New Feature>>> Torfaen Chat
(you can see full archive here)
STV for Torfaen 2012?
A comprehensive report by JJR for Torfaen Democratic Forum describes the Single Transferable Voting system in an easy-to-understand way and illustrates how easily it could be applied to the Torfaen County Borough Council Elections in 2012 if all parties agreed.
See videos of Cardiff City Council Meetings online here.
See reasons why Torfaen won't even allow audio recording of meetings, let alone allow them to be made available to voters here. For example...
"• that the proposal (to audio record meetings) potentially risked weakening the transparency
of the governance of the borough, not strengthening it, insofar
as it might stifle freedom of expression and democratic debate
as well as potentially encouraging inappropriate exchanges or
discouraging appropriate ones, and challenges to minutes and
• that the motion should therefore be refused, in his (the officers) opinion,
based on practical experience, case law, the advice of a
respected authority on the law and practice of meetings and the
experience and advice of most other authorities in Wales."
Having see many Torfaen CBC meetings and observed Cardiff CC on video I would say that the Cardiff meetings are far more civilised, there are far more questions, allowed, encouraged and answered; and there is far less control of the meeting by officers, whose presence is very low key. Chris Harris
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"
is a quotation attributed to Charles Caleb Colton (1780-1832) but can we feel flattered by the newly formed "Torfaen Independent Group" (previously known as Torfaen People's Voice) deciding to change their name to "Torfaen Democratic Group"? I wonder how they thought of that name?
No definite announcement from them yet but apparently that was the proposal to be discussed at a meeting tonight, Monday the 8th of February .
UPDATE 9th February... the former Torfaen People's Voice website now is headed "Torfaen Democratic Group", so it is official. I invite an explanation from this group as to why it chose a name so close to that of this website and ask if they forsee any advantages or problems with this particular choice of name.
UPDATE 4th of March.... quote from the website "At a meeting on Monday the 22nd of February; former members of Peoples Voice Torfaen met and formed a constituted group which as adopted the name: PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC VOICE."
(More quotes by Charles Caleb Colton... "When you have nothing to say, say nothing."
"Men are born with two eyes, but only one tongue, in order that they should see twice as much as they say." )
People's Voice Torfaen is no more
(see Argus website here)
The article also reveals that Paul Starling will not be running for Westminster under the party's banner.
It Should Be A Simple Question.... Is Torfaen led by a Labour-Plaid-Independent Coalition? (Councillor makes crucial change to his website)
Update The answer is yes! There is a coalition. See Councillor Cunnington's reply here. Is there a coalition between the Labour party, the three Plaid councillors and Councillors Cathcart and Cunnington? Is there really much of a difference between "a strategically balanced coalition" and a "a strategically balanced liason"?
Councillor Alastair Cunnington seems to think so because he has changed just one word to "liason" in an article on his website http://www.cunnington.eu/ after the word "coalition" had been there for nearly 9 months.
Why did he change it, was he wrong to say he was in a coalition with Plaid and Labour or has the relationship changed? ...was Councillor Cunnington wrong to say he was in a coalition with Plaid and Labour or has the relationship changed?
Either way there are questions to be answered. Does the public not have a right to know what the relationship is and how it works; after all, the decision by the three Plaid and two independents to join labour after the May 2008 elections has had a crucial effect on local government in Torfaen? Since then the famous five, as they have been referred to, have generally kept their heads down and supported the labour leadership without comment, only occasionally poking their heads above the parapet to take a shot at one of the easier targets from the opposition.
Surely anyone judging the conduct of councillors should be clearly seen to be free of political influence?How close a relationship Cllr Cunnington has with labour is particularly important as he will have a major part in judging the conduct of councillors should the new Draft Local Protocol get agreed, in his new role as Members Champion (Training and Development). Surely anyone judging the conduct of councillors should be clearly seen to be free of political influence? This will be impossible whether or not Cllr Cunnington has a liason or a coalition with the leading group, as he is openly appointed by, paid by and has agreed to support the labour leadership.
Come on Alastair, tell us exactly what your relationship is with labour? More importantly when are you going to help bring about the change you accepted that the majority of Torfaen Voters wanted when you wrote the following on your website in May 2008?
"What does the average non-labour voter want in Torfaen? Change, but what we need is long term change in the way the council is run and importantly making it more accountable to the people." (Councillor Cunnington, 9th May 2008)
You and your 4 neighbours in the council chamber are in a unique position to bring about the change that you said the public want, but it seems you are all now content with the status quo.
(We offer Councillor Cunnington the absolute right of reply)
Fred Wildgust Responds over St James Field
In his latest community newletter Fred Wildgust has finally given his reasons for not supporting the residents of St James' Field in their fight against a recent controversial planning application. (see page 2 "Significant Planning Applications ")
A reply by one of the residents of that area can be found here , with an earlier report here . The application was passed.
"Councillor Neil Mason gets paid £519 per hour to chair meetings."
Help and Information wanted, confidentiality assured.
We hear that morale amongst council employees is low, is there
anyone prepared to tell us more?
We believe that some officers have more power than they should
on certain council actions and decisions, please tell us we
are right or wrong.
Is money being wasted in Torfaen on un-necessary entertaining
and expenses, please tell us what you know? Is the food and
drink after full council meetings necessary and how many councillors
attend? Is a lot of food wasted?
Do you know anything that the people of Torfaen should also
know?
Is anyone prepared to enlighten people how the cabinet system,
the committees and the full council end up making decisions,
and is there a better way?
Residents of Torfaen, is this
you?
I think Torfaen Borough Council are doing a really good job
and I would like somewhere to say this publicly
I want to know more about the way the council is run
I am unhappy with the way I have been treated by the council,
I have complained but I feel I am just banging my head against
a brick wall
I voted for a change in Torfaen but the councillor I voted
for has joined the labour group
The seats in my ward went unopposed and I want to find out
why no-one except labour is interested in standing
My longstanding labour councillor is good but is
afraid to speak out or vote against the labour group
I want the facts
and I want all council decisions are made openly and democratically
I have an issue
concerning Local Government in Torfaen which I want to make
public
I was elected as
an independent candidate and I am angry that a labour minority
has taken power
I am not happy with
the cabinet system and I want to see real discussions at council
meetings
Whatever your opinion
if you are interested in Local Issues and you believe in freedom
of speech and freedom of information
then Torfaen Democratic Forum
is for you.
"The Fourth Option"(UPDATED) 
(You will have to type this address into your email program. This
is to help reduce spam, sorry!)