Is Kirsty playing dirty to snaffle a seat on the county council?
A Tory leaflet, which others claim could be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public is being bandied around Godalming and on Social Media.. (photo below).
https://www.facebook.com/135691707151701/posts/762797174441148/?d=nI
Let’s do a FACT- OR FICTION -finding exercise, Megan Markle style?
FICTION OR FACT?
- FICTION The claim that Waverley is a ‘Liberal Democrat Dominated |Council?’
- FACT. The largest Group on Waverley Borough Council is … THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP.
GONE TO POTTS?
N.B. THIS CHANGED SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT AS CONSERVATIVE LEADER JULIA POTTS ANNOUNCED THAT CLLR BRIAN ADAMS HAS BEEN SUSPENDED FROM WAVERLEY’S CONSERVATIVE GROUP AT ‘YOUR WAVERLEY’ AND SUSPENDED FROM THE S.W.SURREY CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATION!
- FICTION Perhaps it wants to close Broadwater Golf Club for “an unpopular housing development?”
- FACT. A housing development has never been mentioned. Why not use the word perhaps it could be ‘a refuse tip’ or perhaps ‘a multi-storey office block?’
- FICTION. It made decisions behind closed doors.
- FACT. It discussed the issue in public – but on the direction of officers, including the borough solicitor, made the decision privately from the public, but not the council, for sound commercially sensitive and legal reasons.
Should Ms Waldron win the Godalming South county council seat, she will, of course, want to adhere to officers’ advice in her new role, particularly when sensitive legal issues are involved?
FACT. Kirsty Waldron says if she is elected she promises, yes “promises,” the people of Godalming that she will fight to keep the club and protect recreational spaces which she uses regularly with her young (4 years old) daughter.
Here’s what Cllr Paul Follows her Liberal Democrat opponent for the county seat has to say on the issue.
FACT: https://www.facebook.com/135691707151701/posts/762797174441148/?d=n
In the words of an often misattributed quote “A lie can travel halfway around the world before the truth can get its boots on”. Sensitive legal issues being considered in confidential meetings does leave a void for the misinformed, ill-educated or simply malicious to fill with speculation of their own. In this particular case it is hard to avoid the presumption that the golf club has been hard done to. Presumably as a communications professional Kirsty Waldron understands the power of a bit of fake news that has a kernel of truth in the mix somewhere. But as a candidate she demonstrates a lack of understanding of the local area. Firstly the site is not in the ward in which she is standing (so why raise it?) I suspect the residents of Godalming South would be happy with the idea of more housing in Godalming North. Secondly a candidate with a better grasp of local issues would understand that the former use of the site as landfill would render it particularly unsuitable for housing (though nothing is impossible).
Yes, a breathtaking lack of understanding by the candidate of the responsibilities of holding the high office of a county councillor will not serve the people of Godalming well. However, it was the Waverley Web’s mischievous suggestions that any other uses could have been proposed, purely to demonstrate her lack of understanding of how damaging her fake newsletter was. There will be people out there who actually believe they are now fighting another proposed housing development in Godalming North. A bit of damage done to the candidates there no doubt.
As was revealed recently by the actions of the Duchess of Sussex – tell one/two/three untruths- and you risk losing your credibility for anything factual you might say.
Ms Waldron has certainly managed to turn off all the voters in my family. Thank you to those who have publicised the truth about this controversial matter. No wonder we mistrust politicians – now we mistrust a prospective county council candidate too!