TO BE FRANK, this particular journalist is bored with having to highlight all the same old lies and misrepresentations being made by the Canvey Island Independent Party in this local election campaign. It is consuming my time, when I could be doing more interesting things, and, at the end of the day, I am just reporting what all Canvey Beat readers already know: the party, which speaks with a single voice (and does not answer questions), is composed of a motley crew of bandits and liars.
If I am bored at the prospect of writing another clinical analysis of CIIP statements, then the chances are that most guests are equally reticent about reading it – so instead, let us see if you have been paying attention so far; by conducting a quiz over your coffee break.
All you have to do is spot the five mischievous untruths contained in the latest (painstakingly crafted) CIIP’s Blog post entitled ‘Canvey Island – A Chance To Rule Itself’, which Neville informs us has been made by his Fuhrer, and is reproduced below. (The five individual statements have been consecutively numbered, and links have been inserted within Blackwell’s text to provide a proper perspective on what he is saying).
Hi Folks.
I hope you are all well. The election is now up and running with leaflets flying everywhere. This week’s blog is a message from our leader, Dave Blackwell.
‘Under the government’s new localism bill, town councils such as Canvey Town Council, will be able to run more of their own services and be more independent [1]. A new planning law will allow any money taken from new developments on Canvey to be spent on Canvey. This sounds great; a real chance for local people to have a real say on how their community takes shape for the future.
‘The problem is that the Conservatives on the mainland do not want Canvey to be more independent and move away from their control, so they have started a campaign to stop this happening. Bill Sharp, a leading Tory Councillor from the mainland, is heading the campaign to discredit the Canvey Town Council and have it closed.[2] All for one reason, to stop Canvey from breaking away from the mainland, keeping money and power with the Tories at Castle Point Council.
‘The Town Council have done some great things on Canvey and continue to do so. Armed Forces Day attracting thousands of people, Tewkes Creek with over five thousand trees planted and many more across the Island. Christmas now comes alive on Canvey with Christmas lights, Christmas trees and spectacular street shows and stalls. Markets are now returning to the town centre and flowers brighten our streets. In addition to these, revamps are in progress for Canvey Lake and the seafront.
‘The Town Council costs each household just 30p [3] each week. What a shame the Conservatives want to rob the island of it, and in doing so rob us of our right to RULE OURSELVES [4].
’Leader of the Canvey Island Independent Party [5]
’“Think Independent, Be Independent, Vote Independent on May 5th. Canvey For Canvey.”’
Thank you Dave. Until next time folks, keep safe, lock all of your property, don’t invite crime.
Regards Neville and all Canvey Independent Councillors.
So, how did you do?..
[1] The Localism Bill has nothing whatsoever to do with Town or Parish Councils. It has everything to do with making local politicians more accountable to the people and providing additional support to local charitable ventures. There will be no additional powers for Town or Parish Councils – and there will be no cascading Government funds. Both types of Parish institution will continue to raise their own funds through the existing annual precept mechanism to which all islanders will be forced to contribute (in addition to their normal Council Tax)..
If you followed the link to the Canvey Beat page in which a government guide to the Bill is embedded, you would have been able to use the search box at the bottom of the panel to interrogate the whole document. Neither Town or Parish Councils are mentioned once.
[2] Neither Bill Sharp, nor any other Conservative Party member, has suggested that the Town Council be disbanded. That wish was simply indicated by the vast majority of this Blog’s readers in a straw-poll that coincided with Bill Sharp’s campaign leaflet to Central Ward voters, asking why islanders needed a Town Council that spent over 70 per cent of its precept on officer and administration costs, and highlighting the situation as ‘Waste, waste, waste.’
[3] The Town Council burden averages £25 per household each year – which an insurance salesman would tell you is ‘just 48 pence per week (with just 34 pence being taken out in management fees).’ But the fact is that the Town Council blags islanders for over £250,000 each year – of which over £175,000 is absorbed by overheads.
[4] Great insight into Blackwell’s personality here, which recalls his immediate ordering of the Chairman’s Chain Of Office and his subsequent treatment of it as his own personal property. Fuhrers head dictatorships, which ‘rule’ their residents: whereas we live in a Democracy - where residents are REPRESENTED.
[5] If you failed on the others, you must have got this one. It is the Canvey Island INDEPENDENCE Party.
It is unnecessary for me to point out that, even in this royal speech, neither Blackwell or Watson have addressed any of the legitimate questions that residents still await answers to.
But perhaps Colin MacLean has identified the one burning question that islanders now need answering by the CIIP:-
Now that the party has turned these local elections into a referendum on the island’s political separation from Castle Point: how the hell do they propose to do it – and how much is it going to cost islanders?..
… (Methane, Mud & Memories, 05/04/2011) – Top Secret Canvey Independent plan for house building on the island
No comments:
Post a Comment