[nilesfunnies] Nutter

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Dear councillor, why did you call me a 'nutter'?

Nov 19 2004

By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BLUNDERING Kirklees councillor Elaine Ward has landed herself in trouble
after labelling a voter a "nutter".

Lee Farmery, of Greenacres Drive, Upper Denby, was shocked when an email
sent by Clr Ward to fellow Tory Jim Dodds was accidentally addressed to
him.

Mr Farmery, 30, had sent an email to Clr Dodds asking him to explain the
workings of the council.

It is believed he forwarded this to Clr Ward, who wrote the insult,
thinking she was replying to her fellow councillor.

The email reads: "Hello Jim. Never heard of this guy... Invite him to Area
Committee on Thursday and let's get him out in the open. Sounds a nutter
to me. Regards, Elaine."

Mr Farmery, who works in Rotherham as a quantity surveyor, said that even
though he has been a Conservative voter being called a nutter has put him
off the party.

"I can't believe it," he fumed.

"I sent a simple email to Clr Dodds asking if he could fully explain what
councillors did and how the council worked.

"Clr Dodds sent me a perfectly polite reply, but he obviously then passed
my email on to Clr Ward. I am puzzled as to why she would call me this to
Clr Dodds.

"It is not very politically correct to be calling people a `nutter'
either."

An embarrassed Clr Ward said the email was just banter between the two
councillors.

The Denby Dale councillor, who only won her seat in June's elections, said
she got a large number of crank emails and had received one just before
reading Mr Farmery's.

"This was harmless banter and was not in any way meant to offend the
gentleman. I apologise to him and will send him another email saying
sorry.

"Using the term nutter was regrettable and I will keep things to myself in
future."

Kirklees Tory leader Robert Light said the incident was regrettable, but
emphasised that Clr Ward had apologised.

In a similar mishap last year Clr Light was left red-faced when a picture
of him with an elderly woman was accidentally sent out to the media with
the caption 'Rob with fogey'.

He said: "It is a shame this happened, but I hope a mistake like this will
not cloud any real issues.

"All my councillors will be made aware that this type of e-mail should not
be sent, to stop accidents like this in the future."