THE DECISION to leave the Wokingham Borough Partnership was a sad one for Cllr Jim Frewin.
The independent councillor for Shinfield South said it had taken a number of weeks to make the move, which was confirmed in writing on Tuesday, March 21.
He and Cllr Gary Cowan wrote to Wokingham Borough Council’s chief executive, Susan Parsonage, to express their concerns over the way in which the team-up with the Lib Dems and Labour had gone.
Since last May, the Lib Dems have formed a ruling executive with their 23 councillors. Votes have been supported the three Labour candidates and the two independents, with the minority partners helping chair a number of council committees and scrutiny groups.
But just days away from the end of the partnership in its current form, as the pre-election period is about to start, Cllrs Frewin and Cowan felt they had to take action.
“In the last few weeks, some of the behaviour towards us has not been very good, and not in line with partnership working,” Cllr Frewin said.
“I worked very hard to change behaviours in local politics and, to certain degree, it’s been successful.
“I was very sad to make this decision.”
Among the final straws for Cllr Frewin was, he claims, being bullied by Lib Dems over whether to stand for a second term in the forthcoming local elections.
“I was approached by a party activist who said to me it would be better for me personally if I didn’t stand,” he said. “That has been said on two separate occasions.
“I don’t believe in bullying in local politics and certainly not in partnership working.”
He called on the political groups to change the way they approached the workings of the council.
“Unless we change behaviours in Wokingham, with a truly collaborative council, we will only have party first, and residents second. This is not acceptable.”
Although he has stepped back from the partnership, he might still vote with it in the coming months if the grouping is still running the council after the local elections – and he gets re-elected.
“I will maintain my independence, I’ve always said I will do,” he said. “I will vote according to my conscience, which is what I’ve always done.
“When I have done that, I have been lambasted by powers that be for not towing their line. They accused me of voting against the budget, but I abstained, as there were parts that I challenged.”
Despite everything, Cllr Frewin is intending to stand again in May, and is hoping residents fed up with Shinfield being used as a building site will continue to back him.
“I’m planning to stand again following this – I hate bullying in any form,” he said. “I hope residents put their faith in me again.
“I have always said I would do the right thing for residents.”
Cllr Clive Jones, the leader of Wokingham Borough Partnership and Wokingham Lib Dems, told Wokingham Today that he had spoken with Cllr Frewin.
“My suggestion to Jim Frewin that he stood down was done purely out of friendship,” he said.
“I didn’t want to see him lose at the local elections.
“I said he might want to consider standing down after our canvassing in different parts of Shinfield South showed there was very, very little support for him. That’s what people told us on the doorsteps.
“I thought it would be better for him to avoid losing.”
Cllr Jones said that the canvassing didn’t necessarily mean Cllr Frewin would lose his seat at the local elections, but that was what the internal polling was suggesting.
“That is the only reason for suggesting he didn’t stand again,” Cllr Jones said. “There is no way at all that this was a form of bullying.
“I’m extremely disappointed the independents have made that accusation.”
