| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Do the Council really have a choice with Ealing's libraries? | |
| Posted by: | Simon Hayes | |
| Date/Time: | 16/07/19 10:44:00 |
| Other people have stood as independent candidates in the past because they are so disillusioned with their representatives but it seems people still vote along party lines, even if that party is signally failing to deliver. We have a huge problem in Ealing that skews the democratic process. People vote in blocks in certain areas, which ensures that candidates are returned time after time. Those areas are generally not affected by the crazy policies peddled by the administration because many of those policies are formulated to hit residents living in what, as described by one Labour councillor last year, are the 'wealthy areas of Ealing where people can afford it'. Hence West Ealing, Northfields and other libraries will disappear because there is a perception that residents there can either afford to buy their own books or will pay to travel further to use the much reduced remaining service. It's stupid, arrogant and goes against the idea of a council actually serving its community. It will be interesting to see if the current row about the development of Southall Riverside will hit the traditional Labour vote in that area of the borough. Reports from last week's meetings indicated that Julian Bell, Peter Mason and the rest of the Labour cabal simply ignored the concerns of those residents at the meeting, preferring instead to cosy up to the developers who - one presumes - grease the wheels of local government. I find it quite staggering that Ealing Labour appear to be more Tory than the Tories. |