the others and what you must decide
May 2023 will see the next Local Government elections for the Forest of Dean Council. The people of the district will have a choice between the growth, prosperity, good fiscal management and openness of the last 6 years or a return to the party politically driven stagnation of the past.
Everyone will have a political view, an opinion or support a party. We believe that at District Council Level such ideology only damages the district. We have all seen the years of political parties arguing and back biting and getting absolutely nothing achieved for the district as a result. They are so busy trying to out politic each other that they forget why they are in the Council in the first place.
We know this as some of us were part of that nonsense in the past. Nonsense that sees Cllrs vote for or against opportunities or proposals for political gain, because it is the party line, or because you are under instruction from the whip.
It is possible to put the district before politics, it is possible to escape that nonsense.
While we are talking national politics, do you really trust any of them?
It has been a period of years where the quality and standards of those in the highest office has been frankly shocking, lurching from one crisis to another.
These are not the political leaders of the past.
These are people who should not be representing you.
And those that decide to follow that national standard, that national party dogma here in the Forest of Dean similarly, do not deserve your support.
There have been some party linked Cllrs who have been able to set aside their political ambitions for the good of the district in recent years. Members of Labour, and until recently the Greens have played major roles in creating the vibrant quality council the FODDC has become.
The Conservatives, under their current leadership have just opposed everything. They have held progression up and frankly need to look at themselves and their behaviour very closely. They even opposed the Council purchase of a brownfield site for £1. The same site their own Government granted the council millions of pounds for as part of a major regeneration project that the Independents gained, while working. They are mixed up, negative, openly dangerous and need to be sent a lesson, even by their own supporters that they need to re-evaluate and re set. A strong and compelling Conservative party is important to the Country in the same way as a strong Labour or Lib Dem Party. This current Conservative party simply is not fit for purpose. At every level of Government, Westminster to County to our District Council this current Conservative party have proved they are prepared to damage the Forest of Dean's aspirations and plans just for political gain, to score a few points.
Likewise, there are some so called Independents who have not played anything like a worthwhile role in the last term of Council. They have been ploughing their own furrow, and in some cases actively working against the current administration for their own personal ambition or reasons.
You can tell who these Independents are, they are not in the Progressive Independent Group and have chosen opposition instead. We would urge you to ask each of them to give you one positive contribution they have made to the FODDC in the last 4 years.
Opposition and complaining for four years are easy. You sit there in Council or write letters to the press and moan and tell the world how bad everything is or worse do nothing but take your allowance. We will not have them in our group, you will see and know who they are, ask them what they’ve done for their allowance, you may be shocked by the answer.
The Greens have been an important part of the rainbow cabinet in the last few years. So, it was particularly disappointing to have them choose success at the elections over the best future for the Forest. They have said much about why they are no longer in the coalition of the willing, but the simple facts are this.
They want a bespoke garden village. A new settlement where Green Ideology is absolute, A Green Oasis, an exemplar of what they believe in. A completely new settlement, where developers will have to put Green directed planning policies before the provision of affordable housing or anything else. The Council as a whole made the decision to move away from this idea at Churcham when developers and legal advice told us we would not be able to provide infrastructure or affordable homes either there or anywhere else in the Forest, such would be the costs to developers wishing to build there.
So, the Council came up with a new strategy. Its fine that the Greens may wish to put their own views forward, but they did not do that. Instead, they undertook a campaign to damage the new strategy, negatively with incorrect statements, misleading quotes and at no point telling the public what their actual plan is. When asked when they would tell the public what they will do if in charge and where they will build this new Green Town, they said they wouldn’t announce it because it wouldn’t be electorally savvy ! That is deceitful, its party politics in the extreme and its just one of the reasons they were removed from the coalition.
There is a balance to be struck, we must deal with the climate emergency as a matter of upmost urgency and that exactly what the administration is doing, having spend more money and done more work reducing our carbon footprint than any other council in the region.
But we have and have had other emergencies, in housing, in Covid and in the cost of Living. We have been successful in brining new businesses, new jobs, and opportunities to the Forest. University education and a sound business footing for the council.
These things done, with the climate emergency at the very forefront of them all, are the way to succeed in reducing carbon and creating true sustainability and a cultural and heritage supporting Council.
The simple facts are that the Greens are completely ill equipped to consider anything other than the climate. It is vital yes, but there must be other considerations to take account of. They attack anyone who wants to discuss any other priority, and genuinely prove to be a real hindrance to anyone who disagrees with them. It’s a huge shame but the simple fact is we have a number of priorities that are of equal importance, and you cannot be in the administration and be the opposition at the same time.
So we urge the discerning voter to look carefully at who has been part of the fantastic stuff that has gone on.
