27/11/06 - Labour Announce Candidate

Four Labour Councillor Have Crossed The Floor To The Conservatives.
If Their Own Councillors Won't Vote For Them, Why Should You?

Over the weekend, the Labour Party have announced who will be their candidate to fight the May 2007 local election campaign in Abbey Meads.

Their candidate fought the Haydon Wick ward in the May 2006 elections, fighting a particularly nasty, personal and negative campaign, which saw the Conservatives increase their majority to a record high.

The Labour campaign in Abbey Meads last year was bizarre, focusing more on the Labour MP who has seen his majority evaporate, than the actual candidate.  Local residents switched to the Conservatives in droves, with local Councillor Justin Tomlinson winning with a record high 71% share of the vote.  In addition, once again the Labour candidate managed to deliver their leaflets into the wrong ward, to much amusement of local residents, the second such election where they have got into a muddle.  God help us if they were ever to be elected!

It is disappointing that the Labour Party persist in selected candidates which such a negative and personal track record - local residents deserve better, and as ever we will be doing all we can to make sure local residents are spared from a potential Labour Councillor representing them.

Cllr Peter Stoddart who was first elected when the Abbey Meads ward was created in 2000, and was re-elected in 2003, will be the Conservative candidate.  Cllr Owen Lister is due for re-election in 2008, there are no elections in 2009, and Cllr Justin Tomlinson is due for re-election in 2010.

Cllr Justin Tomlinson, "Hopefully the Labour candidate has learnt the lessons of his nasty, personal and negative campaign in Haydon Wick, where the voters were so angry they re-elected the exceptionally hard working Cllr David Renard with a record majority.  Labour must learn local residents are only interested in action, and over the last 6 years, it is only the Conservatives who deliver."