
I was going to write something about the state of our democracy and the part that scheming politicians play in that democracy but events rather overtook me. In the aftermath of last Tuesday's Somerton Town Council (Land & Property Committee) meeting, the Western Gazette carried an interesting piece which is worthy of comment (as usual, click on the image and it will open in a larger version):

Then there is that little comment, "If I was going to fiddle the Council how come I have never claimed a penny on expenses whilst I have been on the District Council?" Lets deconstruct this statement. Is Canvin saying that the way to "fiddle the Council" is to do it on expenses (it says so in The Sun) and as he claims not to take expenses then he can't be fiddling. Then we discover here that he is receiving his allowance of over 5 grand. Does this qualify as expenses? Probably not but it does cause you to wonder quite what he meant.

But, in the final analysis, this sort of shabby behaviour characterised the Keenan/Canvin administration. Secret meetings, in-camera meetings, confidential meetings, they were all part of the way that Keenan & Canvin ran the old Somerton Town Council and its clear that you can't teach a pair of old dogs any new tricks.
