6th planning meeting

From Andrew Whitby-Collins

What an utter waste of everyone’s time this petty and the pathetic little squabble over Cllr Moseley’s “bloody rabble” remark is.

The original complainants should be ashamed that their, clearly politically motivated, behaviour in making the complaint has wasted taxpayers’ money and diverted council staff from more important tasks.

Not satisfied with that they have wasted further time and resources, which would be better spent on delivering services to the residents of Guildford, by their petulant response to Cllr Moseley’s apology.

The “offending” comment was pretty tame.

It’s time for the complainants, and those who’ve chosen to jump on their bandwagon, to grow up and focus on the important issues that matter to our town.

Responses to Letter: ‘Bloody Rabble’ Complainants Should Grow Up

Ben Paton Reply

November 25, 2016 at 10:42 pm

There’s a film called Groundhog day in which the leading character is condemned to re-live his life – and continues to repeat the same mistakes in each re-run.

Residents must wonder whether Guildford Borough Council is also in a time loop.

Mr Spooner, has been demeaning, via Twitter, the complaints about the notoriously high handed conduct of the chairperson of the planning committee by calling them ‘politically motivated’ and ‘vexatious’.

The same tired, ritual excuses. The same worn-out phrases repeated verbatim. Mr Mansbridge subjected, to the same abuse, those who dared to complain over the Monika Juneja debacle.

Mr Spooner has several conflicts of interest. He represents Ash South & Tongham. He is in charge of the new Local Plan – despite also being leader of the council. And the new Local Plan allocates land beyond the green belt at Ash for re-designation as new green belt whilst proposing the removal of thousands of acres of agricultural land from London’s Metropolitan green belt. Ash is singled out for favourable treatment whilst many historic villages are to be removed from the green belt.

There is no justification for this singular treatment to be found in the National Planning Policy Framework. Does not Ms Moseley also represent an Ash ward? And Mr Spooner is also on record as saying development in Ockham could be acceptable despite the Planning Committee unanimously rejecting the planning application for a new town there.

This is all politically motivated. Who is Mr Spooner to lecture anyone?
Ben Paton Reply

November 26, 2016 at 5:17 pm

Exactly who is wasting time and resources? Who has “wasted tax-payers money” and diverted council resources? Who made the remarks? Who refused to apologise – thereby forcing the council to conduct an inquiry? Who has refused to follow the recommendations of the inquiry? Who has played around and offered something obviously short of a proper apology?

Mr Whitby-Collins is dead right. A lot of time and resource has been wasted. All because the councillor in question could not bring herself to apologise there and then. An apology would have cost no time or resources. Instead we are all wondering why on earth it has not been made – as recommended?
Jules Cranwell Reply

November 26, 2016 at 5:19 pm

I do not find being called a “bloody rabble” pretty tame, by any acceptable standards.