DESPITE ALL APPARANT EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY, the ‘Canvey for Canvey’ sound bite, engineered by the Canvey Island Independent Party as a means of contesting local elections to obscure its lack of policies, still seems to strike a chord with uninformed local residents looking for somewhere to place their cross. Moreover, the CIIP has been extremely successful in establishing the urban myth that it and its Canvey Island Town Council are responsible for protecting the island’s greenbelt from mainland Tory aggressors – even though the party is unable to muster any form of majority challenge to any Castle Point Borough Council vote.
The truth is that there is not a single instance of the CIIP ever once having saved the day – and that all their furious claims are based purely upon smoke and mirrors.
On 16th March, Neville Watson had this to say in the ‘Off Topic’ section of the CIIP’s board:-
I have been asked so many times why we voted for the budget this year well you will remember that in Friday November the 19th issue of the Echo i protested about the cutting of schemes for the elderly residents in anticipation of the budget, all i can say is plant the seed and watch it grow i was the first Councillor to say cut the Councillors allowances to support these elderly residents.
I can assure you if the Castle Point volunteer service was not saved CAVS we would not have supported the budget but voted it down, there are some things that are not acceptable and we as a party will never accept cuts to the most vulnerable in our Borough, we could not save everything but our pressure on the Cabinet made them think again.
Naturally, Neville does not provide a link to the original Echo article; but instead attempts to create another urban myth. (Neville actually ‘proposed all councillors should be paid no more than £5,000‘ to save the CPBC Car Scheme; but he never once suggested his carefully rehearsed Echo sound bite to council).
Neville would have his readers believe that the Tories introduced a 10 per cent reduction in councillor allowances because of CIIP pressure, and then goes on to suggest that the Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services had also been saved by his party – even though that institution was never under threat.
The fact is that CPBC has always found the money to support the CAVS (not least because it happens to be a favourite Conservative Party charity that has the Council Leader, Pam Challis, and two other leading Conservative Party members on its advisory board).
CIIP members are conspicuously absent – as they are from other local charities devoted to minority needs.
Neville’s ‘News Bureau’ also took to the CIIP’s Board, yesterday, in its ‘Party General Discussion’ section and a headline shouting: ‘Tories admit to wanting to overdevelop Canvey Island.’ Once again, Neville creates his own take on an Echo article devoted to the question of badly needed island housing; but, characteristically, does not provide a link.
Totally misrepresenting the entire piece and all resident comments, Neville says:-
Hi Folks.
Remember 3 years ago when we warned you the Torys were having secret meetings to develop on Canvey and now in today's papers Councillor Ray Howard as openly said to build 400 more homes at thorny bay site what was Ray Howard thinking? well i will leave you to work it out its an incredible turn around.
And the Torys going around with i love Canvey banners but is this the way you love a place?
What red faces the rest of the Torys must have
Regards Neville. CANVEY FOR CANVEY "Think Independent Be Independent Vote Independent"
Misrepresentation; innuendo; deceit and downright lies, coupled with the inability to address pressing local issues, again disseminated by the CIIP’s PR person in preparation for this year’s local elections campaign.
On the 17th and 22nd of March, Neville used the CIIP’s Discussion Board to totally ignore public opinion and interpret Bill Sharp’s legitimate question regarding the Town Council’s continued existence as an attack upon Canvey residents. (Without once putting forward a reason for maintaining the Town Council – or even addressing the CIIP’s financial mismanagement and skulduggery which permitted the suggestion to be raised).
Ignoring the fact that not one Canvey Beat reader wished to see the Town Council spend any of islanders’ money on its raft of festive events, Neville takes a moment to write:-
We told you first Never Trust the Torys after all there always the biggest critics of the events the Town Council holds the events you all love so much.
Canvey For Canvey. Canvey for Canvey Your Party your Island
And five days later, when his ill-considered seed had turned to husk, Neville tried to attract some discussion with this:-
As you can see the torys have now come out and openly admitted they would have no problem getting rid of your Town Council you heard it here first, the Torys are very easy to read, they would love to get rid of the Town Council because of course its the money your money they want.
There own Minister wants more power for Town Councils and the Torys can see there power disappearing before there eyes that's the reason they have Cabinet and Ex Cabinet members standing for election to the Town Council , its been clear to us for months what there plan was so i will keep you up to date as we approach the Elections take care all but i must say it does make me mad to think the Torys think so little of the people of Canvey Island
Naturally, Neville does not provide a link. Had he done so, his readers would have seen that Ray Howard – who is leading the Conservative assault on Canvey Island Town Council in May’s election – does not think that Council should be disbanded. But the CIIP, as usual, is doing its best to paint the Conservatives as the island’s enemies – and themselves as the poor victims trying to represent the people. But the truth is that the CIIP sees its strangle hold on Town Council funds loosening and its hunger for power thwarted by majority public opinion that has been formed upon fact – not fiction.
The Canvey Island Independent Party is doing what it does best: avoiding all the issues and campaigning upon a complete misrepresentation of the facts; but it is a strategy that has proved successful in the past.
It will not be an easy battle for the Conservatives – or anyone else choosing to stand against the CIIP – because, as this Blog and these latest instances show, the latter are well versed in not answering questions and consistently misrepresenting any facts.
This Blog had intended to hold a number of live political hustings in the run-up to the Town Council elections in May; but it is now increasingly obvious, from your letters, that most of those considering standing against the political parties this year are afraid that they might draw support away from Conservative candidates whom have the best chance of dislodging the CIIP.
As one potential candidate puts it: ‘Despite the impression one gains from the Echo and its Blackwell quotes, there is not in fact any serious island issues that the Town Council or the CIIP can directly address.
‘It is no doubt a fact that islander’s would be better represented in its Town Council if politicians were not present; but we are where we are and islanders have been brainwashed over the last four years to believe that every island issue is political.
‘As much as I might like to think that there are individual ward issues that community leaders could stand upon, I do not believe that to be the case in my ward, and the argument has in any case moved on. It is no longer about individual ward issues but about the CIIP’s competence in spending resident money.
‘In my opinion, that issue is best addressed by a single body capable of making a unified argument against CIIP re-election – and that is more aptly made by the Conservatives rather than trying to form another ‘independent’ party to give residents a choice of voting on that main issue in all the island’s wards.’
It is a valid point – and one that leads to the conclusion that individual ward debates, on this Blog, would simply be covering the same ground or diverting attention away from that main issue. Consequently, rather than becoming involved in reporting frequent political claim and counter claim, this Blog will now hand its readers over to the Town Council’s main political contestants, for the campaign’s duration, to make their own case for being worthy of your vote.
Canvey Beat readers are intelligent enough to decide for themselves who is speaking the truth – and putting their questions directly to the political parties’ forums.
In the blue corner:-
In the red corner:-
In what might unfortunately sound like a Neville inspired sign-off: happy reading, folks…
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