ANN SUGGIT who resigned from Hedon Town Council on November 14th 2013 in support of Jim and Sue Lindop has spoken out in support of the couple, whilst complaining about others on the council who she says did not support the former Mayor and Mayoress, particularly in regard to the Christmas Lights.
In the letter addressed to the Hedon Blog, Ann Suggit, who is still a councillor for South West Holderness Ward on the East Riding Council, says:
“I wish to break my silence on this subject and it will not be the last, and it will be factual.
I have seen on the Hedon Blog that J Dennis thanked everyone for the Christmas lights turn on, and it was the best ever. How many meetings did he attend? None.
Why not be honest to say it was Jim Lindop the previous Mayor who has turned this event around with the help of the girls in the Town Hall office, especially Sandy the secretary.
Residents complained about the noisy large fairground rides with loud music; he changed this to a traditional evening with carols singers, more stalls and a compere, Father Christmas provided by the Lions in the market place instead of the Town Hall and after a suggestion from the girls, reindeer, generously paid for by Vivergo Fuels.
Until quite recently no other councillor of Hedon Town Council was involved, it is not right that others try to take the credit.
Not once has Mr Dennis said what a great job Jim and Sue Lindop did as Mayor and Mayoress over the last 18 months and whilst I was in hospital, they have received letters and emails from many very important people saying how much they had enjoyed attending Hedon and the hospitality provided.
It is a shame for Hedon that they were not supported by the council.”
Ann Suggit
When Ann Suggit initially heard the news that an election had been claimed by residents to fill the two vacant councillor positions, she said that she would have preferred full elections for all the 12 councillor positions. She feels that it will be very difficult for two new councillors to do anything for Hedon as they would be hindered by the existing councillors.
Would she stand again for the Town Council in any by-election we asked? She has certainly not ruled that out.
The Hedon Blog thanks Ann for her letter and her right-to-reply, but in publishing it we do not want to re-ignite the same points covered in the Hedon Mayor Resigns! article. We ask for any new comments about the resignation to be posted under that article, and please don’t simply repeat points that have already been said by others there. Please refer to our Comments – Community Guidelines.
Any comments about the Hedon Christmas Lights, and how they might have changed!? – Please post here.
The 2012 Localisms Act scrapped the Standards Board and was replaced by ERYC with a code of conduct, therefore the process is to report complaints to a Monitoring Officer at County Hall. As I have been asked on numerous occasions by residents of Hedon, since June 2013 five complaints have been submitted against four Hedon Town Councillors.
thought this article worthy of a look
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/politicians-behaving-badly-culture-of-secrecy-and-sexism-the-result-of-changes-to-the-way-complaints-about-councillors-are-dealt-with-9039179.html
I totally agree with the mayoress,(resignation or no resignation you have both carried yourselves with dignity and I will consider you still as mayor and mayoress) The council are trying to ignore the public everyone ive spoke to is appalled at how you have all been treat and they are demanding a full election, I believe there is a petition ongoing. this council are not even Hedon people and those that are should search there souls and ask there constituents opinions instead of just saying its nothing to do with me when questioned. Stand down now and give the public the right to decide, and to top it all im informed the next mayor will be a councillor the public voted out at the last election and was co opted back on by his friends when a position became available. This really is going from bad to worse.
Statement by Sue Lindop
We wish to thank Ann Suggit for her continuing support; however I believe it is time I said something.
I wish to say how distressed we both are and how difficult it has been for me to be shouted at by a councillor at the Mayors Sunday and by another new councillor at a meeting in the Town Hall where I was the invited guest.
At the Freedom Parade were the Humberside and Yorkshire Cadet Force exercised their right to parade, as Freeman of Hedon, when my husband was making a speech thanking the Colonel, Officers and cadets on behalf of the council and residents of Hedon, a councillor put her elbows on the table and covered hers ears.
On Remembrance Sunday as the councillors lined up on either side of St Augustines Church, as we passed as the Mayor and Mayoress, the same individual turned her back on the Mayor, this I find disrespectful.
This is the behaviour that we have suffered over many months and that we found very disturbing which ultimately made it impossible to continue and this from councillors representing Hedon.
We both absolutely loved representing the people of Hedon as Mayor and Mayoress and after our resignation have received many letters, cards, emails and telephone messages of support from other dignitaries and lovely people from Hedon and the surrounding area, who we have met during our 18 months in office, which has been of great comfort to us both.
My husband has not received one word of appreciation for his work for Hedon from this council, neither has Ann Suggit for all her years of service, I know that if I still was in the position of Mayoress she would have received the recognition she deserves, however what she has received can be seen on the video found on the blog, which I find absolutely shameful.
Sue Lindop