WE have no doubt that portfolio holder for adult social care, cllr Tony Fish will be returned on May 5th. Tony is a local resident and has been active in politics for decades.
He is one of those mild mannered councillors that hides his light under the proverbial bushel but he also suffers, by his own admission, from a presentation problem, in that, under pressure, in council, he does not appear confident or in charge of his brief. He had a hard job following on from the Tory portfolio holder, Amanda Arnold, who was an outstanding portfolio holder and very confident. Whereas Tony often looks like he is reading from John Kent’s notes.
The public couldn’t give two hoots for any of that and want to know if adult social care is in good hands and certainly issues regarding the NHS. It is clearly a concern out on the street where people are aware that there are now 210 operations that you are unable to get due to budgetary pressures within the South West Essex PCT.
There has always been an impressive second placed performance at Chadwell. Last year, it was Tory Shane Hebb who gathered up 1268 votes. Lee Dove will struggle to do the same, especially now the coalition are in power but he is a local man and could make inroads.
You would have also thought that UKIP may also take a few votes here. There campaign may be made up of handing out copies of the Daily Express and driving around in a van (apart from Tim Aker) but people may just put an x in their box in Chadwell and many other wards.
The BNP had a tremendous showing in 2007 in Chadwell and that was when they could have made inroads before they turned into the Judeas Peoples Front.
The Lib-Dems would also have had a chance last year but this year may well take a big hit.
YT prediction: Lab hold: 250 maj
Chadwell St. Mary
James Nicholas Baker (United Kingdom Independence Party)
Derek William Beackon (British National Party)
Natalie Butcher (Liberal Democrat)
Lee Dove (Conservative)
Anthony William Fish (Labour)
On the subject of the BNP’s self destruction has anybody seen today’s Guardian newspaper.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/22/bnp-faces-local-election-meltdown
Should we gloat… of course we should. It will be an absolute pleasure to see the Nazi saluting Beackon suffer a complete humiliation at the count. I will be watching him with glee.
tapestry, Whilst I do not fully subscribe to the BNP’s policies I can however see why people are drawn to then, for all too long the main partys have neglected the British people in favour of foreing nationals, they have sat back for too long and let this once great country slip into complete dissaray and debt, multiculturism in Britain has failed and will continue to do so whilst the main parties do nothing to stem the tide of immigration and fail to ensure proper integration for those who wish to be part of this country.
Great Britain have a major deficit and are totting up massive sums in interest from all the loans yet we still take part in an illegal war in Afganistan and Iraq and have now sent troops to Libya, who is paying for all this? the United Nations. of which were are a part, are claining that they are only protecting Human Rights in Libya, Afganistan & Iraq; however, they have never ventured into North Korea or Zimbabwe where worse human rights violations are happening.
Totally agree with Lambo.
But a dangerous thing to say YT ”We have no doubt that portfolio holder Cllr Tony Fish will be returned on May 5th.”
I bet he winced when he read it.
Now some Labour voters maybe won’t bother!
I agree with Your Thurrock. It’s Mr Fish with a comfortable majority.