This is no time to gloat

The news that my friend and trusted colleague Alan Gloak is to be reported for some small alleged transgression of the council allowance system is distressing. Alan has reacted with decorum and restraint throughout by maintaining silence about the issue. I share his sentiments entirely. Now is a time to remain quiet and allow the responsible authorities to investigate. I know that Alan will cooperate fully. He is the most decent and upstanding citizen. People forget the pressures to which such a public figure can be subjected. Those who throw the first stones should take great care. I have decided to set the record straight about the real Alan Gloak - the Alan Gloak I know and love. I will soon be recording a message that will be despatched via the telephone system to all households in the county. My party leader, Nick Clegg, wanted to do something similar but was dissuaded by the Information Commission because of the possible accusation that such unsolicited calls could be deemed an invasion of privacy.

I have taken expert legal advice from Mice, our new in-house guru of all statutes, and he assures me that my recorded message will be quite in order provided the text is published in advance. This will therefore be done without delay. Councillor Alan Gloak is not without friends. I will stand by him throughout.

Alan is saved

Thurs Sept 25th

is going to be a big

day for Cornwall.

My friends and colleagues at County Hall, Truro will gather in the Trelawny Room at half past one and announce their choice for the new Chief Executive of the new Unitary Authority which begins work next April. We have all been nibbling our finger nails nervously in case dear Alan, who - naturally - made it to the short list, should be selected. Let me be frank. It would have been a triumph for Cornwall and a disaster for Somerset. But my good friends in Cornwall have responded to my entreaties and decided that Somerset can hang on to its most excellent leader. I am delighted. You will be too. And we Liberal Democrats hold openness and honesty in great regard. So I am happy to reproduce the important items on the agenda for tomorrow's deliberations in Cornwall:

4.
Exclusion of the Press and Public
The Implementation Executive is asked to consider a resolution that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the business specified in the following item on the grounds that there is likely to be a disclosure to the public of exempt information of the following description:

Information relating to an individual

5.
Appointment of Chief Executive of New Council

But, frankly, I cannot imagine what possible information about any individual the Cornish executive would wish to keep secret. This must be a typographical error.

Alas poor Philip

I first met him at a Liberal Democrat conference some years ago and was impressed with his energy and ideas. Even then Philip Thompson was beginning to display the vision and committment of a true believer in the cause. He is 26 now and certainly a lot wiser. Philip's decision to study American politics in Arizona was a brave career move. Only someone of his tireless ability could have contemplated combining complex study with the day-to-day responsibilities of serving the community in London's Kentish Town. Philip's move was, inevitably, controversial. The wagging fingers emerged. How, they said, could he possibly represent people from so far away? Why should he qualify for the £700 monthly councillor's allowance? These questions were cruel. I know that Philip would have managed it. Distance is no object to a young man like him. I understand. Here in Somerset distance is normal. And we are well accustomed to colleagues who may be physically with us but often behave as though they aren't altogether here at all.

MSG

I have had personal and political doubts about Mono Sodium Glutamate for a long time. There is an abundance of evidence that illustrates the dangers of excess MSG. Nick Clegg, I know, takes the issue very seriously indeed. And we Liberal Democrats have an obligation to pinpoint the risks and minimise them. That is why I intend to make a start in County Hall to reduce and - soon - remove all traces of MSG from the diets of our vital workforce and also the County's school children. To this end I have drawn up a document for discussion with the County's legal advisers. It was, thus, with some alarm that a real "live" MSG appeared out of the ether on the Somerset County Council email system. MSGould@somerset.gov.uk turns out to be the top flight legal fireman Alan has hired to fill the ample boots of our dear David Corry, who is leaving us to spend more time following ecclesiastical pursuits. Mr Gould sounds like the sort of person we need. All I need to do is get his e-mail changed.

Preparing for Government

It has been a stimulating conference in Bournemouth - a chance to meet old friends and get to grips with real ideas. I made a point of watching yesterday's important debate on Private Finance Initiatives. Arguably that is how our joint venture with IBM, South West One, might be categorised. But Liberal Democrats are pragmatic. We always accept that there is room for improvement. So the motion that was carried by conference seeks the following: "Improving independent monitoring and evaluation of public sector comparators before projects are undertaken and of outcomes when projects are under way." What a good idea. Better monitoring and evaluation must make sense for the future. Not that there was in any way anything faulty with the evaluation we carried out befotre SouthWest One was formed. Perish the thought. Another important aspect of this conference motion was to: "Ensure that public sector organisations have the necessary skills and are adequately trained to be competent buyers, ensuring that they secure the taxpayer good value for money." Another good idea. But Somerset got there first. We employed the very best Chief Executive and he did the rest.

The Final Curtain?

I have written in this column before about the prohibitive cost of parting with important staff prematurely. The nature of many severance settlements can be a severe drain upon the resources of a busy authority like ours. I would always prefer a less expensive system. But now that it is becoming a matter of record and report that our masterful Chief may be seeking fresh challenges the subject deserves some political opinion too. Let me make it clear. I want Alan to stay. I think Alan has made such a generous contribution to the future of Somerset that his untimely departure would be immensely damaging for us all. I must, however, respect the decision that he is said to have made in applying for this new role. Cornwall succeeded in its bid for Unitary status. Somerset, sadly, failed. It could have been the other way round. In which case we would have every reason to celebrate. But Alan's vision has ensured that Somerset can still put out the bunting with pride. He has excelled beyond the boundaries. And though we cannot afford the salary of £200,000 and more that this new job commands, we know that he is worth every penny. The decision will be made by the end of the month. I am torn between praying that he fails and so wanting him to succeed.