Reasons Why BRPC No Longer Link To Belmont Voice!

[Colin James]

Taken from the minutes dated 27/06/2013 - Item 092/13

* A complaint has been received from the administrator of the Belmont Voice website regarding the decision to remove the link to that website from our website. The complainant has been advised that the parish council may choose which sites to link to and the decision is considered final in accordance with the formal agreed policy on website content.

You see this is what happens when you publish something that they do not like...and in particular what their Clerk, Liz Kelso more or less demanded I should remove! She really tried to put all her weight (and a lot of it in my opinion)in her pathetic attempt at threats if I did not remove this post, funny though as most of these tossers are as nice as pie to your face! Well their choice and clearly no loss to this website, the regular unique website visitors we have just go to prove that but they better make sure they keep everything squeaky clean or it will be published on here! Another reason they did not want a LIVE website, hence their glorified notice board!

I have just obtained all of the minutes from the NCC since the centre was opened, which also makes for interesting reading so don't worry, I will make sure that all of these finance topics are kept on the front page and I will write to the Hereford Times and Hereford Journal asking for their comments too...

Finally, Here is the full content of the pm 's between Liz Kelso and me for you all to read at your leisure

Sent 23 April 2013 - 09:27 AM

Mr. James, on 13th March Councillor Vaughan-Powell posted a comment regarding the Northolme Kick About area which BRPC believes is libellous. The post was first created at 10.47 on 13th March and edited by Ms. Vaughan-Powell on 14th March at 08.47. Having asked the Councillor to remove the post, she has not done so and formal action is now being taken by BRPC to resolve this. In the meantime, the post remains on the site and I would request that it be removed by you as adminstrator.

As this matter is now the subject of formal proceedings, may I ask that this message be kept confidential and not forwarded or discussed with anyone.

Regards
Liz Kelso
Clerk
Belmont Rural Parish Council

• Administrator

Sent 25 April 2013 - 12:18 AM
Hi Liz,

I have locked the particular topic out of courtesy to your request but it is still available to view.
This is a forum and although, where possible, I monitor for abuse or swearing etc.. it is the individual members responsibility for the content and wording of what they post.
I hope that the libelous that you are referring too is not about what was posted on here? If it is, that's a real shame as I am of the opinion that this is forum for all discussions and debates and thus entitles the author 'freedom of speech' I hope that still exists... some topics do become heated and members may get their facts wrong and if that is the case any effected member has the right of reply. I really do not want to go down the very sad road of members not being able to discuss topics frankly and openly.

Now that I have locked the topic no further editing will be possible.

I will of course treat your PRIVATE MESSAGE as a PRIVATE MESSAGE that goes without saying. I hope that you feel that I have been fair in this instance.

BRPC

BRPC Clerk

Sent 25 April 2013 - 08:34 AM

Colin James, on 25 April 2013 - 12:18 AM, said:

Hi Liz,

I have locked the particular topic out of cutesy to your request but it is still available to view.
This is a forum and although, where possible, I monitor for abuse or swearing etc.. it is the individual members responsibility for the content and wording of what they post.
I hope that the libelous that you are referring too is not about what was posted on here? If it is, that's a real shame as I am of the opinion that this is forum for all discussions and debates and thus entitles the author 'freedom of speech' I hope that still exists... some topics do become heated and members may get their facts wrong and if that is the case any effected member has the right of reply. I really do not want to go down the very sad road of members not being able to discuss topics frankly and openly.

Now that I have locked the topic no further editing will be possible.

I will of course treat your PRIVATE MESSAGE as a PRIVATE MESSAGE that goes without saying. I hope that you feel that I have been fair in this instance.

Thank you for your message. Whilst I entirely agree that freedom of speech is important, a statement that is untrue and damaging is libellous. For the parish council, a statement by someone who would be considered to be aware of the facts that is untrue and states that as a result of parish council negligence a child has been hurt, goes well beyond an appropriate use of freedom of speech. As I have said, formal action is now being taken on this and your comments have been noted.

