I would like to remind everyone to think about what you are voting for in the forthcoming elections. There are distinct votes taking place for Town Council and County Council.
Your representatives on the Town Council only work in the context of the Town Councils remit, which is totally Aycliffe. Your County Council representatives have to work with consideration for all of County Durham.
Be aware that all the Labour County Councillors also currently sit on the Town Council and are paid by both Councils. This can cause conflict, with, on at least one occasion, these Councillors leaving a Town Council meeting claiming a ‘conflict of interest’. They need to decide which side of this ‘conflict of interest’ they sit on and not undermine the opportunity for challenge between the Town and County agendas, but I see many of them are again wanting to ride both horses.
Your County Councillors, in my view, have two distinct roles, different to the Town Councillors. They have the responsibility for neighbourhood budgets and they need to shout up for Aycliffe in the committees and meetings in Durham. The best way to optimise neighbourhood budgets for the Town is for the 7 councillors to work together. This is why you will see many projects with cross party budgets being used. Scott and I frequently worked with Labour on either Ward or Town specific projects. Conversely at County Hall cooperation is less likely as your Labour Councillors, to my recollection, without exception, follow the party whip and do not vote against anything their cabinet decide.
This is why you need different voices in County Hall. Labour leaders have taken many initiatives across the County but little for Aycliffe Town Centre. The investment in the Industrial Park is fantastic but that is seen as a County asset, generating income and jobs beyond Aycliffe itself. Your Labour Councillors, instead, support initiatives like moving County Hall into Durham centre, justifying it by the creation of an employment park that has most of its jobs forecast many years into the future, well after all of them will have left their roles.
It is imperative we have a voice to challenge the Labour dominance of the County and deliver fair investment in our town. We have 5 Labour County Councillors, if they lost their seats the entire balance of power in Durham changes. You have a real opportunity to deliver a change, please do so and vote Conservative.
Paul Howell
