I know some folk read this blog to catch any new developments on the MP's expenses front, and they may find the nuts and bolts of local government small potatoes.

But I'm finding it fascinating how the culture of corruption and deceit has trickled down to the most very basic level of our democracy, and how much devious chicanery there can be just to secure a five grand Mayorship.

The first, informal, meeting of Town Councillors happens at 6 today and I'm going to read/hand out the following letter of protest to all the newly elected ones.

Umami, umami, it drives you flippin' barmy

ADVENTURES IN EXTREME UMAMI #1

Mediterrasian "Miso Levistico"

Sweat half a leek and two chopped cloves of garic in a little olive oil and salt.

Add a large handul of torn lovage leaves. A supermarket has finally started stocking it - Waitrose; use the whole bag.

Add two teaspoons of chopped savory (winter or summer, there isn't as much diff. as the herb books say). If you've no savory (and you should have!) use thyme, lemon thyme is closest to savory.

Add a couple of pints of water and a veg. stock cube. Add some pepper and simmer on low heat for as long as possible. The lovage smell will disinfect yr house by the way, in that it's a stronger smell than just about anything else including fags.

Strain the liquor and add a dessertspoon of miso per mugful of juice you have. Heat through gently, never boil a miso!

UMAMI RATING: 90%

It didn't take long, did it?

I’ve only been in the job 3 days and already I'm ankle deep in corruption.

There are 16 Councillors, any of whom can be nominated for Mayor (but I only forced them to tell me that this morning). The old guard think their mate Labour’s Eddie Clark should get it. Since 9 of us are new, they have rushed through the ‘MayorMaking’ for this Saturday, hoping to bamboozle us. So far, so rotten.

But I think they’ve now strayed into the illegal. See this letter from the Town Clerk which arrived this afternoon:

http://www.yourconvenience.co.uk/MayorMaking1.jpg 

http://www.yourconvenience.co.uk/MayorMaking2.jpg

Note, eg, #9: “The Mayor Hunt will announce that Eddie Clark has been duly elected as Mayor” or #19: “The Mayor Eddie Clark will then announce” etc etc.

Not only is this letter trying to con new Cllrs into thinking the election for Mayor has already been decided when it hasn't, worse - it constitutes naked propaganda on Mr Clark’s behalf. If Clark is elected he receives £5,000 out of council taxpayers’ money. And a £30k+ public employee has sent out misleading propaganda – paid for out of public funds – to help him get that £5,000.

I've previously argued with friends who think John Lyon the Commissioner for Standards is too soft on dishonest MPs. I don' think David Laws would agree with their assessment, either, after today.
This is the David Laws that The Times, only a fortnight ago, was urging the Prime Minister to bring back into the Cabinet: oh the arrogance of The Establishment!

I trust John Lyon, he does it by the book:
http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-interests/pcfs/publications/inquiries/current-inquiries/
Next  in line for investigation - Jim Divine, already imprisoned for presenting false invoices, and then my own MP Bill Wiggin, who I reported to the Commissioner over what I believe to be a very similar unexplained invoice...

Councillor Jim's Little Red WebBook

This is mainly for "local" folk, I guess!
I've started putting together some  ideas & proposals which I hope progressive minded Herefordians will help me with: you know my email address.


I'll be working on this continuously, so please keep checking back.

That's COUNCILLOR Jimbo to you, mate!

Hmm: 563 votes, about a quarter of the electors, and I only know about 20 people in town: that's a lot of people sick of Nth Herefordshire Tory Party AKA the Bill Wiggin Fan Club.

I'm definitely not getting recognised yet, though. Spotted a nice statue of Poseidon in the charity shop for my Roman herb garden.
Little old lady: 'Who's he the god of?'
Me: 'The sea.'
Little old lady (having carefully finished wrapping it): 'So, are you a sailor then?'

We're into the home straight

Knocked up a final leaflet on the laptop, will stick it through a few doors tomorrow:
http://www.yourconvenience.co.uk/FinalLeaflet.pdf

If that doesn't get me elected, I can always apply for the recent vacancy as leader of Al Qaida.
I'm determined to have a political career one way or the other...