INTIMIDATION BY OLD LABOUR IN IPSWICH
It is just under a year since Labour won control of Ipswich Borough Council, yet in such a short time, some very unpleasant trends are already emerging.
One of the first things that David Ellesmere, new Leader of the Council, chose to do was to decide on a review of councillors' allowances. He then announced to Full Council that the Chairmen of the new Area Committees would not receive any allowances unless the independent review panel recommended it. This was to ensure that there were no additional costs in replacing the Area Forums.
However he subsequently introduced £3745 allowances for each of the fiive Chairmen adding £15000 to the costs as John Carnall the Leader of the Conservative Group and Chairman of the North East Area Committee does not qualify for an allowance.
David Ellesmere misled Full Council.
He was also part of a misleading campaign against a planning application concerning change of use for the Golden Key in Woodbridge Road, with Cllr. Ellesmere, Alasdair Ross, and other Labour councillors using banners to oppose Tesco. Yet Tesco was not the applicant, nor the potential end-user of a local store! His partner, Carole Jones, the economic portfolio holder and a member of planning committee, failed to declare a personal interest (unlike the Labour chairman who left the room). Needless to say, the application failed.