 

• Administrator

Sent 05 June 2013 - 03:30 PM

Dear Liz,
I am somewhat confused, please see all messages above, I did all that I could with your request in fairness to both parties as I saw it. We often have comments made from members of the public saying things like, "This rubbish has not been removed yet or the council have still done nothing about it" etc.. So are all members therefore libelous in their comments at some point? That said, You requested that I keep our discussion private
 

As this matter is now the subject of formal proceedings, may I ask that this message be kept confidential and not forwarded or discussed with anyone

I then notice that bobby47 has recently made comments about so called demands made by the BRPC etc. in a recent thread and I have asked him how he knew or seemed to know about our PRIVATE discussions that we had previously had as I have NOT spoken with ANYONE about it, as per your request. I notice that the BRPC have though! And have also published the fact in their recent minutes. It would have been courteous maybe to be informed of the outcome... I also notice that your receptacle link to my website has now been removed as a direct result? Even though it had been previously agreed to link sites and noted in the minutes of February 21st 2013, so before I address this, am I to believe, that if every time I receive a request from BRPC to change, remove or delete a post that someone may have made, If I refuse, my link is then removed from BRPC as some sort of punishment? Seems a little childish in the circumstances from where I am sat to be honest.
The original post in question will soon be archived anyway...

(085/13 It was also noted that further requests for the offending website article to be removed had been refused both by the website administrator and author. Accordingly it was felt that further links to the website from the Parish Council website would no longer be appropriate.)

I would also like to point out that an author does NOT have the facility to remove a post that they have made; only the administrator has this facility available to them, the author has a small window of time in which edits can be made.

I would kindly again request a link back to Belmont Voice from the BRPC Website and an explanation as to why the link was removed in the first instance within 14 days if possible.
I would kindly request information on how the BRPC website is funded, as a tax paying member of the public, I feel, that I may be being possibly discrimination against by removing my link, so I await your reply with anticipation.
I may end up contacting the Hereford Times for their view on matters and also possibly seeking legal advice. I really was hoping it would not come to this, but it all seems to be rather misplaced and could of been resolved differently perhaps, however, we still have time to rectify this small issue, so I look forward to response.

Finally could you please confirm the date and venue of the next meeting, is it the 27th?

Kind regards

Colin

 

And this is in my opinion the reason they (Liz Kelso) no longer wish our websites to be linked..

 

[Mick]

Colin, I absolutely agree, you have my full admiration for not being bullied and standing your ground, your reply is brilliant and I almost choked on my coffee   

[Bill Thomas]

Colin, this is the reason behind why I like your website. 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH' Who the hell does she think she is with her demands? I could not of suggested a better reply than than yours , I had a chuckle   Also when Liz Kelzo refers to formal proceedings I assume this is all with the tax payers money is it? I do not think she would offer the threats of legal action so quickly if it were her money do you?

[Wendy Watkins]

Apparently Colin, if you write something on the net that could be libel, if later it is discovered to be written when under the influence of alcohol its not libel any longer just something silly you said when drunk. Oh and I'm sick to death of these paid clerks all around the county thinking they are something special. In the old days those who worked for councils etc. were called public servants, they should be wise to remember that. I am beginning to think there is no such thing as freedom of speech in this country, instead of challenging you or anyone with libellous action, the quickest way would be to prove what the person said was wrong.....End of story! No more time or money wasted on the matter, problem sorted..

[bobby47]

Very well done Colin. I am sorry you and your family have had to deal with this rancid bag of rats. It's truly madness. And all this because another Councillor became jealous of another Councillors popularity earned through hard work.

As for the Clerk to the Parish Council, this good woman is relied upon by those around the table to act wisely, give good council and above all not give her listeners false information which they may conclude is correct and a cause worth fighting.

This Clerk has clearly given advice that has caused those around the table to believe that they have been libelled and this advice is wrong. Very wrong.

The facts are that this Clerk to the Council should have taken her view that this was libel and with the full knowledge of those around the table, she should have provided written or verbal evidence to the Council legal Department and had her interpretation of events and views sanctioned by a Solicitor.

Had this been done, the Solicitor would have told her what I am saying. This is not libel. No individual has been defamed and you cannot libel a collective group or organisation under these circumstances.

