Campaigning Hard in Gillingham

Cllr Vince Maple and Labour colleagues in the aptly named Maple Avenue

Labour teams were out in Gillingham this weekend are now confident that we are seeing a significant swing away from the Liberal Democrats to Labour.

The independents have yet to make a dent with very few voters identifying them as a distinct alternative.

With polls pointing to a significant number of voters switching directly from Liberal Democrat to Labour and with hard work being undertaken across the ward, we may see the demise of the Liberal Democrats, and former Liberal Democrats in this heart land.

Meanwhile the warfare between the Liberal Democrats continues.

It can be revealed that the Medway Liberal Democrats have written to the Charity Commission to complain about the 'overtly' political tweets from the Medway Citizens Advice Bureau, the chairman of which is standing as an independent.

Commenting on the matter twice, Andy Stamp stated

'Never thought Medway Lib Dem Cllrs would stoop so low to try and close the local Citizens Advice Bureau, just to get at me! Shame on them!

Labour however has no wish to engage in this local Liberal Democrat feud and instead is focused on listening to the residents of Gillingham.

Putting a Stamp on it

Alan Watkins has been on the Medway Political scene longer than I have trodden feet upon this Earth but the caustic back-and-forth on his blog between the Medway Liberal Democrats in full public has to be read to be believed.

Andy Stamp has responded to the charge of Alan Jefferies with a vicious assault on his character and indeed with additional slurs on Cllr Herbie Crack and other former colleagues.

Andy has responded to the charges with a vitriolic attack on the former Chief Whip with a few further allegations.

"I am not in the least surprised by this latest series of personal attacks, lies and slurs from Mr Jefferies. This is the same Mr Jefferies who was instrumental in forcing out former Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Burt (who also now sits as an Independent Councillor).

This is the same Mr Jefferies who submitted a formal complaint to the Chief Executive about Lib Dem Councillor Herbie Crack for innocently taking photographs outside a polling station. It is no coincidence that Councillor Crack has suddenly announced he is standing down as a Councillor, despite having said only days earlier that he wanted to seek re-election for another four years. All indications are that he jumped before he was pushed.

I have not ignored the legally supported rules of the standards board. What has been reported in the local press merely repeats the publicly available information which is on Medway Council’s website.

Mr Jefferies did not advise me to take action in December 2009. In fact I am surprised he can remember talking to me about the issue, because he turned up at my house somewhat intoxicated. He said he had contacted the Regional Chairman about my concerns but had not done so: Mr Jefferies was caught lying red-handed by the Regional Chairman and even fabricated complaints about me – a bullying tactic in the hope of keeping me quiet on the issue.

Bullying is rife in the local Liberal Democrats – maybe somebody should ask Councillor Diana Smith, who, as Whip, was often forced to give out instructions she did not want to.

I did in fact ask for the Regional Liberal Democrats to investigate the issue back in December 2009. They did not investigate until July 2010 and by the time I resigned from the Liberal Democrats in October 2010, they had still not reported their findings. They still refuse to release details of their internal investigation, not even to Liberal Democrat members.

It is no surprise they have allegedly cleared their two Councillors of wrongdoing. Afterall, turkeys are not in the habit of voting for Christmas. My resignation from the party gave the Lib Dems the perfect opportunity to cover this up.

The “Chief Legal Officer of Medway Council and the Monitoring Officer” is not under investigation. The complaint is not about their conduct and their career is not at risk, so Mr Jefferies should not try to cloud the issue . There have been no delays on my part in relation to the standards investigation.

I have consistently opposed several aspects of the coalition in local newsletters to residents, to the press and in the Council chamber. For Mr Jefferies to state otherwise is a complete lie. Sadly, Mr Jefferies gets a kick out of attacking other people, and he is not used to somebody standing up to him publicly by exposing him as a liar.

Finally, had I been elected as Lib Dem Group Leader, my first action would have been to suspend two Councillors from it. Perhaps herein lies the answer – they would never have voted for their own demise. With hindsight they did me a huge favour; the Coalition government has a lot to answer for.

I am fed up with the Lib Dem mud slinging and would now like to return to concentrating on resolving problems on behalf of local residents, as I have done tirelessly for the past four years."

The last senstence is particularly eye-raising given the umm, proverbial tonne of mud that he just flinged in full public view onto his former colleagues.

The public in Gillingham are tired of the Liberal Democrat factionalism and are looking for an organised and capable opposition in the ward. Not grand-standing but listening Councillors who will be out on the doorstep week-in and week-out listening and dealing with small or big concerns of the people of Gillingham.

If this commentary proves everything it is the whole lot of Liberals have totally lost the plot to govern.

