silhouettes of three men

Letter: The ‘sham and deception’ of candidates standing for election local councils is reaching new heights

OnTheWight always welcomes a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below.

This from Our Ryde candidate, Phil Jordan, Ryde. Ed


The sham and deception of candidates standing for election to a town or parish council is reaching new heights and one wonders just how much the public and electorate really understand or take note of what is actually going on.

For years and years, it has been a standard process that candidates do not stand for election to a town or parish council under a political banner. It is the received practice. What this really means is candidates for town and parish councils should be ‘non political’ of course. Why else would the practice be continued?

Withholding political membership
Having now seen the candidate declaration list for the Island elections in May it has become clear that 32 candidates that are standing for election as a political party candidate have chosen to withhold that important information for the town and parish councils in which they are also seeking election. Important enough for them to include it for election papers to the Isle of Wight Council.

Time we cleaned up our act
I have no doubt there are even more candidates running for town and parish councils who are political party members, but also choose not to notify the electorate of that fact. I cannot easily identify those candidates but I am aware of them in certain parish councils.

Remember, the ballot papers for town and parish council elections allow for this political party entry on the ballot paper.

Isn’t it time we cleaned up our act or just announce that town and parish councils are actually ( and largely) run by political parties? How long can this sham continue?

Control of town and parish councils
The electorate have a right to know about the background of any candidate that asks to be elected and it is now so patently obvious that the political parties want control of town and parish councils, but don’t want you to know about it.

A number of town and parish councils have demonstrated over recent years what happens when the politics take over. Sandown and Bembridge are a case in point and Ryde Town Council nearly suffered the same fate as political party members tried to take over the council a couple of years ago.

It makes no rational sense
I am at a loss to understand how a member of a political party can stand in one council (IWC) as a party political candidate, but claim they are non-political for another council. It makes no rational sense.

People ask me, how do I choose a candidate to vote for? I would say to them, firstly, ask a candidate why they are being dishonest about their political party membership and measure the lack of truth, openess and transparency as an integral part of their character when deciding who to vote for.

That’s 32 candidates immediately gone from the reckoning.

Undeclared National Party Candidates (standing for T&P council)

  • Brading
    John Graney LIB DEM
  • Brighstone
    Steve Hastings CON
    Nick Stuart LIB DEM
  • Chillerton
    John Hobart CON
  • Cowes
    Richard Hollis CON
    John Nicholson CON
  • East Cowes
    Bob Packham LIB DEM
    Margaret Webster CON
    Stephen Hendry CON
  • Fishbourne
    Ed Hopper CON
  • Freshwater
    George Cameron CON
  • Havenstreet
    Bob Blezzard LIB DEM (also Newchurch)
    Mick Lyons LAB (also Ryde)
    Sue Lyons LAB (also Ryde)
  • Lake
    Tig Outlaw CON
    Paul Brading CON (also Sandown)
  • Nettlestone
    Michael Ward CON
  • Newchurch
    Clare Mosdell CON
  • Newport
    Bev Hastings CON
    Matthew Price CON (and Whippingham)
    Ray Redrup CON
    Andrew Garratt LIB DEM
    Cara Lock CON
  • Northwood
    John Nicholson CON
  • Ryde
    Malcolm Ross LIB DEM
    Steven Sheridan CON
    Lou Temel CON
  • Sandown
    Ian Fletcher CON
    Ian Ward CON
  • Shanklin
    Michael Beston CON
    Chris Quirk CON
  • Ventnor
    Colm Watling CON
  • Wootton
    Barry Abraham CON

Promoted by: Phil Jordan, St Vincents, Binstead Road, Ryde, PO33 3NB

Image: Meilisa Dwi Nurdiyanti under CC BY 2.0

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