Letter: Comment Illustrates the Pernicious Effect of Party Politics

Published on: 10 Feb, 2019
Updated on: 9 Feb, 2019

From John Perkins

The questions posed by George Potter in his comment on the article Opinion: Keep Party Politics Out of Local Government, illustrates the pernicious effect of party politics generally: the party becomes more important than its purpose.

Just because a bunch of people agree doesn’t mean they are right and adherence to a label is not what most people actually need from their representatives.

A Damascene conversion is not requisite for someone to alter their ways; more likely is a slow realisation that something is not working properly. It’s a natural consequence of thinking rather than offering blind obedience.

Responses to Letter: Comment Illustrates the Pernicious Effect of Party Politics

John Hawthorne Reply

February 10, 2019 at 11:02 am

The “new” Independent group in Guildford is probably more right wing than Attila the Hun!

Without even looking I bet they want fewer new houses for struggling young couples and more flowers in window boxes.

They will make no mention of fracking.

The Independent group is a con trick for the gullible.
- John Perkins Reply
  
  February 10, 2019 at 2:52 pm
  
  Does John Hawthorne have any evidence for his assertions?
- David Reeve Reply
  
  February 10, 2019 at 3:06 pm
  
  I think that Mr Hawthorne has mis-read the situation – especially when he makes those comments “without even looking”.
  
  Although I haven’t always agreed with everything Cllr Rooth has said, I can attest to the fact that in his fairly recent position on the GBC Executive he put a great deal of time and effort into trying to provide very necessary housing for those who need it.
  
  For what it’s worth, I think Guildford benefits by having a lively online forum for local debate, but let’s please try to have that debate anchored in evidenced observations rather than “top of the head” assertions.
  
  David Reeve is a GGG borough councillor for Clandon & Horsley.
John Armstrong Reply

February 10, 2019 at 3:54 pm

John Hawthorne observes, that young couples are struggling to buy houses. This is due to not building enough new houses. His comment, I suspect, has more to do with his own political view, than the real reasons for the difficulties of young people in these times.

It is not just this generation of young people that are struggling. I struggled to buy a house in this area in 1983. Shared ownership was already an option and “starter homes” were already on the market.

Young people started to struggle in the late 1970s as politicians began to de-industrialise the nation throwing tens of thousands out of work and onto benefits, and those families are still struggling now.

The common link between those struggling now and those struggling then – politicians.
Jim Allen Reply

February 10, 2019 at 3:56 pm

Oh dear, John Hawthorne is so cynical and clearly he does not know the people involved. They are long term community dedicated people who will, without a doubt, continue working within the community, elected or not.

As to “right wing”, who cares left or right, red or blue, as long as they do some good for our communities. After all when Cllrs Rooth and McShee realised they didn’t like the (their) Executive they could have simply melted away into the Borough never to be seen again.

As for fracking, like Brexit that’s actually a central government decision.