It must be an election year in ‘Your Waverley?’

 Watch out there’s an election about!

Elections Ballot Box
Where will you be putting your vote in May’s Surrey County Council Elections?

Despite being in the middle of a Pandemic and told  to hunker down we hear the county election is ON. Even in Woking where hanging out of the window for a breath of fresh air looks a strong possibility! 

For those of you who read the Waverley Web, it will come as no surprise then that in recent months our Tory-controlled Surrey County Council has been throwing money and ideas at us. Or perhaps they should be called bribes? WHY? Simples – because it wants to take control of the whole county, dumping 11 borough and district councils along the way!  After, all isn’t that what everyone wants – one huge behemoth Unitary Authority based in Leatherhead?  

: Bye Bye ‘ Your Waverley’ Hello ‘ Surrey?’

Here’s another: Roll up, roll up for the Big Surrey Giveaway.

Wow! £100 million pounds – and the race to snaffle some of the cash has already begun! Strange that?   Do the head honchos at Surrey really believe the county’s voting fodder is completely stupid? Too preoccupied with trying to feed their families, home-school them – and hang on to thier ever-increasingly precarious jobs to actually notice that we are facing record council-tax and service tax hikes? Too dumb to realise that the county council is facing massive losses on its investment income in retail outlets – like Blightwells here in Farnham and retail parks around the country?

Perhaps they think we are no longer aware of the ever-increasing potholes  because we are forced to ‘Stay at home – Stay Safe and Save the NHS?’

Did Surrey County Council celebrate National Pothole Day?

So what are the Tories up to – as they prepare to smash any opposition to their rightful fiefdom of County Hall?

Let’s begin with Godalming: Where finally Cllr Peter Martin –  former SCC Council Chairman leader has now thrown in the towel.

Life for him hasn’t been quite the same since he was thrown out of his job and forced to apologise for inappropriate remarks to a wannabe employee!

The Conservative councillor resigned after admitting he had shown a lack of “cultural awareness” and “good judgement” during a recent interview.

Godalming’s Surrey County Councillor Peter Martin resigns as Chairman.

So who is the incumbent county councillor hanging over the baton too?  None other than young Mum Kirsty Walden. Who says on her Facebook Page:

“As a local resident to (SIC) Godalming for over eight years and Mum to a young four-year-old daughter attending a local school, I care deeply about local matters that affect us all.
I hope to be elected as your County Councillor to take an active role in ensuring the voices of our community are (SIC) heard.
With the current strange new virtual world that living with Covid means, I’ll use this page to post updates about those matters that are important to you over the next few months – please do take a moment to follow this page. Further details on virtual events and other ways to share your views will follow.
Kirsty x

Perhaps someone can remind us? Wasn’t it Kirsty who was working abroad when she stood in the 2019 election for a seat on ‘Your Waverley?’ No worries there then?  Although she failed, she should take a leaf out of Guildford MP Angela Richardson’s book and take heart from one of her Tory colleagues who also failed in her bid to represent Cranleigh. The Hon Angie  failed to secure a seat at Waverley Towers but just look at her now! – Private Secretary to non-other than Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson! So being a Boris Buddy does work!

? It cannot be true – can it? Another Tory CHINO – who wants to join ‘ Your Waverley.’

And then – in comes Frank: Standing in Godalming North and Binscombe – who says he doesn’t care who you usually vote for – because in future he wants you to vote for him.
Frank Young says he doesn’t want to be “political point-scoring” candidate and then wades straight in on a political point-scoring argument over the slight extension of the Godalming Community Store that resulted in two of his Tory mates Steve Cosser and Peter Martin refusing to back the Lib-Dem controlled Town Council scheme to extend its life by a few months. Realising the electoral error – The Tories, desperately sought to shrug off the ‘Nasty Party’ image and is now claiming they, and the local MP, back the community store but not at The Wilfred Noyce Centre, which they want for activities –  no doubt ZOOMBA? 
OH NO -Not another TORY chino! ‘Councillor Here In Name Only?’

Interestingly we see that Frank Young has already resigned once in March 2017 (Elected 2015 Godalming, Binscombe), due to ‘work pressures.’

After working as a Conservative party campaign manager, he got a job in October 2015 for a far-right think tank, the Centre for Social Justice, set up by Iain Duncan Smith and Tim Montgomerie of all people.

So tell us please Frank? How on earth can you represent residents at Surrey County Council, a body which meets during the day?

A spokesman for Godalming Town Council said at the time: 
“Godalming Town Council has regretfully accepted the resignation of Cllr Frank Young.  Cllr Young has found it increasingly difficult to balance his full-time job in London, family commitments as well as his responsibilities as a town councillor and fulfilling his duties of representing the residents of Binscombe.”
So where do the other candidates for a county council seat stand?

Here’s what Lib Dem Paul Follows says:

“Well, it’s sad to say that you can already tell there is a county election coming.

It disappoints me greatly that certain people are content to just outright lie and mislead – even here at the local level. I have grown a thick skin these last few years with the threats, nasty comments etc. But watching them lie to residents crosses a line.

Paul Follows – Chairman of Godalming Town Council and Leader of ‘Your Waverley.’ Pictured here at the High Court in London where he attended the hearing to save Waverley’s Local Plan.

My message to residents is this.

“I hope it’s clear that I am around all the time on social media, and not just for elections.
We may not always agree but I hope you feel you can certainly always talk to me about whatever the concern is.
Please always feel free to check with me if you see comments about me elsewhere or about something I’ve supposedly said.
With a pandemic going on I think we could all do without the electioneering – but that’s a part of democracy. Outright lies and trying to mislead residents is not!
I urge you to call those people out when they do.
My pledge here and now –
➡️ if I quote anyone else I will provide evidence / a source.
➡️ if I’m talking about something and referring to outside evidence, I will always share a link.
Ask for sources. Ask for evidence. Let’s have a fair election.
Thank you.
Cllr Paul Follows
We here at the Waverley Web could also add – how about judging candidates on their past efforts – not what they claim their future efforts might be?

3 thoughts on “It must be an election year in ‘Your Waverley?’”

  1. With their recent purchase of the Dakota Building in Brooklands near Weybridge for £15.9m, that brings their office portfolio to six locations around the County:
    Weybridge
    Reigate
    Woking
    Leatherhead
    Guildford
    Walton
    The official line is: To support our agile working scheme. Others might say this is to support Surrey’s next attempt at creating a single Surrey wide Unitary. Unless of course the political map changes at the elections in May. So don’t waste your vote everyone!

    Reply

  2. Just had a Frank Young Conservative leaflet delivered to my house. The canvasser then took a short cut over my freshly seeded lawn leaving muddy footprints to get to next door. This seems as good a reason as any not to vote for him.

    Reply

    1. I wouldn’t vote for Frank Young regardless of whose lawn he walked over – though this act alone reveals his arrogance. I wouldn’t vote for him because he hardly ever rocked up to a Godalming Town Council meeting when elected – and then resigned. Yet another Tory CHINO – ” Councillor Here In Name Only.”

      Reply

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