I believe Party Politics should be kept to a minimum in the Council Chamber. Sometimes Labour Group whips lead to politically corrupt decision making, because Labour Councillors can only vote for other Labour Councillors, you have the ridiculous situation of the same person being Mayor for 5 times, instead of on the basis of seniority, merit and suitability, irrespective of Party Politics.
No doubt at the Council AGM in May we will probably have yet another Labour Councillor coming forward for Mayor for the third time.
If just one Labour Councillor wants to be Mayor then all 21 Labour Councillors must vote for that person, they cannot vote for a proven long serving non-Labour Councillor, like Sandra Haigh, otherwise they can face expulsion from the Party. That’s Labour’s Democracy in action !
This is just one example of Labour’s faulty way of thinking – another, is that Labour has put £39,000 of your Council Tax aside now, so that after the next election in 2021 a Labour controlled Council can give all Councillors each new shiny laptops and ipads, supposedly to go paperless, even though the report by Officers shows it will additionally cost over £9,650 per year more to do that. Not cheaper for you. Not environmentally better for you.
Yet another example….in 2015 the Council paid £47,507 to keep the 82 lights on the A167, on for safety reasons, for 10 years. That agreement expires in August 2025. Labour on the Town Council has refused to make any provision for future years, saying it didn’t agree with paying for it again, however, if the Labour controlled County Council won’t pay for it in 2025, then the lights will be removed. Why not use the money for Councillors laptops, ipads and personal email system etc, and put it towards the next lighting agreement. These are just three examples of Labour’s flawed thinking.
You stopped Jeremy Corbyn from being Prime Minister. You proved we could get Brexit done. Now You, the silent majority, can help keep the Corbynistas off the Town Council.
In the Great Aycliffe Town Council By-Election in Woodham on Thursday 5th March you have the opportunity of sending the Corbynista Labour Party a message.
Vote for Clive Taylor-Sholl Independent. A quality person who will put the community first, without strings being pulled by party dogma. Change things, yes You can.
Cllr Arun M Chandran
Independent
