I live in the Abbey Ward and so far have had a visit from one candidate, Cheryl Briggs, the Green Candidate. Looking at the list of candidates for the Abbey Ward, no Conservatives are contesting the two seats. Normally Lib-Dems and Conservatives would contest every seat.
Even stranger is that in Northcourt Ward, the two Lib-Dem candidates will get in without a vote. Nobody else has stood.
For the 19 town council seats, there are:
18 Lib-Dems
7 Conservatives
6 Labour
2 Greens
1 Independent
The one independent is Charlie Birks, who resigned as a Lib-Dem, about six months ago. The current Mayor, Cllr Andy Foulsham is not standing again for the town council. Neither is the leader of the council, Cllr Sam Bowring.
If you look at candidates for the district council, with 10 Abingdon seats, there are:
10 Lib-Dems
10 Conservatives
7 Labour
3 Greens
It is very disappointing that so few people are standing, We hear so many calls for “new blood” on the councils, but when the opportunity arises to make that happen, people don’t come forward. We have a lot of energetic and competent people in the town whose skills would be of great value on the council, so what is putting them off?
Time may be a factor for some, but I think it is more than that. I wonder if the fact that here, but not everywhere, the Town Council is run on party political lines is a problem – not everyone who wants to help at local level is happy with wearing a party “badge”. In the days before social media it used to be argued that it was not practicable for independents to publicise themselves, but that should not be such a problem nowadays.
Talking of social media, however, I wonder if the level of criticism – even abuse – sometimes directed at our councillors (who are after all volunteers, not in most cases paid for their efforts) is another factor deterring people from coming forward?
All we can do at this stage is to support the candidates who we think will do the best job for us. Once elected we can take a constructive interest in whatever programmes they embark on and let our elected representatives know (politely) what we care about and what we want them to do. Then hopefully in about three years time more of us will consider coming forward to do our part.
There is a lot of ‘new blood’ standing in these elections, just mostly for one of the parties listed.
10 of the 18 Lib Dem candidates will be new councillors, if elected. Quite a range of ages, backgorund and experience too.
I agree with your point about the impact of social media. It has been a very common bit of feedback as we have been out recruiting our candidates that they are worried about the flak they might get.
Most are reassured when we tell them that they don’t have to be active on social media, and that some of us who are already using it will get the message out when we need to. It is shame that that is how so many people feel, though, and it may well be offputting to some of those who would be otherwise intersted in standing as Indpendents.
On your point about party politic reducing interest, I disagree. There are a large number of parish councils locally where the candidates do not stand on a party ticket where they have not even had enough people standing to fill all the spaces, and in some cases, even be quorate.
I can only conclude that the absolute clusterbasket behaviour of the chaps at the top of the Conservative Party are deterring general Conservative voters and members from wanting to be associated with them at any governmental level. I know of many former blue voters who are very disillusioned by things as they currently are.
The fish stinks from the head.
Looks like the Tories have thrown in the towel in Abingdon.
That’s a shame for democracy, but who can blame them?
All that campaigning, time, money and effort only inevitably to lose to the Lib Dems seems rather pointless.