Here at the Waverley Web, we have been an admirer of Paul Follows since he first arrived on the scene at Waverley Towers. And the answer is NO – if you believe it is because he is a Liberal Democrat. the truth is far simpler.
It is because he tells it as it is, warts and all.
He communicates directly with the public. Not through a laboriously long-winded and slow communications machine – where the language is couched in ‘council speak’ and where misuse of words blunts the edge of the message.
Paul Follows is not on a “direction of travel’ or ‘engaged in a piece of work.’ He is making a plan and doing the job – and telling everyone in the process – including the Waverley Web. The same Waverley Web that is loathed by the Conservative Group who believed in doing things behind our backs – making decisions in Group Meetings – which we understand is still in Committee Room 1 – a domain normally reserved for the ruling group, not the largest group? The same group that failed consistently to deliver a robust Local Plan, and which for years ignored the largest brownfield site in the borough! Which has now dumped us in a developers hole!
On 6 May the party’s stranglehold at Surrey could end, as it has in Waverley and other councils across the county. Tories currently hold 61 of the 81 seats.
That the dream team the Lib Dems have come up with will make a massive difference at County Towers – we are in no doubt. Particularly when Cllr Mark Merryweather joins the county fray. We Bet Fred, or anyone else, that once in the hot seat ‘MM’ will be trawling through Surrey’s accounts and going through them with a fine-tooth comb. He might not only discover WHY Surrey wants to take over the 11 boroughs & district councils but actually tell us what fine mess it is really in?
Here’s his message from a brave man who made it before the hairdressers opened
I echo the hopes that the Conservative stranglehold on Surrey County Council will be broken by the LibDems and various Independents (neither group can do it on there own) So if this happens will they all be able to work together as an effective administration? (as they do at Waverley)
I certainly hope so, but the current LibDem incumbents at County Hall seem reluctant to work with anyone else. Will that change?
I can assure you that if Lib Dems from Waverley, many of us involved with the cross-party administration of the borough and various towns – if we are elected we will be strongly adding to the experience and voice for a cooperative, non-Conservative administration.
Certainly I now have experience of building this with colleagues at Waverley BC and at Godalming TC. Mark, Liz and John also bring variations on the theme in Farnham, Cranleigh and Haslemere respectively.
Once the stranglehold is severed – let us all hope and pray that all the elected politicians work together for the common good. God knows there are tough times ahead – but if the Waverley group headed by Paul Follows can’t straighten out the county council – then nobody can.