Voters to have their say on 'Super Thursday' (From Bucks Free Press)

Incumbent Conservative Leader of WDC Cllr Lesley Clarke said: “The aim of this Conservative administration remains to improve the quality of life for all our residents by delivering quality services that give value for money,

what the hell is this woman talking about . wake up
i hope the people of wycombe have the sence to vote you out, and get wycombe back on its feet

I've heard that racism is rife in many places - the posts on here often confirm it.

Anyone seen GASP's web site - guide to who is in favour of the stadium?
Probably the most controversial item on people’s minds right now.

www.gasp-no.org/cand
idates.php

Certainly worth a look

rem708 wrote:
Anyone seen GASP's web site - guide to who is in favour of the stadium?
Probably the most controversial item on people’s minds right now.

www.gasp-no.org/cand

idates.php

Certainly worth a look

That's really useful. It's the first time I've seen a list of candidates and what their opinion is. Well worth taking into consideration when casting your vote.

Well, tomorrow will be the second time in 20 years that I haven't voted Conservative and in a way, I am pleased, pleased that I am making the right choice for my local area, upset, that the Local Conservative party that I grew up with,whom I thought had principles, stood for fairness, democracy, hard work - have been let down by a few noncreants who have turned it into a force for using taxpayers cash to fund multi-millionaires development ambitions.
!
Remember, if you are against the stadium, any vote for the Conservatives is a vote for the stadium, it's in their Manifesto.

I don't agree that any vote for Conservatives is a vote for the stadium.
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There are a few who have had the courage to openly state that they will fight against the stadium, namely:
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Ian McEnnis
Jean Teesdale
Dominic Barnes
John Richards
Doug Anson
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I also think that Alex Collingwood is against, but he obviously cannot 'come out' as he is leading the Scrutiny Committee.

How many Conservative candidates are there - 55? How many are brave enough to ignore the bullies at WDC and The Wycombe Conservative Association - 5.
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Pathetic!

People are worried that very few voters will turn out tomorrow and that people are apathetic. I have to say it would be nice if the candidates bothered too. We have not received any election literature of any kind and I have no idea who is representing our area, what party they represent and most importantly what they intend to work towards that will affect me personally. If they want my vote why should it be up to me to look at their website. If they can't be bothered now will they be bothered when they are elected?

jwheeler1 is right in one respect - there is always a risk of low voter turnout and apathy. People who can't be bothered to get off their backsides and take a 5 minute trip to the polling station deserve every bad political decision that befals them.

However, jwheeler1 then spoils it by seeming to display just such an example of apathy - "if they want my vote why should it be up to me to look at their website" - why SHOULDN'T it be up to you to do some basic homework and research for yourself?

Every party has published a local election manifesto - the candidate details (including names and addresses) are published on the 'Notices of Poll' - so why not write to, or e-mail, or phone your local candidates and talk to them if they've not managed to get to your house yet?

Politics is not something we should expect to get served up to us on a plate - get off your backsides and do some work for yourselves! People will vote for something pointless and trivial like The X Factor - so why can't people show a bit of interest in something that's IMPORTANT and has a lasting effect on the locality?

The Labour Asian candidate for Micklefield im told has had his supporters putting undue pressure on Asian voters across the ward to remove Lib Dem signs -- BFP please investigate rather than removing posts

The GASP website www.gasp-no.org is an invaluable source of which candidate is against the stadium and which candidate is not.

On this eve of the election, can I speak to any of my neighbours in Hazlemere who are reading this.

As Independent Candidates, myself JOHN RHODES standing for Hazlemere North and my colleague Brain Mapletoft standing for Hazlemere South, are AGAINST THE STADIUM.

Please vote for us - we will NOT let you down on this issue or any other issue you bring to our attention.

According to GASP, our Conservative opposition have not clearly declared their own position, preferring to follow the party line - I am sure you will draw your own conclusions!

For absolute clarity on our views and policies in relation to this issue, I am adding my original comments posted some time ago to this post.

Please vote and vote INDEPENDENT - John Rhodes and Brian Mapletoft.

Thank You.
____________________
______
Dear Hazlemere Neighbours,

On Thursday you vote for a candidate to represent you Hazlemere North on Wycombe District Council, John Rhodes is the only Independent candidate. Any other candidate on your voting slip will be representing a political party and following that party’s agenda.

As an Independent Candidate I have no party line to follow and no hidden agendas – my agenda is representing YOU. Although like everyone else I naturally have my own views on many issues, I can categorically state that if elected I would stand firm and vote in the way that represents YOUR view rather than the “party line”.

