Monday, November 06, 2006

 

"PHOTOGRAPHER" IS A NEWLY-ELECTED WSCC DEPUTY LIEUTENANT

The "photographer" (Argus 6/11/06), who has been newly-elected as a West Sussex County Council Deputy Lieutenant (DL) , is none other than Charles March - the future Duke of Richmond - who lives at Goodwood House.

He will join other County Hall DL's (appointed, not elected) - which include the Duke of Norfolk, Lord Egremont, Lord Luce, Lord Young of Graffham, Viscount Cowdray, and other West Sussex landowning aristocrats.

Who really controls West Sussex and its County Council in this so-called local and regional democracy ?

Look no further than the Lord Lieutenant and his Deputy Lieutenant's - the office of which is at Chichester's County Hall - and financed by whom ?

Who else but us, the taxpayer ! And we paid for the Queen's visit to Crawley last week - organised through the Lord Lieutenant's office !

Is it democratic ? Of course not. It is a democratic absurdity and obscenity.

Comments:
Does the Lord Lieutenant have any powers at all?

I don't know if he is still doing the job, but I met that Wyatt bloke a couple of years ago. He seemed like a nice enough bloke but I really couldn't work out what he was for.

Same with the High Sherriff. Scrase-Dickens was a top bloke (and paid his own way. Even provided his own driver out of his own pocket) who seemed to be genuinely interested in social issues, but I still couldn't work out why we have the post.
 
Skuds, that's like saying : "Does the Queen have any powers at all?"

Massive power, in my view (eg Royal Prerogatives).
 
Why do we have these posts ?

It would be naive to think it is just for 'ceremonial' occasions - like the Queen's visit to Crawley.

One (unstated) reason is to prevent a social revolution and/or quell a civil uprising - and I'm not joking.

We hear of other countries where there has been a military coup, and/or the army has been called etc.

A system has to be in place to make that happen.

A system is in place here - in each large county - through the Lord Lieutenant's Office at County Hall here in West Sussex.

I'm always amused by the (true but officially-denied) 'Nuclear Bunker' story. There was only one time (in the 1970's) when this country's principal nuclear bunker was put on a major 'state of alert' - during the Miner's Strike !!!

It makes me wonder who had been chosen in West Sussex to 'scuttle away' in an underground bunker, to avoid 'the revolting people'.

The Lord Lieutenant's Office, lodged in Chichester's County Hall (and paid for by us) would have had 'The List'.
 
And I wonder how many members of staff each Deputy Lieutenant has, apart of course from those in the Lord-Lieutenant's office.
 
Interesting point, Jose...but I think in this case that Deputy Lieutenants (DL's) have no staff of their own. Might be wrong though...

Anybody know ?
 
I don' think that answered the question really.

The Queen does have some powers on paper - although if she tried to exercise them in direct oppostiion to the government it would probably spark a constitutional crisis.

But I can't see that the LL has any powers, and no purpose except to perpetuate an outdated structure.
 
The fact that we don't really know is significant...but we should know, especially as we bankroll these buggers as taxpayers.
 
Well, you lazy buggers, you could use Wikipedia to find out what the LL does:

"The modern responsibilities of lord-lieutenants include:

Arranging visits of members of the Royal family and escorting Royal visitors;
Presentation of medals and awards on behalf of the Sovereign, and advising on Honours nominations;
Participation in civic, voluntary and social activities with the Lieutenancy;
Liaison with local units of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army, Royal Air Force and their associated cadet forces;
Leading the local magistracy as Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Justices of the Peace; and
Chairing the local Advisory Committee for the Appointment of the General Commissioners of Income Tax, a tribunal which hears appeals against decisions made by the HM Revenue and Customs on a variety of different tax related matters. "
 
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