Following the resignation of Councillor Tom Twissell in West Ward, ACORN Residents’ Chairman Ken Robson has decided to stand for the vacant seat on Great Aycliffe Town Council.
Ken has already presented the necessary signatures calling for a By election in the West Ward of the Great Aycliffe parish. Notice will go out next month and if contested, the By election will be held on Thursday 21st January 2016.
This is the next logical step into a sphere of influence within the community dominated by the Labour party, however Ken has decided to stand as an Independent. He explains that in his view it is not a healthy balance to have a political party dominating the Town council with no effective opposition to stimulate and offer constructive debate.
Although not opposed to those policies introduced by the controlling Labour group. Ken believes that as an independent Councillor he would be able to be outspoken on those issues which may be of concern, and not silenced by any party whip.
Ken hopes can rely on residents who already support other groups which he has successfully led in recent years and of course friends, local people and those who he has come into contact with during his 50 years in Newton Aycliffe.
Cllr Arun Chandran who as Secretary of the controlling Labour Group was the mastermind behind labour’s two recent by election successes, and who persuaded Tom Twissell to finally step down rather than continue attending only once every six months whist claiming his allowance, said “Tom realised it was in the public interest to make way for someone in the community to step forward and fill the role.” Arun added, “speaking purely personally, we have 25 Labour Councillors out of 30 on the Town Council, in the recent by elections we had two outstanding candidates, if Ken Robson was the only one standing and was elected unopposed it would, in my opinion save the Council Tax Payer money and I have no doubt he would make an excellent Ward Councillor but it is a matter for the local Labour Party Branch to decide if it wants to put anyone up for election.”
