William Hones
 William Hones    | |
|---|---|
 Gas-masked William Hones and inset (without the mask) with TDC leader Neil Stock OBE | |
| Born | 17 March 1955 |
William Hones is a crusader against dishonourable politicians especially those representing wards in the Tendring District Council area who flip-flop between parties.
Hones stood as an Independent candidate at the 2016 St Paul's by-election in Clacton, when he came third with 248 votes, behind the winner UKIP's Jack Parsons (424) and Tory Danny Mayzes (311).
The Labour candidate Chris Bird came last with 148 votes. Turnout was 33.1%.[1]
Parsons in the street
On 9 December 2016, Tendring News Channel published a video on YouTube by William Hones, the former Independent candidate in St Paul's Ward, with the following introduction:
- "Jack Parsons is a Councillor who was elected as a UKIP Councillor. Then decided to jump from UKIP to the Clacton Labour Party. This is the video encounter of me and him after I bumped in to the lowlife going to work."[2]
Hones on YouTube
Tendring News Channel's chief reporter, William Hones, on YouTube:
Gas-masked crusader
The Gazette of 26 January 2017 published an article headed "Gas mask protester coughs during minute silence" and "Prolific council critic says stunt was due to the stench of hypocrisy":
A protestor who wore a gas mask to a council meeting was criticised by the authority's leader after he "deliberately" coughed during a minute's silence to a late councillor.
William Hones, of Marine Parade East, Clacton sat in the front row of the public gallery during the council meeting at Clacton Town Hall and recorded councillors on his mobile telephone.
During a minute's silence to long-serving St James's Ward councillor John Hughes, who died at the weekend after an illness, Mr Hones could be heard coughing a number of times.
Mr Hughes decided to represent the Coastal Independents after defecting from UKIP following a split in the party.
Mr Hones, who unsuccessfully stood for election himself, has been a constant critic of councillors.
He has been especially outspoken against former UKIP councillors who have defected to other parties.
Mr Hones defended his actions and said:
- I was wearing the gas mask because of the stench of hypocrisy. I'm a bit eccentric and I think they think I'm strange and crazy because no-one has ever protested continually for two years. The reason I'm doing it is because a councillor came up to me and said everyone would forget they defected within six months - I said I'd be the one bloke who doesn't forget. When I think an organisation has no respect, I'm not going to show respect." He added:
- "These career politicians have only one aim - to keep their hooter in the trough. They have and will continue to jump from one party to another just to keep their egos inflatyed and get the allowances. The stench of hypocrisy and the total disregard of the voters emanating from this council meeting was overwhelming - I needed to wear a gas mask to enter the building."
However, Tendring Council leader Neil Stock was angered by Mr Hones' disrespectful interruption during the minute's silence. During the meeting, he said:
- "I didn't appreciate the gentleman in the audience, who is dressed like a womble, coughing all the way through, deliberately, during the minute's silence. If we can't respect someone with a minute of silence then I think it's very poor state of affairs."
The old-fashioned gas mask resembles the features of the fictional pointy-nosed Wombles created by children's author Elisabeth Beresford.
Mr Hones previously had a run-in with former cabinet member Mick Skeels Senior, who issued threats to Mr Hones and swore at him on the steps of the council building.
Mr Skeels Senior was stripped of his cabinet position after Mr Hones recorded the incident and placed the exchange on the YouTube website.[3]
