Last year my father agreed to open the resurfaced and refenced playground at the village hall in the village where we live. As the county councillor for the area he had played a small part in supporting the application for the grant which paid for the work. For various reasons the opening had to be postponed until May 16th.

This morning he received a phonecall from an officer for the standards committee at the county council telling him that he must not undertake this duty as there is an election on June 4th and it could thus be seen as electioneering.

He agreed to do it more than a year ago.
He was on the Swallow and Cuxwold Village Hall and Playing Fields Committee for nearly twenty years.
He did a stint as chairman of that committee.
He lives in the village, and everyone knows him.
The voting population of the two villages numbers 187 minus one who has died since the list was compiled, two who have moved away and three who don't celebrate their eighteenth birthdays until after June 4th.
He would have handed over a giant cheque and told the village what a great job the committee members, especially Kath the world champion grant-getter, have done. Nothing about himself.

Just how is that electioneering?

And to add insult to injury they want to substitute an officer who doesn't know the village at all, but who is an expert in the grants process and will probably make a political - if not party political - speech. Moreover the officer who phoned didn't even ask whether Pa was actually standing for the council this time. The lists haven't been published as the nominations aren't in yet. As it happens he is standing, but she didn't know because she didn't ask!