I do not support the proposal to build a stadium at Booker, as I oppose the use of green belt land and feel it is an inappropriate use of tax payers money at a time when services are being cut and jobs are being lost. If elected I would vote against this proposal, just as I opposed the unpopular and unwanted running track being foisted on Hazlemere by your current councillors!

I have lived in Hazlemere for years and brought up children who now have their own families living in this area and attending local schools. Having lived amongst you I feel I know your worries, concerns and anxieties about our community, as I share those same concerns. In 2004 many of my neighbours in Hazlemere told me they felt their voice was not being heard and their views were not being adequately represented. As they seemed to have lost faith in local government I decided to join Hazlemere Parish Council and try to be their voice. I challenged, asked difficult questions and became used to being marginalized (almost ostracised) – but I kept on speaking out in the interests of the people of Hazlemere.

Once again my neighbours in Hazlemere (and others in the wider Wycombe District) tell me their views are not being heard or properly represented. Do you feel you are being properly represented and your views taken into account? As a local resident myself, I don’t.

Every 4 years you have an opportunity to be heard and remind those who seek to “represent you” of the trust you place in them. Of course you can always choose to do what the majority of people did at the last election and not vote at all. Alternatively you could vote for a candidate who doesn’t even live amongst you in Hazlemere (one candidate lives miles from Hazlemere) – but I’m not sure how they can best represent you and your views when they don’t even live in this ward (remember how close “local” councillors came to giving you a running track!). Of course you could always vote for the “same-old, same-old” – but the past inevitably predicts the future and “if you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always got” – and most probably a new stadium at Booker!

Politics, including at District Council level, is all about numbers. If a particular party wants to pursue a particular project or policy, they need the numbers in order to exercise a majority and drive that project through - no matter how unpopular it may be with the people of Wycombe, their majority will make it unstoppable. Independent candidates like myself will do our best to ensure that projects like the Wycombe Air Park won’t simply be pushed through unopposed – just as I did with that unpopular running track!

I want to ensure your voices are heard and your views taken into account so I am asking YOU, the people of Hazlemere North, to vote for me in the District Council elections and let me be YOUR voice in the council chamber. I am also seeking your vote to return to the Parish Council and continue representing you at the most local level, right here in Hazlemere.

Please don’t leave the voting to somebody else and chance to luck that the right candidate to represent you will be elected – they may well not be. Your vote is CRUCIAL – remember it’s all about the numbers!

You can vote for two candidates to represent Hazlemere, so please use one of your votes and vote for me. In return, on every issue on which councillors are asked to vote, I will vote for you!

Go for it Brian !!

Thanks to the GASP website for letting me know what my candidates think on the Stadium. I also haven't seen a candidate, received a leaflet, or heard a dicky bird from my local candidates and nor have my neighbours. Someone said that I should do the homework and contact them. However these people are meant to be local candidates supporting the views of local people. How do they know those views when they are not out there talking to people? I wish my candidates were more like John or Brian above than the likes of David Shakespeare who has another job to do.

I understand the Independent in the Abbey ward has had a great amount of support on the doorstep from every colour in the political spectrum and every shade in the human one too. 90%+ are concerned about green belt issues, wondering why the council is NOT listening and so blinkered about a new stadium when the old one is fine and/or could be improved.

Please send an unambiguous message to the council and vote Independent Simon.

Thank you.

Oh,..please see:

http://www.independe
ntsimon.com/

Thank YOU!

Somewhat surprised to be handed a ballot paper for the WDC election this morning: not one of the 3 candidates had even bothered to deliver a piece of paper through my door.

Sorry, if I don't know who you are and what you stand for, you don't get a vote from me. I don't vote along party lines as I want the person who I vote for to actually think for themselves!

Something I did notice was that one of the candidates on the list I was presented with listed an address outside the area: how can they represent us if they don't live with the people they represent?

Whoever does get to represent the ward, I hope you pay more attention to your electorate when you're in power than you have before the election - you don't have a mandate from me!

buckspeasant wrote:
Somewhat surprised to be handed a ballot paper for the WDC election this morning: not one of the 3 candidates had even bothered to deliver a piece of paper through my door. Sorry, if I don't know who you are and what you stand for, you don't get a vote from me. I don't vote along party lines as I want the person who I vote for to actually think for themselves! Something I did notice was that one of the candidates on the list I was presented with listed an address outside the area: how can they represent us if they don't live with the people they represent? Whoever does get to represent the ward, I hope you pay more attention to your electorate when you're in power than you have before the election - you don't have a mandate from me!

