Chief Executives are supposed to maintain strict impartiality when advising councillors. Not EDDC’s Mark Williams!
Last night, asked to give procedural advice on Cllr Claire Wright’s motion to pause the relocation juggernaut pending an independent survey of the Knowle offices, he opined that Claire’s motion was “rubbish”.
He had already insisted on inserting a phrase into her motion that only “some councillors” on the Scrutiny Committee were concerned about relocation plans. This was disingenuous: eight councillors on the watchdog had voted for a delay, with four abstentions.
Mr Williams has form when it comes to biased interference in controversial political issues.
SIN-ners will remember his blatant obstruction of the work of the committee investigating the council’s links with the East Devon Business Forum lobby group.
And at the last full Council Meeting in December he stopped the Council Chair from answering a question about the Tory Whip’s insulting comments on independent councillors. In so doing, the CEO revealed that a confidential complaint about Cllr Twiss had been made, and he identified the complainant.
Mr Williams is a lawyer –Has he read the Code for Council Employees?
Sidmouth Independent News 
One of the many ironies is that Williams is due to speak at a parliamentary outreach event at the Knowle on 13th March, an event in part designed to encourage people to become councillors.
Will he include a section on abusing elected representatives?
I do hope last night’s meeting was recorded and that there is no editing of his remark. This is exactly why we need such recordings- to rebut the claims that would normally follow denying that X Y and Z was said.
Mr Williams sets the example followed by many clerks across his district. Impartial?
At town and parish level many are Conservatives. Undeclared, of course. They don’t have to.
Mr Pickles, if you’ve finished on flood watch, could you help our benighted part of the world? Please! Or Messrs Parish or Swire – are you boys watching this stuff?!
Mark Williams was astonishingly rude and unprofessional last night but so were all three Officers. Messrs Williams and Cohen spent much of the evening chatting and laughing with the even more unprofessional ‘giggling schoolgirl’ who sat between them. They talked during public questions and through much of the debate. It is bad enough that we have lost confidence in our Councillors but surely we should expect better from highly paid Officers.