Did you vote in the Local Elections?

[Metallic]

I think for Dulwich Village Ward, the Lib Dems seem to have virtually disappeared, and I cannot bear what Councillors Newens and Leeming have done with our lovely district. So I'll be taking a very deep breath and voting for the Tories. They are not anything to do with the national Tory cause anyway, and I would like to see some different people holding those Labour councillors to account. It is a one party borough, the Lib Dems don't have any feelings for anyone south of Walworth.

[alice]

Abstention is still an option

[Spartacus]

alice Wrote:

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> Abstention is still an option

Which would lead to the current incumbents staying in Power so that's not really a good option if you are against their views and manifesto

[CPR Dave]

They don't count your vote if you abstain either. Better to vote for a protest party with no hope than waste an uncounted vote.

[Ampersand]

Yes, I think I?ll be voting. I?m in Dulwich Wood ward and despite a great deal of ambivalence about the Labour Party and politics generally, I have always had very prompt responses to issues i have raised with Andy Simmonds. As I have a pair of fully functioning legs and couldn?t afford to run a car even if I wanted to, the whole LTN thing is pretty much irrelevant to people like me.

[goldilocks]

Still trying to distance Tristan and Clive from the Tories I see...

Tristan's bio shows that he's been an active Conservative party member for years and Clive could have chosen to stand as an independent on an anti LTN ticket given its the central part of their positioning, but instead he decided to stand as a Conservative candidate, I'm not really sure how you're drawing the distinction.

Not sure what happened to the Lib Dems in DV to make you think they've disappeared. I believe they're still campaigning, and apparently on a 'take out the LTNs' platform too.

Metallic Wrote:

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> I think for Dulwich Village Ward, the Lib Dems

> seem to have virtually disappeared, and I cannot

> bear what Councillors Newens and Leeming have done

> with our lovely district. So I'll be taking a

> very deep breath and voting for the Tories. They

> are not anything to do with the national Tory

> cause anyway, and I would like to see some

> different people holding those Labour councillors

> to account. It is a one party borough, the Lib

> Dems don't have any feelings for anyone south of

> Walworth.

[Bic Basher]

Ampersand Wrote:

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> Yes, I think I?ll be voting. I?m in Dulwich Wood

> ward and despite a great deal of ambivalence about

> the Labour Party and politics generally, I have

> always had very prompt responses to issues i have

> raised with Andy Simmonds. As I have a pair of

> fully functioning legs and couldn?t afford to run

> a car even if I wanted to, the whole LTN thing is

> pretty much irrelevant to people like me.

I can't complain about the majority of responses I've received from Cllr Simmonds over the years and has been pro-active on non-LTN issues, but he towed the party line on LTNs and wasn't very convincing with the use of the data he shared with me on the traffic issues on LL within Dulwich Wood ward.

I'm sure Labour will win Dulwich Wood as only a tiny part of the ward is affected by the LTN (just happens to be the bit I live in!) but I will be voting Lib Dems.

[DulvilleRes]

My view is Tristan and Clive from the Conservatives should resign their party memberships and not stand on a Tory ticket.

What has happened at a national level in the Conservatives is disgusting. The law makers were partying while a local 19 year old young woman died at home, having to say her farewells to her friends and wider family on zoom. I cannot see how Tristan and Clive could credibly allow themselves to be part of such an organisation.

[legalalien]

I think it?s pretty clear that not everyone in the Conservative party is that happy with antics at number 10. I tend to think that staying and clearing things up/ out is a better strategy in this sort of situation. Otherwise you?re just letting the wrongdoers win. With no general election imminent, the only way to get Boris and friends out is for appalled conservatives to stay there and take care of the problem?

Anyway, having read the manifestos now, and with a focus on local issues at a local election, I think I?m going to vote conservative. It would be nice not to have political parties / so much constant noise about national politics at a local level (and for everyone to be a bit more collaborative),but the system is what it is, I guess.

[alice]

It is a pity that appalled conservatives are waiting to see how the local elections go before more decide to speak out.

[legalalien]

Do you think that?s what?s going on- I think most of the public are well aware of the party gate issues so I?m not sure what impact conservatives speaking out or not would have on local elections - in fact in some ways I would have thought that an active backbench rebellion might encourage people not to taint local candidates with the Team Boris brush as it would show that not everyone in the Conservative party agrees with the partygate behaviour?

I see local elections as quite different from general elections but that could well be as a result of growing up in a country with relatively apolitical local government and/ or wishful thinking on my part.

[Sue]

alice Wrote:

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> It is a pity that appalled conservatives are

> waiting to see how the local elections go before

> more decide to speak out.

Agreed.

A pity, but not surprising, sadly.

[northernmonkey]

This thread has been really interesting- not least for the distinction being made between local Tories and central govt ones. What is clear though is that to the extent there are conservative gains the government will see this as validation of their positioning, so emboldening them on the party fines position, giving them a pass on the new horrific policy of selling refugees to Rwanda are two that particularly stick out.

