With Del-boy leaving the Liberal Democrats that was a bit of a blow but something the Liberal Democrats could get over. Julia Hayward leaving the Liberal Democrats is big news and a big blow to their chances in Eaton Socon and the county seat at the County Council elections in 2013.
Why? Because Julia was able to get out and campaign and put in the work needed to try and win elections. Many Liberal Democrats (and other parties do the same) stand "paper candidates". Whether or not I agree with Julia on policy, she has put in a vast amount of time to try and get elected and that should be praised. Julia's resignation from the Liberal Democrats could mean the Liberal Democrats give up in fighting for seats and let the Conservatives in.
Is this the time for a new political party for St Neots? The scene maybe changing with the main opposition out of the loop. With the abysmal pay at the local level of government for Councillors I believe there would be few takers for this type of local party for St Neots.
Maybe the type of Independents collective they have in St Ives could be a possibility. I doubt whether this would happen.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
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There's a huge problem with parties that stretch from Westminster and Europe right down to parish councils, in that elections at the bottom level are treated as nothing more than a barometer for higher up. Witness Miliband and Clegg announcing the start of the local campaigns by talking about Westminster issues. They should be irrelevant!
One huge frustration for me was seeing years of hard work undermined at a stroke by what I saw as calamitous decisions higher up the "food chain" which I had no control over. I said in my resignation that I'm not defecting elsewhere, but I wouldn't be averse to going indy in the future - the voting figures from 2011 show I had quite a personal vote over and above the LD base, and I met people who said they voted for me *despite* me being an LD. I think there is a lot of resentment at local level that we get stuck with councillors simply because they are loyal to the party flag, not because they really care about the town and are prepared to work their arses off for the greater good, and certainly not because they are competent and trustworthy. I think also that the increasing ability to keep in touch with people electronically will shift the balance back from organised parties to the individual. I'm sitting 2012 out but I shall be watching very closely.
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