Uneasy LIES The Head That Wears Two Hats

Uneasy LIES The Head That Wears Two Hats

• an “In My View” article by NIGEL WARD, exposing a very sly communication to Filey Town Council from SBC closet-Tory Councillor Mike COCKERILL.

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On 15th July 2016, I reported on SBC Portfolio Holder for Harbours, Assets, Coast and Flood Protection Councillor Mike COCKERILL’s ‘shock’ resignation from Filey Town Council.

I used single quote marks around the word ‘shock’ to add a sardonic twist to an old tabloid favourite: it was not really a shock at all, as I shall now explain.

Within the text of the article, a sentence appeared to which Mike COCKERILL has apparently taken great exception.

We know this because Mike COCKERILL immediately fired off an email to all Filey Town Councillors. In it, he effectively called me a liar.

The allegedly false statement in my article of 15th July 2016 reads:

“It is understood that Councillor COCKERILL’s action is being construed as his response to a challenge to the tenability of his dual-hatted role (as a Town and Borough Councillor) raised by a member of the public.”

Mike COCKERILL’s email to the Filey Town Councillors is reproduced here in its entirety:

From: Mike Cockerill
Date: 15 July 2016 at 14:43:49 BST
To: Cllr Susan Bosomworth, Cllr Richard Walker,  Cllr Jacqui Houlden-Banks,  Cllr Anna Shaw,  Cllr Jeff Meek,  Cllr Robert Horley,  Marion Wright,  Cllr Kevin Wilkie,  Cllr John Casey,  Cllr Diane Glanvill,  Cllr John Haxby,  Cllr John Shackleton,  Filey Town Council
Subject: Re: Resignation
Reply-To: Mike Cockerill

Afternoon All

I hope whoever forwarded my letter of resignation to the NY Enquirer will make contact with them again and correct the statement contained in the article published online  “It is understood that Councillor COCKERILL’s action is being construed as his response to a challenge to the tenability of his dual-hatted role (as a Town and Borough Councillor) raised by a member of the public.” as this is a totally incorrect as I believe I made clear on Wednesday evening.

For further clarity, as far as I am aware no member of the public, certainly not in my hearing, has made any such challenge or comment.

Concerned

Mike Cockerill

To be absolutely clear, Mike COCKERILL asserted to the Councillors that my sentence:

“It is understood that Councillor COCKERILL’s action is being construed as his response to a challenge to the tenability of his dual-hatted role (as a Town and Borough Councillor) raised by a member of the public.”

is “totally incorrect” and “no member of the public, certainly not in my hearing, has made any such challenge or comment”.

Not one of the members of Filey Town Councillor has done Councillor Mike COCKERILL’s bidding and contacted the North Yorks Enquirer to ‘correct’ my sentence.

Firstly, and from a purely semantic perspective, the sentence can only be “totally incorrect” if it is NOT “understood” by anyone that Mike COCKERILL’s resignation is “being construed as his response to a challenge to the tenability of his dual-hatted role . . . raised by a member of the public”.

But that is no more than word-play; though, in point of fact, that is exactly how his resignation is being construed – at least by those who have seen the correspondence that I have in my possession – and this is where we encounter disingenuousness on the grand scale – Mike COCKERILL’s statement is absolutely and utterly false.

How can I know this?

Because I am in possession of an email to Councillor Mike COCKERILL from a member of the public, explicitly challenging the tenability of Mike COCKERILL’s dual-hatted rôle.

The sentences in question read:

• “My comments and objections are in relation to what I see as the abdication of Responsibility by the Portfolio Holder to the Charge Payers and to the Filey Town Council (FTC) who are the elected representatives of Filey.”

•  “It is either an affront to, or manipulation of local Democracy. No man can serve both Masters.”

And it gets worse.

I also have, in my possession, the following email from Mike COCKERILL acknowledging, within a matter of minutes, the above email containing the challenge:

Subject: Re: My response to you regarding my queries.
From:    Cllr.Mike Cockerill <Cllr.Mike.Cockerill@scarborough.gov.uk>
To:      [member of the public – name redacted] [name redacted]

Receipt of your email is acknowledged

Mike

In short, there was a challenge and Councillor Mike COCKERILL knew it – and even acknowledged it.

So why misrepresent the facts to Filey Town Council?

Economy with the truth is not a trait or characteristic that is likely to assist Mike COCKERILL when he campaigns for election to North Yorkshire County Council next May 2017. But then again, bare-faced liars have been elected before . . .

Clearly, the people of Filey need a more informative news source. The tame local media are simply not providing the relevant information to enable voters to cast their votes for honourable candidates.

On 18th July 2016, I emailed Mike COCKERILL informing him that I hold the correspondence that evidences his deception. He has ignored my request for appropriate apologies to the interested parties. He has eschewed his opportunity to explain himself. He has foregone his right of reply. He clearly believes that he owes no duty of accountability to press or public – or to his electors.

I disagree.