THE States of Alderney has been accused of attacking the right to free speech. Member Richard Willmott is set to fight attempts to censure him.

He is accused of breaching confidentiality rules by revealing details of August’s Policy and Finance Committee meeting in a letter published in last week’s Alderney Journal.

Committee deputy chairman John Postlethwaite will tomorrow ask the House formally to warn Mr Willmott about his conduct.

But the latter has vowed to defend himself against the allegations and called on the public at today’s people’s meeting to show support for more open government.

‘It is an attack on free speech and an attempt to hound me from office for daring to challenge the Masonic-like secrecy of the status quo,’ said Mr Willmott.

‘I am sorry to disappoint those who would like me gone, but I am staying and am even more determined to uphold my pledge to those who elected me: to bring in more open government.’

Mr Willmott believed the instigators of the motion were motivated by his involvement in non-States activities such as the sports centre and Vision Alderney.

‘This appears to have nothing to do with confidentiality and, instead, is a thinly disguised attack on my continuing campaign within the States for it to improve the way it goes about its business,’ he said.

Mr Postlethwaite, lead signatory of the censure motion, believed Mr Willmott had to have his knuckles rapped in public.

‘We believe that he has acted improperly and are formally asking him not to do it again. I don’t think a private discussion would have worked because he has got his views, so we have to do it formally,’ he said.

In the letter, Mr Willmott said that decisions on how to spend capital funds, including Gambling Commission money, should be made by all States members and not just the Policy and Finance Committee.

He then added that because there were just three people at the August committee meeting, effectively two could decide the island’s capital allocation.

‘We are quite cross about this because we do not like to wash our dirty linen in public, but this has forced us to do so,’ said Mr Postlethwaite.

‘He is breaking confidentiality but also making misleading statements by saying that only two members decided on the year’s capital allocation.

‘All committees had their chance to discuss the proposals and all States members had a chance to put in their opinions. By the time it came to the committee meeting, we were effectively ratifying something into which everybody else could have had an input.

‘In any case, it should be restated that there were three people ratifying the proposals.’