This first lot is for the TDC election
caused by Sandy Ezekiel being sent to prison.
And this lot caused by Ian Driver resigning
from Ramsgate Town Council.
And this lot for Brodastairs and St Peters, my thanks to Chris Wells for pointing out in the comments.
Neither of these elections effect me as
they don’t involve candidates from my electoral ward, but they do beg the
question; where are the online presences of some of the candidates.
Living as we do in the age of the internet,
one would expect a google search of the candidates name combined with Thanet or
the Thanet town they live in would produce something that people could grapple with.
I would expect anyone who aspires to become
a community leader to have made some sort of mark on the world wide web.
I don’t know what other people think, but I
would say not having some sort of internet presence today can be considered as
suspicious, ones first though being; what are they trying to hide?
Obviously neither election will be decided
by the majority of electors who always vote for the same political party, but
both will be decided by the minority of people who both bother to vote and who
vote for different people dependent on the circumstances.
My guess is that a for a fair amount of
these people putting the name of a candidate they may vote for into an internet
search engine will be a first port of call.
Frankly Peter hers was the only name in that lot that I had heard of and I wondered if it was just me, have you heard of any of the others? And would you vote for someone you had never heard of? Replying to your point though, I wonder what the others have done for the regeneration of Margate, I guess in the case of Louise running a successful business in the town is about the most you can do.
ReplyDeleteYou are incredibly myopic Michael. Wendy Chaplin has been an officer and volunteer for the Conservative Party for many years, currently my supportive Ward Chairman in Margate and Cliftonville; Rozanne Duncan a former Conservative councillor of many years standing; Seth Proctor a Broadtsiars liberal Democrat of some years standing; the only one I had not heard of is Alan Currie, and you just published a glowing press release about him on your other blog. Similarly in Ramsgate Barbara Byne stood in Northwood at the last District election; Trevor Shonk and Brian Urwin you must know. You have not, of course listed the Broadstairs Town Council candidates have you. Any reason why not?
ReplyDeleteHalf of the voting public are myopic and you have just insulted them by implying that they are not political aware. How to win votes! Maybe you should have found another way of insulting Michael.
DeleteAnon of 407pm hallo again.....think about it for a moment. You have just insulted the voting public; I was merely poitning out to Michael that his previous frequent suggestions he is politically aware/ and /or engaged because of his blog and campaigns look pretty thin in the circumstances. Please try and keep up!
DeleteWould like to be able to contact my elected rep by email but other than that I don't need them to have a facebook account, twitter account, website or blog. It's about how they do the job not about having a prominent online presence - Ian Driver has a significant online presence but........
ReplyDeleteHear hear; a real world person on your blog at last Michael, and not an anorak!
DeleteI guess the problem here is that out in the real world most people who may vote, wouldn’t know, or even know of the party hopefuls, may have received some election bumph, probably have the most hazy idea of the difference between, parish, district and county councils, but wish to vote and to their bit in participating in our democracy.
DeleteI don’t think I would want to vote for someone who was a computer illiterate, or someone who was computer literate but didn’t contribute to the internet in some way, it does suggest keeping a low profile and only going for the benefits of office.
I would expect people who care about local issues to say something somewhere about local issues and I guess at the moment that somewhere is the internet. That is assuming these people are standing to represent local people and to resolve local issues.
Chris as I have said before there is a lot I disagree with you about, but if you were standing in my ward I would vote for you, past experience has shown me that if I raise an issue with you do respond and you do try to resolve the issue. Most councillors don’t even respond let alone actually try to do something.
Dated Friday 5 April 2013 Sue McGonigal
ReplyDeleteReturning Officer
Printed and published by the Returning Officer, Election Office, Council Offices, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent, CT9 1XZ
STATEMENT OF PERSONS NOMINATED
District of Thanet
Election of a Parish Councillor
The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Parish Councillor for
Parish of Broadstairs and St. Peter`s - Viking Ward
Name of Candidate Home Address Description (if any) Reason why no longer nominated*
BINKS
Roger Keith
37 Callis Court Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 3AH
The Conservative Party Candidate
HEALE
Martyn
Flat 4 Balmoral Mansions, 27 Albion Street, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 1LU
UKIP
PROCTOR
Seth
65 Beacon Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 3DF
Liberal Democrat
SYMONDS
Dick
12 North Foreland Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 3NN
Labour Party Candidate
*Decision of the Returning Officer that the nomination is invalid or other reason why a person nominated no longer stands nominated.
