Tory Resignation – How the Residents of Tavistock North Were Duped

When former, and now disgraced, Tavistock North Conservative Councillor Darren Lake posted on his Facebook page that he thought ‘all blind people should be offered sexual free relief by the government’ he could not have foreseen the problems his actions would end up creating for either himself or the party.

Ironically, however, it was not this particular remark that ultimately brought about his political downfall for when the Standards Committee met to consider the evidence against him they actually found him not guilty of breaking the Code that specifically relates to discrimination against the disabled.

So, then what exactly was the train of events that led to his resignation?

To fully understand how offensive Darren Lakes’ comment regarding sex for the blind is you really have to be the parent of a disabled child who is blind. – which, incidentally, is exactly the background to the original Complainant.

His daughter, a Tavistock North resident, requires assistive technology to access the Internet as well as all social-networking websites. Back in May 2011 she tried to establish social contact with Darren Lake via his personal Facebook page but became concerned by numerous postings of a grossly offensive nature that Mr Lake, under the guise of being an employee of West Devon Borough Council, had posted.

Her father, a local businessman based in Tavistock North, approached me regarding the material his daughter had been exposed to and having reviewed it for myself I was concerned enough by it to contact the Chief Executive of South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council Richard Sheard directly.

Very soon after my approach to Richard Sheard the offending Facebook page was closed down and the repugnant material was removed from public view.

It was, however, a little like bolting the stable door after the horse had scarpered – a metaphor that is evidently not without some truth as it later emerged that upon his acceptance as a prospective candidate for the May 2011 election Darren Lake was explicitly advised by the local Conservative Party to lock down the security settings on his Facebook pages.

Had they seen at that time the content of Mr Lakes’ Facebook page for themselves and were concerned themselves that his comments should not be made public?

Anyway, by this time the now elected Darren Lakes’ Facebook disaster had been seen by other members of the Tavistock North community. News quickly spread that the young man who local Conservatives had been  presenting to them on their doorsteps during the canvassing period of that lead up to last Mays’ local elections had a much darker and altogether throughly more unpleasant aspect to his personality.

So then, what exactly did those local residents read and see on the offending Facebook pages that created such a stir?

Report of WDBC Standards Committee Investigation into the conduct of Cllr Lake

ex-Cllr Darren Lake

The resignation of ex-Conservative Councillor Darren Lake on the 6th February 2012 followed a nine-month investigation by the WDBC Standards Committee into his personal conduct before and after his election to public office in May 2011.

The Hearing that was held into his conduct took place at Kilworthy Park on the 2nd February 2012. This meeting had been convened to consider evidence brought forward by the Investigating Officer regarding the presentation of Mr Lake by himself on the social networking site Facebook. This had followed an extensive investigation by the officer into a complaint made against Cllr. Lake by a Tavistock North resident soon after the Tories won a landslide in the Ward.

The Code of Conduct, which Cllr Lake was deemed to have breached, is an official outline detailing the way that WDBC expects all Councillor to behave and conduct themselves whilst in office. The Standards Committee met to consider whether Mr Lake had been in breach of three sections of this code, namely:-

• Paragraph 3 (1) – treating others with respect
• Paragraph 3 (2) (a) – complying with the Equality Laws
• Paragraph 5 – bringing the office of Councillor into disrepute

At the meeting of the Hearing Committee members of all political parties met to consider the evidence and to allow Cllr Lake to present his case. The Committee then decided that Cllr Lake had been in breach of two out of the three sections of the Code of Conduct – namely not treating others with respect and bringing the office of Councillor into disrepute.

The sanctions imposed upon him by the Committee were that he should personally apologise to the Council at their next meeting, write a letter of apology to the complainant and to receive additional training by the Council into his responsibilities as a Councillor.

The Committee also decided that the misdemeanour merited the suspension of Cllr Lake from his official duties for three months with the withdrawal of his expenses for the duration of this period. On the 7th February 2012 Councillor Lake tended his resignation and forced a re-election for the Tavistock North Ward on 22nd March 2012.

Resignation of Tavistock Councillor Forces Re-Election

Tavistock North Ward is due to have a new election less than one year after the local elections of May 2011.

Following the resignation of the former Conservative Councillor Darren Lake Tavistock will be going to the polls again for the second time in a year on 22nd March 2012

The shock resignation of Mr Lake brings a very abrupt halt to the fledgling political career of Mr Darren Lake, aged 20, who is quoted as saying that he found the responsibilities of office difficult to meet.

Source: Tavistock Times Gazette

Are DCC Members making a contribution?

DCC Chief Executive Phil Norrey has taken a pay cut of 5% in his annual salary. This is a small sacrifice in the context of what many people are having to suffer,but it is important to demonstrate restraint.

It would be interesting to learn whether DCC Members have taken similiar action apart from freezing allowances which was set by the previous adminitration.

In reducing their annual salary DCC Members would join the staff who have accepted annual salary reductions in retaining their employment.