Making a difference to the people of Medway

Deputy Leader Alan Jarrett: Election excitement rather unexpected

Article posted on Friday, 28 August 2009

Happily for me, in Medway we have a Conservative majority. Whatever your politics this has advantages over the days when no party had a majority.

There is the certainty that once leading politicians have decided on a course of action then it can be followed through.

This is the only way to deliver change in our area, and we believe that the changes being brought about are for the better.

The test of public opinion comes at election time, and elections are usually surrounded with a certain amount of fervour, invariably because there is so much at stake.

Even so it came as a bit of surprise to me that a by-election in what should be the safe Labour ward of Luton and Wayfield has caused such a furore.

The excitement has not been among the electorate, nor even among those parties trying to wrest control of Luton and Wayfield from the Labour party.

The excitement seems to have been within the Labour party itself. "So what!" you may say, and most of us would normally agree.

But there is something altogether more worrying - even sinister perhaps - about what has been going on.

You know there is something deeply wrong with the Medway Labour party when two of its most loyal members - councillors Val and Tony Goulden, sitting members for Luton and Wayfield - resign and opt to become Independents. Again: "So what!"

But they have apparently resigned because their views had been disregarded and the chosen candidate had made comments that were "derogatory and quite disgusting" on her Facebook site

There is seldom smoke without fire, so if the Gouldens have resigned in the middle of a by-election then there is something deeply wrong below the surface.

I have always found the Gouldens to be honest and caring councillors, and if they say there is something wrong then we should all be worried.

There is enough opportunity for racial tension in that part of Chatham, without Labour candidates adding to concerns.

Last week Medway Messenger stalwart Alan Watkins wrote a telling piece entitled "We must bring communities together".

For me that article summarised what politics should be about - working tirelessly for the electorate irrespective of race, creed or colour.