I've just realised it has been a long time since I last wrote a blog....back in March indeed, before we headed into lock-down and the world got turned on its head. The sheer determination, will and resilience of the British people has been on show for all to see. There are not enough superlatives or words of gratitude in the English Language to express fully the appreciation we Conservatives have for our key workers, veterans, volunteers, responders, emergency services or indeed the kind-hearted next-door neighbours throughout this period. Winsfordians in their thousands have shown once again their best qualities in troubled times when uncertainty and fear could have overcome us.
We even celebrated VE day in style, paying tribute to our parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts who fought and often died for us in our cities, on the battlefields and suffered in our industries while facing some dark days of little hope yet they overcame it all to win for us the freedoms we so enjoy today.
The freedom of worship, of travel, of a right to a job, an education and most importantly the freedom of speech so that you and I can have respectful differences of opinion which does not result either you or I ending up in prison or indeed worse. For the record, I admire all of those from the various parts of the political spectrum who believe in their causes, I don't necessarily agree with many of them but that is fine with me - my relatives fought that we could have our differences and yet we can still smile over our similarities. Many of my political "oppos" and I speak freely about families, jobs, health without having to be at each others throats.
Things changed locally in 2019 - the Labour Party selected a number of what I would call "hard left" candidates representing the now failed political aspirations of Jeremy Corbyn (thank goodness he never made it to power). Indeed, Jezza actually made it to Winsford, to endorse his selection of Candidates and to ensure "Winsford stays red" - although of course it was very unlikely to ever turn any other colour with Brexit overhanging us and the fact that Winsford is largely a Labour Town.
The "moderates" were either out or stood down (I don't know how the Labour Party machine works so cannot say if any were forced to stand down). The momentum leaning wing of Labour were in power in Winsford and then the internal politics started. Resignations from "old Labour" Cllrs followed - amid alleged accusations of corruption, alleged bullying tactics - letters being sent to Winsford Groups from the Town Council which frankly are diabolical and divisive. Shouting at Council meetings, the Greedy Pig debacle...the Town Council becoming ridiculed and divisive, poor financial management through lavish spending on pet projects, the reputation of the Town sliding forever downward, the Marxist hard left Cllrs detaching themselves further and further from the residents they were elected to represent (of all political parties, including their own).
But despite all of this going on, the one thing that has never sat right with me is the arrogance and hard-nosed attitude of the Corbynista group (by the way, I saw a FB post which said that the ideals of Jeremy Corbyn were alive and well in Winsford - by a Senior Labour Party apparatchik) to anyone who dares to speak an alternative voice. Life long Labour members and supporters, Liberals, Conservatives...we are all now haters, devisive, misplaced etc.etc. Our right to have a different view just doesn't exist...every sentence from them on an opinion which is different to their own starts with "I am disappointed....." as they try to justify in the most sanctimonious way that they are just so good and everyone else is just so bad.
The mechanism and ways they lead with this message is worthy of a communist state - puff propaganda pieces in the local press and on their favoured "Winsford Labour/Community Forum"...I remind readers of a recent article going on about just what they have achieved..... err nothing much last time I looked, apart from tax rises and a waste of money on an on-line engagement tool which is considerably more expensive to run than its Borough-wide counterpart. By the way, regarding the on-line tool, one of its first applications was removed, as was many registrations of people who voted for it...voice of the people in action there again I don't think.
Back to that puff piece though - after telling us all they have not done, they then went on to say (I paraphrase) that it was all done against a backdrop of hateful (yes, hateful again!) opposition from opposition Cllrs and disaffected locals...really? The political opposition in this town consists of a Doctor (me - but in case you have a back problem, I'm not a medical Doctor), a Health professional, a taxi driver and two retirees...hardly a group of hate driven, vengeance filled individuals is it?
Sadly, it continues....by the time I publish this, it appears that another elected Labour Cllr would have announced they are resigning from the party and is likely to be an Independent Cllr amid more alleged accusations of bullying, threats and marginalization from the rest of the Winsford Labour Team. Another harvest after sowing the seeds of disunity that once again they will justify no doubt with no sense of remorse or regret.
To the people of Winsford I say this - this Corbyn loving group is driven by petty and antagonist people who on the whole believe in an ideology that you in majority, rejected at the last general election. Corbyn is gone but you are living with his legacy right here, right now. Don't fall for their lack of tolerance of anyone who thinks or speaks differently.....because to quote a McCartney song lyric....
We all know that people are the same where ever you go......
Except perhaps here in Winsford...where those in power would be best served remembering who they represent and perhaps those who sacrificed so much so we may have that right to a different opinion.
