June 3 2014

Norman Baker has issued a statement following the resignation of Seaford town clerk Sam Shippen:

"I welcome the statement issued by Seaford Town Council, announcing the departure of town clerk Sam Shippen.

"My constituents will know that I took the decision to raise publicly my concerns about the operation of the council, given the unprecedented number and nature of complaints I had received from local people and organisations in the town. That included my calling, on a neutral basis, for the suspension of the town clerk while matters were properly investigated.6

" It is a matter of some regret that the then leadership of the council initially reacted by denying there was any problem, despite the plethora of evidence to the contrary, thereby delaying the action necessary to remedy matters. However I very much welcome the responsible and approach taken by the new mayor, Mark Brown, who has been prepared to address the various issues and to do so in a constructive, cross-party way.

"For my part, I wish to make it clear that I am very willing to work with the town council to help get matters back on an even keel, in the best interest of my constituents in Seaford."