It?s also interesting that the Southwark Tory manifesto stands on a position of claiming they will reverse cuts to education and transport that have been made by Tory central government. It?s easy to dismiss as ridiculous political claims if you don?t support, but worrying that people look at it and thing ?yes, I can support that? without realising that it?s Tories on both sides!

[diable rouge]

What is clear though is that to the extent there are conservative gains the government will see this as validation of their positioning, so emboldening them on the party fines position, giving them a pass on the new horrific policy of selling refugees to Rwanda are two that particularly stick out.

This.

Anyone who thinks that if the Tories do well in the locals, that Johnson then won't laud it as vindication of him and his policies, is away with the fairies...

[Metallic]

The Lib Dem leaflet has one mention in passing, of LTNs.

One Lb Dem candidate neither works or lives in Southwark, which I saw on my postal voting information. At least one is a legal requirement. And why don't sitting councillors have to say where they live?

I am very concerned that the next closure will be by the Library. It was once wanted in the old Area B Streetspace ideas. Then there will be issues over access big time. I saw on twitter about the fire engine the other day. There is also a person in Court Lane who was seriously compromised because the ambulance couldn't get to them - again seen on twitter. Winners and losers.

[trinidad]

Metallic Wrote:

--

Wow, these experiences you have listed are truly shocking :( and provides meat on the bone the current administration dont seem to listern :(

> The Lib Dem leaflet has one mention in passing, of

> LTNs.

>

> One Lb Dem candidate neither works or lives in

> Southwark, which I saw on my postal voting

> information. At least one is a legal requirement.

> And why don't sitting councillors have to say

> where they live?

>

> I am very concerned that the next closure will be

> by the Library. It was once wanted in the old

> Area B Streetspace ideas. Then there will be

> issues over access big time. I saw on twitter

> about the fire engine the other day. There is

> also a person in Court Lane who was seriously

> compromised because the ambulance couldn't get to

> them - again seen on twitter. Winners and losers.

[SE22_2020er]

Well I'm certainly not voting for a Tory candidate who lives in a proper gated community in Woodyard Lane in Dulwich Village. The hypocrisy is breathtaking!

[Metallic]

SE22_2020er Wrote:

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> Well I'm certainly not voting for a Tory candidate

> who lives in a proper gated community in Woodyard

> Lane in Dulwich Village. The hypocrisy is

> breathtaking!

That's daft It's a cul de sac on the Dulwich Estate, I haven't ever seen gates there even when there used to be an old lady living in the original house. So it is no more gated than Townley Rd or Calton Avenue, or Court Lane. I suspect quite a few people who comment on the LTNs do so because they live on one, or sort of one in the sense the traffic is affected by cameras or planters. Just like me and most of Area B.

[Bicknell]

why does voting conservative in local elction send message to boris, but not to local labour party?

[legalalien]

Good question. I?m more concerned that voting Labour would signal support for Southwark Labour (as opposed to Labour for central govt) than I am about the potential that voting conservative would signal support for Boris at a central govt level. The Dulwich Village ward is a fairly obvious microclimate viewed against Southwark as a whole.

If people vote Labour locally it will undoubtedly be presented by SL as support for the Dulwich LTN, infill on council estates, the cabinet system, a lack of transparency about lobby groups and a bunch of gentrification policies that I have reservations about. So I?m sticking to my policy of voting on a local issues basis for these elections.

My vote in the next general election - reserving judgment.

[trinidad]

Has anyone received any leaflets / information on what our new prosed councilors would do?

[oimissus]

I haven't received anything. I'm rarely canvassed (certainly not by Labour, who clearly think they don't need to bother).

However - Respect my sex if you want my X. Which basically knocks out Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens.

[trinidad]

I have had candidate information from the Labor Party for the Goose Green Ward. Strange, as my ward is rye lane

[diable rouge]

I've only been canvassed (twice) by the Labour Party.

Already put my postal vote in, allowed to vote for 3 candidates so gave one vote each to Lab, LibDems, and Greens.

Anyone but the Tories...

[legalalien]

I?ve been canvassed once each. Just received the attached through the letterbox which:

(i)begs the question as to why, if hundreds of residents have been raising issues over the last two years, I?m only hearing about opposition now, shortly before the election (I guess that?s what the ?understandably, COVID? wording is aimed at, although as I understand it loads of staff are still off work with COVID and numbers of people commuting into central London is still down, which I guess is what is driving the timetable change?; and

(ii) made me wonder who makes decisions on timetable - is it the train operator, government, Is TfL consulted, does someone consider taking into account overall PTAL and alternative services (I have no idea but would be quite interested to know)

(iii) how would TfL take control of services that go beyond TfL boundaries and do any of these fall into that category (Thameslink do presumably, but some might not). But then given dire state of TfL finances do they want responsibility for these services as they don?t seem like moneyspinners?

?Boris Johnson?s government wants to cut train services permanently in our area? sounds a bit hyperbolic. I doubt they care that much either way in WC1 or whatever the postcode is?.

Thoughts?

ETA the attachment. Doh!