Wednesday 29 July 2015

The 2016 Council Elections have begun ....

A few weeks ago, the prospective Independent candidate distributed leaflets announcing his intention to run again for Southchurch Ward in 2016. He wishes to build upon the work he started this year.

To be fair to Mr Sharman, he was disadvantaged by the council and general elections being held on the same day. The heightened political atmosphere benefits the national political parties. Why would you vote differently in the general election to the council election? The Independents did lose seats to the Tories in other wards, notably the Shoeburyness Ward, for this reason.

I suspect that Mr Sharman rates his chances of being elected in Southchurch in 2016. I hear rumours of in-fighting within the Southchurch Conservatives, which are likely to hamper the re-election of the veteran Councillor David Garston.

Despite being an "independent", Mr Sharman is actually representing the current administration on the Borough Council and nails his colours to their mast. His leaflet contains the obligatory photo of him with Council Leader Ron Woodley.

I am forced to ask how much longer the self-proclaimed "independents" can maintain that they are not a group with common cause or in other words "a party"? Surely participating in the administration, and the grubby business of Civic Centre politics, denies them the assumed virtue of not being "politicians".