The elections to control the Town Council continues with the delayed poll in Eynesbury due on 9th June 2011. The Town Council election results have the Conservatives on 13 seats with Independent gaining the new seats in East Ward.
This leaves the 7 seats up for election in Eynesbury. With all the resources available to both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives isn't it time Eynesbury was treated with respect. Both have enough party workers to come round and knock on individual doors.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
What should the Liberal Democrats do now?
This is a major question for the Liberal Democrats. Priory Park Ward and Eaton Ford ward are beyond them for the foreseeable future. There is one election left. That is Eynesbury. 7 seats remain to be won. Instead of worrying about the results, the Liberal Democrats need to throw themselves into this election with plenty of door knocking and plenty of leaflets. Don't worry about the glossy leaflets.
For the future the Liberal Democrats need to go back to regular leafleting at least once a quarter. Nothing glossy. Just a simple black and white A4 leaflet through every door in Eynesbury and Eaton Socon informing the residents of what they are doing or what they want to do. Basic campaigning really. What you do on Council is one thing. It is more important to get your message out to residents on a regular basis. Not just at election times.
For the future the Liberal Democrats need to go back to regular leafleting at least once a quarter. Nothing glossy. Just a simple black and white A4 leaflet through every door in Eynesbury and Eaton Socon informing the residents of what they are doing or what they want to do. Basic campaigning really. What you do on Council is one thing. It is more important to get your message out to residents on a regular basis. Not just at election times.
Friday, May 6, 2011
District Council Elections results
The Conservatives win again. But they weren't at all likely going to lose. The Conservatives made 4 gains against the Liberal Democrats. UKIP kept their seat in Ramsey.
In St Neots, the Liberal Democrats lost 2 seats with the Conservatives gaining both. The District Election results are:
In St Neots, the Liberal Democrats lost 2 seats with the Conservatives gaining both. The District Election results are:
Thursday, May 5, 2011
So that was the local elections! - except Eynesbury
With the close of polls I thought I would take a look back at the lacklustre campaign here in St Neots or should I say from my perspective in Eynesbury. I say lacklustre, because all I got was one leaflet each from two political parties plus a letter from each because I'm a postal voter. I wasn't even canvassed during these elections. Labour put up one candidate yet didn't even get a leaflet out.
This is the state of elections in St Neots. Yet when I go elsewhere in the country I'm stuck by the number of leaflets and posters about. This follows on from the General Election that never was. St Neots is a backwater which doesn't really do politics.
Whose fault is this state of affairs? The political parties are not inspiring the public to vote. On the otherhand the public isn't really supporting the political parties. It is a vicious circle where the political parties do less and therefore the public becomes less interested and therefore the political parties do less and so on and so on.
If the mighty Conservatives haven't got enough people to get round the ward what chance have we that other smaller parties will achieve this aim? Time for smaller single member wards.
On of the purposes of this blog is to gee up our local political parties into informing the public what is going on. In that I have failed. Indeed the political parties seem to be going backwards. Eynesbury has the Town elections pencilled in for 9th June 2011. Whoever wins, St Neots isn't served by this near silence from those who wish to govern us.
This is the state of elections in St Neots. Yet when I go elsewhere in the country I'm stuck by the number of leaflets and posters about. This follows on from the General Election that never was. St Neots is a backwater which doesn't really do politics.
Whose fault is this state of affairs? The political parties are not inspiring the public to vote. On the otherhand the public isn't really supporting the political parties. It is a vicious circle where the political parties do less and therefore the public becomes less interested and therefore the political parties do less and so on and so on.
On of the purposes of this blog is to gee up our local political parties into informing the public what is going on. In that I have failed. Indeed the political parties seem to be going backwards. Eynesbury has the Town elections pencilled in for 9th June 2011. Whoever wins, St Neots isn't served by this near silence from those who wish to govern us.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Why vote Conservative on 5th May 2011
As a natural Conservative I have to ask that question. At Huntingdonshire District Council the Conservatives have a failing budget which won't last the course. For many years the Conservatives have propped up this budget why spending the limited reserves. HDC was therefore a low council tax/high spending authority. With the fast diminishing reserves running out the Conservatives are ramping up borrowing which will cut further into the budget meaning more cuts. Sound more like Labour than a Conservative run Council.
Whilst the Conservatives have boasted about the high quality services provided, this is about to end. The Council needs to move quickly to a low council tax/low spending authority. But they haven't. With £6.6 million of cuts pencilled in and a further £2 million of cuts still needing to be found.
Not all this is the Conservative fault. Back in 2004 the Conservatives plan was for a £10 a year rise for 4 years followed by a 104% rise at the end of this period. That was back in 2004. The Labour Government stopped this by capping HDC. This has meant the option to increase Council Tax to get out of this situation was stopped.
