Offering advice to fractious Torbay Tories : Letter to H/E 290509

Your report on the fractiousness within the ruling Tory group on Torbay Council and the alleged Masonic influence at the Town Hall it is deeply worrying. Whilst freemasons within Tory ranks may declare their Masonic allegiance an 'irrelevance', surely that is for bay electors to decide if such influence is malign ? That those critics of Carroll, such as Cllrs Oliver and Carter have been removed from committees they are well qualified to serve on makes one concerned that the needs of the party leadership are being put before the interests of the bay.

There is a solution available to disenfranchised Tories to ensure their voices are heard as committee vacancies are allocated proportionally according to party numbers. They could be take the politically brave and honest step of forming an Independent Conservative Group. I ask those councillors who've already spoken out and those who have yet to go public, is your loyalty to a Carroll-led Tory group or to the electorate and the best interests of Torbay ? Surely either Carroll or they have to go from the council group as the reported level of mistrust, if correct, appears beyond repair.


This is the unedited and likely unpublished version !