The persons above against whose name no entry is made in the last column have been and stand validly nominated.
Sorry I missed that one Chris and have now added it, put it down to the way TDC publish these things, instead of a simple webpage with all the details links to various different pdf files, which aint that easy using a phone during tea break.
DeleteWell said Michael. It's bit much the public payign for public services then having to do it themselves. And then being criticised by a publicly-funded councillor for doing so. Chris should get onto TDC and sack a few of them.
DeleteA concern is the number of people standing in towns they don't live in - like Chris its its playing the system to get reelected. No councillor from differnet towns should be elected nor doublehatters.
Does the returning officer get any additional payments for acting as returning officer, or is it all covered by the humungeous salary she gets as Chief Executive.
DeleteAnon 9:23, unfortunately the candidates within the party system do not also get the wards or divisions they would prefer to stand in, but where their party wants them to stand. I am quite sure Chris Wells would much prefer to stand in Broadstairs, a far safer area for the Conservatives, but the two slots there are already taken by two long serving county councillors.
DeleteAs for your double hatters, let me advise you, having been a councillor, that to have representation up through the tiers of local government can be very useful. As a town councillor, for example, one may get a complaint from a resident about dustbin collection (district) or potholes (county) or such other matters outside your remit. Rather than just saying we do not deal with that, how much better to turn to a colleague who is a district or county councillor and get the matter dealt with at the right level.
I hope Ms Oldfield IS elected. Then she will be as ineffective as the current shower of villains and lacking in any ability to make decisions ... there her negativity will be at home and maybe Margate regeneration can continue without her constant whingeing. For many of us she lost ALL credibility when she claimed [and continues to claim] that the proposed Tesco is 'On The Seafront' when it is in All Saints' Avenue. Anyone who depends on lies to make a point is surely an ideal candidate for Council.
ReplyDelete"I don’t think I would want to vote for someone who was a computer illiterate, or someone who was computer literate but didn’t contribute to the internet in some way, it does suggest keeping a low profile and only going for the benefits of office. "
ReplyDeleteCan't see how it necessarily suggests keeping a low profile - perhaps they choose to raise their profile in other ways - meetings, mailshots, email etc.
I suspect Paris brown wishes she didn't have her online profile !
Just because someone chooses to operate differently to you doesn't make them wrong or untrustworthy. I respect your right to choose, respect theirs !
Well Realworld, let’s for a moment assume you are a floating voter, Cllr Wells has told you that the Conservative candidates are very nice people, but then he is a Conservative so he would. So let’s for a moment assume you are going to devote an hour of your life to finding out about the candidates, so you can decide who to vote for, if you can’t find them on the internet, how would you set about it?
DeleteSeth Proctor must be pretty desperate to become a councillor - he's standing in all three !
ReplyDeleteOne must wonder why somebody is so desperate to become a councillor - especially in an area where they don't even live..
Louise Oldfield has an internet presence. She has fought her campaigns with research and attention to detail. Isn't it her who travelled daily to the Court having gained a Judicial consent to report on the Ezekiel trial. Lord knows why she bothered. But she is clearly a fighter.
ReplyDeleteSome of the comments here seem very mean spirited. Whereas for anyone running a business to commit to time for public service, whatever their politics, has to be respected surely ?
So Peter your beef is that you think her research is too limited. And in support of your opinion, your evidence ? And in support of your opinion have you sought to communicate with her at all ?
DeleteAnd a summary of the "Geography and recent history of Margate" you feel she so far has neglected to research ?
Knowing nothing about Louise I looked up her Facebook profile and see that she originates in Sheffield. Isn't it interesting how often a person at least trying to fight for Thanet is not actually of Thanet origin.
Just to clarify this for people who may not understand the location of the proposed Margate Tesco which Peter supports and Loise opposes I have bunged up an artist's impression of the development ant the bottom of the post.
DeleteSadly Oldfield's volume and willingness to cause tax payers money to be expended over pointless lost causes, that the people of Thanet CLEARLY don't support, she demonstrates perfectly why she is not fit to be a councillor.
