Forum Topic

Local Council elections 5th May 2022

Oh well, somebody has to start the conversation and my first leaflet is from Osterley & Spring Grove Conservatives.  It’s actually the second leaflet but the first was so bad I wrote to them and binned it.I enjoy getting these newsletters in the run up to an election and do wonder how difficult it is for candidates to compete with sitting Councillors, especially when the sitting Councillors are as good as ours are.This ‘’Osterley and Spring Grove” newsletter doesn’t give me hope about what the Conservative candidates can do.The comments about Tesco/Homebase and the opposition to the development do not reflect the hard work of our Ward Councillors, Councillor Tony Louki, Councillor Unsa Chaudri and Councillor Richard Eason, working with OWGRA.  The Councillors letter to The Secretary of State and its follow up to the Planning inspectorate are top notch.The newsletter ends with “Please let us know the one thing which most concerns you in your local area” and gives me a box to fill in.  The newsletter itself is headed with 3 photographs and my ‘one thing’ is in the first photograph.  I got quite excited when I saw the photograph but there is no mention of anyone with local knowledge identifying the problem, nor any mention of ‘taking action’. It is, like this newsletter, just a photograph.( If I say the photograph is of the Gillette tower … can anyone guess what is wrong? )

Sarah Felstead ● 816d23 Comments

Raymond makes a very good point, and the point about whether you should have a local election vote if you are not registered for council tax in the borough where you live,as all over 18's shpuld be, is worth considering.That has nothing to do with class or property ownership.

Keith Iddon ● 804d

But only one vote.  That's the whole point. Everyone else gets one vote whatever their circumstances

Raymond Havelock ● 806d

Many people don't pay council tax but still have a vote. It's universal suffrage.

Peter Evans ● 806d

Of course not. That's not the point.But you should only be able to vote in one place.Students do not pay council tax but local elections very much determine council tax for those who do.If a Student lives all year round in the same place then they should be registered there only.Term time sees a huge increase in local population and higher demand on services and amenities.That is not met with additional funding. I have a business premises leased in another borough. I can either register to vote there or I can register to vote here. But I cannot do both.So what's the difference between students and me?Apart from having to pay full Council tax in both locations.

Raymond Havelock ● 806d

Presumably you are liaising with the police and national media, then.

Anne England ● 806d

Always surprised by the very high turnout of postal votes from Council  run Care Homes, much higher than the national average.

Philippa Auton ● 807d

Information is for the Police and the national media only, sorry.

Philippa Auton ● 807d

Students can register in both their home and student constituencies, but in national elections they are only allowed to vote in one place while in local elections they can vote in both. Maybe you'd like to abolish the 1918 Representation of the People Act and bring back property owning qualifications for voting?

Peter Evans ● 807d

The biggest problem is loopholes rather than fraud.Is it right that Students ( most of whom do not pay council tax) can vote in both the locality of where they are studying and at their maternal home. ?This is allowed and almost impossible to check.No-one is breaking the law, but it does damage the representation of long term and full time council tax paying residents.

Raymond Havelock ● 808d

Apologies - should read Philippa.

Vanessa Smith ● 808d

This is from the Electoral Commission data for 2020. Phillipa's accusations are unwarranted and wildly exaggerated, where there is any suggestion of fraud it is not confined to any one particular party either, throwing daft theories about as if they are solid facts is ridiculous.'Local by-elections took place across Great Britain between January and March 2020. After March, the only elections held – which took place under coronavirus restrictions – were eight Scottish Council by-elections in the autumn of 2020. 15 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated by the police. Of these, 12 resulted in either no further action or were locally resolved by police. 3 remain under investigation.'

Vanessa Smith ● 808d

That's a pretty big accusation, Philippa. Can you substantiate what you are saying? Names, times and places would be helpful.

Anne England ● 808d

Does voting matter when it’s common knowledge that postal Voting fraud is rife?  Perhaps greater scrutiny this year may prevent  boxes of ballot papers (postal votes) entering  into the counting hall carried in boxes by corrupt Labour  council candidates.

Philippa Auton ● 808d

Labour councillors will not pay the price. They will still be elected. Because too many people will not vote for the candidates who can have enough votes to beat the Labour, regardless of how much damage they do.

Alex Shpinkov ● 811d

I agree there are a couple of respectable Tory councillors in Chiswick but quite honestly the sh*tstorm going on in Westminster will impact on them not matter how unfair that may seem. Similarly the few decent Labour councillors - they will pay the price for a leader and leadership that has been found wanting. Seems to me they either find their spines and stand up for what they believe in because if they stay silent and acquiesce then they are just as bad.

