THE BOROUGH’S independent councillor has vowed to set up a new alliance to help other candidates stand in next year’s local elections.
In a letter to The Wokingham Paper, printed in the issue of May 24 (and below), Cllr Gary Cowan said: “Looking at the recent election results what is clear is Wokingham’s residents deserve more choice. The Independent effect was visible in three results.
“Against a massive Conservative campaign aimed at getting me out the residents of Arborfield returned me with a bigger majority.”
He felt that there is an appetite from the public for such a movement.
“I intend to form an independent Wokingham Residents Association Political Party which would challenge the conservative administration in all 18 seats up for election,” he said. “The new party will be a loose federation of residents groups who have no ties to other political parties.”
Gary Cowan’s letter to The Wokingham Paper
After over two decades of Conservative rule it’s pretty clear that they have completely lost their way and the losers in their current incompetence is us the residents.
The list of their failures is endless and their manifesto if they can actually deliver is a bit Alice in Wonderland. Lots of promise and no real substance. They seem to be more besotted by their paymasters in Westminster than caring for their residents which I see as our real role in local politics.
Interestingly we have been told so many times that it’s become a standard joke in Council and that is “we are the worst funded Council in England”. Rather than laugh we should ask if the 20 plus year dictatorship at Wokingham is the worst funded in England by its Conservative masters in Westminster it must show the disdain their Westminster masters have for them.
So rather than going there with their begging bowl and getting nothing would they not be better by fighting tooth and nail for you the residents. I just saw a “sounder of swine” of pigs fly past and they were Berkshires.
Looking at the recent election results what is clear is Wokingham’s residents deserve more choice. The Independent effect was visible in three results. Against a massive Conservative campaign aimed at getting me out the residents of Arborfield rejected their overtures and returned me with a bigger majority to which I must, again, say again thanks.
Shinfield’s Jim Frewin, against all the odds, performed admirably and one wonders what might have happened if there was no Lib Dem/Labour candidate/s in Shinfield.
Looking at Norreys where Labour saw off the well respected Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party and an ex-leader of the Council probably thanks to the votes cast for the independent candidate Phil Cunnington.
To me it shows that residents recognise that Councillors should be there to represent them not be tied to a dictatorial Council who only care about themselves at residents expense. In no particular order think housing, tree felling, roads, Elms Field, concreting over our green fields, the town centre. Do they really care about what we think? I will leave it for you to decide.
My reading of those three results is although one wants to win the “Independent” effect can have a major impact on the outcome of a local election. The lesson learned is candidates must be seen to represent their residents first and last. With 18 Conservative seats up for grabs on May 2, 2019 there is a unique opportunity to get rid of them in which independent candidates can play a major role in achieving that.
I intend to form an independent Wokingham Residents Association Political Party which would challenge the Conservative administration in all 18 seats up for election. There will be winners and losers but even in losing an Independent Candidate can most definitely influence the outcome in most wards and in doing so break the stranglehold the present conservative administration has over all of us for over the past 20 years.
The new party will be a loose federation of residents groups who have no ties to other political parties. If any residents groups are interested please get in touch. There is so much we can achieve and the beneficiaries will be us the residents not the high and mighty Conservative Councillors sitting there without a care for us the residents. Roll on May 2, 2019.
Cllr Gary Cowan, Independent Borough Councillor for Arborfield
