In politics, friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. Cllr. John Clare has never been able to forget that I was the one who led to him being sacked (democratically) as Deputy Leader, Chair of Environment and Labour Group Press Officer on the Town Council.
The final straw for me was when he sent an email saying myself and Eddy Adam would be “destroyed like the opposition” (is that bullying?) If we did not back down on what we were raising at a Recreation Committee. His assertion that Labour has no whips and no powers to expel anyone, if true, now means any Labour Councillor can vote freely, but of course they have to be selected to stand for 2021! And the local Labour Branches are controlled by Corbyn supporters.
Bob told me that if just one Labour Councillor wants to be Mayor, they all have to vote for that person and cannot, according to Party rules, vote for an Independent.
We shall see!
As for Cllr. Bill Blenkinsopp, it is a well worn joke amongst most Independents, that Bill is an honorary member of the Labour Group, he tends to second everything the Labour leader says before any other Labour members speak.
As a Lib Dem Councillor, in January 2011 (not Independent of any political party for 20 years, like he stated) he was suspended from the Council, unpaid for 3 months, reduced to one on appeal, for bullying.
Cllr. Blenkinsopp swore at a woman Councillor over seating arrangements.
Cllr. Billy Blenkinsopp’s suspension ended a 16- month row (he, Bill) estimated had cost the taxpayer £50,000.
Far from any bullying, I proved that the Labour group were breaking the Council’s rules.
At the general election, I, like over 10,000 other voters in Sedgefield Constituency, switched voting from Labour to Tory to get an MP who supported Brexit and prevent Corbyn becoming PM. Bill, on the other hand was Labour, Lib Dem, then so called, Independent.
When the regional Labour Party tried to close down the Aycliffe North West Branch recently, I, and I alone, provided the local Labour Party with documents which protected them from being erased.
When the Guardian Newspaper investigated the Constituency Party as being hard left extremists, I stood up for them, and helped counter it. Both times Cllr. Clare thanked me.
When a Labour Town Councillor, in October 2017, had a video of the IRA 2nd Battalion South Armargh on manoeuvres, posted on her Facebook page by a friend, I warned several Labour Councillors privately by email and it was removed.
If I was a Tory, why would I have helped the local Labour Party in this way?
Surely I would have given it to the National Papers and taken advantage of the situations?
The £39,000 is still sitting in Council balances for Paper Lite. (ie: laptops and ipads, freebies for Councillors, costing more than paper and more damaging to the environment).
The likelihood of the 82 lights on the A167 being removed in 2025 stands, as no Newton Aycliffe Labour, Town or County Councillors, want to pay for them. I sympathise with their sentiment, but let the public know now, rather than leave it to newly elected Councillors in 2025 to have to explain.
We need more balance on the Council, Independents, Lib Dems, Conservatives, more women as well as Labour. No one has a monopoly on wisdom.
Cllr. Arun M. Chandran
Independent.
