There is a lead article on the front page of the East Lothian News (dated 22nd October 2010) that, strangely, hasn’t made their revamped website. It makes you wonder if the Editor of the printed version has any say over the contents of the web version.
Anyhow, the article is all about a Councillor – specifically the Provost – that doesn’t hold Councillor surgeries as they are “too dangerous” and “do not serve any practical purpose”.
Now the second quote is something that no Councillor should say publicly, they can think it, say it privately but definitely not publicly. The first quote is more easily addressed.
The Provost states, “its too dangerous to sit in a corner of East Lothian on my own a couple of nights a week.” Well she doesn’t need to sit on her own. I’m sure there are several members of the local Lib Dem party who would sit with her and respect the confidences of any discussion she has with local people. In fact, this would apply to any of the 4 Lib Dem Councillors in East Lothian. But, none of them have asked for this kind of help or assistance from the local party.
The Provost refers to her first term on the Council when she was the sole Lib Dem: “in the first 3 or 4 years… no-one turned up.They do not serve any practical purpose”. The question here is , what was done to advertise the surgeries?
In reality it was the local newspapers that “advertised” the surgeries – something that no longer happens as the Council has cut back on the costs of those adverts. However, what is to stop her, and the other LD Councillors from asking the local party to help publicise the surgeries. If there was a Focus type newsletter issued in each village that had the date of the surgery, and a copy was pinned to the local notice boards, would that not encourage people to come along? 
But again, she and others have not asked their local party for this type of help or assistance which would be willingly given.
Councillors could help themselves
There is a lead article on the front page of the East Lothian News (dated 22nd October 2010) that, strangely, hasn’t made their revamped website. It makes you wonder if the Editor of the printed version has any say over the contents of the web version.
Anyhow, the article is all about a Councillor – specifically the Provost – that doesn’t hold Councillor surgeries as they are “too dangerous” and “do not serve any practical purpose”.
Now the second quote is something that no Councillor should say publicly, they can think it, say it privately but definitely not publicly. The first quote is more easily addressed.
The Provost states, “its too dangerous to sit in a corner of East Lothian on my own a couple of nights a week.” Well she doesn’t need to sit on her own. I’m sure there are several members of the local Lib Dem party who would sit with her and respect the confidences of any discussion she has with local people. In fact, this would apply to any of the 4 Lib Dem Councillors in East Lothian. But, none of them have asked for this kind of help or assistance from the local party.
The Provost refers to her first term on the Council when she was the sole Lib Dem: “in the first 3 or 4 years… no-one turned up.They do not serve any practical purpose”. The question here is , what was done to advertise the surgeries?
In reality it was the local newspapers that “advertised” the surgeries – something that no longer happens as the Council has cut back on the costs of those adverts. However, what is to stop her, and the other LD Councillors from asking the local party to help publicise the surgeries. If there was a Focus type newsletter issued in each village that had the date of the surgery, and a copy was pinned to the local notice boards, would that not encourage people to come along? 
But again, she and others have not asked their local party for this type of help or assistance which would be willingly given.