Councilbust

A complicated spat involving two Southend councillors and the Residents Association of Westborough (RAW) has erupted.

Allegations of victimisation, intimidation and vandalism have been made on all sides, whilst there have also been plans for legal action as well as police involvement.

Dr Jason Luty, Conservative councillor for Eastwood Park, has claimed that RAW is a politically- motivated organisation that has embarked on a campaign to victimise him.

Cllr Luty has also asserted that Martin Terry, independent councillor for Westborough, controls RAW and is behind the campaign.

At the same time, members of RAW and Cllr Terry have claimed that Cllr Luty has been deliberately attacking RAW by harassing its members, threatening their properties and using vandalism.

The causes of the row can be traced back to July 2008. Cllr Luty had distributed a survey to residents of Westborough ward, asking what they would like to improve in their neighbourhood and providing freepost envelopes for replies.

He then had many of these freepost envelopes returned to him empty (click here to read the full story from the Evening Echo). Cllr Luty alleges in a letter published in November 2009 in the Leigh and Westcliff Times that these were returned empty “to harass and obstruct my political activities against Cllr Terry in Westborough.”

Cllr Luty distributed Conservative Party leaflets in Westborough which included a photograph of his children playing with toy guns (left). Many Westborough residents complained to the local police that this image was inappropriate.

A similar image was distributed this month, including a Christmas greeting that wished all Westborough residents well “except Cllr Terry and his cronies.”

Cllr Terry told Councilbust.com that since this incident, there have been many more complaints from Westborough residents about Cllr Luty, resulting in him being banned from RAW meetings.

“Over a period of time Cllr Luty has been attacking me and has now turned on the other independent councillors and RAW,” Cllr Terry said.

“I feel he is deliberately trying to attack the independents by claiming that RAW is run by me and that I am a ‘puppeteer’. This is all untrue. Cllr Luty has published libellous letters in the Leigh and Westcliff Times about me, claiming that I was ‘scheming’ against his inclusion in RAW meetings. I have now taken legal advice and plan to take action.

 “Cllr Luty has also put out a leaflet within Westborough claiming that he has done this and that in the ward and that he is an independent councillor in this ward.

 “RAW have made several complaints to David Amess and the Conservative Association about Cllr Luty, and we think they are allowing this [behaviour] deliberately.”

Cllr Terry claims that, after several RAW meetings being disrupted by Cllr Luty, he was asked to explain his actions. Cllr Terry alleges that Cllr Luty refused to do so, and in response, staged a protest outside the next RAW meeting. Cllr Luty has confirmed with Councilbust.com that this protest took place (see photo, above: Cllr Luty appears on the right hand side of the image) on 20^th November 2009, when he and two supporters stood outside the meeting with placards.

 There are other allegations against Cllr Luty. David Glover, secretary of RAW, told Councilbust.com:

“Cllr Luty has become a progressively worse and worse problem for RAW. He has told outrageous lies about RAW, and all our complaints to the Conservative Association have been ignored. We have pleaded with David Amess for nine months now and he has simply said ‘that doesn’t sound like Jason.’

 “Many of RAW’s members have been intimidated by and unhappy with Cllr Luty’s presence at RAW’s meetings due to his aggressive outbursts and accusations. He has been given every opportunity to explain himself but he has refused.”

 Mr Glover has taken many of Cllr Luty’s actions to be threats, saying: “Cllr Luty has sent letters through doors in Westborough advising residents to check their home insurance policy if they are displaying RAW posters. Letters like were posted to Longthorne’s Chemist on London Road, all from false addresses.”

On the day of the most recent RAW meeting, the same day as Cllr Luty’s protest, (20^th November), the church doors where the meeting was to be held were superglued shut twice by an anonymous vandal, meaning that members could not gain access.

Mr Glover commented: “We reported [the superglue incident] to the police, but they said that there were too many fingerprints on the door to be sure who did it.”

 After this incident, RAW meetings have been moved to another location, the name of which members have asked not to be published. Commenting on this, Mr Glover said: “Leaving the church was a mutual decision because RAW felt that it was unfair and dangerous to the church to keep having meetings there.

“Cllr Luty is the only person in RAW’s nine-year history to be asked not to attend meetings, including BNP representatives. RAW has become involved in a tag match between Cllr Luty and the independents; RAW has been dragged into this.  The Tories are not responding to complaints about Cllr Luty because they only have a two seat majority and can’t afford to lose him.”

 At the time of publication, Councilbust.com had received no response or comment from David Amess despite requests.

 Cllr Luty was asked to comment on these accusations by Councilbust.com. In a series of emails to Councilbust.com staff, he responded:

 “There is certainly a campaign of persecution against me orchestrated by Cllr Martin Terry’s supporters on the Westborough Resident’s Association and which Cllr Terry himself was directly involved. I am an elected Councillor and I also live in Westborough. I am Cllr Martin Terry’s principle political opponent in Westborough. Cllr Martin Terry is an Independent Councillor for Westborough and ‘leader’ of the Independent Group of Councillors on Southend Council. He was also closely involved with the creation of the Westborough Resident’s Association – at least this is what it says on their website.

In response to claims that he vandalised the church in order to disrupt RAW meetings, Cllr Luty said: “What nonsense. There are other people in Westborough, especially people who live on Hildaville Road who have contacted me and have also been persecuted by officers of the Residents Association, or it may other persons unknown like local adolescents who have also been accused of spray painting graffiti and have reason to object to RAW. Moreover there is another group in Westborough called the Westborough Action Group that has also started putting out leaflets and I suspect they will have their own candidate at the local elections next May to stand against Cllr Terry’s cronies and puppets.

“I will be standing as an Independent candidate in Westborough myself in 2010. I am in fact an elected councillor for Eastwood but I live in  Westborough and I am the only person capable of representing the resident on the Council due to Cllr Terry’s complete political incompetence and ineffectiveness. I am sure the Council Leader will be all too happy to vouch for this.

 “I dare say the church have banned RAW because of their divisive influence in Westborough and also because of their gratuitous politically motivated discrimination against my family and I.”

 Brenda Smith, RAW chairperson, told Councilbust.com: “All that Cllr Luty has accused us of we are not guilty of.”