DeleteTDC are already overrun with councillors willing to throw good money after bad in pointless court actions, it certainly doesn;t need another.
Add to that the mis representations and outright lies she has to make to support her arguments, and the her unsuitability becomes all the more stark.
I am intriqued, what does she do for Thanet, how many do her (or Driver) employ, and why does she fight so dishonestly to prevent a major employer moving into Margate, that the residents clearly want?
Perhaps if she wants to support thye views of the residents of Margate, she should stop her pointless, expensive and self serving court actions, and get behind a development people clearly want.
Just to clarify. I knew nothing about the candidate when I first read the blog. Then I did some internet research. Which is the point of the blog isn't it ?
ReplyDeleteTwenty three comments, so far, and only one anonymous. This is refreshing.
ReplyDeletePersonally I don’t care who the anons are as long as they give themselves some sort of nametag so I can tell one anon from another.
DeleteI have spammed the bloke who copies bits of local history from other sites and other people’s comments from here, sometimes adding the odd obscenity and sometimes not. I don’t even bother to read them through to find out anymore.
Michael,
DeleteMy point entirely. Many of the anons are in truth the same person.
The bloke you have spammed: he is the kind that used to write obscenities on toilet walls.
A bit unkind, John, for I think the only poetry that I can recall from school days was from the boys toilet wall:-
DeleteS**thouse poets, when the die,
have erected in the sky,
in tribute to their splendid wit,
a monument of solid s**t.
Probably find the author went on to get a first in English at Oxbridge (or runs a bookshop somewhere! Only joking, honest, guv.)
Allan,
DeleteThe one that sticks in my mind is:
Here I sit broken hearted
paid a penny and only f*rted
Anon. seen in the toilets on the Boundary Rd rec.
John,
DeleteThe crabs in here can jump six feet,
but no good going in next door,
the crabs in there can jump six more.
Perhaps we should get together to write a book of toilet humour. Certainly more interesting than polluted aquifers and 0% salaries.
And anonymous comments are held to be of lower quality??? Good grief.
DeletePeter you are making a case for why you wouldn't vote for her. This is not the same as making a case arguing that someone is an unworthy candidate. Thanks Michael.
ReplyDeleteYours is a simple example of the errors of assumption being projected as fact.
Do I own property in Thanet ? Do I invest in Thanet business(es).? You actually don't know.
I may have money in Tesco for all you know ?
Clearly you have a parochial mindset.
I have a slight interest in Roger Gale and his history. And research shows that you, on the basis of he helped you get a job, concluded that he is a great MP. If your only arbiter is whether a politician helps you personally or disagrees with your personal views then that is further evidence of your archetypal parochialism.
If you meant it is Ms Oldfield who is from out of area then rational thought should be given to what you meant by "Recent history". Surely you define the history as a period during which she was a resident in Thanet ?
I still think your comments are mean spirited. I don't doubt that you care about the Tesco issue but you must surely recognise that others cared to oppose it. It doesn't make them bad people. It simply makes them people with a differing view to yours.
Have to agree with you Peter. Having in Thanet only a couple of years before you, Arlington was a an uninviting semi derelict slum back than, the only change has been the fact that the work "semi" in my previous description is no longer required.
DeleteArlington is crying out for development, the only thing stopping it is some nimby's and Oldfield, shame on them both.
So hamilton and Checksfield have allowed Arlington to be derelict for almost 15 years or more and now moan that nothing has been done and criticise those attempting to do so.
DeleteAs Peter pointed out anon, i whole heartedly support the Tesco's development, as do the VAST majority of those living in Margate/Thanet.
Deletescrew tesco and their nasty evil food. they have destroted local business as have all the corporations storing their money offshore. they let us foot the deficit on our own
DeleteThe constituents of Cliftonville East will receive leaflets about their prospective candidates telling them what they have been doing for the local area over a number of years or in some cases nothing. soome will have a internet presence some not, doesn't really mean either would be a good or bad councillor. some will have a genuine interest in that area while some have other agenda.
ReplyDeletehey just wondering where are the candidates for the margate area. please reach me on facebook.com/michael.berry.18007218?ref=tn_tnmn
ReplyDeleteno worries i found them. thanks though
ReplyDelete