Councillors' responses to North Devon Journal's request for information

By awilshaw

Pat Barker (Cons, NDC): No declaration on register. No response to question.

Hugo Barton (Lib Dem, TDC)

He said: "I am NOT a freemason".

Andy Boyd (Cons, TDC) States on the register of interests he is a freemason. No response to question.

Alison Boyle (Cons, DCC) Said she is not a freemason and wasn't aware women could join.

Des Brailey – (Cons, NDC) Emailed one word: "no". Also told the Conservative group that they should get together to decide how to respond to the question because some members felt it was "an intrusion".

Margaret Brown (Ind, TDC) No declaration. No response to question.

Richard Brown – (Cons, TDC) Wrote a letter saying he was not, and never had been a freemason. He also looked forward to seeing the results of the survey.

David Butt – (Lib Dem, NDC) He said: "I am happy to tell you that I am NOT a freemason. Have never been a freemason and will never be a freemason. The only secret grouping I have ever belonged to was the Biggles Club while I was young and impressionable." He also suggested we ask which senior officers are freemasons.

Rodney Cann (Ind., NDC and DCC)

Said he was not a freemason.

Jasmine Chesters – (Cons, NDC)

Said she was not a freemason.

Peter Christie – (Non aligned, TDC)

Said he was not a freemason. As a local historian, he believed Barnstaple had once had the "professional" lodge and Bideford the "artisan" lodge.

Caroline Church – (Liberal Party, TDC)

Said she is not a freemason.

Caroline Chugg – (Cons, NDC)

Said she is not a freemason but is a Soroptomist.

Steve Clarke – (Ind, TDC) Said he is not a freemason.

Anthony Collins – (Cons, TDC)

No declaration on register. No response to question.

Phillip Collins – (Ind, TDC) He said: "I am not a freemason"

Albert Cook – (Ind., NDC)

He said: "I don't think people should have to declare if they are members. I was asked to join but I didn't. I was a magistrate for 28 years."

Miranda Cox – (Non aligned, TDC)

She said: "No I'm not in the women's branch of the freemasons. I'm very happy to give this information. Unfortunately council officers and developers don't have to declare whether they're freemasons. I think that it would be useful to have that information too!".

Paul Crabb – (Cons, NDC)

Declares on his interests that he is a freemason and responded to the letter to confirm.

Sue Croft – (Cons, NDC)

Said she is not a freemason.

Phil Daniel – (Cons, NDC) Declares in register of interests that he is a freemason and replied to our letter.

Robert Darrell – (Cons, NDC) Said he is not a freemason.

Andrea Davis – (Cons, NDC) – Said she is not a freemason.

Andrew Eastman – (Cons, TDC)

Declares he is a freemason and spoke to the Journal about his membership (see panel).

Richard Edgell – (Cons, NDC) Said he is not a freemason.

Mike Edmunds – (Ind, NDC) – Said he is not a freemason and has no intention to be one.

Len Ford – (Lib Dem, TDC)

He said: "I am not one and don't want to be one. I'm really strongly opposed to it. I think in the past, and it's still going on, freemasonry could influence a planning permission. Torridge has been, and still is, run by farmers and freemasons."

Geoff Fowler – (Lib Dem, DCC)

He said: "I'm not a freemason nor have ever been one (been asked tho' in the past). I am however a member of Ilfracombe Rotary and have been for several years. It will be interesting from your findings to see if there is any correlation regarding the political parties and the masonic fraternity."

David Fulford – (Cons, TDC) Declares on his members interests that he is a freemason. Did not respond to letter.

John Gill – (Cons, NDC)

Said he is not a freemason.

Brian Greenslade – (Lib Dem, NDC and DCC)

He Said: "Pleased to confirm that I am not a freemason, never have been and have no plans to seek membership."

Yvette Gubb – (Lib Dem, NDC)

Said she is not a freemason.

Mike Harrison – (Cons, NDC) No membership declared. But he said he was a member of the Loyal Lodge of Industry (421) from between 1978 until 1995, when he moved to Barnstaple. He added: "I think several members of council have been or are members".

Silvia Harrison – (Cons, NDC).

Said she is not a freemason.

Chris Haywood – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said: "I am not a freemason, and never will be. There are still a good many will still not admit to being a mason."

Suzanne Haywood – (Lib Dem, NDC)

Said she would never be a freemason.

Suzette Hibbert – (Lib Dem, NDC)

Said she is not a freemason but she knew members and it seemed inoffensive enough.

Robert Hicks – (Ind, TDC)

No declaration on member interests. He replied to our question and said he stopped being a freemason in 1997 because of work commitments but he has no objection to councillors being freemasons.

Julie Hunt – (Lib Dem, NDC) Said she would not become a freemason "because she is a Christian".

Simon Inch – (Liberal Party, TDC)

No declaration on register. No response to letter.