Still out campaigning as some people will vote tonight, so may have time to get just that one more vote! (I assume every leaflet and every potential vote is the critical one that will swing it). Just popped back in home for a coffee to keep me going and seen the comments - loads of people in Hazlemere have not seen any of the opposition, perhaps the Conservatives assume it's a "Gimme"?
Got to go now - another couple of hundred leaflets to deliver!
Go. Go, Independents - Good Luck!

@timbers

With the way local council seats are contested, I'm never sure which seats are in which poll so rely on getting something through the door to give me a clue that my ward is electing.

This morning I've been and found the names of the candidates for Stokenchurch and Radnage and have looked them up their respective parties' websites: there's nothing there beyond their names that I can find, hence I still know nothing about their individual beliefs.

I was wrong in my previous comment: neither of the Conservative candidates live in the Stokenchurch and Radnage ward so as at last one of them will be elected, when will they be moving in?

HazlemereJohn wrote:

buckspeasant wrote: Somewhat surprised to be handed a ballot paper for the WDC election this morning: not one of the 3 candidates had even bothered to deliver a piece of paper through my door. Sorry, if I don't know who you are and what you stand for, you don't get a vote from me. I don't vote along party lines as I want the person who I vote for to actually think for themselves! Something I did notice was that one of the candidates on the list I was presented with listed an address outside the area: how can they represent us if they don't live with the people they represent? Whoever does get to represent the ward, I hope you pay more attention to your electorate when you're in power than you have before the election - you don't have a mandate from me!

Still out campaigning as some people will vote tonight, so may have time to get just that one more vote! (I assume every leaflet and every potential vote is the critical one that will swing it). Just popped back in home for a coffee to keep me going and seen the comments - loads of people in Hazlemere have not seen any of the opposition, perhaps the Conservatives assume it's a "Gimme"? Got to go now - another couple of hundred leaflets to deliver! Go. Go, Independents - Good Luck!

i have voted for you John, outside the polling station by the Cedars Park is the conservative candidate meeting and greeting people

My relative has had a visit from both of the two Conservative candidates in Booker and Cressex. They both stated that they are 100% against the stadium, yet the Conservatives are not prepared to publish their stance. As a Conservative voter of many years I am thoroughly disallusioned, who do I trust?

I live on Booker Common have not had a visit from either of these two candidates. If they can't be bothered to visit me I can't be bothered to vote for them.

Thank You MC!
I have just completed visiting in-person ALL 1997 homes in Hazlemere North. I don't have a party machine to support me and I have done all the printing and distributing of 3,500 leaflets myself, but I did feel it was important to meet people and tell you all something about myself and what I stand for - I hope I chose the right tactic, rather than just making an odd trip over to Hazlemere to press the flesh and kiss babies heads, as it seems my opponent has chosen to do! I have found this experience surprisingly humbling and, win-lose-or- draw it has already changed my life, as having people put their trust in you is pretty special.
I hope I get elected as otherwise there will be one fewer independent to try to champion your cause.
Gotta go now - need to get to the polling staion and meet my opposition before they leave to make the long journey home!
Thank You for voting for me.

Thanks to all the BFP website readers who have visited the blog about the "Risborough Independents", I'd just like to wish all the best to all the candidates in the District / Town / Parish elections today and may democracy win. I look forward to the results tomorrow afternoon.

Just got back from the polling station. So that's it - weeks of printing, folding, delivering and then meeting voters today at the polling station. Hazlemere, I gave it all I got. I did my job - hope you did yours and that it gets you get the LOCAL candidate you DESERVE!
Thanks to everyone who came out to support me and vote for me - if I'm in, I'll return the favour and support you and your views (you'll be able to check the voting records).

i bet John feels just a little bit tired this morning!

No one seems to have seen the Lib-dems in Abbey ward. The Tory, Labour and Independent prospective councillors have confirmed this! Also one of the Labour Candidates was a no show,...even to his own team! Shocking!

All over bar the counting now,...

TheHorsesMouth wrote:
No one seems to have seen the Lib-dems in Abbey ward. The Tory, Labour and Independent prospective councillors have confirmed this! Also one of the Labour Candidates was a no show,...even to his own team! Shocking! All over bar the counting now,...

Neither of the Lib Dem candidates were at the polling station at Cedar Barn for Hazlemere North - the pity is that by appearing on the voting slips but not in person, some crucial votes may have been "wasted" on these absent candidates!

I spent 8am to 3pm on the campaign trail, dropping personal letters through doors and talking to anyone who wanted to meet me, then I spent 3pm until 10pm outside the polling station and then walked the 250 yards home.
My Conservative opponent was also there until around 6pm, but he then had to leave early to make the long journey home to Saunderton - it must be tough when you don't live in the area you are standing in.