Minutes:
Councillor Dr Simon people made the following announcement -
“Thank you Madam Mayor and I had given notice of a request to speak. I appreciate your inclusion of me in this particular item.
The reason I wanted to speak tonight as I indicated to you in advance was to mark the fact that this is the last Council meeting for Councillor John Faulkner who had originally planned to step down last year and at a meeting in the March when we had to announce the special Covid measures we had said to him it looks like you’re going to have to stick around a while because they’re going to cancel the elections. So in a very unusual way he has completed his term with a total of 23 years of service as he did an all-out election in which he was returned and therefore did Two years then he’s done this extra year as well, as well as all his service in between so whilst he wasn’t the biggest fan of Boris Johnson before it’s probably fair to say he didn’t appreciate the extra year but nonetheless he served the Council loyally and well for a further year.
Councillor Faulkner is one of those Councillors who is widely respected because of his knowledge as he is proud to tell us he is a member of the CA rather than the FCA because the chartered accountants of Scotland were formed before the chartered accountants of England and he bears that tradition well. His extreme care and thoughtfulness on matters financial have taken the positive comments from many sides, of course he has also been accused of being political because he’s got beliefs but at the end of the day he’s respected and I remember former UKIP Councillor Madge saying to me how much he enjoyed John speaking because he felt like he always learnt such a great deal. He’s also been a major player in recent years on the Audit & Governance Committee as one of the few Councillors who can generally say they understood all the financial regulations and is widely respected by the Officers Over the years for the expertise which he brings to those meetings.
He is of course also a former Deputy Leader of the Council and Leader of the opposition after Labour lost control and Councillor Seekings stood down so is a very long and hard working experienced Councillor and he has been a tremendous friend over the years.
I would also like to say because it’s very important and you know this Madam Mayor as well as any of us, it’s very important when you share that vocation with your other half and John would be the first to say that Pam was the better half and I know that one thing that will be a sadness to him tonight is that he is not able to share that greater amount of free time that he will have with the woman he loved and whom we all very much miss. She was absolutely committed to her views and opinions which she shared in politics with John and I know if she was able to be here tonight in presence she would say how proud of him she was and he’s done a really hard job and he’s done it really well.
So I won’t go on longer than that Madam Mayor because these things are best kept to the focal point. John Faulkner will be standing down in May he’s been a great servant to this Council he will fully deserve the honour of Alderman that he will be entitled once he’s retired, all I would like to say on behalf of all the Councillor’s I’ve known over the years that knew him, thank you John for your tremendous service to the Borough, to the people and to the Council. Thank you Madam Mayor.”
Councillor J Oates made the following announcement -
“Yes thank you madam Mayor I think it be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to say a Thank you to Councillor Faulkner
As you know I’ve been here since 2000 I have had many years sitting opposite Councillor Faulkner and we’ve exchanged blows on a number of different issues over the years and we have disagreed on economics and we have disagreed on policies but the one thing we have both enjoyed and it’s something that John has brought throughout my time at the Borough Council and that is an attention to detail and a level of memory and that a lot of others simply do not have or cannot attain and quite often I remember Councillor Faulkner back in my early days presenting me was an election leaflet I have delivered only a year before and saying when are you going to do something about this or quoting something I have said in the Tamworth times back then all the Tamworth Herald now and that politics within the chamber there will certainly be void when and Councillor Faulkner finishes in a few weeks’ time.
I’m not going to go on any longer Madam Mayor I think there are plenty of examples that we can all think off where John has excelled as a Councillor both in debate and in terms of being a representative of the Community so I just wanted to put it on record my thanks to Councillor Faulkner for 23 Long years on the Council and the relentless attention to detail and the effort that he has put in so Thank you very much Madam Mayor.”
Councillor S Peaple people made the following announcement -
“Thank you very Madam Mayor I will keep this brief.
John has been a tremendous support to the people of Bolehall and I had the honour to share that ward with him. I’m going to miss him tremendously. As a fellow Councillor in Bolehall he’s always been there for people, he’s always good humoured, knowledgeable, Frank but always polite and a real example of what a Councillor should be. Thank you John for all the support you have given me personally. We will miss you tremendously.”
Councillor P standen by the following announcement -
“Thank you Madam Mayor I will also try and be brief.
John is a gentleman in the true sense of the word, he has greatly impressed me by his lack of selfishness he stood down as Deputy Leader of the Labour group when he could’ve easily carried on to encourage others into the position. His service to the people of this town has been exemplary and just one example is when we had the charges for the green bin debate at the Town Hall, John turned up there and spoke extremely passionately at that debate one day before his wife’s funeral, no one would’ve blamed him if he hadn’t turned up to that meeting. He put the needs of the Town above his own and that’s the type of person he is, a true gentleman who puts others first. He’s really going to be missed by this Council. Can I wish him the best of luck for the future and John don’t be a stranger all the best. Thank you Madam Mayor.”
Councillor D cook made the following announcement -
“Thank you Madam Mayor I think it would be remiss of me to speak at this point
John will recall he was the Leader of the opposition when I was Leader of the Council many years ago, as Councillor Standen has just said he referred to John as a gentleman I can absolutely attest to John being a gentleman because I remember having many conversations in Marmion House just me and John over a cup of tea or coffee and whatever we discussed stayed between us we trusted each other in those roles, obviously we threw bricks at each other in the Council Chamber because that’s what is expected. Councillor Peaple mentioned John’s wife, unfortunately I only had the pleasure of meeting John’s wife once where he charmingly introduced me to his wife as the Leader of the Vampires which gave us all great amusement and a memory I will always treasure. I personally would like to thank John for his 23 years whether we agree in politics or not that’s Public service and I would like to say from myself Thank you John.”
Councillor S Doyle made the following announcement -
“Thank you Madam Mayor I will keep this brief I would just like to basically agree with everything that’s been said about John tonight he has been a gentleman and it’s been a pleasure to deal with him on the Committees when I’ve been there as a Portfolio member and I wish him all the best. Thank you.”
Councillor J Faulkner finished off the announcements by Thanking everyone for the kind words that people had given and also the commentary regarding his late wife Pam.