Vanessa Smith ● 812d

I have been a Conservative voter all my life Vanessa but even I am appalled with Boris and his cohort. The problem is, and I do empathise with your dilemma, is that it really is only the Conservatives locally who pose any challenge to what pretends to be a Labour council. Sadly, the number of good community representativees for Labour in both Hounslow or Ealing can be counted on one hand.

N V Brooks ● 812d

Problem is the electorate rarely think of it like that - and politicians know it and capitalise on it. - Thats how so many policies get in through the back door.It's always the case that local elections follow the pattern of the mood over national government and it swings both ways whatever party is in power.Also when a ruling government is in a mid term pickle ( which is pretty much the norm for British politics over the last 50 years it makes it virtually impossible for local politicians of the same party to effectively campaign, as generally they are seldom and happier with their own government than the rest of the electorate.Its probably the strongest case against having local politics dominated by political parties and leads to the kind of half baked local councils we are dogged with.Will the electorate ever wake up to this? Not while it's advantageous to one side or the other.

Raymond Havelock ● 813d

I think the two things are entirely separate too, I find myself in a real predicament this time around though. I won't, and will never, vote Conservative come what may, but quite honestly the council are so far removed from the Labour party I once knew and are so dreadful, untrustworthy and dictatorial, plus a lot of councillors really haven't a clue. There's no way I will vote for them. Given that there will be candidates representing other parties you'd think that would give a choice, but I really feel so annoyed and fed-up with these LTNs and cycleways that are so rarely used that the others also support, which are a deal breaker for me, I may for the first time in my  life, and against everything I believe in, just not bother. I wonder if these people know, and if they do, do they care about the damage to local democracy that this 'cult' like set-up with the glorious one holding sway, and others with an independent mindset who question and challenge, pushed out into the cold?

Vanessa Smith ● 813d

Don't waver. Westminster doesn't give a flying fig about local issues in LBH. A protest vote against all that is wrong in Downing Street will only buy you another fours year of the Dear leader and the Politburo locally.

N V Brooks ● 813d

I have always held that votes in local elections should be about local matters and not for 'sending a message to national government'.This year I'm wavering in that opinion.

Susan Kelly ● 814d

You do know that Richard Eason is having to appeal to be on the list of candidates for May? Having fallen foul of the all great and knowing Leader - he had his card marked, and as I understand it is appealing to the Labour party regional office. You'd think given the paucity of quality of some of our councillors they really can't afford not to have people like him wouldn't you?

Vanessa Smith ● 814d

You have only to look at the state of the borough to realise change is needed. The dear leader aka Curran runs the place and in true socialist fashion his kiss arse councillors follow. Any dissent is met with immediate suspension. Two of his morons decided to close roads all over the borough because of the pandemic without the brains to realise all they were doing was stopping traffic not the virus and when residents answered their survey with a resounding 'no' what did they do - ignored them. Let's ask our councillors this: Are any of them willing to do the job for expenses only, their allowances to be paid directly to the care of the old. I believe that would contribute to about one million pounds being given to where it's desperately needed

Robert Ayres ● 816d

There are good councillors out there and in both main parties.Then there are a few exceptional councillors. Cllr. Louki certainly one of that very small band.But so many things have been completely undermined at council meetings.Labour Councillors from the West End of the Borough regularly vote against the labour Councillors from other parts of the Borough or abstain.The behaviour of some councillors chairing meetings who goad their own councillors if not following their line shows that change is needed.Those chairing should not be allowed to vote or influence a vote.The worst debacle of all is a Chair who did not declare her involvements in the debacle of Gunnersbury Parks bowls club. Broke protocols which benefitted the applicants and management of the park and voted for the abolition of a self sufficient public low cost amenity at a time when the sport of Bowls is returning to mass popularity.The opposition did not lodge complaints ( although observers did) nor did councillors of the same party. ( But must have known)So whilst those good diligent councillors do their best, they are all too often undermined by their own comrades or the influences or bad briefings of officers.It's also very obvious that many voting have not a clue on what or where they are voting on, as it's mile from where they represent and the only thing influencing them is the possibility of funding coming their way if they vote a certain way.That may be the case but at a cost of the wrong things getting passed with no understanding of the item is hardly diligent.Ultimately it retards any good benefit to the borough as a whole and stuffs up places like Brentford and Osterley.Years after it was first mentioned by someone else, Dividing Planning committees (as an example), in to Eastern and Western areas and chaired by a non voting member form the opposite end  i.e. East End member presides over West End meeting, would return some degree of impartiality and credibility to a very damaged system.At the very least those voting will have no excuse to know what and where they are voting for and truly represent the demographic of the differing districts of this borough.Are any parties wanting your vote even addressing this?Answers on a postcard!

Raymond Havelock ● 816d