‘Councillor only has one course left open to her’

I HAVE been aware of Leek politics since the 1980s. In that time I have known many admirable men and women whose commitment to probity in the service of the public was beyond question.

People like John Fisher, Josie Heath, Alan Hurst, Vera Ivers, Joan Levitt, Eileen Murfin, Robert Plant and Steve Povey.

Some of these former councillors are happily still with us and others sadly not.

They were all, irrespective of political party, people of sound judgement and unvarying consideration in their duty to the citizens of the town.

And then we have Gail Lockett, who has, after a lengthy independent inquiry that has cost council tax payers many thousands of pounds, been found guilty of dishonesty over her council tax arrears.

Rumour spreads around the town about her real and imagined activities – it has been corrosive to the public good.

To counter this she has continually relied on her defence, on a shameless combination of bluster, exhibitionism and self-pity, and ultimately as the Goacher report proved, just plain lying .

One has to go back to the early 1990s to the activities of Councillor Sharman – who was jailed for embezzlement of funds from a local charity – to find anything comparable.

The Standards Panel of SMDC have deliberated and found that she has brought the council into disrepute and with it the reputation of many good people, both officers and councillors. They imposed the maximum sanction allowed.

She did not attend the meeting relying as usual on a read out statement full of sound and fury and signifying not very much.

After such a unanimous judgement, delivered by her peers, she now has only one course open to her. To quote Oliver Cromwell: “Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!” Resign Councillor Gail Lockett.

Councillor Bill Cawley Leek West