More local Election News

WHILE 'ELECTION FEVER' IS CERTAINLY NOT sweeping the area, there has been some interest in the local elections in Holderness - at least from the politicians!

As well as our main election coverage in the South West Holderness area listed on Ward Election News, HU12 has picked up and noticed other snippets of news.

Hedon Town Council has 14 candidates standing for 12 seats and some candidates have been busy leafleting the town asking for voters support. Catch all the Hedon leaflets we've come across at our previous Hedon Town Council Slideshow or at our Flickr pages. Independent Jim Lindop had his statement published on the Hedon Blog.

Voters in South East Holderness have a colourful line up of candidates which includes Independent, Neil Whitelam, a former Keyingham Parish Councillor and Parliamentary candidate who describes himself as a "Community activist" and  "Patriotic alternative to the old parties...". See Neil Whitelam's election statement (Google Docs). Also in that Ward is former Conservative Councillor Charles 'Chuck' Hunter who after serving for 12 years on the East Riding Council was deemed an unacceptable candidate for that party so is also standing as an independent. He has advertised his candidacy in the Holderness Gazette on 21st and 28th April (see at ElectionLeaflets.org).

Also advertised in the Gazette on 28th April was Ann Suggit's candidacy (Google Docs). Unfortunately Ann was listed as a North Holderness candidate and not South West Holderness where she is really standing!

This article was supposed to have mentioned things that were unusual or humourous about the local elections - unfortunately we haven't discovered any! If you have - then please send us your story at hu12@gmx.com

Finally - whilst being neutral in the Referendum vote on AV - HU12 has to point out its favourite campaign video from the YES camp - it's this on a Cat's view of the referendum - enjoy!

Is your Cat confused about the referendum on the voting system on the 5th May?
- Watch more Politics Videos at Vodpod.

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Conservatives: Say they will manage cuts "in a controlled and compassionate way"

"NO WHOLESALE CLOSURES or mass redundancies" in the East Riding says the latest leaflet from the Consevatives in the South West Holderness elections. 

"We are all aware of the need for cost-cutting in these very challenging economic times..." says one candidate John Dennis "...but I will do all I can to ensure impact is minimised on essential services...". While Mike Bryan hopes to be able to help in "...improving communication and making residents have a better understanding of some difficult decisions which have been made."

Both candidates express the same sentiments on the cuts in a joint statement: "We promise to work with our colleagues in the Conservative Group to manage reductions in public expenditure in a controlled and compassionate way that has the least impact on everyone in the East Riding."

Mention of the public spending cuts might have been something that Conservative candidates would have avoided during the local election campaign, but their latest leaflet does not shy away from this issue. The candidates are relying on the assumption that most people accept the inevitability of public spending cuts - an assumption that will be tested tomorrow when the polling stations open at 7:00am.

You can see a version of the leaflet on Ward Election News (click See LEAFLETS...) and also find out who the other 8 South West Holderness ward election candidates are.

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Urgent: Survey on plans to abolish cheques

THE PARLIAMENTARY Treasury Select Committee has reopened its inquiry into plans to phase out cheques after being inundated by public concerns on the matter.

The proposal by the Payments Council (who speak on behalf of the major banks) to do away with cheques by 2018 has come about because cheque use has fallen by 40% in the UK since 2004. Electronic forms of payment, it is claimed, is cheaper saving both time and processing costs, the benefits of which can be passed onto customers.

Small businesses, charities and voluntary sector organisations fear that the move will be detrimental to them and increase the admin burden.

Civil Society Fundraising Magazine has joined with nfpSynergy to put together a quick survey to get a feel for how abolishing cheques might impact on charities. If you are a not-for-profit organisation and have 10 minutes to spare, then please Complete the Survey  by Wednesday 4th May at the very latest.

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Hedon Town Council elections 2011

Hedon Town Council elections 2011, a set on Flickr.

There has been a flurry of activity over the long Bank Holiday weekend with the above leaflets (slideshow) all having been delivered in Hedon for the Town Council Elections on Thursday May 5th.

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Liberal Democrats attack "Tory leadership" at County Hall

HU12 is commenting on each election leaflet issued during the South West Holderness election campaign:
IN THEIR SECOND LEAFLET of the local election campaign, the Liberal Democrats have relentlessly attacked the ruling Conservative Party at County Hall.

In urging us to vote for candidates Selkirk, Sloan and Wilson the leaflet states: "the Tory leadership has been able to push through its own agenda - without regard to the views of local councillors, of whatever party." This was undoubtedly a reference to the Conservative InTouch distributed last month, where the two Conservative candidates Bryan and Dennis said that they would exploit to the full "the advantage of being members of the ruling party." The Lib Dem Focus leaflet, again in deference to the anti-incinerator stance of their Conservative opponents, remind us "that all the Tories on the East Riding planning committee voted for the proposed waste incinerator at Saltend".

The Liberal Democrat leaflet goes on to condemn the "fiasco" of payoffs to senior council staff and claim that "More than £4.25 million has been spent on such payments into the fund for 45 people" since April 2010. The leaflet says that the East Riding has become "the most-mentioned Rotten Borough" according to Private Eye magazine.

The front page of the Focus leaflet leaves us in no doubt the Lib Dem claim that "There is NO coalition at County Hall".

See the full leaflet over on our Ward Election News website. You can find out about all the 10 candidates and even Quiz them on these issues and other concerns via that website.

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