The Clerk has failed in her duty. If this Clerk says, 'I took advice', then she's either being economical with the truth or she's liaised with a Solicitor who knows nothing about this area of statutory legislation.

This is not libel. Never was. Never will be , and anyone with commonsense who's had no lick of an idea about the libel laws of our Country would have told the Clerk to the Council that very same thing.

How on earth did this gathering of presumably intelligent people, allow themselves to get carried away because of jealousy!

[Colin James]

Very well done Colin. I am sorry you and your family have had to deal with this rancid bag of rats. It's truly madness. And all this because another Councillor became jealous of another Councillors popularity earned through hard work.

As for the Clerk to the Parish Council, this good woman is relied upon by those around the table to act wisely, give good council and above all not give her listeners false information which they may conclude is correct and a cause worth fighting.

This Clerk has clearly given advice that has caused those around the table to believe that they have been libelled and this advice is wrong. Very wrong.

The facts are that this Clerk to the Council should have taken her view that this was libel and with the full knowledge of those around the table, she should have provided written or verbal evidence to the Council legal Department and had her interpretation of events and views sanctioned by a Solicitor.

Had this been done, the Solicitor would have told her what I am saying. This is not libel. No individual has been defamed and you cannot libel a collective group or organisation under these circumstances.

The Clerk has failed in her duty. If this Clerk says, 'I took advice', then she's either being economical with the truth or she's liaised with a Solicitor who knows nothing about this area of statutory legislation.

This is not libel. Never was. Never will be , and anyone with commonsense who's had no lick of an idea about the libel laws of our Country would have told the Clerk to the Council that very same thing.

How on earth did this gathering of presumably intelligent people, allow themselves to get carried away because of jealousy!

 

Bobby, like you have already said sir, they are jealous of another Councillors popularity earned through hard work. They clearly do not like that Councillor either, that is obvious. I love the way she threatens all this action but with the tax payers money! The clerk in my opinion is talking out of her arse and thinks she can control me and what is published on this forum they way she controls the parish meetings, anyone would think she was the chair person lol. I have not only heard this from other people but witnessed it for myself. Well she cant and will not control what people want to write on this forum and can waste more of the tax payers money by trying to sue me if she wants! Nothing but a load of bullies in my opinion.

[Colin James]

Apparently Colin, if you write something on the net that could be libel, if later it is discovered to be written when under the influence of alcohol its not libel any longer just something silly you said when drunk. Oh and I'm sick to death of these paid clerks all around the county thinking they are something special. In the old days those who worked for councils etc. were called public servants, they should be wise to remember that. I am beginning to think there is no such thing as freedom of speech in this country, instead of challenging you or anyone with libellous action, the quickest way would be to prove what the person said was wrong.....End of story! No more time or money wasted on the matter, problem sorted..

 

Wendy, could not agree more, don't know who she thinks she is to be honest.

[M. Preece]

 

 

Colin, this is the reason behind why I like your website. 'FREEDOM OF SPEECH' Who the hell does she think she is with her demands? I could not of suggested a better reply than than yours , I had a chuckle   Also when Liz Kelzo refers to formal proceedings I assume this is all with the tax payers money is it? I do not think she would offer the threats of legal action so quickly if it were her money do you?

Bill you are right my friend, freedom of speech, I think I would be telling the BRPC where to stick their link too, how childish are they!

Colin I love your closing pictures 

[bobby47]

My dear Colin, I can tell from your writing style that you are very angry by this silly chain of events brought about by stupidity. My good advice to you would be to let it go, not give it a backward glance and simply conclude that they, this particular Parish Council are the losers and they will come to regret it.

Mind, if you can't let it go and you choose to go to war, and its your choice, then simply enquire with the Council Monitoring Officer whether or not this Clerk followed agreed protocols and sought advice from the Councils Legal Department as to whether, or not, the statement made by our Glenda was libellous. I suspect you'll find that no liaison or presentation took place and this Clerk, from her very narrow field of training, concluded it was libellous.

The clumsy point Im making is, had the Clerk taken advice, then you, they, Councillor Powell and Belmont Voice wouldn't be embroiled in this silly situation.

