Who does the town council serve?

Who is Liam Panesh?

Last Monday night at Hexham Town Council, Liam Panesh was co-opted as town councillor for Hexham East to replace Edd Green who resigned in August.

Normally there is an option for any of the political parties to call an election to vote for a replacement but because of lockdown no election can be held.

This left the Labour party with two options; to call an election and have no replacement for Edd Green or to ask Dave Clegg, a retired, but very experienced town councillor, without whom; the Hexham Neighbourhood Plan wouldn't have existed, nor would the Vision 2020 and Town Plan, to stand until the elections in May 2021.

We chose to do the latter rather than leave the people of Hexham East with no councillor.

Dave Clegg is well respected in the town and hugely experienced and hard working.

Instead the Tories selected someone who is so new to Hexham that he hadn't even given the town council the respect of checking their responsibilities, thinking that education was something they could make decisions about.

His only qualification was to tell the Tories he was interested in becoming a councillor.

This is how the town council, on behalf of the town, says thank you to someone who was an energetic councillor, worked effectively above political prejudices, and achieved, through working groups of residents, more participation and engagement than had happened before and has happened since (ie during this current council's four-and-a-half years).

Whose interests are being served by this appointment, especially at this time of crisis when all local government decisions have an impact on our wellbeing?

Not the residents of Hexham East.

PENNY GRENNAN

Hexham