A YEAR AGO, former deputy mayor, Eddie Hardiman cut a forlorn figure. Cast as the fall guy after the “Winegate” fiasco, he spent much of his time, in the UKIP campaign headquarters at Daybreak Windows.
But you cannot keep a good man down and Eddie and after standing down last year, he is back on the streets of Stanford-le-Hope campaigning for the Conservative Party as their candidate in the ward of Stanford West.
YT will catch up with Eddie as well as the other runners and riders, when they are declared next month.
We did ask Eddie for a quote re the Butts Lane decision.
He said: “Well,as you know, I was there at many campaign meetings and the residents knew that I would do all that I could.
“I don’t want to be drawn on the specifics of the decision but I do know that the residents I have spoken to on my many days and evenings, going door to door recognise that.
“I am enjoying campaigning. There is a message to get out there and I am determined to do it.”
Underestimate Eddie at your peril. A highly proficient organiser and astute campaigner. He will put in the hard yards over the next five weeks.
I attended every campaign meeting and to my knowledge Mr Hardiman only attended two, does this REALLY warrent the term many. Once he had stood down as local councillor I do not recall Eddie having any input or attending any of the meetings.
Is this story a mistake? April Fools day is on Sunday!
I think most local residents will remember that while Eddie and Terry Piccolo were attanding meetings and fighting for residents, Terry Hipsey was busy on a journey of self discovery that eventually lead to him realising he was a socialist.
Great to see Eddie back and doing what he does best – championing the communtiy.
Word on the street is “don’t underestimate Eddie” However I think this time the Tories have given up on Stanford West.
So steady Eddie is making a comeback to Thurrock politics just as one of his “winegate” boys quits. I wonder what as changed in the short time Eddie as been away. We all remember the embarrassment he bought on the role of Deputy Mayor after being involved in the scandal of wine going missing on an official function and then getting himself chucked out of the Catcracker on the same evening. If he was unfit to represent the people of Thurrock then he must still be unfit now.
Well said red rebel
Without previously knowing who the candidates would be I had predicted in a previous message that Stanford West ward would be an easy Conservative win.
If I were a betting man I would have staked some money on a dead cert Conservative win.
This has all changed now we know who the candidates are and the Conservative Government has rubber stamped 350 homes on Stanford Green Belt.
Love him or loath him Terry Hipsey is well and truly nailing his colours on the mast for Labour. Should he have stood as Labour when he crossed the floor so residents could have decided then and there if they wanted a Labour councillor – many think he should? Well now residents have the chance to decide. It would be easy to say Cllr Hipsey has sat on his hands and done nothing but he does have a strong record as a community councillor with projects such as zebra crossings built in Wharf Road, zebra crossing in Corringham Road, the crossing at Rookery Corner and a new footpath and cycle path next to St Clares School to name just a few that can be found searching the Gazette archives.
When I didn’t know the Conservative candidate and before Eric Pickles ridiculous decision I would have still predicted a Conservative win.
That has all changed.
First Eric Pickles, the Conservative Secretary of State has ignored objections from residents and Thurrock Council and given planning permission for 350 homes on Stanford-le-Hope Green Belt. So much for the much vaunted localism agenda giving residents the power to decide planning issues in their area and so much for pre-election promises that the Conservatives would defend the Green Belt.
Second, the Conservatives have selected the disgraced former ex-Deputy Mayor Eddie Hardiman, yes apparently a very nice man, but sadly mostly know for his drunken escapades with a couple of young men at a civic event, back of a limousine and threatening a poor pub landlady with her licence. However the Conservatives try and gloss over this incident this is how most residents know Mr Hardiman.
A very nice man but Eddie Hardiman is also famous for his dithering, in fact it is a Conservative ‘in-joke’ that Eddie Hardiman changes his mind and views more times than the wind changes direction. Some call him after the Little Britain character Vicky Pollard because on any subject he will go “Yeah, but,, No, but, Yeah, but, No but…”
One wonders what has motivated the Conservatives to choose Eddie Hardiman when most people thought either Terry Piccolo or David Tolson – the husband of Cllr Pauline Tolson were going to be selected to fight the seat – Terry Piccolo would have made a much stronger candidate with a proven record of community campaigning going back many years.
It begs the question – do the Conservatives deliberately want to lose the seat? Or is Eddie fighting the seat some sort of reward for being the fall guy for his disgraceful behaviour and the equally repungent behaviour of both Cllr Danny Nicklen and Cllr James Halden in the back of the limousine and later their drunken escapdes at the Catcracker pub.
With the Conservative Governments decision to build 350 homes on the Green Belt and selecting a disgraced ex-Deputy Mayor and Labour’s decision to select Terry Hipsey I would say this election would be very close and would even put money on it being a Labour win.
Why on earth didn’t the Conservatives select a proven community campaigner to fight Terry Hipsey? Young Charlie Key lives in the ward and he proved himself in his campaign in Grays Riverside – he would have made an ideal candidate.
As far as I know neither Charlie Key, Terry Piccolo or David Tolson have ever stolen wine from a civic event, disgraced themselves in a limousine or threatened a poor pub landlady with her licence.
Labour have taken a risk with selecting the controversial Terry Hipsey. Will Labour voters vote for a former Conservative? He is well known in the ward, has a proven track record so one must assume Labour’s canvass return are showing they can take this seat.
Without Terry Hipsey and Eddie Hardiman as candidates I would have assumed this campaign would have been very mundane.
Previously I had predicted a Conservative win.
My new prediction – Stanford-le-Hope West ward – Labour win
Well Dave, I’m sure as a Tilburg guy you are well in tune with what Stanford residents think of Eddie! I think most people accept that people make mistakes, and actually the most important issue facing residents is not a mistake made one night over a year ago.
Dave, iv’e heard it on the grapevine that Terry Piccolo is standing as an Independent in Stanford le Hope West. This REALLY does give the local residents an opportunity to elect someone who is only interested in what’s best for local residents and not party political polkotics.
Really – we will know when nominations close and that is next week. I had heard he was in the running to be the official Conservative candidate. Perhaps he is unhappy the Conservatives rejected him and we have Eddie Hardiman standing instead? I am sure we will have a YourThurrock interview explaining his motivations if he does throw his hat in the ring and stand.