Spotlight

Rogue Clerk tells Cllr to “F*ck off!”

Nigel December 15, 2023 Town & Parish

Rogue Clerk tells Cllr to “F*ck off!”

– an “In My View” article by NIGEL WARD, reporting on another dysfunctional public body – North Thoresby, Waithe & Grainsby Parish Council, situated just south of the Humber. The Councillor on the receiving end of the Clerk’s unforgiveable retort – Councillor Lynne GALE – has the support of parishioners in her attempts to return the Parish Council to some semblance of normality, but such is the devotion of some of her fellow members to the Cult of the Clerk (see my article, here) that her reward has been a torrent of abuse.

~~~~~

The once-peaceful and friendly atmosphere of the picturesque village of North Thoresby (in the District of East Lindsey, Lincolnshire) has been ripped asunder since the appointment of Parish Clerk Mr Simon BAXTER – formerly (and briefly) the Clerk to Fylingdales Parish Council (FPC), in Robin Hood’s Bay, just to the south of Whitby. In my dealings with him, I found Mr BAXTER arrogant, cocky and grammatically impoverished. Having had his card marked at FPC, Mr BAXTER was soon sent packing (though, unsurprisingly, the then Chair has yet to express her gratitude).

Mr BAXTER likes (or liked) to style himself:

Mr Simon R. Baxter JP MIFA ADIP FAPS

Of course, the ‘JP‘ has since disappeared from this pretentious list of self-aggrandising aphabetical twaddle, because Mr BAXTER is now a former Magistrate – having recently resigned, in the face of a Formal Complaint citing a welter of compelling evidence of unacceptable conduct.

Mr BAXTER is well-known on the Hull poker-playing scene (a legend in his own lunchtime) – though his affection for publicity has been much reduced in recent years, as is so often the case with chisellers and chancers when the blarney begins to unravel.

Having recently lost another of his côterie of Parish sinecures, Mr BAXTER is now very much on the defensive.

Have a good listen to him losing his self-control and spitting out the ‘F-word’ at this recent meeting of North Thoresby, Waithe & Grainsby Parish Council:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/G-SOEtoOYSw

Followed closely by one of his more gullible acolytes abusing a fellow member by asking how many married men she has slept with:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/GinrcWXj-wg

Ah, the dignity of the Council Chamber . . .

I would suggest it is reasonably safe to say that North Thoresby may have out-shone even Handsworth Parish Council in the ‘Greatest Disrepute Sweepstakes’, making Thornton-le-Dale, Potto, Yarm and Whitby look almost civilised. Well . . . almost.

Behind this ‘shock-horror’ headline lies yet another astonishing example of how the ‘Cult of the Clerk‘ is fast becoming a malignant cancer within the lower tiers of local government.

No doubt there are many excellent, conscientious, community-serving Councillors throughout the ten thousand (or so) Parishes in this country.

But there are also quite a number of rogue Clerks/RFOs who prey upon the weak of mind and weak of morals (every Council has them, especially where co-option has circumvented accountability to the electorate), moulding them into obedient acolytes who almost deify the Clerk – who, of course, can do no wrong. Or not much.

I hope to find time, in the New Year, to set out the full extent of the damage wreaked upon North Thoresby and its satellite villages. Readers are welcome to offer material via the Enquirer ‘letters’ email address – letters@nyenquirer.uk – stating “ROGUE CLERKS” in the subject line.

Also in the pipeline: exposeés of rogue Clerks in the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland and even in John POULSON country – West Yorkshire.

Further reading:

https://north-thoresby.parish.lincolnshire.gov.uk/news/article/30/parish-council-response-to-leaflet-handed-out-by-cllr-lynne-gale