Why I don't vote Lib Dem any more...

Once upon a time, in a polling booth far, far away, I voted Lib Dem. It seemed like a good idea at the time...!

Somehow the Lib Dems got to know that I had done so. The "Vote Lib Dem" poster in my kitchen window might have been a subtle clue I suppose, but my displaying that poster actually had more to do with my not wanting the well-fed, sharp-suited Tory candidate to win, than a firm belief in Lib Dem policies and principles. It was a tactical vote rather than a partisan belief.

So I was amused a few years ago, to see the Tory & Lib Dem tellers eagerly checking their lists when I gave them my electoral number on arrival at the polling station, as though I had given them the next set of numbers for Sun Bingo.

As I walked away, I heard the Lib Dem exclaim to the Tory "He's one of ours!", the Lib Dem clearly delighted to get one up on the Tory. What neither teller knew at the time was that I'd voted UKIP in that particular election, because I was now thoroughly disillusioned with all of the main parties and wanted to give somebody else a chance. The Lib Dems had been given their opportunity and had proven themselves to be no better than the big two.

Now I mention this tonight because I've had the latest edition of Standpoint drop through my letterbox today, which rather nicely demonstrates why I feel that way. The newsletter set my blood boiling actually, as it is thoroughly outrageous in places. Local politics, electioneering, at its worst.

If you are reading this, you will hopefully know that for much of last year, 2011, Eastleigh Borough Council spent a lot of time & money developing a new local plan. That plan covers the whole Borough and includes some major new housing developments at Woodhouse Lane in Hedge End and at Boorley Green, literally thousands of new homes locally. They are some very controversial proposals.

To service those new homes, some new roads are proposed locally, including a new bypass for Sundays Hill which will cut through some historic countryside, connecting Heath House Lane with Pylands Lane.

The draft local plan was put out to consultation last year and the many thousands of responses are currently being processed by Eastleigh Borough Council. More news is to follow later in the year. It is possible that the plan will be changed, but it might not. We've just got to wait patiently for the time being.

The process of creating the new local plan was firmly under the stewardship of the Lib Dems as it is the Lib Dems who currently have control of the Borough Council. They are not usually slow to remind us of that. Yes the Town Planners did all the work, but they were openly telling residents at the Consultation Roadshows that their preference was to build in Allington Lane, adding that the decsion to build in Hedge End and Boorley Green was a political decision, taken by the Lib Dems.

The only reason for taking such a decision that I can think of, and I don't just mean the Lib Dems as all parties would do likewise, is that it is the option of least electoral damage. In this case building in Hedge End is the option that is of least risk to the Lib Dems position because they have a huge majority in Hedge End.

If you follow local politics closely you'll also know that many of our Town Councillors are dual-hatters, i.e. also serving on the Borough Council. That includes the two Cllrs pictured in this edition of Standpoint, Cllr Jane Welsh and Cllr Rupert Kyrle. In practice, dual-hatting means that decisions taken in Eastleigh can easily be pushed through at Hedge End.

Which is exactly what happened with the local plan. Hedge End Town Council failed to oppose the draft local plan last year. The decision to build in Hedge End was taken at Borough level and because the Town Council is so "under the thumb" at the moment it put up virtually no opposition. The Town Council just rolled-over and thought of England, allowing Hedge End to be well & truly <answers on a postcard please!>.........  

So the Lib Dem's latest claim that they intend to save the countryside at Kings Copse is more than a bit rich. It is thoroughly outrageous. Standpoint is a campaign newsletter, nothing whatsoever to do with Hedge End Town Council. Standpoint is political and the Lib Dems are clearly trying to gain an electoral advantage, but how can they possibly have the cheek to say that they want to "Save our Countryside!" whilst doing something very different in other parts of the Town? Whilst planning to build on Woodhouse Lane, the only significant remaining chunk of Hedge End's countryside..?

There's another classic deception in the same issue of Standpoint, where the Lib Dem's refer to some new sports pitches that are to be built.

It sounds really great actually, but the Lib Dems omit to mention that these pitches are part of the development in Woodhouse Lane, which brings 1000 homes and all the consequential traffic movements into the area.

Once again they're only telling you part of the story, spinning the local news for electoral advantage in exactly the same way that Labour and the Conservatives have done previously.

If the Lib Dems had said "As part of the Woodhouse lane development, which will bring 1000 new homes to the area, the Lib Dems have secured a commitment from the developers to build some much needed sports pitches", I would have less of an argument with them.

But why can't they be honest and tell us that we're getting 1000 new homes as well as the sports pitches...?

And then, as if those deceptions weren't bad enough already, the Lib Dems have the cheek to try to shift responsibility for local development onto the Conservatives...

Frankly I've had enough of that party political nonsense, the relentless spin, the relentless deceit.

That is partly why I'm standing in the Shamblehurst by-election on 1st March, as an independent.

The other reason I'm standing is that the Lib Dems currently have an 18 to 1 majority on the Town Council. That is most unhealthy and needs to be changed. Urgently.

In my opinion, we need more people on the Town Council who are prepared to probe/challenge and question, raise the counter arguments whenever possible and who are determined to not let the Lib Dems get away with too much. At the very least, Hedge End Town Council should be forced to discuss the really big issues, like the draft local plan and new Town-twinning arrangements, but whilst there is only person (Cllr Keith Day) in opposition it often isn't possible to get a discussion onto the agenda. It needs a seconder as well as a proposer...!

I suggest that opposition is an essential part of democracy at all levels of Government, but it is not currently happening in Hedge End because the Lib Dems have been allowed to accumulate too large a majority.

Your vote for me on 1st March, whatever your usual allegiance or antipathy, really will help to make a difference.

Thank you for reading

Ray Turner
http://www.facebook.com/hedgeendindependents