Sadly, unlike Farnham, there was no Residents’ Group standing in the recent county council elections in the East of Waverley.
Despite one of the most acrimonious internal fights being played within the Guildford Conservative Association to oust the sitting councillor – Alan Young, there was no Independent voice to capitalise on the opportunity this presented.
The mutter in the Ewhurst gutter confirms that it was Matron Milton , and friends, who worked to kick out the ‘popular’ Mr Young, (one of his supporter’s words, not ours!) He wanted to continue representing the Eastern villages along with his wife Victoria, known locally as Queen Vic. Who incidentally was voted back in the Eastern villages, by opposing development at Dunsfold and supporting development in Cranleigh and Ewhurst!
However, after blood was spent and venom disgorged in bucket loads the chosen one – Andrew Povey – a former Leader of Surrey County Council, romped home after trousering 2,098 votes, a thousand more than his nearest rival Lib Dem Richard Cole. He now sits among many of the colleagues who took a vote of no confidence in his leadership six years ago and threw him out!
Ah well! All’s fair in the world of backstabbing POLITICS, and who better to get to grips with SCC’s Leader Hodge the bodge than his old adversary? Do we see blood spilled at County Towers?
However in Farnham it was a very different story. The Residents’ Group had plenty to smile about. Having pushed the voting fodder around for years, the townsfolk bit back at “Your Waverley” and “Your County Council’ and threw out two Tory councillors, and only narrowly avoided bagging a third seat.
`Now, we hear on the Waverley grapevine that the rumblings in the East at the way townsfolk there have, and continue to be, treated by ‘YW’ has reached a roar!
When folk turn out for the a public meeting called by the Civic Society on Thursday 25th May there may be another residents army preparing to march into the 2018 Waverley Borough Council elections.
WHY? Because voters feel they can no longer influence decisions, and are fed up with being patronised and ignored.
But in Farnham – they have already voted with their feet and they won!
