9 April (Part 3) - Spoilt for choice
Last
Sunday I asked Anna Firth - does anyone need reminding that she is Erith & Thamesmead’s Conservative election candidate? - where she was going to get the
money that might save Belvedere’s Splash Park from a council hell bent on cuts.
I didn’t think it entirely fair that she should apparently muscle in on an
existing campaign to save it.
I had been alerted to Anna’s posters in shop windows in Nuxley Road accompanied
with comment to the effect that shopkeepers had been deceived by the lack of any
reference to Anna’s political allegiance and some were “furious” about it. Then I
became aware of opposing views so I thought the acid test might be to see
if the posters were still on display best part of a week later.
And so I found myself in Nuxley Road this morning shortly after seven thirty. It
was a time dictated by a tight schedule but a mistake nevertheless. Most of the
shops had their shutters down. Despite that I found more posters on display
today than I did on Sunday.
The conclusion must be that if Anna Firth has infuriated shopkeepers it
certainly cannot be all of them.
As I said on Sunday, far too often when I enter a Twitter debate I live to regret it.
Anna is undoubtedly an intelligent and well connected lady and I suspect she is
not entirely devoid of ideas about getting hold of enough cash to deflect Bexley
council from its ambitions. Getting her hands on it within the next four weeks
will be a tall order but she has very sensibly arranged a meeting with councillor Daniel
Francis who has been pursuing the same aims since November. One must hope some good comes of it.
Erith & Thamesmead is very fortunate to have two hard working ladies vying to
represent the constituency. One with a proven track record which I more than
most have every reason to appreciate - but with a leader who I personally think
would be an unmitigated disaster for the country as Prime Minister.
The other has
campaigned tirelessly for the past couple of months such that no one
could doubt her enthusiasm and good intentions - but with a leader whose judgment
I believe to be seriously flawed and who has disappointed me with almost
everything he has done and not done. What a dilemma!
Maybe Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish Nationalist Party) will help me come to a
decision. I flicked on the TV last night after returning - via the pub - from
the cabinet meeting and caught the end of the televised debate.
The anti-Union, ponce off the English, give up on defence midget was berating
David Coburn, the UKIP Scottish MEP and former UKIP Bexley chairman, for
something I only half caught. It seems to me that anyone who can wind up the
little Commie to that extent must have got something right. Unless someone lands
a knockout blow I am going to wander into that polling booth with three marked
straws. Never has an election been so important and never have I felt so indecisive.