BBC NEWS UK
Thursday, 29 October 2009. Councillors in a rural town have staged a mass walkout after becoming fed up with criticism from a blogger. Anthony Canvin began the walkout
Ex-vice chairman Anthony Canvin said 11 of Somerton Town Council's 15 members resigned at a meeting on Tuesday.
On his Muck&Brass blog Niall Connolly called members "jackasses" and said a leaflet was "like a Nazi call to arms".
However, Mr Connolly rejected the idea that the councillors had resigned as a result of his blog, having attended the meeting himself on Tuesday.
He added that he had been trying to "bring attention to the local problems in Somerton concerning Somerton Town Council."
The council will have to hold new elections as there are now too few councillors to make official decisions.
'Ethnic cleansing'
Mr Connolly began his blog in 2006.
In one entry, he writes that a council pamphlet entitled 'Good Citizens' and regarding voting rights "reads more like a Nazi call to arms or an invitation to ethnic cleansing."
In another, he complains "clown" councillors have ignored democracy and behave as though they had "only just discovered the word".
He goes on: "And now, as Somerton starts to find a voice, you bunch of jackasses start to whisper the 'D' word."
South Somerset District Council will have to arrange new elections.
In response to the resignations, businessman Mr Canvin, 61, said: "I'm not going to tolerate it when I'm working for the town.
"I started it. I said 'I've had enough' and handed in my resignation."
A motion was then proposed that members leave due to "impossible working conditions", leading to 11 resignations with another walking out in sympathy, and one more on holiday.
That left just two councillors remaining, not enough for the one third quorum required.
