Look what's a-rose in Isleworth
Anybody living in Isleworth who fancies a bit of light relief could do worse than to read the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of The Rose, the "news"letter of the "Isleworth Labour Team". News of the ILT's death, like Mark Twain's, has been exaggerated - but by no means greatly.They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Thus it is that for all the ICG's alleged non-activity since its three councillors were elected with a massive majority in May 2002, every event for which the leaflet claims credit (except for one, which it is welcome to) has actually been the work of the ICG and the organised community:* "Mogden Court Victory" - after incurring the wrath of the community for trying to take the credit for the work of the resident-led Mogden Residents' Action Group, The Rose very graciously accepts that MRAG played its part after all - then tries to imply that it has been involved with the MRAG campaign. Hopefully nobody will think to remind us that one Alan Sheerins actually had a letter published in the Brentford, Chiswick & Isleworth Times a few months ago (not to mention similar statements on this forum) accusing MRAG of being an ICG front group!* "267 Bus - Survey" - evidently the ILT plans to conduct a survey of the 267 bus service. Where could they have got the idea for this from, one wonders? Not from the two well-publicised surveys already conducted by the ICG, surely?* "Park Road Parking" - The Rose seeks local residents' views on rat-running through Old Isleworth to see "what can be done". Presumably nobody has told them that a road plan incorporating a 20mph speed limit was approved at the last meeting of the Isleworth & Brentford Area Committee following a long residents' campaign led by ICG Chair David Freeman?* "20 Church Street, Old Isleworth" - Apparently Labour councillors (by implication only Labour councillors) have "rejected" the most recent scheme for development of this site. Sadly there wasn't space on the leaflet to point out that the Area Committee's concerns were ignored by the Labour-dominated Sustainable Development Committee, which approved the application two days later.* Traffic Schemes" - New safety measures along Twickenham Road which were successfully negotiated by ICG councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs are apparently the work of Labour ex-councillors many years ago. Labour also claims credit for "improvements" along Worton Road which, in this instance, we are happy to concede. The works in question were introduced to mitigate speeding caused by Hounslow Council's imposition, without consultation, of parking restrictions which were deeply unpopular with residents. Hounslow completely ignored the objections of Isleworth ward councillors to force these "improvements" through Area Committee.Although already so obsolete that had it been our leaflet we would have put the whole lot into the recycler and started again, this hilarious tract is still being distributed by New Labour's world famous leafleting team (a.k.a. The MFI Three) to addresses throughout the Isleworth ward. That it takes two months to leaflet a ward which the ICG would cover comfortably within a week gives some idea of the party's local strength.Its only useful purpose would appear to be to introduce the ILT's new contact man Chris Boucher to potential voters in Isleworth. Chris, readers will be surprised to learn, is another board member of that famously "non-political", publicly-funded council agency Hounslow Homes, and is currently telling everybody who will listen that he is to be a New Labour candidate in Isleworth ward at the next local elections. Again, as the selection process has not yet even taken place, this gives some indication of the party's strength in the area.Residents of Isleworth are already looking forward in a spirit of eager anticipation to the March/April issue of this literary masterpiece. Suggested features include last month's weather forecast and a stirring account of how Labour councillors led the fight against the Worton Green development.Watch this space...
Phil Andrews ● 7389d0 Comments