Six Tories Rebel But Borough Council Will Sign Partnership Deal With Dongying

Published on: 11 Oct, 2017
Updated on: 15 Oct, 2017

The delegation from Guildford Borough Council (GBC) is to travel to China on Friday (October 13) and will sign a partnership agreement with representatives of Dongying.

Cllr Tony Rooth

The proposal was agreed at last night’s full council meeting but only after an amendment from former council leader Tony Rooth (Con, Pilgrims), suggesting that the trip proceeds but as an exploratory visit, without signing an agreement, was narrowly defeated 26 votes to 20.

All opposition members voted for the amendment plus six Conservatives. One Tory abstained.

The agreement that will be signed during the GBC delegation’s visit to Dongying

Cllr Reeve at the complaints hearing.

At the same meeting the sanction against Cllr David Reeve, who recently had complaints upheld that he had, within a report he circulated on the Strategic Housing Marking Assessment (SHMA), revealed confidential information, failed to show respect and had brought the council into disrepute, had the imposed sanction of re-training changed from “one-to-one” to “group” training. This means that a training session for which he had already signed up will count as his punishment.

Cllr Liz Hogger

The change was suggested in an amendment proposed by Cllr Liz Hogger, (Lib Dem, Effingham) and was welcomed by many councillors as a way out of the impasse between Cllr Reeve and the council. Reeve had refused to undergo the one-to-one training.

The vote was not recorded but a sizeable majority voted for the amendment while the Executive, with the exceptions of Cllrs Geoff Davis (Con, Holy Trinity), and Nikki Nelson-Smith (Con, Christchurch), voted against. [Earlier it was erroneously reported that the only Executive member to vote for the amendment was Cllr Davis.]

Responses to Six Tories Rebel But Borough Council Will Sign Partnership Deal With Dongying

David Roberts Reply

October 11, 2017 at 4:55 pm

The “agreement” with Dongying is utterly content-free. Whoever drafted it should be ashamed. How this justifies a trip halfway around the world is beyond me.
Martin Elliott Reply

October 11, 2017 at 6:41 pm

When the council chamber at Millmead was refurbished, modern electronic systems were installed. This included a push button voting system so that not only could all votes be recorded instantly and the voting record of each councillor would be available on their page of the GBC website.

Is the system still not commissioned, or is it that the ruling Conservative group don’t believe in openness and transparency?
Mike Murphy Reply

October 12, 2017 at 6:25 pm

I think that the Chinese agreement will not go ahead when the Chinese find out how undemocratic and autocratic the Conservative group is in GBC. They will probably ask them to reform the council to become democratic and stop having kangaroo courts for its councillors before they sign any agreement.
Bernard Parke Reply

October 12, 2017 at 9:59 pm

I am sorry but this is not the Conservative party that I once knew.

I have served in every office from Divisional Young Conservatives right through to constituency chairman.

I fought my first election in 1959 and was presented to Harold Macmillian in 1960 in Scarborough.

How things have changed and not for the better!

Hon Alderman Bernard Parke is a former Mayor of Guildford. He served as a Conservative councillor on Guildford Borough Council but is no longer a member of the Conservative party.
Gordon Bridger Reply

October 13, 2017 at 9:27 am

Winning a vote by 26 to 20 for a proposal designed to improve relationships is a major diplomatic blunder. How it came about needs investigation. What will the Chinese think once they become aware of the result?
Jules Cranwell Reply

October 13, 2017 at 5:37 pm

How truly sad. I, like many others who are horrified at the behaviour of this Executive, have left a lifetime of association with and membership of the Conservatives solely due to their arrogance, lack of transparency, and a total lack of respect for their constituents.