I can’t think what possessed me to begin
transcribing every Councillor’s
speech from the last Council meeting. The job is still ongoing nearly a month
after the event. The former Leader’s was added today, at least she can never be
accused of mumbling.
Mr. Schvorob got a mention but I didn’t. Councillor O’Neill said she wasn’t
going to list her achievements so my perennial question, how is everyday life in
Bexley better now than it was 20 years ago, went unanswered.
Now that the dust has settled after the election what should we make of it?
Obviously First Past the Post gave a significant advantage to both Conservative
and Labour parties but at least we are spared an inexperienced Council learning
on the job. On the other hand we are sentenced to more of the same. Tax
increases and service cuts and rising debt.
The Conservatives will go out of their way to make life difficult for Reform UK
Councillors as they did UKIP ten years ago. It will look as though Reform is
achieving nothing because that is what both the Conservatives and Labour parties will want.
They will connive together. As some of the aforementioned speeches admitted,
they are all cosy mates together really.
According to more than one report, on Thursday and Friday, they fiddled with previously rejected spoiled
votes to reallocate them to the favoured parties. How else do you think
Conservative and Labour losses to Reform UK were miraculously changed into them
being beaten by just one or two votes?
On the other hand it is alleged that some losing Reform candidates refused to
stand on the stage during declarations. Reform UK night do well to drop some
people from any future candidate list.
Who is going to fill Melvin Seymour’s boots in the Cabinet after losing in West
Heath? As far as I could tell he did a decent enough job on Adults’ Services
and I forgave him for never acknowledging my three hundred quid on the Bexley
Box scheme. My money would be on Cameron Smith for a Cabinet job. Young and
ambitious and a good deal brighter than some of the Conservatives
re-elected.