Wednesday, April 27, 2011

BRIDGWATER FORWARD SAYS: USE YOUR VOTE ON MAY 5TH

Lukins, Cudlipp,Kendall & Tucker
Bridgwater electors met last night at the Railway Club in Bridgwater, to discuss local issues with four candidates in the elections for Sedgemoor District Council, taking place on May 5th.

Bob Cudlipp (Independent, Wyndham) , Judith Kendall (Liberal Democrat, Victoria), Roderick Lukins (Independent, Victoria) and Ian Tucker (Labour, Dunwear) all expressed opposition to the demolition of the Splash and to the sale of the Northgate site to Tesco.

Apologies were received from the Green Party. Anger was expressed that an invitation to Conservative candidates to attend had been totally ignored.

Questions and discussion ranged from the lack of public toilets, bus shelters and facilities for young people, to concerns that Bridgwater is over-supplied with supermarkets and nuclear power stations.

People’s lack of interest in local politics is shown in the increasingly low numbers who turn out to vote”, said Chair Glen Burrows, “ with numbers as low as 27% in some wards. This isn’t just because people are apathetic. It’s also because they have no faith in many of our local politicians. If you attend meetings of the local council you can generally understand why. There is an enormous gap between voters and politicians, and meetings like this are an important step in closing that gulf by bringing people together to chew over important local issues. Most of us don’t see candidates on our doorstep, don’t attend party political meetings, and the only contact we have is with a leaflet shoved through our doors during elections”.


Bridgwater Forward exists to put pressure on Bridgwater councillors to be more accountable, listen to local people and make sensible decisions about how to spend our money. Why, for example, don’t elected councillors arrange regular ward meetings to keep in touch with their electors? Why can’t there be information and training made available to help people understand how local politics works, and how they can get involved?
26th April 2011 was the 25th Anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and a minute’s silence was held at the end of the meeting, in memory of the thousands of dead and dying who are the legacy of that event.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

BRIDGWATER FORWARD SAYS: MAKE YOUR VOTE COUNT!

Bridgwater Forward - Finding what the people think
 Campaigning group Bridgwater Forward has invited candidates for the forthcoming District Council elections to answer questions put by local electors before votes are cast on May 5th


The meeting will be held on Tuesday 26th April, at 7.30pm, at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater and all electors in the Bridgwater area are welcome to attend.


Said Bridgwater Forward Chairs Sally Jones & Dave Chapple: “ Local elections are generally ruled by apathy, with the majority of people not even bothering to vote. We hope that, in Bridgwater, things will start to change. Recent events, like the destruction of our swimming pool, and the decision to sell publicly-owned land at Northgate to a supermarket giant famous for destroying town centres, mean it’s time we started looking more closely at the credentials and calibre of those who are elected every four years to spend our money and make decisions on our behalf.  So we have invited each party to send a couple of candidates for District Council seats in Bridgwater along to the meeting, where members of the public will have a chance to listen to their plans for Bridgwater, and to ask them direct questions. We hope that candidates will welcome this chance to discuss local issues with local voters”
 Questions sent in advance to the Secretary will be given priority at the meeting.
Fun for all the family

Tel. 01278 450562,

email  glenburrows@btinternet.com.

1 Blake Place, Bridgwater, TA6 5AU