WITHOUT getting on our high moral ground, we are always impressed by the level of interaction on www.yourthurrock.com in the run up to any elections.
For your information, we add an average of 1,000 page views per day during the elections. So we would like to say thank you to Mr Perrin and Lambo and Ed and Kev and all of the keen commentators.
One local paper (Harlow Star) published a letter last week, where a voter bemoaned the lack of choice. Each and every ward just had Lab, Cons and Lib-Dems.
Thurrock should congratulate itself on the thriving democratic culture it has developed over the years.
Some parties come and go (No Green this year) whilst four parties have or are near to providing a full slate.
But the important thing is that people get out and vote. We expect it may be a low turnout. Thursday looks like a cold and rainy day. 2010 there was the general election and in 2011 there was the AV vote.
But this is where the parties or certainly the main parties get into overdrive as their teams mobilise around the borough and get the core vote and the peripheral vote and the floaters etc.
Labour clearly hope that they can gain Ockendon and Stanford East and hold Stanford West. They may also, as a real outside bet, have an eye on The Homesteads, Corringham and Fobbing and even East Tilbury.
The Tories will hope and/or have planned for the opposite and will also hope to hold on to Aveley from the Independent, Alan Field.
It may all be a question of how many people care enough about the national situation to give the Tories a bloody nose.
The whole system was seamless in 2011, especially compared to 2010! Whatever happens it will be fascinating. Thurrck politics always is…
GO MICHEAL GO MICHEAL
Whilst I agree with the exhortation by Michael Casey, Editor of Your Thurrock, “Now get out and vote!” the candidates in the Belhus Ward have done nothing to inspire or encourage people to do just that. On my “walkabouts” I have asked people “Are you going to vote on Thursday to elect your local Councillor for the next 4 years?” and the majority have replied “election! what election? and/or no candidate has contacted me either by leaflet or knocking on my door, I have no idea who they are and why they think I should vote for them”.
That says it all the election campaign in the Belhus Ward has been a “NON EVENT”.
So, much as I would like to support Mr Casey’s exhortation, my advice to the people in the Belhus Ward is if the candidates cannot be bothered with you, why should you be bothered with them? They have ignored you so you ignore them. On polling day, stay at home or if you feel you must vote spoil your ballot paper in some way and put it in the ballot box to register your disapproval and disgust with the lot of them.
Many thanks for the shout out MC, the site is growing every day and is the first resource I turn to for news for the local area.
Lets hope the turnout this year is better than every other year, as many people as possible need to get out and vote for which ever candidate they choose, dont forget if you dont vote then your really dont have a say in local politics no matter what happens when the results are drawn.
I just hope that whoever wins does not do so from a very low turnout as this is not a real indication of the local people (other than they dont trust any of the local candidates)
one of your election videos seem to have disappeared.
To those candidates who made the effort may the prize be theirs.
Labour in control – 25 Lab / 21 Tory / 2 Ind / 1 UKIP, Congratulations John and Team.
Absolutlley embarrasing turnout in all wards, I dont think any of the candidates come out of this with any real credit, the local people obvioulsy feel that they are damned if they do and damned if they dont and feel that none of the candidates were worthy of electing and have a very strong distrust of local politics.