In fewer than four weeks time Bexley faces a choice. The feeling is that
Labour locally, given the disaster that has unfolded in No. 10 Downing Street,
cannot possibly improve on its present total of twelve Councillors; unless
perhaps the Right is split and they sneak through the gap.
If Bexley Conservatives win control again what can we look forward to? It is hard to
see that the borough would not be forced into more managed decline. Is that even
possible? I have several times challenged the Tories to name a single thing that is better now
than when they took charge in 2006. Every single service which can be legally
outsourced has been outsourced and still the Chief Executive who has no direct
control over much of his Empire is paid top dollar.
The Conservatives would argue that they are the safe bet and they will
no doubt get the vote of steadfast Tory supporters and the risk averse despite their talent pool of
candidates being drained. Many of them are not standing for election again and both the brainy ones have gone, but at least
a Tory Council will ensure that Bexley remains relatively free of
the wokery that has wrecked our Socialist neighbour to the West.
Councillors, both Conservative and Labour, vote as a single block. There is no
room for independent thought and their only distinguishing feature is whether
they come across to observers as decent people or are in it for the power trip.
On that basis very few Tories pass muster. Judged solely on whether they have
argued well at meetings and/or their responsiveness to the public including me,
then if I was a Conservative supporter I would feel happy to vote for Frazer
Brooks (Blackfen & Lamorbey) , Steven Hall (East Wickham),
Lisa-Jane Moore (Longlands) and Cameron Smith (St. Mary’s & St. James). Maybe David Leaf (Blendon & Penhill) too for his
inexhaustible knowledge of pretty much everything.
Newcomer Eliot Smith (West Heath) may be worth a shot (a strong Brexit campaigner in 2016) but other than those, you are endorsing nothing
but Conservative voting fodder with few redeeming features. They are a block vote. If you are a dyed in the
wool Tory, place your X against any one of them. Ultimately they are all the
same. They will plough on along the
same old furrow keeping Bexley among the highest taxing boroughs and lying about
keeping all their Manifesto promises. Those named are in my experience, the
basically good guys but they will all follow the whip.
Applying the same logic to Labour Councillors, if you are a long term supporter
but struggling under their national policies, and possibly dithering, then Chris
Ball (Erith), Jeremy Fosten and Sally Hinkley (both in Belvedere), Larry
Ferguson (Thamesmead East) and Stefano Borella (Slade Green and North
End) are all safe bets. Decent enough performers in the Council chamber and/or
hard working ward Councillors. All people who want to build Council houses
whether it bankrupts us or not but all people I would be happy to have living next
door whilst several Tories would have me considering a house move.
So if I was a Tory supporter or a Labour supporter I would know what to do.
If I was a Green supporter I would know what to do too. Book an urgent
appointment with a mental health professional but what to do if I was inclined
towards Reform UK? Maybe it is time we jumped out of the Tory rut that has led
us to where we are but the Reform candidates are unknowns to most of us. Fortunately a Bonkers reader helps out a little with both of the upstart parties.
Until a few years ago I lived in Berkeley Avenue [off Brampton Road] but since then moved into Kent. Several
of the street trees had died and been cut down. I
wrote to Bexley Council about them only to be told that they could not be replaced because of the cost.
I tried contacting Her Royal Highness O’Neill but got a pretty blunt reply with the same message.
Undaunted I put together a catalogue of reasons why the trees were important along with some facts and figures and sent it to
every Bexley Councillor and managed to get
the News Shopper to do a piece on it.
My own Councillor, John Davey [Conservative, West Heath] came to visit me and was most apologetic.
He personally wanted to get the trees replaced but could not go against his Leader’s doctrine.
The only other reply was from Lynn Smith and Mac McGannon who were at the time UKIP
Councillors (but not in my ward). They asked if they could come and speak to
me and see the road/trees in question.
They spent over an hour with us and Lynn was a really lovely lady. They said they would raise the matter at
the earliest possible opportunity and after a bit of a delay the trees were replaced.
I then got an email from Teresa O’Neil attempting to claim credit for the tree
replacement. There seems to be a natural transition from UKIP to Reform
and based on my experience I can only hope they are elected.
And by the way I’ve just seen that a Green candidate has won an election where I now live in Kent and with a 39% majority. How on earth is that possible? I despair.
Given the foregoing,
Blackfen & Lamorbey presents an enormous dilemma; or maybe not.
Perhaps the choice is obvious. James Hunt the Independent Councillor the Tories
didn’t want because he is a bit too independent minded, Lynn Smith for
being “a really lovely lady” prepared to help anyone and Frazer Brooks for old times’ sake and being
such a friendly sort of guy.
Memory says it was another Blackfen & Lamorbey candidate who was
behind
the tree embargo; our notorious blogging friend, Peter Craske but a little
research says Public Realm had been taken over by Councillor Don Massey after the police incident.