CND campaigner Cllr Ray Davies has brought no one into disrepute

Wendy Lewis

Dear friend,


I am circulating  details of Ray's case with the ombudsman to those who know him and support his work.

I would be grateful if you could write personal letters testifying to Ray's hard work within the community, e.g. the campaigns he led against the waste transfer station in Bedwas, supporting  the new dental practice and play facilities for the village, protecting the countryside, and fighting unjust planning decisions.

We want  to demonstrate his wide ranging work in the community,  which has not been compromised by his campaigning through non violent direct action against the evils of war and nuclear weapons.

Ray Davies, Vice Chair CND Cymru and a County Borough Councillor,  has been brought before the Ombudsman for allegedly bringing Caerphilly county borough into disrepute.

In the run  up to the Iraq War , Ray, along with Dr Margaret Jones and other Trident Ploughshares members, broke into Aldermaston AWE . They hung the inner perimeter fence with anti war placards exposing the illegal activities taking place inside, i.e. the production of nuclear weapons.

The two also rowed up the Tamar River in Devonport, then broke into the Dockyard where they attempted to prevent a nuclear submarine being fitted for duties in the Gulf.

Ray 's third action was to take part in the blockade of Faslane nuclear submarine base in Scotland.

For these offences  Ray was fined £1700, including estimated damages to the fences.

Ray refused to pay the fine, and was jailed for 14 days.

Ray received thousands of messages, from Britain, the US and Europe, including some from AMs and MPs.  He was also included in the roll of honour of  "Broken Rifle", an international peace magazine.

When he was elected as a County Borough Councillor, Ray had to sign a declaration that he would not commit a criminal offence. His peace actions generated massive publicity,  and Ra y reported his activities to the council's Monitoring officer, in an effort to be transparent in all he did.

Early in 2005 the unelected Vice Chair of the council's Standards committee reported Ray to the Ombudsman, and he was interviewed  by the investigating officer last month.

Ray's defence  is that he committed minor criminal  and civil offences to try and stop  the British government from breaking international law, by going to war without a UN resolution. He pointed out that subsequent  events have totally justified  his actions. Thousands of  British, US and Iraqis have died, the country is in a state of civil war, a fuel crisis looms, and the latest revelations of British troops abusing Iraqi civilians have sickened the world.

No one in Caerphilly County Borough has made any complaint against Ray, not even  his political opponents.  He topped t he poll at the last election. Ray officially represents his council and Wales on the Welsh and British Nuclear Free Forums.

Ray will  face a disciplinary tribunal soon. It is imperative that as many letters as possible be sent in  his support.

Ray does not regret his actions. As he said in his court case, Yes, he is sorry: sorry that none of us did enough to stop Bush and Blair embarking on this illegal war.


Please send letters (and a copy to me) to:

Welsh Administration Ombudsman,
1 Ffordd y Hen Gae,
Pencoed, CF35 5 LJ

or email (and please send a copy to me at
wendy.lewis2@aladdinscave.net):

ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk

Diolch yn fawr.
In peace,

Wendy

 

 

March 2006

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