An Expenses Account

In January this ludicrous letter landed from the cross-party Bill Wiggin Fan Club (they call themselves Leominster Town Council):
http://www.yourconvenience.co.uk/LTC.jpg

When I stopped shaking with laughter I realised I couldn't comply with the provisions of this 'Trumpton banning order' if I wanted to.

It orders me not to email any councillor - the Mayor's emailing me all the time to find out what I'm up to!
Not supposed to converse with any cllr - every other day they puppy up to me in the street dying to know how Wiggingate is going.
Not supposed to phone any cllr - last year's Mayor Richard Westwood (so-called 'Labour' but doffs his cap to Tory HQ when called to heel) recently left a garbled message on our bleedin' answering machine!

It's as if Kafka had been turned into a strip in The Beano.

More sinister, perhaps, they also later confirmed I was banned from the Town Council offices, banned from attending public Council meetings and banned from inspecting Council documents when it is my legal right to do so. I should be flattered the lengths 'socialists' and 'independents' will go to to bash me on Mr Wiggin's behalf.

So I referred the letter to the appropriate authority: Herefordshire Council's Standards Committee and here is their considered decision (note it took 'em a month to send it to me: were they running it past their lawyers to see if they could get away with it?)

This document is almost as absurd-sinister as the original one from LTC:
http://www.yourconvenience.co.uk/StandardsMarch10.pdf

Have a read of it: Herefordshire Council’s policy now is that councillors can break their own Code of Conduct; they can disrespect electors; they can bully and intimidate electors; and they can prevent electors from accessing information to which they are legally entitled.
 So long as they do so at secret meetings at which no minutes are taken.

Hooray for democracy – Banana Republic of Hereford-style!!