Instead of making the cuts necessary to balance the budget the Conservatives decided to carry on regardless. This has meant even deeper cuts. The inability to raise council tax by 134% because of capping didn't stop the Conservatives boasting about keeping Council Tax low even though this was the Council would be capped by the Labour Government.
The Coalition hasn't helped, but this was expected as whatever Government was returned would have to cut the amount paid to Councils in Government Grants.
In the end the HDC Conservatives deserve a bloody nose not for the cuts, but because they have been unable to do the job properly.
The Town Council Conservatives have much to have a go at the Liberal Democrats over their 4 year rule at St Neots Town Council. But they haven't. The Conservatives want a positive message but say really little on where they want to take St Neots.
I can find in neither campaign any good reason to vote Conservative and therefore I won't.
Whilst the Conservatives have boasted about the high quality services provided, this is about to end. The Council needs to move quickly to a low council tax/low spending authority. But they haven't. With £6.6 million of cuts pencilled in and a further £2 million of cuts still needing to be found.
Not all this is the Conservative fault. Back in 2004 the Conservatives plan was for a £10 a year rise for 4 years followed by a 104% rise at the end of this period. That was back in 2004. The Labour Government stopped this by capping HDC. This has meant the option to increase Council Tax to get out of this situation was stopped.
Instead of making the cuts necessary to balance the budget the Conservatives decided to carry on regardless. This has meant even deeper cuts. The inability to raise council tax by 134% because of capping didn't stop the Conservatives boasting about keeping Council Tax low even though this was the Council would be capped by the Labour Government.
The Coalition hasn't helped, but this was expected as whatever Government was returned would have to cut the amount paid to Councils in Government Grants.
In the end the HDC Conservatives deserve a bloody nose not for the cuts, but because they have been unable to do the job properly.
The Town Council Conservatives have much to have a go at the Liberal Democrats over their 4 year rule at St Neots Town Council. But they haven't. The Conservatives want a positive message but say really little on where they want to take St Neots.
I can find in neither campaign any good reason to vote Conservative and therefore I won't.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
The Conservatives will win the District. But by how much?
The District Elections are will be Conservative win. How big the win is depends on how the Liberal Democrats vote and whether UKIP can garner enough votes.
Unless the voters utterly reject the Conservatives all over Huntingdonshire, the Conservatives are the certain winners at these elections. This Council is elected in thirds. So 22 out of 52 seats are up for election (including 2 by-elections). The wards and who currently has the seat is listed below:
Brampton - Liberal Democrat marginal
Earith - Conservative safe
Ellington - Liberal Democrat marginal
Fenstanton - Liberal Democrat marginal
Gransden and The Offords - Conservative safe
The Hemingfords - Conservative safe
The Hemingfords - Conservative safe
Huntingdon East - Conservative marginal
Huntingdon North - Liberal Democrat marginal
Huntingdon West - Conservative safe
Kimbolton and Staughton - Conservative safe
Little Paxton - Conservative safe
Little Paxton - Conservative safe
Ramsey - UKIP marginal
Somersham - Conservative safe
St Ives South - Conservative safe
St Ives South - Conservative safe
St Neots Eaton Ford - Conservative safe
St Neots Eaton Socon - Liberal Democrat marginal
St Neots Eaton Socon (by-election) - Conservative marginal
St Neots Eaton Socon (by-election) - Conservative marginal
St Neots Eynesbury - Conservative Marginal
St Neots Priory Park - Liberal Democrat marginal
Stilton - Conservative safe
Upwood and The Raveleys - Conservative safe
Yaxley and Farcet - Conservative safe
The current state of the parties are: Conservative 37 - Liberal Democrats 12 - UKIP 2 - Independent 1.
If the Conservatives lost all 15 seats they would be the largest party with 22 seats. This won't happen. With 12 out of the 15 seats classified as safe and only 3 as marginal the outcome is certainly Conservative. As all the Liberal Democrats seats are classified as marginal they could lose all 6. UKIP should retain their seat in Ramsey though it would go Conservative if they don't.
The spread of seats for the parties are:
Conservatives spread 34 - 44 seats
Liberal Democrats spread 6 - 15 seats
St Neots and Huntingdon should be battlegrounds for the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
New question mark over the cemetery
I was a bit perplexed over the secret item over the Cemeteries coming up in a spat between Cllr Hayward and candidate Roger Harrison over town council secrecy. In her reply Cllr Hayward said the reason why the recent cemetery discussion was kept secret was:
What is (1)? This is one of the reasons why the Town Council can hold discussions in secret.
PART 1 – DESCRIPTIONS OF EXEMPT INFORMATION:
1) Information relating to any individual.
So if this is information relating to an individual why wasn't this in the minutes?
The discussion was secret because this item related to an individual but all it was about was the closure of the cemeteries. This get curiouser and curiouser.
PART 1 – DESCRIPTIONS OF EXEMPT INFORMATION:
1) Information relating to any individual.
So if this is information relating to an individual why wasn't this in the minutes?
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