A Timely Reform by Ian Ridley

Blog & web site of Ian Ridley

Archive for the ‘Elections’ Category

Labour out of the race in Harborough, Oadby & Wigston

Saturday, April 18th, 2015
Harborough, Oadby & Wigston Local Election Candidates 7th May 2015
Harborough, Oadby & Wigston Local Election Candidates 7th May 2015

If the numbers of local election candidates are anything to go by then my local Harborough constituency looks like being a race again between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories.

Labour missing from over half local elections

Labour start from a position of zero councillors in Harborough (which includes Oadby and Wigston). They only have candidates for under half of the 45 local council seats. Labour have finished 3rd here behind the Tories and Lib Dems at every general election since 1979. In 2010 they got just 12% of the vote in Harborough. Under first past the post, voting Labour here will simply hand another win to the Tories.

Record low number of Conservative candidates

The Conservatives  are also in poor shape locally. The Tories have sunk to a record low of just 15 candidates in Oadby and Wigston. At the last Borough elections in 2011 they were reduced to just 4 councillors. Since then in-fighting and splits have seen that number fall to just 2.
horses

A Two-Horse Race

Local Councillors in Harborough, Oadby & Wigston April 2015

Local Councillors in Harborough, Oadby & Wigston April 2015

So in Harborough the Liberal Democrats will once again be the best chance to unseat the Conservative MP. The Lib Dems have a strong local government base, holding 33 of the 53 council seats in the constituency.

In the local elections the Lib Dems have 38 candidates to the Tories 30. This is more than any other party and includes a full slate in Oadby and Wigston Borough and Market Harborough.

Few UKIP and Green candidates

Given their national media coverage, both UKIP and the Greens have surprisingly weak numbers of candidates locally.

Over the whole constituency there are just 4 UKIP and 7 Greens standing. With this showing, it is probable that neither can provide a realistic challenge in Harborough, Oadby and Wigston on the 7th of May.

Why I’m Voting Liberal Democrat in Oadby (Harborough Constituency)

Friday, March 27th, 2015

LibDems_StyleGuidlines2010.inddI am voting Liberal Democrat in the General and local elections on 7th May.  Why?

Locally it is a fairly easy decision. The Liberal Democrats have won a  majority on Oadby and Wigston Borough Council for several elections.  They have run the council effectively, budgeted sensibly and their councillors keep in touch and consult via regular leaflets and residents’ surveys.

They are also the only party who seem to be serious about the local elections as they are the only ones contesting every seat in the Borough.

The General Election required more thought, primarily because Nick Clegg  has had to make many difficult decisions as leader in a coalition was always going to be a tough ask. However, the party’s grassroots and many MPs are broadly social liberals like myself. A future leader is likely to be tougher on both the Tories and Labour if any cooperation in required. The Liberal Democrats have an excellent agenda for reforming government. They also have a strong environmental streak, coupled with clear, costed and moderate tax and spending priorities.

In Harborough Constituency, which covers Oadby and Wigston, the Liberal Democrats have been the main challengers to the Tories in every election since 1979 and obtained their best result as recently as 2005. Under our voting system, a vote for any other party only helps the Conservatives win again.

So on 7th May, I am voting for Zuffar Haq, the Lib Dems’  local candidate for MP who is a proven campaigner for the NHS and on many other issues. If you live locally, I urge you to vote for Zuffar too.

Register to vote online and save tax payers’ money

Thursday, October 17th, 2013

Edited Register FlyerResidents in Oadby and Wigston are receiving their Annual Voter Registration Canvass Form through the post. Our local electoral registration department are offering no fewer than 4 ways to register: by phone, text, internet and post.

If you want to opt out of the Edited Register and there is no pre-printed tick in Edited Register (For Sale) column on the form, you can only use the internet and post to indicate this when you register to vote.

The “Edited Register” is available for sale and can be purchased by anyone. This is different from the “Full Register” the use of which is strictly controlled for elections, credit reference agencies and the law.

Annual Canvass FormWith the post becoming more expensive every year, the most cost-effective way to register is to use the internet. Not only is it convenient, it will help Oadby and Wigston Borough Council keep council tax rates down.

Note: you can save having to opt out of the Edited Register every year by downloading a Permanent Opt Out Form from the council’s web site.