On Wednesday 30 December Caroline Lacey, ERYC Chief Executive and I  received an email from “46 residents in the community” stating:

• “the deputy clerk of Pocklington Town Council (Claire Findlay) has breached the tier rules on many occasions and is currently on holiday in Wales”
• “this individual has been very vocal and critical (even poisonous) of other individuals she has perceived to break lockdown rules”
• “her husband (Adam Findlay) who is also deputy Chair of Full Sutton Parish Council has also breached lock down rules and is on holiday in Wales.”

NB: Full email can be seen below. I have redacted the sender’s details.

Perhaps the Welsh lockdown, where only essential travel is permitted, does not apply to Ms Findlay and she is free to enjoy her holiday with her husband as the Pocklington Town Council motto is “Service With Freedom”!

The email also explains that Claire “insisted” she works from home:

“We understand she also took out a grievance against her employers when asked to come back to work after the first lockdown, insisting she should work from home due to the potential of spreading the virus.”

It would appear that travelling alone to work in an empty office in Pocklington is a risk but travelling to Wales with your husband for a holiday is not.

The position is fully confirmed in the statement:

“Over the past 3 days, 23 of our group have visited Mr & Mrs Findlays property on separate occasions in Full Sutton at various times of the day and found that they are not home. We have even been told by neighbours and two of the parish councillors for the councils she works for that they have gone on holiday and are in Wales.”

As a public servant, who earns an estimated £40,000 a year from the public purse, the position of Claire Findley as:

• Deputy Clerk to Pocklington Town Council
• Clerk to Bolton Parish Council
• Clerk to Fangfoss Parish Council
• Clerk to Full Sutton and Skirpenbeck Parish Council
• Clerk to the Cattons Parish Council
• Clerk to Wetwang Parish Council

is clearly untenable as is that of her husband, Adam Findlay, who is Vice-Chair of Full Sutton and Skirpenbeck Parish Council.

I believe they must both resign from all their public positions with immediate effect.

In Response

• I have confirmed that I am no longer the Independent ERYC Councillor for Pocklington Provincial. To this end, they will need to refer to one or all of the three Conservative Councillors.
• The residents have report Claire to Humberside Police.
• Caroline Lacey has passed the residents email to the Monitoring Officer, Mr Mathew Buckley in respect of Cllr Adam Findlay.
• Neither Claire nor Adam accepted my invite for a statement for publication.

Defend Right To Protest

Of course, in any democratic system protest and challenging of laws is healthy, fundamental and must be encouraged.

I fully defend the right to protest lawfully. In addition, I defend the right to challenge laws but this must always be done overtly.

Gandhi spent seven years in prison for undertaking such actions.

Full Email