Residents snubbed as MPs ignored

So after almost two months of waiting, delays and obfuscation from the Conservative Government we have received a response from our cross-party letter on a meeting of all parties locally to discuss the airport.

It does not come as a surprise that the Conservatives have kept the people of Medway and the Hoo Peninsula waiting for a response, nor included any apology for the delay, or that they effectively sat on the public will of 250,000 residents.

Tories have a particular kind of arrogance which is to treat the public with contempt and delay, and then claim credit within the letter for ‘able representation’ and mutual back-slapping.

The simple question which comes to mind is if our MPs were so robust, why were none able to secure a meeting of our Council leadership with Justine Greening MP?

So ‘full’ that the collective voice of Medway residents has eer, been snubbed. The letter written as it was after the ‘frank’ conversation with our MPs and ably represented; well done for winning absolutely nothing.

As usual; nothing

A recurring theme through out this process; MPs who have collectively failed to represent, who then run away, and who are now trying to claim they are ably representing our interests. Clearly not.

It is their collective failure to represent our interests that has led us to a consultation process in the first place as we can read in the newspapers every single week. Why on earth do we think our MPs have any credibility, unless aggressively pushed and pursued by the community and opposition?

Our Tory Council; instead of representing our cross-party position, or trying to challenge the Tory government, has predictably and noticeably rolled over, and that should be noted by residents reading. Noted closely.If ever you needed a clearer indication that our Conservative Councilors’ are not independent of the government line you need only read the toadying press statement today from Medway Council. If only you could; the letter is on another website and the statement as far as I can see is not on the Council website.

A statement the press office does not seem to think warrants a news item.

To say that you are ‘disappointed’ has to be characterized as the biggest understatement on behalf of the 250,000 residents who are all represented by Councillors as a collective majority.

Where there should be outrage, there is an anodyne and limited statement of concern.

Tories using the Council are trying to cover for Tories in government.

The strategy over the last six months by them has been totally mismanaged; from trying to remove MPs from the debate post November, with now an attempt to state that they are now the only people with any credibility; which makes this letter today as overt a change in policy as ever.

This has a deliberate whiff of a mid-long term objective to project MPs as the sole campaigners-in-chief for the towns. The problem is the public can not trust the Tories. Why should we think the Tories have our interests, over the self-evident knee-bending to the party machine, we saw today in the Council statement?

People are expected to support a party that in government is proposing the very destruction of their own communities. Come off it.

If you are the Friends of North Kent Marshes, or independent Parish Council chairman, or indeed just a normal resident; you will be utterly ignored. You try writing an open letter calling for Justine Greening MP to visit your community; you will get exactly the same response. No No No

What utter contempt for democracy that the only people who can command an audience with her are the Airport Lobbyists, Boris Johnson and our lackluster Tory MPs. What a desperate and tawdry position.

The low frills pie-in-the-sky campaign

Labour should continue to call for more overt and visual campaigns and more direct democracy over the next couple of months. Other opposition parties should get off the fence and support engagement.

The only message Tories will listen to now is direct democracy; public meetings, a visual and aggressive campaign and a direct referendum