Where are the Tory Party?
Many months ago we ran a piece that reviewed the party political websites. The long and short of that review was that the Tories were the best at updating their website. Sadly, we've changed our minds on that recently.
Now obviously the Labour Party still has problems with their websites, but the local Tory website seems to be going the same way. The last time they bothered to update it was September 19th.
Obviously there's been a suspension of democracy in Greenwich, but it appears there's also been a suspension of party political activity too. So we have to ask oursleves, where are the Tories? We've seen them in the local papers so why the silence on their website?
Update: Cllr Jennings has emailed us to say that "normal service will be resumed next week".
Now obviously the Labour Party still has problems with their websites, but the local Tory website seems to be going the same way. The last time they bothered to update it was September 19th.
Obviously there's been a suspension of democracy in Greenwich, but it appears there's also been a suspension of party political activity too. So we have to ask oursleves, where are the Tories? We've seen them in the local papers so why the silence on their website?
Update: Cllr Jennings has emailed us to say that "normal service will be resumed next week".
Labels: Andy Jennings, conservative party, tories, websites
posted by greenwich.watch at 11:28 pm
3 Comments:
The problem with Greenwich is not so much that the Labour Party thinks it has a divine right to run the council but that the so-called opposition parties think Labour has a divine right to control the Borough.
In the May elections the Liberal Democrats came within 80 votes of taking a seat off Labour in West Ward (Deptford and West Greenwich) despite only going through the motions of campaigning. If they had made any real effort they would have won all three seats.
The Tories or Lib Dems could easily win control of Greenwich if they actually wanted the responsibility of running the Borough. Neither party does and their councillors are happy to turn up make a few remarks and bank their cheques.
The real danger is that nature abhors a vacuum and the lack of any mainstream opposition party contesting control of the Borough leaves Greenwich open to the BNP taking seats the same way as they did in Barking and Dagenham.
The Grim Reaper
Therein lies the bulk of the problem. The Tories are hopelessly divided and don't really have the time, not least because of the desire to win Eltham back at Parliamentary level.
The Lib Dems, despite holding Greenwich and Woolwich as the SDP, have never had a presence in the borough and unlike Lambeth and Southwark they've no foothold to build on (there's actually some ex-SDP in the Labour Group!). Like Bexley, they're thin on the ground.
I think the solidly ethnic nature of the most deprived wards and the fact that the affluent white suburbs would fear association with the BNP for house price reasons is all that's kept it from making an attempt. Given the BNP's organising strength in neighbouring Bexley and the contigent residing in Downham, Lewisham, you have to wonder how long this will remain the case (Ferrier?).
That said, it's hardly good for Labour that the only reason they stay in power is that the opposition lack the ability to topple them, because it sure as hell isn't because people think they're doing a good job.
Good to know we're missed! I plead guilty too - my blog has been appallingly neglected of late, but I will of course blame the Council, who have still not managed to get me online at home, two months after I moved house. I'm left having to update it (and work on council business) by staying late at work, which is far from ideal.
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