Squire slings mud

The first round of All-in Council Candidate Mud Slinging has taken place and it looks like the gloves are off.

Banish Barracuda, local chair of the BeFuddled Party opened the bout when he made an appeal on AceCrook for people to stand for election. Commenting “To all those who complain about Smalltown and Dullbridge Council now is your time to make a difference. Put your names forward, you could even stand as an independent!”

Squire Teflon immediately started a fight “You are a member of the BeFuddled Party, why would you want to encourage people to stand as independents?”

Then, as a fully-paid up and bona-fide member of the ‘old guard’ on the council, the Squire further commented “You are right – it’s time the old guard were stood down in favour of new blood. What exactly have they achieved locally in the last 20 years?”

Ex-Councillor Ellen Proves jumped in with both feet and unleashed her full wrath on the Squire. “How utterly depressingly predictable. I don’t blame you for your insecurity. You have presided over the utter destruction of democratic principles at parish level and at higher tiers of local government – well, despite the generous renumeration, you have yet to speak or offer an opinion of your own on anything. How many years has it been since you last spoke up for those you represent?
How long before you dust of a crossing that is going to be delivered this time – honest?

You are walking well trodden paths here, , I take this rude attack upon a person who has never been anything but polite to you as a declaration of the opening of silly season.

Here are a few home truths ( I do not have a dog in this race, as you well know I left the BeFuddleds long before I left the council) It is exactly this sort of vile, petty behaviour that puts people off standing. Why would any sane person want to put themselves in the middle of this? It’s why the parties struggle and it’s even worse for Indys who have far less support.

If you believed in local democracy, were really “in it for the good of the towns” you would want a good range of candidates. A diversity of candidates strengthens our democracy. Attacking people for standing just pulls everything to the lowest possible denominator.

Instead of attacking others stand on your record. Not the work of others you have piggybacked, but your own achievement.

We have a council that is frankly repressive. That pays lip service to the Nolan principles, that is a rubber stamp for decisions councillors are not really making.

I agree new blood is needed, but I think you misidentify the problem. You have led that council for how many years now? More than a decade whether openly or otherwise. You have been the controlling group. You have taught and guided your group. Their failings are yours. Neither BeFuddleds nor independent councillors get to make the decisions and it’s disingenuous of you to imply otherwise. Despite your groups obstruction, the work of dedicated people on and off the council has made sure things that needed to be done were, but it has always been a battle – in once instance a four year war, to achieve anything at all. Your groups obsession with preventing others from being able to say they did anything at all, has-been a barrier to our communities needs.

I would think long and hard before continuing in this vein. It’s unhelpful to those who might consider standing ( even for the Illiberals) it causes the public to adopt a pox on all your houses attitude. Damages you personally as it shows you to be a petty and vindictive man and I assure you, it invites opening the door to a whole Pandora’s box of problems

Ask yourself, do you really want to spend your election campaign defending your conduct?

Run a clean campaign. Give voters the respect of presenting what you can honestly offer and what you honestly stand for and leave the gutter stuff where it belongs.”

Having fired the opening salvo Squire Teflon didn’t respond further and instead retreated to a dark room to partake of a few glasses of Albanian Whisky and a lie down, whilst plotting his next move.