Councillor ‘will not retract’ Selston Parish Council ‘corruption’ allegations

Councillor Robert Sears-Piccavey, portfolio holder for finance and Ashfield Independents member for Underwood, claimed at a council budget meeting on March 4 that Selston Councillor Sam Wilson was the “most devious, dishonest, and corrupt person I have ever had the misfortune to know”.
He also described Selston Parish Council as “the most corrupt parish council” in England.

Coun Sears-Piccavy’s comments have led to a complaint from Selston Parish Council into the comments, which councillors said were “unfair” and “childish”.

However the Underwood councillor said he does not regret the comments.

He said: “I am retracting nothing.

Speaking on the comments, Coun Wilson said: “I was personally picked out in the meeting but he also spoke about the whole parish council and that is completely unfair. 
“Councillor Sears-Piccavey used to sit on the parish council and when he did he wanted to introduce private security in the area, and that was overwhelmingly declined. 
“He decided to leave in a mass exodus from the council and he and other members who left have had a personal gripe with myself.
“He spoke about members of the council that he has never met, who joined after he left and who he knows nothing about - and the comments were horrible.
“I hold myself to better behaviour than that, I didn’t retaliate and I’ve got broad shoulders - them comments are like water off a duck’s back to me. 
“However we are going to launch a complaint to the council because it is a pity the political situation in Ashfield is getting to that level - it is very childish. 
“If something doesn’t happen now, that behaviour is going to get worse and worse.”


Below is Councillor Robert Sears-Piccavey’s speech in full:


Starting his closing speech by saying “I will try and not make this political”, Coun Sears-Piccavey slammed the “abysmal” behaviour of other councillors making comments in the chamber.
He said:  “This is my last speech to this council because I am not standing again. 
“The main reason that I am not standing again is that the level of behaviour in this council is appalling. 
“The worst change was the abolition of the code of conduct standards - this is the worst decision ever made by local government.
“The fact that councillors on all sides of this chamber have behaved abysmally and continue to do so without any form of censure, has led to a great decline in moral standards. 
“I have spoke many times about this, and the fact that this council is choosing not to apply a local code of conduct speaks volumes for the ethics of this authority. 
“My great fear for this authority, though, is not the threat of Kay Cutts’ ambitions, nor of it being swallowed up as a unitary, but the possible election of collaborators of Councillor Sam Wilson - who, in my considered opinion, is the most devious, dishonest, and corrupt person I have had the misfortune to know. 
“In my considered opinion, Councillor Wilson and his collaborators who are standing for election form the core of the most corrupt parish council in England. 
“If the day ever dawns where one of them enters this chamber as a councillor - be aware, you will be feeding their egotistical greed.
“The complete lack of standards and unchecked corruption in public life is why I am distancing myself from it.”

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