Tony Inch – (Liberal Party, TDC)

Said he was not a freemason.

Kenneth James – (Ind, TDC) No declaration on register. No response to our letter.

Royston Johns – (Ind, TDC)

No declaration on register. No response to question.

Roger Johnson – (Cons, TDC) He said he is not a freemason.

Dick Jones – (Cons, NDC)

No declaration. But he said he had been a freemason when he was a police officer but left many years ago. He agreed with transparency and would be happy to say he was a member if he were one.

Brian Lacey – (Non aligned, TDC)

He said he was not a freemason.

David Lausen – (Non aligned, TDC)

He said: "The answer is no. I will be very interested in what you find out."

Chris Leather – (Ind, TDC)

No declaration on register. No response to question.

Geoff Lee – (Lib Dem, TDC)

He said: "I confirm that I am not, and have never been, a freemason."

Eric Ley – (Ind, NDC)

Said he is not a freemason.

Rosemary Lock – (Cons, TDC)

Said she is not a freemason.

Roy Lucas – (Cons, NDC) – Declares on the register that he is a "member of the masonic fraternity". No response to letter.

David Luggar – (Cons, NDC) Said he is not a freemason.

Mair Manuel – (Lib Dem, NDC)

She said: "I'm not a freemason. I don't like secret societies and I do believe if you belong you should be declaring it on all occasions because if it's secret and stays secret, one of your lodge members could have something like a planning application and if you don't declare that, that could be wrong."

Christine Marsh – (Cons, DCC)

She said: "My father was one, but he passed away many years ago and no one else in my family belongs."

John Mathews – (Cons, NDC) Declares on his member interest form that he is a freemason. He said is not ashamed of being a member or secretive about it.

Carol McCormack-Hole – (Lib Dem, NDC)

Said she is not a freemason.

James McInnes – (Cons, DCC)

He said he is not a freemason.

Brian Moores – (Cons, NDC) Said he is not a freemason and did not have any problem with councillors being freemasons.

James Morrish – (Cons, TDC) He said is not, and had never been, a freemason. He said the Journal's inquiry had been mentioned at a full council meeting and had upset some members.

Barry Parsons – (Cons, TDC) He said he is not a freemason.

Colin Payne – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said he is not a freemason.

Philip Pennington – (Liberal Party, TDC)

Said he is not a freemason.

Marion Perkin – (Cons, TDC) She said: "No I am not a freemason. Closed shop comes to mind, but at the same time these bodies of people have raised many thousands of pounds to help others, which is a plus in itself."

Philip Pester – (Cons, TDC)

No response to question. No declaration on register.

Malcolm Prowse – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said: "I can assure you I am not and never have been a freemason. To be honest I'd rather poke my eye out with a blunt stick."

Brian Redwood – (Lib Dem, TDC)

He said he is not a freemason.

Sam Robinson – (Cons, TDC) Declares on the register that he is a freemason. No response to letter.

Andrew Saywell – (Cons, TDC)

He said he is not a freemason.

Sue Sewell – (Lib Dem, NDC) She said she is not a freemason.

Sue Sussex – (Cons, NDC)

She said she is not a freemason.

Adam Symons – (Cons, TDC) He said: "I think there are three councillors listed on the website at TDC as being masons. It is the duty of all councillors to declare membership of the masons and any other secret societies (so do not be impressed by displays of honesty). If it is not declared, I would expect that to be a breach of the councillors code of conduct. So in answer to your question — no, I am not a freemason, never have been, never will be."

Gaye Tabor – (Cons, TDC)

No declaration on register. No response to letter.

Roger Tisdale – (Ind, TDC) He said: "Although I believe that many of my fellow councillors on both Torridge District Council and Northam Town Council are freemasons I have no affiliations whatsoever to any such group."

Joe Tucker – (Lib Dem, NDC) He said: "The last thing I would be is a freemason." He said he had been invited to a lodge once but didn't like what he saw and thought all the arcane rituals were a bit sad.

Faye Webber – (Lib Dem, NDC)

She said: "I have experienced it (freemasonry) over the years on the council but not at the moment. I think members are more aware about declaring it now."

Malcolm Wilkinson – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said: "I am not. Don't particularly have an opinion on it."

John Willsher – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said he is not a freemason.

David Worden – (Lib Dem, NDC)

He said: "I can confirm that I am not a member of the freemasons or any other such group."

Colin Wright – (Cons, NDC) – He said he is not a freemason.

Jeremy Yabsley – (Cons, NDC)

He said he is not a mason and he thought it would be inappropriate for people in public life to belong to those sort of organisations

Paul Yabsley – (Cons, NDC) He said: "Just for the record I am not a freemason. I do not see that being a freemason is any different than any other organisation that people may belong. I think you are making a fuss out of nothing."