Ask your candidate what they have done if they were in Council, ask the Greens where their Green City will go and above all please, make sure you vote for someone who loves this wonderful district more than they do a political emblem.
Everyone will have a political view, an opinion or support a party. We believe that at District Council Level such ideology only damages the district. We have all seen the years of political parties arguing and back biting and getting absolutely nothing achieved for the district as a result. They are so busy trying to out politic each other that they forget why they are in the Council in the first place.
We know this as some of us were part of that nonsense in the past. Nonsense that sees Cllrs vote for or against opportunities or proposals for political gain, because it is the party line, or because you are under instruction from the whip.
It is possible to put the district before politics, it is possible to escape that nonsense.
While we are talking national politics, do you really trust any of them?
It has been a period of years where the quality and standards of those in the highest office has been frankly shocking, lurching from one crisis to another.
These are not the political leaders of the past.
These are people who should not be representing you.
And those that decide to follow that national standard, that national party dogma here in the Forest of Dean similarly, do not deserve your support.
There have been some party linked Cllrs who have been able to set aside their political ambitions for the good of the district in recent years. Members of Labour, and until recently the Greens have played major roles in creating the vibrant quality council the FODDC has become.
The Conservatives, under their current leadership have just opposed everything. They have held progression up and frankly need to look at themselves and their behaviour very closely. They even opposed the Council purchase of a brownfield site for £1. The same site their own Government granted the council millions of pounds for as part of a major regeneration project that the Independents gained, while working. They are mixed up, negative, openly dangerous and need to be sent a lesson, even by their own supporters that they need to re-evaluate and re set. A strong and compelling Conservative party is important to the Country in the same way as a strong Labour or Lib Dem Party. This current Conservative party simply is not fit for purpose. At every level of Government, Westminster to County to our District Council this current Conservative party have proved they are prepared to damage the Forest of Dean's aspirations and plans just for political gain, to score a few points.
Likewise, there are some so called Independents who have not played anything like a worthwhile role in the last term of Council. They have been ploughing their own furrow, and in some cases actively working against the current administration for their own personal ambition or reasons.
You can tell who these Independents are, they are not in the Progressive Independent Group and have chosen opposition instead. We would urge you to ask each of them to give you one positive contribution they have made to the FODDC in the last 4 years.
Opposition and complaining for four years are easy. You sit there in Council or write letters to the press and moan and tell the world how bad everything is or worse do nothing but take your allowance. We will not have them in our group, you will see and know who they are, ask them what they’ve done for their allowance, you may be shocked by the answer.
The Greens have been an important part of the rainbow cabinet in the last few years. So, it was particularly disappointing to have them choose success at the elections over the best future for the Forest. They have said much about why they are no longer in the coalition of the willing, but the simple facts are this.
They want a bespoke garden village. A new settlement where Green Ideology is absolute, A Green Oasis, an exemplar of what they believe in. A completely new settlement, where developers will have to put Green directed planning policies before the provision of affordable housing or anything else. The Council as a whole made the decision to move away from this idea at Churcham when developers and legal advice told us we would not be able to provide infrastructure or affordable homes either there or anywhere else in the Forest, such would be the costs to developers wishing to build there.
So, the Council came up with a new strategy. Its fine that the Greens may wish to put their own views forward, but they did not do that. Instead, they undertook a campaign to damage the new strategy, negatively with incorrect statements, misleading quotes and at no point telling the public what their actual plan is. When asked when they would tell the public what they will do if in charge and where they will build this new Green Town, they said they wouldn’t announce it because it wouldn’t be electorally savvy ! That is deceitful, its party politics in the extreme and its just one of the reasons they were removed from the coalition.
There is a balance to be struck, we must deal with the climate emergency as a matter of upmost urgency and that exactly what the administration is doing, having spend more money and done more work reducing our carbon footprint than any other council in the region.
But we have and have had other emergencies, in housing, in Covid and in the cost of Living. We have been successful in brining new businesses, new jobs, and opportunities to the Forest. University education and a sound business footing for the council.
These things done, with the climate emergency at the very forefront of them all, are the way to succeed in reducing carbon and creating true sustainability and a cultural and heritage supporting Council.
The simple facts are that the Greens are completely ill equipped to consider anything other than the climate. It is vital yes, but there must be other considerations to take account of. They attack anyone who wants to discuss any other priority, and genuinely prove to be a real hindrance to anyone who disagrees with them. It’s a huge shame but the simple fact is we have a number of priorities that are of equal importance, and you cannot be in the administration and be the opposition at the same time.
So we urge the discerning voter to look carefully at who has been part of the fantastic stuff that has gone on.
Ask your candidate what they have done if they were in Council, ask the Greens where their Green City will go and above all please, make sure you vote for someone who loves this wonderful district more than they do a political emblem.
