Forum Topic

Tomorrow's Bye-Elections.

One wonders how high the "Turn Out" figures will be. Hopefully more than the usual 30%.Shame that there are so many Candidates up for election ...instead of having a "two horse" race.That David Kerr chap seems very positive, active and bright. He says that support for him was encouragingafter a well supported door-knocking exercise.Would he provide the "Shake Up"required?

Jim Lawes ● 28d15 Comments

Sounds just like our LieBor councillors and candidates in Ealing. Arrogant with a pervasive smell of entitlement. They also seem to attract a a cohort of apologists who believe that LieBore are untouchable. A very rude awakening is coming I hope.

N V Brooks ● 26d

You can see from the film clip on the Brentford Today site the good grace with which the local Labour candidate and her entourage accepted the will of the people who voted.Their stony faces and refusal to congratulate the winner before being ordered out by one of their number indicates to me that they had a sense of entitlement to our votes and that we 'got it wrong'.I may be wrong of course....

Keith Iddon ● 26d

You must realise that the reporting back about who has already voted doesn't and can't be done immediately and that goes for any party doing telling.

Anne England ● 26d

All I saw was a massive Dirty tricks campaign against Theo Dennison ! I had the Labour Party knock on my door mid afternoon to ask if I had voted. That’s despite being accosted outside the polling station to see my voting card by one other than the dear leader! Obviously he didn’t pass the message on to his colleagues as he informed me it was so they knew who had voted and would not bother people.I certainly did not vote for any of the mainstream Parties and I know many on Brentford Dock were the same. Especially after the Fairview debacle.

David Cook ● 26d

The Mission Hall polling station on  the Haverfield Estate in Brentford East has been open for over 7 hoursas at 3.15pm ... yet only some 70 locals have turned up so far to place their votes.What does one make of that?

Jim Lawes ● 27d

Wait and see. If Theo is elected we will have my fears confirmed.

Guy Lambert ● 27d

Guy - really? I don't know John Dale (Brentford TV) very well, and neither do I have a clue what his politics are. What I do know is that he is filling the large gap left since the demise of our once valued local press. Do tell - how do you have politics without controversy? Is Labour so bloody arrogant that they feel they cannot ever get things wrong and shouldn't be held to account? Since when was it frowned upon for light to be shone into murky corners? Perhaps the current Labour group could try conducting themselves properly instead of the chancers and wannabees that they look like a lot of the time? Who in the middle of by elections doesn't engage with local media and does it so bloody discourteously? The local press was never the poodle of the council and were good at attending council meetings and holding councillors to account on a weekly basis, that is what John Dale has been trying to do, but in the light of people refusing point blank to talk to him - well we can all draw our own inferences from that. Had the Labour group been given a gun with which to shoot themselves in their collective feet they couldn't have made much more of a disaster of these by elections had they tried. From the distinctly dodgy nominations and selections and on it's all been a dog's dinner. And no amount of trying to blame it all on others will wash.

Vanessa Smith ● 27d

Today's the day ... you might be unhappy about tomorrow ... when the results are announced!

Jim Lawes ● 27d

I agree it was a bad idea to not engage with John Dale, but the way he operates is the reason. He loves controversy. I don't truly know what his politics are, but he is determinedly against the council and is always looking for a fight to drive clicks. I even have people on the left criticising me for standing up for my former party and trying to lead people to understand what Theo Dennison is all about. We have at least one decent Green candidate and at least one decent Tory (I don't know the others) and whatever the process of selection and the way the Labour candidates present themselves to the 'press' the candidates, both of whom I know quite well, will be excellent councillors if elected.

Guy Lambert ● 27d

Well I agree, that's the point isn't it Paul? Why this lot are being so coy and precious is anyone's guess, or is it more arrogant and over-confident? All I know is come May 2026 the whole lot will be up for election, so they'd better start having a change of attitude and bloody quick too.

Vanessa Smith ● 27d

I am still puzzled why the two Labour candidates refuse to take part in any interviews with the local media to get their message out thereI assume they must chat on the doorstep when canvassing or are they being shielded from this as well?When I stood to be elected many years ago I and my colleagues were always determined to get our voices heard as much as possible by potential voters

Paul Fisher ● 27d

Like ✅ Anne!

Jim Lawes ● 28d

Do you think it will be a bye-bye by-election?

Anne England ● 28d

Hooray!  A response!!.Thanks for that Vanessa.Does one sense apathy amongst readers?My OP was to activate points of viewbelieve it or not.

Jim Lawes ● 28d

All I can say is, God help us, that's all Brentford needs.

Vanessa Smith ● 28d