Claims of oppressive and toxic environment in Penrith Local government

Claims of oppressive and toxic environment in Penrith Local government.

Penrith joins that list of oppressive local governments that seek to remove the human rights and freedoms of individuals claims a local councillor in a personal statement issued online.

Speaking in a personal capacity in a video statement Jonathan Davies has said that “Eden council held a closed judgment and found me guilty of exercising my Human Rights in a personal capacity and now Penrith Town Council will after more than a year act to carry out sentence on me for those acts.”

Penrith Town council will at a meeting of the council on Monday be asked to consider the recommendations of Eden council in regards code of conduct complaints made against Mr Davies for comments made on his personal social media accounts in 2021 and early 2022.

Mr Davies said in a short online video statement “To be honest it would be simpler for me to say enough and walk away from the toxic environment in local government in Penrith and focus my time and efforts on supporting the community in a more productive environment. However bad things happen when good people turn and walk away.

Today the erosion of human rights may appear small and insignificant but any erosion of those rights born out of the dark days of the second world war are a risk to all our rights as events in Europe show us today with the acts of human rights breaches in Ukraine by Russia who has also acted to silence its own people from expressing views and opinions, just as local government in Penrith is doing removing rights of individuals to hold your own opinions and to express them freely without government interference.”

Eden Council received 1 complain in May 2021 from county councillor Pat Bell following a comment by Mr Davies on his Facebook page regarding a news paper article about a county council meeting.

Eden Council also received 5 complaints in early 2022 from Penrith Town Councillor and Penrith deputy Mayor Councillor Dave Knaggs against Mr Davies.

Of the 5 complaints Eden Council decided only two could be considered and gave judgment on a blog post by Mr Davies on his personal blog site about the orginal complaint made by Councillor Pat Bell of Cumbria County Council and the original Eden council judgment, The second regarding a post on the personal Twitter account of Mr Davies about a local financial services business.

Mr Davies has claimed the actions of Eden Council are a clear breach of Article 10 of the Human Rights act that protects your right to hold your own opinions and to express them freely without government interference and includes the right to express your views aloud for example through public protest and demonstrations) or through published articles, books or leaflets, television or radio broadcasting, works of art, the internet and social media.

In concluding his statement Mr Davies said “I will not stand by and see any erosion of those rights for the bigger risk to the rights of our children and future generations through not acting to defend our human rights today is to great. I will on Monday stand up not to defend myself but defend the rights of all to hold opinions and views and freely express those views.”