Letter: How Many Views Does R4GV Represent?

Published on: 20 Apr, 2022
Updated on: 20 Apr, 2022

From: Linda Parker Picken

Robert Burch in his comment on: We Have a Practical Plan for the Local Plan, states that, “What R4GV and GGG have both achieved is getting candidates elected who are not aligned to national parties. This means they are able to focus on what is best for our borough.”

The first part of his statement is certainly how both parties came into being. Regarding the second part, unfortunately R4GV’s John Rigg, as an ex-Savills employee, will have a very different mindset about development that is “best for our borough” from, say, GGG’s Susan Parker, who launched Guildford Greenbelt Group as a campaigning body before it transitioned into a local party.

R4GV’s website states that, “We now have 15 councillors of independent mind…” and therein lies their problem. Again quoting from Robert Burch, “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.”

How many differing viewpoints are there among those 15 individuals? Whereas the GGG councillors are all singing from the same hymn sheet in terms of local politics.

Responses to Letter: How Many Views Does R4GV Represent?

John Phelps Reply

April 21, 2022 at 6:16 am

Yes – a hymn sheet that reads Object to everything because we are only four people who don’t have to take responsibility for anything.” How easy is that?

Thank God we finally have a group with independent minds.
Ramsey Nagaty Reply

April 22, 2022 at 1:56 pm

GGG councillors do not simply object to everything nor do we shirk responsibility. We take our responsibility to the people of Guildford very seriously and we put forward constructive suggestions and policies where possible.

GGG councillors:

▪ work tirelessly on a wide range of areas of concern to residents of the Borough;
▪ are active on a number of committees and task groups working constructively;
▪ are not whipped to follow a party line whether national or local unlike, it would appear, others have been.

Life as a councillor is not easy and definitely not as a GGG councillor.

Ramsey Nagaty is the leader of the Guildford Greenbelt Group (GGG).