It’s been a while since I had the organisational ability to keep this blog current but over the last few weeks, something has been drawn to my attention that just doesn’t pass my sniff test so must be worthy of a blog entry. I have also drawn it to the attention of our local M.P. Cheryl Gillan (Conservative).
My local Parish Council seem to have unilateral decided that they prefer the cosy atmosphere of a one party (Conservative) council and where coercion has failed to achieve this, they have set about, at the taxpayers expense, to force an unneeded election for two council wards with independent, hard-working, involved & dedicated councillors, of proven track-record, in place.
The role of the Parish Council is to look after our open spaces, allotments, children’s play areas, cemeteries and burials along with street lighting.
What possible purpose could having one political party controlling a council have at this level? Will a Conservative Parish Council insist on blue street lighting, Labour red and the independent candidates any old colour that takes their fancy? I don’t think so.
So, I have copied the contents of a pdf from one of the independent candidates into my blog (below) so that you can make up you own mind about how this might sit with you.
Any comments I will pass on.
10 things you should now know before next week’s CSP Council elections
- The campaign over the last 3 weeks, called CSP: People not Politics has been an attempt to gauge whether our village does want only paid up members of the Conservative Party serving on its council, or whether villagers think that belonging to a specific political party is irrelevant in a local parish council.
- Neighbouring parish councils are not party political like ours – they welcome candidates, regardless of their political affiliations. There is more information on this issue of party-political parish councils on the CSP Forum (with over 3000 views) and on the Facebook page CSP: People not Politics!
- Some residents of CSP will get 2 chances to vote this Thursday – a National vote for Parliament, and a District vote (for CDC).
- Residents who live in Austenwood and Central ward are fortunate enough to get 3 votes: they also get to choose who represents them on our village Parish Council.
- Unfortunately, residents from Goldhill and Chalfont Common wards do not get to choose their parish councillors. They were announced in April already (3 Conservative Party members for Goldhill, and 5 Conservative Party members for Chalfont Common).
- Central ward residents vote in the CSP Church Hall in Church Lane, and you have a choice of 6 people (5 Conservative candidates and 1 Independent candidate) – for 5 parish council seats.
- Austenwood residents vote in the Church in Oval Way, and can vote for a maximum of 2 people (from 2 Conservative candidates and 1 Independent candidate) – for 2 parish council seats.
- You DO NOT have to use your maximum number of votes (5 for Central and 2 for Austenwood) – you can choose to only vote for 1 or 2 people, if you prefer.
BUT you may not vote more than once for a single candidate. Multiple crosses next to a single candidate’s name will make the vote invalid and it will be discarded as a spoilt ballot paper. - Both Independent candidates currently serve on the parish council and would have continued to do so, had they folded to demands to join the Conservative Party – BOTH independent candidates refused to be coerced and insisted on standing as Independent volunteers, rather than as political party candidates.
- If you do think that our parish council should be more democratic, and more representative of our village, then you need to do your bit by turning out on Thursday and putting a cross next to the name of the Independent candidates who want to continue volunteering in our village, without submitting to party political pressure.
It is that easy to affect change at a local, parish level .Please don’t waste your vote on Thursday?
Yours hopefully
CSP: People not Politics!
marcolipsey 