Bungling Labour!

Grumpy Smurf!

The national election resulted in a high turnout at this years polling stations.  Over 60% of the electorate turned up at Chadwell and somehow a very quiet, inactive Labour Party came into power in Chadwell Ward.  I think they were as surprised as anyone and having been a former candidate for them, I am aware that one of their candidates Andy Walker has never been interested in the role .  It will be interesting to see how he deals with the number of local requests for assistance from the Chadwell Community.  Moreover the other young candidate has never been heard of before, I forget her name...? 

The Labour Party must have drawn their candidates out of a hat without any real selection process, as one of their candidates Mark Gittens, is employed by the council as a school teacher.  This conflict of interest makes him ineligible to be a candidate and a by-election will be called shortly!  

 Mr Gittens is threatening to challenge the council on his ineligibility, despite the rather sheepish apology from new Labour leader Bob Littlewood, featured in this weeks Ilford Recorder.  Sour grapes is an image that comes to mind.

Labour failed to win control of Redbridge Council despite recording their best results for a long while. Redbridge Council now has a LibCon coalition that mirrors the national government.  The only difference between the National picture and our local political framework, is that we do not yet have our first ever Green elected member.  The people of Chadwell have an opportunity to change this statistic and could yet vote in the hardest working candidate in Redbridge/Chadwell our own Wilson Chowdhry.

Our existing electoral mechanism is very biased and favours the two largest parties.  The first past the post  system induces negative voting - individuals vote against the party they least favour (tactical voting).  This inappropriate way of voting had squeezed the votes of smaller parties, such as the Green Party. In the face of such obstacles, Wilson still managed to secure a strong 4th place in the national elections, gaining 2.6% of the overall Ilford south vote.  This was the best result for a first time Green Party candidate this year and placed him easily within the top 25 Green Candidates nationally.  

Many voters felt that Labour was their only option despite the Green offer of:

•  no public service cuts
• £170 per week pension
• additional £20 per week child benefit
• electoral reform
• stronger funding for young people

Moreover the Green Party manifesto also pledged better investment in;

•  schools
• further education
• industry (inducing employment)
• hospitals and policing

A strong financial costing was drawn up that included:

•  better efficiency savings
• scrapping trident (saving billions!)
• withdrawal from the costly illegal and immoral wars with Afghanistan and Iraq
• a wealth tax on the very rich
• reform of Council Tax dependent on rentable value
• Robin Hood Tax on bankers bonuses. 

An independent poll showed our manifesto pledges were universally the most favoured by the majority of voters.  What a shame more voters were not strong enough in their conviction to vote for the only party that espouses social justice. 

Here is a challenge, do monitor the political manoeuvrings of our Leader and newly elected MP Caroline Lucas.  We believe that her convictions and those of our party will stand the test of time.   Many others have already meandered from their original pledges!

Wilson also scored a tremendous 897 votes in Chadwell that is a phenomenal result when you consider the number of voters basing local voting practice on the national agenda.  Such a result indicates that in the forthcoming local election where turnout is expected to be much lower - Wilson could potentially win a record breaking first Green seat in Redbridge Council.  Few could argue that he deserves it....!