Last month, after eight months of silence from absentee Northumberland County Councillor Roderick Lawrie, The Clarion asked the question: “Am I flogging a dead horse?”. For a long time, it seems it was. But, at last, the dead horse has spoken. This, unedited as requested, is the Councillor’s response.
Yes, you are flogging a dead horse. You have had my personal email and telephone number for months. Your Liberal bias is obvious and your lack of truth sad.
Yes, I did ask to resign and my resignation was refused, which on hindsight I realise was rightly so. I have spoken to many voters in the ward and have been begged, by them, not to resign. Simply stated the Conservatives have achieved so much for the ward and the County that the voters do not want a backward step.
The future looks even better for Norham and Islandshire. With a bit of luck Boris will get us out of the EU and reverse the stupid EU ruling that forced me to leave my beloved Northumberland and Great Britain. If this happens in time for the next CC election I will be back.
In the meantime, I will continue to work for the ward with telephone and email even though I receive no expenses and have spent all of my Council salary plus £4,000 of my own money on hotels and traveling between the Isle of Man and the UK.
Further, I should point out I have attended more Council meetings in the last two years than Dougie Watkins did in his last four. It is all documented. Look at the official records.
For anyone interested my email is roderick@nulltoquesnuff.com and my mobile number is 07715209055.
I have kept a copy of this post in full. Please surprise me and allow my post to appear unedited.
In fairness, The Clarion must add that Councillor Lawrie also posted that reply as a comment on the earlier page. This morning he added the following, also reproduced here in full:
I would like to congratulate The Clarion and Voice of the North for publishing my rebuttal of the ongoing story of my very difficult circumstances created by the EU forcing me to leave the UK. I commend them and withdraw my comment “Your Liberal bias is obvious and your lack of truth sad.”
I would also like to thank them for getting the story into Private Eye. Even though the facts were wrong, it is said one hasn’t made it in politics until one has been in Private Eye.
The Councillor has now spoken. Perhaps you’ll want to ask a question of the Council at its open session on Wednesday 4th September: or at least hear what answer is given to The Clarion‘s own question, submitted in due time. See you there!
If this all an EEC conspiracy, perhaps our absentee councillor can explain the insolvency of his Toque Snuff company which has been liquidated on the petition of HM Revenue & Customs after a hearing on 28 November 2018 at the English High Court of Justice, when no one appeared on behalf of his company to contest the case. The case was brought under the Insolvency Act 1986 which I would imagine is a piece of UK legislation. The only reference to the EEC looked like to me like an issue on whether the Court had jurisdiction.
Perhaps the errant councillor will explain; perhaps, in the words of ‘Private Eye’ it was ‘some mistake surely’. I think we should be told.