First, thank you very much to everyone who has written kind, balanced, fair, even complimentary comments. I’m really grateful. I love the term “wear the local badge” as that is what I always aim to do. The same applies to comments about championing local causes and supporting small local businesses. Thank you. Now, on to other points: setting contexts, correcting inaccuracies and answering points. Sorry it’s so long. No-one has to read it. Each paragraph starts with the point it is addressing so you can skip past those you aren’t interested in.Two stories. Yes, two in this week's Chiswick Calendar both of which will stay online and available forever, as they all do with the worst coming up top in Google searches of my name. Yes, I wonder if the authors have paid for them to appear first or if my detractors have been asked to keep clicking into them so Google puts them first. Could be both. Or neither. But there they will be forever, with all the others, as the authors and my detractors know.Was I asked for a comment? No. As a sometime (small time) journalist, and with a career in media relations and communications, I know that journalists should ask – out of courtesy and to seek balance. In fact, the Chiswick Calendar is, in effect, a personal blog (as someone recently described it to me, after another vitriolic article had appeared) so anything goes. I spoke to one local journalist recently about publishing lies, and the answer was the equivalent of “tough, you have to expect that; you’re in local politics”. Really? Some residents do this, but a journalist? There are several former or current journalists in the Chiswick community who throw ethics to the wind; sometimes their lies are hard to believe but some do believe them. Click bait (to increase readership and be more appealing to advertisers)? Personal animosity (to make it difficult for me to be selected and elected again, if I want to go through more of this constant vilification)? Political opposition? Misogyny? Narcissism? Obsession? Who knows. The writers know the potential impact of drip, drip, drip negativity and criticism.If I had been asked, would I have said No? No. The worst response – to a reputation crisis, personal attack, whatever – is to say nothing. The words “No comment” immediately imply guilt or that the accusation is true. Lawyers advise it, giving the worst advice. The absence of words allows others to fill the gap with speculation; it is important to give the facts. As I said to clients when I had freelance work, there is always something to say even when there is nothing to be said. I have not always been able to do this, for complicated reasons, and I’ve regretted it. That’s why I issued a statement after I was suspended carefully revealing nothing about the reasoning – which remains unexposed – but correcting errors (no, I was not expelled from the Conservative Party but suspended from the Conservative councillor group), giving facts (I remained and still am a Chiswick Gunnersbury councillor) and reassuring residents that it was business as usual with no loss of enthusiasm from me. See what I mean?The licensing application. If councillors respond, it will usually be because local residents have concerns. Sometimes they – councillors or residents – have additional, perhaps confidential, background information which informs their comments. I do not give my personal opinion (more on that later) and I don’t comment for the sake of it. This applicant had applied before, for the same premises. I was lobbied then by several residents and commented, representing their views. I was lobbied about this second application so I responded. I do not remember other applications highlighting seizures of drugs or offensive weapons (there is no boilerplate text, applicants answer in their own words) so those points stood out. Do I let them pass or raise concerns? What might happen if I say nothing despite concerns, given the scrutiny I live with? We were not given details of the business at the first panel hearing (we were told it was commercially sensitive, a brand-new concept – and I always feel uneasy about secrecy) and there were no details with this second application (more unease). The day before the hearing, long after the comments deadline, the applicant’s agent sent a briefing setting out an intriguing concept though I could not understand how it would work as a business (which is not a licensing issue). I couldn’t be at the panel hearing (see below for the reason) so I didn’t know I was accused of “smearing” or that the person who made that accusation then withdrew it after being asked to be civil. I learned of it when I read the article.The West London Queer Project application. This issue is being looked at by Hounslow council. I am well aware that 197 Chiswick Fire Station is a bar/restaurant; I’ve been a customer there several times. And I know where Chiswick Fire Station is. Chiswick has been my home town since 1983 (apart from 15 months between house moves) so I know it well as a resident; I know Chiswick Gunnersbury ward in much more detail thanks to being a councillor.Thrown out of or suspended by the Conservative Party? No. Suspended by the Conservative councillor group, remaining a member of the Conservative Party and a Chiswick Gunnersbury councillor, and automatically readmitted to the group on 22nd June.Speaks her mind. I was elected to represent and support the residents, business rate payers and community organisations of Chiswick Gunnersbury ward. I do speak determinedly, persistently and strongly on their behalf and, on behalf of local businesses through the Chiswick Shops Task Force and as I’m the Conservative group’s spokesman on retail, hospitality and the service business economy. Some residents find this annoying, challenging, infuriating and have told me, one way or another including directly, to shut up. However, as I’ve often said but have seldom been believed, I do not give my personal opinions. I know, from a recent discussion, that some don’t understand the differences between personal opinion, representative opinion and collective opinion but differences there are. When I speak my mind, I rarely give a personal opinion; I give a representative or collective opinion.Why wasn’t I at the licensing panel hearing? I have been away for two weeks, staying with family in California, the first holiday I’ve had since being elected in 2018. I was there during the non-assassination drama which was fascinating especially watching US political commentary programmes (it was frustrating not having access to UK programmes) and analysing the Secret Service’s reputation crisis. Sorry for the air miles; I know some will not approve of flying but I try to keep a low footprint in other aspects of my life. I dealt with urgent emails and continued sticking up for residents and businesses while away but still have quite a lot of catching up to do. Many apologies if you haven’t had a response; I will get through the backlog as quickly as I can but please do nudge me to respond if you want a swifter reply. TLTR, I know. Apologies again.
Joanna Biddolph ● 87d