Jacob Williams https://jacobwilliams.com

I notice the author of that other website raises the issue that Cllr. Simon Hancock, in his current position as chairman of the Labour’s Neyland branch, would have been involved in the selection process for the party’s candidate in the Burton by-election.

The potential for conflict of interest arises due to the now infamous actions Cllr. Hancock took following the 2012 council elections.

Despite being returned unopposed by the voters of Neyland East as a Labour party candidate, once all the other votes were in, Cllr. Hancock abandoned the Labour group of which he had been a representative on the council for many years, and joined the IPG – and landed himself with a cabinet post, thus boosting (securing) the IPG’s wafer thin majority.

It still strikes some as odd that, following such actions, the Labour party still allows Cllr. Hancock to remain as his local Labour branch chairman, and as Old Grumpy points out, he must find himself in a moral dilemma – does he want Robin Howells to win it for Labour, or does he want the ‘party’ he is a member of in the council, the IPG, to retain the seat, whose candidate (Rob Summons) is the first in Pembrokeshire electoral history to stand as an IPG candidate with a clearly stated intention to join.

Whilst I agree that this conflict of interest is an interesting topic of discussion, it seems a bit rich for the Grumpy one to even think of mentioning stories of impressionable councillors being sucked in by the tempation of a taste of the trappings of power and influence.

It was an incident a couple of weeks ago which, at the time, I put down as a bit of playful fun, typical of the sort of Mike Stoddart mischief we’ve come to know and love. But now, I’m wondering if it was actually a deliberate and calculated act of subtle symbolism from Cllr. Stoddart, demonstrating his hunger for absolute power.

The ministerial board, who have completed their term after being appointed following the council’s troubled reports into education and safeguarding failings, gave councillors a parting presentation.

The County Hall committee rooms were fully booked, so it was unusually held in the council chamber. As one of the early ones making his way into the chamber, Cllr. Stoddart had a smile on his face, the source of which was known only to himself.

All became clear when, in the absence of the council leader who was still on his honeymoon, Cllr. Stoddart made a beeline for the leader’s pew.

With his posterior in the seat of supremacy, and his hands the closest they had ever come to the levers of power, the sparkle in his eye and the smile on his face combined for a memorable spectacle.

Lording it over the rest of us peasants, Old Grumpy had reached his pinnacle. The fact it took a tropical honeymoon and a short-notice visit from the ministerial board is mere bagatelle.

If you notice that his posts seem to be written from a higher elevation than his formerly down-to-earth ramblings, you’ll now know why.