We'd like to teach the town to sing
in perfect harmony

Last night’s Mayoral selection (27th April) was yet another council meeting that degenerated into personal attacks. It was actually meant to be one that launched the town council into a new harmonious era. Although popular wisdom is that all the unpleasantness is entirely the fault of Chippy First and its members, last night’s meeting proved conclusively that the Tory Group and The Labour Group on the council can more than hold their own when it comes to scheming and trouble making.

The current Mayor had decided he didn’t want to stand for a second term. Tradition is that a deputy Mayor serves an apprenticeship for a year or two before inheriting the top job. Good system - that has been followed for many many years in Chippy with only very rare exceptions.  There really was no need for any election whatsoever. The Deputy Mayor – Keith  Greenwell – should have moved up. End of story. But by now the Stop Greenwell Campaign had engaged top gear.  For the first time in a Mayoral election, nominations had been requested from councillors wishing to be considered for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.  The Mayoral Selection Committee had met for all of half an hour earlier in the day and was recommending that – contrary to all precedent – the Deputy Mayor should not succeed but Councillor Mike Dixon should be offered the job of Mayor. The whole procedure was driven not by tradition or any judgement of experience or ability but by sheer animosity towards Councillor Greenwell.  He had to be stopped. All this vicious manoeuvring was being carried out by people who at the same time were protesting that they were looking for “harmony”.  

Chippy First attempted to find an "harmonious" way forward.  The members of Chippy First – like everyone else – think Mike Dixon is a “good guy”. If a majority of other councillors thought he could do better than Keith Greenwell in creating a good working atmosphere – fine let him have a go. But he was a bit short on experience in a number of areas which are currently hot issues and where Keith has been heavily involved (like grant applications and strategic planning).  Chippy First proposed that the nomination of Mike Dixon should be supported and that Keith Greenwell should continue in the role of Deputy - this would ensure a degree of continuity and give Mike some experienced backup.  It would have been possible at that moment for the whole council to unanimously pass a proposal which could create a new unified atmosphere in time for the Mayor Making ceremony next month. But nobody was listening. Jo Graves began opposing before Councillor Alcock had even finished putting forward his specific resolution.

What followed showed everyone up in their true colours. It became immediately clear that Jo Graves, the Labour Group and the Tory Group were not remotely interested in any sort of harmony. They insisted that the two jobs should not be regarded as a “package”- but should be voted on separately. The New Steet Gang had deliberately put the mockers on the harmonious outcome they had been protesting they wanted so much.  Instead they launched into a series of vicious attacks on Keith Greenwell and the Chippy First Group.

The debate was first about Keith’s personality.  Most of the leading councillors said that In the past they would have given Keith their support . But now he had upset them all in one way or another - illustrated by Councillor Cole’s outburst that she couldn’t support him because he had criticised the Field Reeves. Despite being ruled out of order she went on and on - unable to control her outburst.  (Who would have guessed that Eve owes her seat on the District Council to Keith’s intervention as an Independent candidate in a by-election when he split the Tory vote and let Eve in.)  Councillor Burrows didn’t like the things Keith had been saying about the school. Councillor Evans complained at length about chippingnorton.net but wanted everyone to know he never ever read it.  His friends told him how shocking it was.

Councillor Jo Graves repeated her view that there should be no parties within the town council and that “Chippy First” shouldn’t act as a group. And why not exactly?  There are Labour and Tory Groups within the Town Council! Their Councillors were elected under party banners because they are strictly controlled political groups fighting on behalf of Labour and Conservative National Parties. And despite their protestations they ALWAYS vote en bloc in the Town Council.  Councillor Alcock pointed out that there was nothing illegal or improper in having political groupings.  Maybe not, said Councillor Evans said but Chippy Council had never operated in groups….that wasn’t the tradition!! (There’s that word again)

In a town desperately looking for ways of expanding its economy and particularly its employment base you would think it would be sensible to have someone in the town leadership with a bit of business experience.  The numerous teachers around the council table were not remotely interested in that.  Keith has only spent his life managing and developing industrial companies. Just recently he even provided the Partnership with a blueprint he developed to set up the Worcestershire Enterprise Agency. It was offered as his contribution towards the Partnership’s important job creation mission.  The council preferred to ignore all this.  

After the  public mauling was over and the choice of Mike Dixon was eventually made there was no vestige of harmony around the table. The spiteful criticisms of the New Street gang had opened up a yawning chasm which was even wider than before. Keith – not surprisingly – could see he would find it difficult to co-operate with the people who had just been tearing him to bits so he announced he would withdraw from the Deputy Mayor role leaving Chris Butterworth as the sole candidate.  Mr Butterworth has at least the doubtful virtue of being a completely unknown quantity since in two years on the council he has taken no initiatives. Nor has he demonstrated strong views on any topic.

The absurdity of all this is that a viable way forward was actually proposed to the meeting and rejected.  Presumably Mike Dixon and his supporters have thought through how they propose to take things forward now because it is inconceivable that they will be able to count any longer on the work in committee of the members of Chippy First who they have taken such delight in savaging.

Keith feels he still has significant contributions to make to the debate about the future of the town and particularly the generation of more employment opportunities – including the need to improve the qualifications which school leavers in the town attain.  He is passionately opposed to the way that the misguided policies of local councils are inexorably pushing Chippy towards becoming a commuter suburb. If he is not going to be able to make his contribution via the Town Council he will shift his political efforts to the forthcoming County Elections  in June when he plans to stand as an Independent candidate Keith wants to make sure that his ideas get maximum possible exposure in the campaign.  You have to wonder whether that is the best plan – expending so much effort in trying to fight the Hilary Biles machine. Perhaps the new Mayor should persuade Keith that he would do more good staying in Chippy and helping to sort out the Town Hall and Youth Centre.