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Melksham

Questions not welcome at the Town Council

At the meeting of Melksham Town Council last night the public were refused answers to their questions. So I attempted to ask as an elected councillor questions on behalf of the people I represent. I wanted to know about recent events where a few councillors had assumed to take executive powers upon themselves against all principles of democracy, Town Council rules and the law.

These are important questions that it is essential that councillors are allowed to ask. 

This is the whole point of democracy. 

These questions need to be asked as the council appears to be dysfunctional at a time when we need to see all councillors working together to support our community.

As a community we are facing challenges like never before, Covid-19, climate change, delegation of services to the Town Council as Wiltshire Council increasingly faces cuts. Now is the time to be working as a team, not playing petty personal politics.

The result of my asking these questions was that as soon as the press and public were excluded from the meeting, the Liberal Democrat councillors voted on-block to kick me out. 

They didn’t want these questions to be asked.

It is time we all starting look forwards and focus on why we were elected and what the people of our town expect of their elected representatives.

By Jon Hubbard

Cllr Jon Hubbard is the Wiltshire and Town councillor for Melksham South. First elected in 2009 he now sits as an independent. Jon is very active in the local community and actively works across the town and wider community. He helped create and continues to Chair both Young Melksham, who provide youth services in the town, and Age Friendly Melksham, who work to try and prevent social isolation for people of all ages. On Wiltshire Council Jon currently chairs the Children's Select Committee and is also Chair of the Adoption West Scrutiny Panel.