KEEP ASKING THE SAME QUESTION TILL YOU GET THE ANSWER YOU WANT

22 November 2025

The three temporary parish councillors put forward a motion for this week’s meeting, to rescind a decision made by the full council on 16th October. (This was Cllr Goughs motion to forensically recover data from and old council laptop.) The three temporary parish councillors said they had concerns about potential issues around regulations, both in terms of the parish council and the parish charity. Councillors voted unanimously to rescind the decision.

In rescinding, Cllrs Gough, Waring and the 3 temporary parish councillors are reversing two decisions made by full council made up of democratically elected parish councillors.

In December 2023 Cllr Goughs motion to recover data was supported by himself and Cllr Waring. None of the other 7 councillors voted in favour.

On 16 October this year Cllr Gough brought his proposal back and on that occasion 3 Cllrs voted against and 3 in favour. The motion was defeated when the chair used his casting vote against pursuing retrieval.

There was no discussion about what the existing councillors plan to do next, but I noted that they were due to discuss something relating to the Information Commissioners office in the confidential part of the meeting.

Some actual facts:

Back in 2023 Shiptonthorpe Parish Council complained about noncompliance issues to the Information Commissioners Office. The ICO responded:

“We have considered the information you have provided and we have determined that no further action by the ICO is necessary on this occasion”.

On 31 May 2023 the internal auditor for SPC reported:

The accounts and governance arrangements of the council have been maintained to a very high standard.

In March 2023 Cllr Gough wrote on a social media site:

Just appointed to a parish council which seems like a very murky world with rules that people just ignore and more self interest than for the good of the community.

Commenting in October this year about the attempt to recover data former chairman Victor Lambert said:

“I believe this is a fishing expedition. A complete witch hunt and that this was not an acceptable use of public funds.

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