Since Hitchin Nub News launched in July 2020, never have we experienced so many readers moved to fury about our local MP.

While anger levels rose when our town's parliamentarian Bim Afolami voted against free school meals in October last year, nothing has matched this week's outrage.

And that includes the time renowned social justice campaigner and Manchester United and England attacker Marcus Rashford was moved to retweet one of our stories on hungry children to his 3.7m followers no less - prior to a humiliating government U-turn last autumn.

What has promoted this week's acrimony?

When Mr Afolami voted with the government to pause the process and review the watchdog that delves into allegations of wrongdoing at Westminster, it left his party open to accusations of sleaze.

The latest developments in this sorry affair have seen the former minister at the centre of the row that prompted the vote, Owen Paterson, resigning as an MP, after a row over his conduct led to another government U-turn by Boris Johnson's government.

Paterson was found to have broken lobbying rules and was facing suspension.

This was until Tory MPs blocked it by calling for an overhaul of the MPs' standards watchdog instead - including Mr Afolami who voted with the government whip - before Downing Street reversed its decision following a furious backlash up and down the country, including Hitchin.

While Hitchin Nub News is resolutely non-political, as a respected and reputable news website, we have a responsibility as journalists to hold power to account, when our readers - and the electorate - deem that power to be abused.

After being first with the news in our area and setting the agenda in Hitchin and North Herts with our reporting on this regrettable story, we will also providing a platform for our readers and local figures to give their opinion.

So, read on for Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg Labour leader of North Herts District Council as she gives her withering take on the situation - after Mr Afolami refused to join the large number of Conservative MPs who voted against, or abstained on the matter.

.....................

They say a week is a long time in politics, but what a chaotic two days we've observed.

Like many of you, I was angry, but unsurprised, yesterday that all three of our MPs in North Herts including Hitchin MP Bim Afolami voted to stop the suspension of their colleague Owen Paterson.

After having been found guilty of corruption by a panel of MPs, including members of his own his party, it looked certain he would have been suspended until Boris Johnson stepped in and told Conservative MPs to vote against it.

Imagine if you had been caught speeding and owned up to it.

Then just before you were about to pay your fine, you got a group of your mates together and you all decided that speeding fines were wrong and that you would change it so you wouldn't have to pay.

Just like that, no speeding fine.

Changing the rules with retrospective effect to avoid punishment.

Reading it back sounds ludicrous, like something you might see in a comedy show. Except this isn't funny.

This behaviour, some might call it sleaze, has ramifications beyond Westminster.

National politicians behaving badly destroys trust, not only in themselves, but also in our local politicians.

Councillors are hardworking people, who come into politics to serve their communities.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for councillors to be subjected to accusations of corruption while going about our daily work. Whether it's a contentious planning or licensing decision, the line that councillors are on the take is one we've all heard whilst serving our communities. We're also told "oh, you're all the same". The actions of our national politicians have contributed to this blanket negative portrayal of elected public officials, and behaviour like that we've seen this week has the potential to make this worse.

Since 2010, the government has taken £15 billion out of the hands of local councils, forcing them to make extremely tough decisions on how to save money and what services to cut.

We decided amid the pandemic to save our local leisure centres and to support our workforce where other councils have chosen not to.

Our councillors have worked hard supporting local businesses and communities to get back on their feet.

But what we've witnessed this week, the clear message that it's one rule for us, and a different rule for certain MPs only goes to undermine the work of hardworking local councillors and damage the trust of the people in democracy.

That our three local MPs failed to speak out against this affair is appealing.

It's amazing how quickly this story has developed.

When I started writing this Boris Johnson was set to give MP's another chance to vote on his new standards regime, realising that actually this sort of thing does need cross party support. Now Owen Patterson has resigned.

It always strikes me as amazing what can happen when people speak together as a single voice, and the changes they can bring about.

Today is no different. People across the country are realising the power of community, and how communities can come together to effect change.

We are becoming aware of how much power we truly have on the issues that matter.

We stopped water companies pumping sewage into our rivers & lakes and forced the government to feed our most vulnerable children over the school holidays.

Now we've told them that we won't accept corruption in our halls of power and they have had to listen.

I sincerely hope that the aftermath of this awful episode causes our MPs to apologise and to work more collaboratively with North Herts Council as we continue to work positively for our local community. Will it happen?

Time will tell.

Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg, Labour leader of North Herts District Council