Maverick Mark quits council...

Just heard that Mark Horn has resigned from with immediate effect as county councillor for Bourne.

Maverick Mark was elected as a Conservative but went Independent last month after a series of fall-outs with the controlling group - and Council Leader Martin Hill in particular.

Notably, he was the only Tory councillor to have the balls to oppose the 78.9 per cent increase in council tax for policing which was pushed through by the Conservative county councillors on the police authority and later capped by Government.

He claimed that the record increase demonstrated arrogance and was totally unjustified - and no doubt incensed Martin Hill when he was the only Tory in the chamber who refused to back moves to prevent the county council debating why the Conservative members of the Authority had supported the eye-watering increase.

Mark had even publicly called for capping - which of course added to internal Conservative party problems and pressure within the controlling group.

Last year, Mark strongly criticised Grantham and Stamford Conservatives choice of candidate at the next general election, describing all those shortlisted as:

wealthy, metropolitan, priviliged, bright young things...totally out of touch with ordinary folk...None of these ‘A-listers’ have any local connections. They are simply careerists looking for a safe seat.

He also stood up strongly for gypsy and traveller rights - and refused to take a populist stance over.

A couple of months ago he accused the Conservatives of losing control of the budget on care homes for elderly people.

I understand that he was recently referred to the Standards Board by Cllr Hill over an exchange of emails with my colleague on the Labour group Chris Burke.

I've 'locked horns' with Mark on numerous occasions in the council chamber - but I respected his outspoken views (most of the time!!) despite them usually being very different to my own. On occasion I've enjoyed a quiet beer or two with Mark when between us we put the world to rights...

Born in South Africa, Mark is a trained London barrister who was clearly too radical and too much of a handful for Lincolnshire Tories who never quite knew how to handle him.

Every time he stood up in a Council debate, it was always entertaining watching the faces of the all-Tory Executive who never knew what was coming next. They tried - but clearly failed - to contain him.

But Mark is also a real character who brought much-needed colour to council debates.

He stood up for what he believed to be right, refused to be 'whipped' by his own political group, and he will be missed by all sides.

I wish him well for the future.

(more later...)

Tories who gave you 78.9% police tax rise vote to gag debate on their actions...

The same Tories who forced through the highest council tax hike in the country today voted to prevent a debate on their actions.

The Tories pulled a show-stopping stunt to block any discussion on the eye-watering 78.9per cent rise in precept passed by Lincolnshire Police Authority. (see my original post HERE).

Labour Leader Rob Parker had tabled a motion condemning the decision to increase the police precept by 78.9 per cent and specifically criticising the actions of the six Conservative County Councillors in voting for such a massive increase for Linco0lnshire tax payers.

The LibDems had also tabled a motion recognising a shortfall in formulae grant for Lincolnshire, but attacking the increase as excessive.

Both motions were published in the Order of Proceedings.

Five hours into the meeting, the debate was called and newly elected council chairman Ian Cartwright outlined how he proposed to proceed.

At this point vice-chairman of the Police Authority, Tory Cllr Barry Young intervened, pleading for the debate to be adjourned. He claimed negotiations between Ministers and the Authority as part of the capping process were at a delicate stage and any debate prejudice the final outcome...

Then, up popped Cllr Martin Trollope-Bellew, the Tory Chief Whip, to support Barry Young, quoting Chapter 13 Paragraph 11 sub section brackets 'd' brackets of the Council's Constitution.

When Rob Parker asked him to kindly explain what he was talking about, Martin T-B was clearly gobsmacked and was unable to quote the actual words in Paragraph 11 etc...

It was left to legal officers to explain that there was indeed an obscure procedural rule that few had ever heard of which allows the chairman to decide whether to allow a vote to prevent any motion from being discussed.

Cllr Ian Cartwright, himself a Tory councillor, instantly ruled that such a vote should take place - and then voted himself to block the discussion.

No opportunity was given for councillors to argue why a debate on the police precept should - or should not - be allowed.

Some might have argued that Barry Young's argument that the matter was being decided by Government Ministers was the very reason to hold an open debate.

But they weren't given that opportunity.

Despite claiming the whole stunt was Barry Young's own personal idea and not a Tory organised hi-jack, every Tory in the Chamber - except one - voted to prevent a discussion on the precept

The Tory exception was maverick Mark Horn of Bourne who is known to be outraged at the Authority for setting such a high precept and has called for Government intervention to prevent the increase taking place.

I believe two of the six Tory county councillors who forced through the 78.9% increase were absent from the Chamber when the vote took place.

The other four who were criticised in Rob Parker's motion - including Barry Young - all voted to prevent today's scheduled debate from taking place.

Same Old Tories, or what?

Has Mark been gagged for attacking new Tory candidate...?

I've searched the website of leading Lincs Tory Mark Horn for his comments attacking the newly selected Tory candidate as "out of touch with ordinary folk" as reported in the Bourne Local.

Found some personal attacks on me, but strangely, I can't find his attack on Nicholas Boles who won selection last night to fight Stamford and Grantham at the next election for the Tories.

Surely, Mark hasn't been gagged...?

His website is titled:

Let Your Voice be Heard

Ironic. Or what?

A champion for rail commuters...sometimes

Bourne Tory Mark Horn is attacking plans which could see rail fares from Peterborough rise by more than two-per-cent above inflation over the duration of the seven year franchise recently won by National Express.

The bus company justifies its fare hikes to pay for increased and improved services with more trains and more seats - and promises to cap season ticket increases to one per cent above inflation.

But Mark, a member of the ruling Conservative Group on Lincolnshire County Council -
and also a regular commuter - tells the Peterborough Evening Telegraph that the increases can't be justified and complains that they will force commuters back into their cars.

He may have a valid argument.

But then I don't recall Mark championing the commuters' cause when his Tory mates at Peterborough City Council doubled charges recently for on street parking near the station used by commuters.

Closer to home, I also don't recall him saying a dickie bird when his own Group at Lincolnshire County Council trebled home care charges for vulnerable people he was elected to represent.