Let it go my dear and good friend. It's simply not worth it. Our Glenda will be exonerated and your baby, Belmont Voice will continue to flourish and prosper and gather more interest.

My very warmest regards Colin. Well done. Now put it down and forget it.

[Colin James]

My dear Colin, I can tell from your writing style that you are very angry by this silly chain of events brought about by stupidity. My good advice to you would be to let it go, not give it a backward glance and simply conclude that they, this particular Parish Council are the losers and they will come to regret it.

Mind, if you can't let it go and you choose to go to war, and its your choice, then simply enquire with the Council Monitoring Officer whether or not this Clerk followed agreed protocols and sought advice from the Councils Legal Department as to whether, or not, the statement made by our Glenda was libellous. I suspect you'll find that no liaison or presentation took place and this Clerk, from her very narrow field of training, concluded it was libellous.

The clumsy point Im making is, had the Clerk taken advice, then you, they, Councillor Powell and Belmont Voice wouldn't be embroiled in this silly situation.

Let it go my dear and good friend. It's simply not worth it. Our Glenda will be exonerated and your baby, Belmont Voice will continue to flourish and prosper and gather more interest.

My very warmest regards Colin. Well done. Now put it down and forget it.

Hi bobby,

 

I already have let it go, just wanted to have my final say on the matter, as you say

I suspect you'll find that no liaison or presentation took place and this Clerk, from her very narrow field of training, concluded it was libellous.

lol she is just throwing what LITTLE authority around without actually achieving anything, I am not angry just very very surprised that because I did not comply completely with her demands that she throws her rattle out of the pram and then in the most childish of moves decides "We are not going to link to you anymore now" nah nah na na na how pathetic! I suppose if they do not link to us but link to another local organization, I could argue that we are being discriminated against, she will argue that they can link to whom the choose, ironic though seeing as we as tax payers are actually paying for their website. I offered this website totally FREE OF ANY CHARGE but they did not want that, oh no, they wanted their own.

 

I was merely pointing out that these are the people on our local council and the clerk is employed and being paid! Surely she works for us...

[bobby47]

Colin, The work ethic, 'we work to serve you' is something that was lost sometime ago. Oh, they'll say 'yes we do work for your benefit' but they no longer see that we are particularly important. It's an arrogance that has crept into politics over a long period of time and they no longer feel that they are accountable. They've simply lost their way and they've no idea that they are acting in a poor manner. They ain't doing it deliberately. They've no idea that we think differently to them. It's simply a cultural thing that has dug into their way of delivering democracy and it takes time for cultural beliefs to change.

We've gotta get new blood into our leadership selection process and when we vote for our local leaders we should take more care because local politics is becoming more and more important.

My warmest regards Colin.

[Wendy Watkins]

As I said before Colin, its time we had another councillor like Councillor Vaughan-Powell, How could anyone not vote for you Colin? But please, please leave it at a councillor, I dread to think what you would look like dressed up as a garden gnome um I mean Mayor.

[Colin James]

 

 

As I said before Colin, its time we had another councillor like Councillor Vaughan-Powell, How could anyone not vote for you Colin? But please, please leave it at a councillor, I dread to think what you would look like dressed up as a garden gnome um I mean Mayor.

ha ha Wendy I have no desires for the limelight I can assure you, I will stand for election but not just yet, to be honest as much a I would love to right now! I really do not have the time, but watch this space, if they think they have problems with someone as keen as Councillor Vaughan-Powell wait until I join, they will love me lol  

if they think Councillor Vaughan-Powell is outspoken they will not know what has hit them when I arrive...

[Victor Wright]

I am on the same wavelength as Wendy it would be good to see you stand for election next time. We need straight talking people like you.

[Ubique]

Colin, my suggestion is that when you stand for election you "employ" Bobby47 as your Election Manager . He like you is an honest person who says it as it is.

My first post on this very informative site.

[Colin James]

Colin, my suggestion is that when you stand for election you "employ" Bobby47 as your Election Manager . He like you is an honest person who says it as it is.

My first post on this very informative site.

 

Maybe we should both stand for different wards, now that would be good, thanks for the compliments.

 

Welcome to the forum and nice to see you posting and I hope to see you as a regular