It occurred to me that leading up to Mays election it might be interesting to write a weekly, or even more regular , piece on the campaign. If nothing else it will be interesting for me to look back on and it might hopefully encourage some more to get involved.
It might hopefully also add a chapter to what will undoubtedly be a best-selling book at some point or perhaps not.
I choose now to do it as I received the first campaign leaflet on Saturday, delivered to our home by one Labour candidate and his supporters. Upon reading it I went to the door and took the party to task.
A local election, and a leaflet talking about the NHS, the economy and other national issues. Indignant I told the group how it simply wasn’t relevant, The District Council wasn’t about what was in the Leaflets. Their answer was a simple one, they know that but they want to rally against the Tories and promote and anti-government voting tsunami that will mean people vote Labour as the natural alternative to the Conservatives.
I tweeted to the world afterwards, how terrible this was, how not talking about local issues was failing the electorate but on reflection, I can’t blame them.
The Government and the Conservative party , seem to be giving a gift to Labour every couple of weeks . Gifts that will eventually form the keys to number 10. Mr Zahawi and his graceless dismissal the latest in a long line of damaging incidents involving a government already in trouble.
Labour don’t need to do anything other than point out the very obvious failings of their opponents to win a landslide. Everyone knows it and it has filtered down into local elections. The message is simple. The Tories are appalling vote Labour to be rid of them. Its fully understandable and at national level its completely accurate.
Indeed its just my view but I think for the first time our current MP may well be under threat from Labour at the next election. I think he would be under even more threat if the Lib Dems and the Greens didn’t go on their usual pointless campaigns, They spent the lead up to the election telling everyone how we need a new MP and do the very thing that will help keep him post, split the vote.
I also think that if the other parties stood down and allowed a quality Independent to have a one on one fight with Mr H, he would be toast. But they wont , so it won’t happen.
At local level, the Tories in the last round of elections told the Forest of Dean how much work they had done on the roads. That was their pitch! Firstly this was BS as anyone who had driven on the roads would know and secondly it again had nothing to do with District County as Roads are a County Council responsibility.
I suspect their leaflets this time will spout some more rubbish about the economy, but it may well drift into the Local plan . I say this as the Local plan is a way that both the Tories and the Greens see the Local Plan as a way of scaring people into voting for them. Skyscrapers in Lydney to removal of baby deer from The Forest and you might be near the level of BS these two groups have been talking about the Local plan. The truth is they either have no clue how to grow the Forest without destroying it in the case of the local Tories , to just wanting to build new eco splendid towns in Churcham or near Redmarley at the expense of the rest of the Forest in the case of the Greens.
Of course , actually at FODDC, the Conservatives are little more than a minority group. Labour even smaller and the Greens a small but vocal part of the council.
But this doesn’t fit in with the Labour leaflet, it doesn’t fit with them and their “ get the Tories out vote Labour” strategy. That’s because at FODDC the Tories are not in and very unlikely to be in May.
Now the campaign proper has started, am I confident ? Not in the slightest. In some ways fear of what may well happen is driving me.
I know in my heart that the FODDC should remain Independently led and free from political steer. I'm also arrogant enough to believe that my cabinet and I as Leader have done a good job and are the best fit to continue that work.
But am I confident ? Not at all.
I'm not even confident of winning my own ward election
The Government being so despised could well be Labours gift and the Independents downfall at FODDC and unless we respond, its us that is toast
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