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23
Oct
Did he resign? Ripon clerk clarifies councillor’s position
Ripon has been gripped by more political drama today (October 23) amid confusion over whether Councillor Sid Hawke resigned before announcing he had changed his mind.
A group of councillors from the independents group led by Cllr Andrew Williams went to Ripon Town Hall this morning to seek clarification.
There were responding to speculation a by-election was to be held because Cllr Hawke had formally resigned prior to his U-turn.
The independents claim no signed and dated letter had been submitted by Cllr Hawke and therefore he remained a councillor.
Cllr Hawke’s status is crucial in the febrile political climate because the balance of power on the city council is on a knife edge.
The Stray Ferret asked locum clerk Adam Chugg to clarify the situation.
He said:
The situation is that until there is a public notice of this resignation it is not considered to have taken effect. At the moment there hasn’t been a public notice of vacancy.
Balance of power
Four-time mayor Cllr Hawke told the Stray Ferret last week he planned to tender his resignation at Monday’s extraordinary meeting.
But he did not attend and later revealed he had changed his mind and switched camps on the faction-riddled city council to join Cllr Williams' group.
It emerged today that Cllr Hawke visited mayor, Cllr Barbara Brodigan, asking for help to write his resignation letter hours before his U-turn.
His change of mind means Cllr Brodigan’s unaffiliated group now has just five of 11 councillors and has lost its majority.
A 12th councillor will be elected in a Ure Bank by-election next month.
If whoever wins supports Cllr Williams, his group will hold a 7-5 majority and would be able to reclaim control of the council.
If they back Cllr Brodigan’s unaffiliated group, the balance of power would be 6-6, and as mayor and chair Cllr Brodigan would have the casting vote, enabling her to retain power.
Cllr Brodigan said she was “shocked and disgusted at the level of betrayal” by Cllr Hawke and said she was seeking legal advice on his allegedly defamatory comments.
Cllr Hawke said he had made “a huge error of judgement” in supporting Cllr Brodigan and her deputy, Cllr Pauline McHardy. He claims he was “misled” and apologised to former mayor Cllr Jackie Crozier, whose resignation last month after a vote of no confidence was brought against her by fellow councillors triggered recent unrest.
Cllr Brodigan has said she and other councillors acted to rectify decisions made by the former regime led by Cllrs Williams and Crozier.
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