Friday, October 28

Special quote



"They only have enough vision to see as far as their next travel expense claim"
.
Peter Troy's comment to the Northern Echo newspaper, following the Federation of Small Businesses' North East regional AGM last night.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This negative attitude you have towards the North East Region of the FSB doesn't have anything to do with the membership rejecting you as Chairman last year does it?

Peter Troy said...

No Anonymous - I was elected for the sixth year running in December 2004 as Chairman of the Darlington Branch of the Federation of Small Businesses.

My ongoing objection to the Regional Committee and in particular the Area Policy Unit in the North East is that they are not effecively (and have not been for a number years) properly representing the membership in the North East Region. The vast amount of money that is paid out to the Regional Committee Chairman and the Policy Committee Chairman in attending meetings that have no net beneift to the membership is evidence of the ineffectiveness of the Committee and the pedestrian attitude of key people.

PT

Anonymous said...

Sorry Peter, the facts do not support your claims here.

Although I voted for you in October 2004 for the post of Regional Chairman, you were not elected. It would now seem that the best man was. His attitude towards the FSB and it's aims are far more positive than yours.

The total amount paid out in expenses this last financial year is a mere £3663.49 shared out among the entire committee which was almost doubled in size this year at your suggestion. This should allow them all to lead a fabulous life style.......

Whilst you choose to ignore all the successes of the Area Policy Unit, you only demonstrate further your bitterness about loosing out as Chairman.

Drop all this nonsense, pick your teddy up and get behind both the Regional Committee and the Area Policy Unit and HELP drive them forward rather than hinder them.
I, for one, would consider you a much better man for it.

Peter Troy said...

Well thank you for voting for me though the brutal truth is I did not stand for the post as Regional Chairman, clearly your memory is defective.

If as you suggest the Area Policy Unit of the FSB in the North East is so very effective perhaps they should detail some of their success on their web pages -www.fsb.org.uk/030

Since I ceased to be active in the FSB in the North East last February the level of publicity that the Federation has obtained in the regional press is virtually nil, presumably because there is little to report.

The purpose of the APU in the NE is to promote FSB policy to the elected representatives in the region - not to have cosy meetings with government organisations. The whole ethos of the FSB since its conception in 1974 has been to be apolitical and fight for small businesses, this fight is not achieved by pandering to government agencies (as the NEAPU do)with covert political messages.

I am not bitter, as you suggest, about not being Regional Chairman of the FSB ; it is a position I have never intented to stand for let alone hold. Fighting against the most anti-business rulers this country has ever had (the European Union) is, however, very much my interest

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, the expenses you have quoted do not include those of the North East Policy Unit, which spends an awful lot of money and too much time talking to government organisations and not to the people that REALLY matter.
I would suggest you pick up YOUR teddy and while you're about it, open your eyes to what's really going on in the FSB nowadays

Anonymous said...

Put it down as a senior moment Peter, I remember voting for you for something and you were soundly defeated. Was it National Counciller? I'm allowed to make mistakes at my time of life - sometimes anyway.
MB, my teddy is firmly in place and I follow the activities of both the Regional Committee and the Policy Unit with interest. Do you? - or is your judgement clouded by a dislike of both groups? I don't always agree with their decisions but I accept that we elected them in the first place. Most of them have just been re-elected so the several thousand members of the Region must be (at least part way) satisfied with them. Were you there to vote against them? I know Peter wasn't......
I see that there are new members on the committee this year, perhaps they will see through this alleged ineffectiveness and put things the way you want them.

Peter Troy said...

Under the present rules of the FSB only those members that have served on the regional committee for two years are eligible to stand for election. In the North East only one position was contested and that was from an existing committee member. Thus there was no new blood on the commitee.

As for the ARea Policy Unit - none of the members were elected, they were all apointed by the Chairman. Anyone who disagrees with him is unlikly to be chosen.

I repeat the APU of the North East region of the FSB is not properly representing the policy of the FSB. It is therfore wasting large amouts of members money doing no more than placting the far too many government organisations that only serve to promote government policy.

When Anonymous you understand the detail of how the FSB is mismanaged in the NE you will I trust me more sympathetic to the points I raise.

PT

Anonymous said...

Well anonymous, I think you are being too complacent - its no good saying "well we voted for them now we have to let them get on with it".
Get on with what exactly? What is the relevance of the FSB in the North East?
As far as I can see it serves no useful purpose.
Too much time spent talking, no time doing and no attention paid to what the FSB is about - standing up for small businesses, protecting small businesses.
Other regions are not only doing this but they are seen t be doing this.
Here in the North East, the FSB is almost like an underground secret organisation - no publicity, no policy, no campaigning. Makes me wonder why I became a member.