Another Isle of Wight council election leaflet has come under scrutiny letter this evening (Monday).
Conservative candidate for Brading and St Helens, Brian Tyndall, wrote in his election leaflet,
“Throughout my time as a ward councillor, I have worked closely with the three parish / town councils and have good relationships with all. So much so that the Mayor of Brading Town Council and Chair of St Helens Parish Council have nominated me to re-stand.”
Hudspith: Deeply disappointed
The Mayor of Brading Town Council, Richard Hudspith, hand delivered a letter to Cllr Tyndall this afternoon and posted a copy of the letter on the Brading Town Council Website and noticeboards in the town.
He explained in the letter that when he signed Cllr Tyndall’s nomination form, he did so as a friend and near neighbour. He went on to say,
“For you to make political capital from it use through my position as Mayor of Brading I find completely unacceptable and it is something I did not, and would not, consent to.”
The Mayor of Brading added that he has no allegiance, nor is a member of any political party and insisted Cllr Tyndall post an apology to his social media account. Mr Hudspith finished by saying he was “deeply disappointed” by Tyndall’s actions.
Town and Parish councils must remain independent during pre-election period (purdah) to avoid being in breach of the rules.
Response from Tyndall
News OnTheWight wrote to Cllr Tyndall this evening and offered him a chance to respond to Mr Hudspith’s letter, we’ll update once we hear back.
The literature
See below, Cllr Tyndall’s election leaflet and Mr Hudspith’s letter.
Image: David Steele under CC BY 2.0
