It looks as if campaigners in the Barnhill by-election are going to have one sunny day before polling takes place on Thursday and I will be out and about all day today.
A certain camaraderie developed yesterday when I encountered Labour canvassers on Chalkhill with us all dressed as if for an ascent of a rain and windswept Welsh mountain. Soggy leaflets are even worse when printed with environmentally friendly vegetable based ink on recycled paper!
Although I have seen their leaflets I have still not encountered one Conservative canvasser which makes them rarer than a Boris bus.
As always when canvassing in Brent I am struck by the tremendous variation within one ward. However there are surprises such as the resident in a mock-Tudor villa at the top of Barn Hill who spoke out in favour of squatting as a way of protecting some of the empty properties in the area from deterioration.
On the Chalkhill Estate I encountered some real militancy against the Tories based on national issues and there was often a residual reflexive support for Labour until we got into a discussion about the Labour council's record.
Contrasting images of Barnhill ward
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| Making the most from small garden on Chalkhill |
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| Sunday morning waiting for ASDA to open |
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| Mock Tudor on Barn Hill Estate |
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Fly-tipping on Chalkhill Estate
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Front garden, Shakespeare Drive
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Bluebells on Barn Hill
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| The site of the proposed Chalkhill Park |
conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, all individual political groups but your all the same in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad the day I finally came to my senses and stopped Voting.
people need good governments and good local authorities, but they will never get it.
Yes the governments and local authorities have consistently abused the public...the councils have consistently provided homes that are nothing but havens of torment...then they keep forcing us to pay council tax for work that isn't being done...yes I have seen with my own two eyes, Drains that were blocked solid with all kinds of dirt and things, and they are left to get worse and worse.
and then to think brent council is now proposing to charge people for handing our leaflets...all in the cause of tackling the litter problem...what a joke...Here we are paying out huge amounts in council tax every year and the work that we are paying for isn't being done...and yet here they are proposing to make it harder for people to hand out leaflets...all I can say is I feel sorry for the public...now is the time to wake up and see these political hypocrites for what they really are...the governments have betrayed us...the councils have let us down and consistently do a lousy job in return for all the money we pay they them.
and as I said, often the reality is the work we are paying to be done isn't being done at all.
Hi Trevor,
ReplyDeleteA lot of people feel like you but my problem with what you say is that you don't hurt the politicians one little bit by not voting - they will just go on in the same way. If you coupled that with getting out on the streets and protesting, demonstrating, occupying etc it would have more impact.
Vote for whoever you want, just remember that local councillors are only accountable to their employer, Brent Council and not you the voter.
ReplyDeleteThe Local Don.
HI Martin,
ReplyDeleteThank you but I don't Think I will get out and do as you suggest...I think their time will come eventually...It has to...