Welcome to my blog. I am a former local journalist who now works in PR and a Conservative and community activist in Woking and Horsell. This blog will keep updated on local issues as well as my interests and quirky news stories.
Winning where, exactly?
On the junction of Grange Road and Woodham Road, the Liberal Democrats have decided to put one of their large posters up. That’s okay, they are allowed to do that and it doesn’t bother me – while posters are good to keep up the morale of activists, I don’t believe a single vote changes hands because of them.
What’s more difficult to understand is the Lib Dem slogan “winning here” on the orange background. Winning where, exactly? Certainly not in Horsell East and Woodham, where I cannot recall a Lib Dem councillor ever having been elected. In fact, the Lib Dems haven’t won a single election in Horsell in four years and we’re obviously working hard to try and make it five. Nor can the poster refer to Woking constituency, where they have never held the parliamentary seat and according to the excellent Times Election 2010 website, there’s only a 10% chance that they will this time. So they aren’t “winning there” either.
Don’t get me wrong, there are places where the Lib Dems have won. I wouldn’t argue with the poster in Goldsworth Park, for example, nor in South Woking where they won last year. But putting up a sign on the Woodham Road saying that they are “winning there” is bogus and total nonsense. I prefer the one being used outside a house in Wheatsheaf Close that advertises Rosie Sharpley’s name – at least it’s honest and doesn’t give a totally false impression of the local politics.
As ever Simon your summary of events is partial. Lib Dems held the Horsell County seat from 2005-9, which includes Horsell East. Lib Dems last won a borough election in Horsell West in 2006, so within the last 4 years. The county victory preceded this in 2005 and Lib Dems were also successful in Horsell West in 2004.
Well of course my summary of events is partial, as is yours – the idea of an impartial blog or debate is a bit of a nonsense, it’s opinion almost by definition.
We are talking about Horsell East, where the sign is. And I doubt you guys won in Horsell East even in the county elections of 2005. As the Horsell West seat is Lib Dem-held, a “winning here” sign here is at least defensible.
I’m really delighted to see by the way that a vestige of honesty now prevails in the Lib Dem local high command and that this poster has been overlayed by a Rosie Sharpley one.