Two-faced on Tory Toll

So 'Never is a long time'? Tory campaign incompetence or deliberate u-turn?

Despite the waffle from the Cameron Conservatives in the press last week over the Tunnel Toll it seems that they will say anything to residents before an election to secure a vote, which now undertaking a u-turn on the Tunnel Toll.

In what is a clear breach of the '100% Guarantee' to the voters of River Ward it can be revealed that Medway Conservatives have been two-faced on the Tory toll. Telling one audience there will never be a toll before the local election whilst now suggesting that never is a long time and that it could happen.

It is not clear whether the senior Tory leadership were even aware of what their candidates were promising in what is an abject failure of campaign management.

Councillor Jarrett stated to the Medway Messenger last week that:

"I can't say if we ever would, but I can say we have never looked at it so far. They might huff and puff and say I'm lying but that is the case"

Councillor Jarrett was responding to the charge led by this blogger in the Council Chamber that the Tories lied to the voters of River Ward, when Councillor Jarrett revealed that "never is a long time"

The stupidity of the Conservatives to use that particular phrase when less than four months previously they promised in the ironically titled 'No tolls, not now, not ever under a Conservative Administration' on the River Ward Labour Watch Blog that

'There are no plans, there have never been any plans and there never will be a toll on Medway tunnel under any future Conservative administration.'

Not only is this a direct contradiction to the assertions of Councillor Jarrett but it is so explicit it makes a mockery, out of all the promises put before residents in Rochester.

Residents across Medway are beginning to see through the expensive leaflets and Cashcroft funded veneer. They can see the sheer and utter incompetence after project after programme are mismanaged and botched.

The promise for no tolls in the future was also made explicit in the '100% Guarantee' to River Ward voters in their election leaflet distributed in February 2011.

Meanwhile our local MP Mark Reckless has distanced himself from the campaign over the Tunnel after it has become clear that the government has no intention of taking ownership.

In a blog piece from 11 November 2010 he invited the Transport Minister Norman Baker to visit the Tunnel and even had the ordacity to state that

'he was very pleased how the coalition government and, in conjunction with what other Councillors are doing locally to convince Ministers to visit the site.'

As is yet the Department for Transport has rebuffed our Medway MPs on the Tunnel. Ineffective on transport as standard so we get the silent treatment.

Distancing, but why?

Cllrs' Mark Reckless and Rehman Chisthi of course supported the purchase of the tunnel in the first place as Councillors so they are worried that any potential toll will damage. Believe me,

Any toll will be a Reckless one.