INTERNATIONALLY known Bridport-based cartoonist Claudio Munoz has marked the launch of Public First Group’s non-party-political Campaign for Local Democracy in Dorset with a ‘Magna Carta theme’ cartoon.

John Grantham, secretary of Public First said: “It captures perfectly and humorously how the Public in West Dorset now really does want to make progress with its politicians.”

Following a standing-room only meeting at the Corn Exchange, Dorchester, in January, and the start of a petition-signing venture in Dorchester’s South Street on February 7 to try to trigger a referendum to give the electorate the chance to vote on a ‘Cabinet’ or ’Committee’ system of local government for WDDC, the campaign is moving to Bridport.

Public First Group is hiring the Electric Palace for a meeting on Friday (February 20) at 7pm, where the public will speak.

Clive Stafford Smith OBE, founder of the charity Reprieve, is chairing the meeting which will be looking at how West Dorset District Council is applying its cabinet system of local government and whether the district and county councils should be prepared now to considering the opportunity to move to a unitary system of local government.

The panel at the end of the event comprises five Parliamentary prospective candidates, including the current MP Oliver Letwin, and it is hoped the panel will be joined by the leader of West Dorset District Council, Cllr Anthony Alford.

Three Dorset County Council councillors will debate the case for investigating the unitary option – Cllr Mike Byatt for Labour, Cllr Trevor Jones for Lib Dems, and it is hoped that county council Leader of DCC, Robert Gould, will be accepting his invitation.

Chairman of Public First, Clive Stafford Smith said: “We’re looking for the evening to be as inspirational as the one in Dorchester.

“Among other things we’ll be asking our supporters to take our petition signing achievement to date from a promising start to a totally new level.”