Meanwhile, Medway Labour has distanced themselves from the allegation in the latest Indpendent publication that Labour made formal approaches to Andy Stamp for him to join the Labour Party.

Where conversations were held they were done at the behest and consent of both parties, in good faith of discretion, and clearly failed.

Gillingham North rocked by row

It seems like the Liberal Democrat factional war continues in Gillingham North with senior figures leading the charge against their former Parliamentary candidate, Andy Stamp.

Commenting on the Tales from Gun Wharf, a post purported to be from Alan Jefferies, former Group Whip and leading Liberal light, is particularly telling.

Below is the comment;

"Yes Alan you are right Liberal Democrats are angry, me too. Why? because we have a young man who has chosen to misuse the system of Standards and complaints.

This is a subject you have spoken about many times. Yes Mr Stamp has the right to raise a complaint about any one, I would defend his right to do that, but what he does not have the right to do is abuse the system. The two people he has complained about are legally prohibited from making comment about the complaint and so is he prohibited as he is too a member of the Council controlled by the council's Code of Conduct.

However he has quite cynically ignored the legally supported rules of the Standards Board and chosen to make public comments about 'his' complaint.

Thus attempting to try 'his' complaint in the pages of the local media. Of course the two councillors involved are not able to defend themselves because they are sticking to the rules. Mr Stamp's complaint has been tested and rejected by the party outside of Medway and still he was not satisfied.

Although the incident took place in October 2009 he never reported it till September 2010 even though he was advised by me to take action in December 2009 if he really felt malpractice had taken place. However based on what he told me I didn't agree with him and I still don't. Why would the Chief Legal Officer of Medway Council and the Monitoring officer for Standards take the decision to wreck their career for two Councillors from one of the minority parties? Answer is they would not allow such a situation to occur.

Yet in 2011 he rakes it all up for the Local Elections before the Standards Board have had chance to report on his complaint. You may be asking why the long delay from September 2010? well it appears Mr Stamp took time to finalise the details of the complaint to the investigating officer thus ensuring it would be unlikely to be heard by Standards Board before the local elections. Now we know why.

Moral Right. Sorry Alan this man lacks any morals at all. Its about his views being rejected. No clashes over policy, no being against the coalition, its just about a simple rejection of his views about two colleagues by his peers within the party and not getting his own way. The question is if he had won the Leadership of Liberal Democrat Group in June 2010 would we be talking about this at all today. I doubt it."

Ouch, that has got to hurt...

Is Icarus about to fall?

The Medway Liberal Democrats are imploding in factional warfare as the party plummets in the national polls. With former candidates attacking colleagues and the standing down of party stalwart Cllr Herbie Crack, it is now also clear from polling that the rock solid base in Gillingham is deserting the party in droves.

The revelations in the press (above) and the doorstep response in Gillingham shows no support for the independents, with many residents accepting that the cuts to EMA and the rise in tuition fees can only be opposed by a united and effective opposition.

Polling suggests that it is a call between the Liberal Democrats, who have still to announce, and the Labour candidates. This would represent a big decline in Liberal Democrat support which is indeed evidenced in all polling.

The accusations above will also do neither the Liberal Democrats or Independents any favours. It may get a quick headline but its impacts are wholly damaging. It was a shockingly poor move.

Some may believe Cllr Stamp will have shown public honesty in revealing the accusations of a former colleague to the press, but is it really a coincidence that these are revealed just before a local election and a full two years after they were 'alleged' to have occurred?

People locally need Councillors who will stand up to the cuts and fight for resource.

Labour will win on its merits and that involves meeting people and listening to them.

Gillingham North needs stronger representation that is not embroiled in this petty factionalism.

Adam Price, Naushabah Khan and Ian Darbyshire are those candidates.

Gillingham North needs Change

Gillingham North Labour campaigners speaking up for commuters

The news that Liberal Democrats in Gillingham and their erstwhile former Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate are engaged in a vicious and personal attack campaign should be noted by residents in Gillingham.

Gillingham Labour are probably not interested in the petty squabbles between Liberal Democrats, who are sinking into irrelevancy in an area which needs strong and effective opposition to government cuts.

The current polls point to a collapse in Liberal Democrat support and all those that had any former link with the party.

Adam Price, Naushabah Khan and Ian Darbyshire are putting residents and commuters first in Gillingham. Standing up for local residents, campaigning against tuition fee rises, train fare increases and the Coalition government cuts to local services.

If you are a resident of Gillingham it really is a simple choice between a Party that has lost its way or a capable and effective opposition.

Vote for a factional, split and rudderless Liberal Democrat party or vote for a Adam, Naushabah and Ian who are standing up for residents in Gillingham