Letter: Voters Tell Us They Agree With ‘Avalanche of Drivel’ Description

Published on: 1 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 1 Dec, 2019

From Bob Hughes

Chairman Guildford Conservatives

In response to: Deluge of Political Drivel Must Be Costing Us Vital Woodlands

As we canvass, it is clear that voters agree with Martin Giles that the Lib Dem campaign is an “avalanche of drivel”. People are particularly incensed by the fake newspaper [“Guildford Gazette”].

If the Lib Dem candidate actually spoke to voters rather than swamp them with waste paper she would know their campaign is going down badly in Guildford.

Responses to Letter: Voters Tell Us They Agree With ‘Avalanche of Drivel’ Description

Ben Paton Reply

December 1, 2019 at 1:14 pm

Regardless of whether Mr Hughes is right about the effectiveness of the Lib Dem leaflets, one thing’s for sure: the Guildford Conservatives do not have their finger on the pulse when it comes to voters’ perception of what they’ve been doing in this borough.

What about the Tories own vote-losing ways? They: chose a bogus barrister to initially lead their Local Plan, and when she was convicted insisted that the council had done nothing wrong; are consistently overstating the amount of new housing needed by an order of magnitude, putting 60% of the new housing onto the green belt, much of it in wholly unsustainable locations; show a total lack of realism when it comes to road, school and healthcare infrastructure; rammed the Local Plan through a week before an election; had a council leader with a penchant for bespoke “KGB” number plates who drummed up political support for pet projects like building largest settlement [the planned Wisley development] in the borough after Guildford and Ash & Tongham; and had an MP who has stayed stumm about much most local issues and especially the Local Plan.

It’s been an “avalanche of drivel” from them too.

Ben Paton stood as a GGG candidate for Effingham in the May 2019 local election.
Brian Holt Reply

December 1, 2019 at 1:39 pm

Most people are fed up now with the waste paper Lib Dems are sending out to come through our letterboxes unwanted.

Last Wednesday in the Stoughton area most residents received three posted envelopes plus a flyer from the Lib Dem in a single day. I have now received at least ten Lib Dem letters and flyers, all which go straight in the recycling bin. Everyone is saying they do the same; we do not even read it.

I appeal to Lib Dem canvassers to read the polite notices on residents’ doors that ask for no junk mail. The notices apply to them too.
George Potter Reply

December 1, 2019 at 1:59 pm

I’m glad Bob Hughes has been out on door knocking as otherwise, the Conservatives have rather been conspicuous by their absence in Guildford since May.

Thankfully, boosted by people fed up with the constant lies, incompetence and arrogance of this government, the Lib Dems in Guildford have more than enough volunteers to deliver leaflets as well as knocking on doors.

Mr Hughes would only need to look at the social media of the Liberal Democrat candidate, Zöe Franklin, to see that she has been out knocking on doors not just all year, but for several years, including during the 2017 general election campaign, and during the seven years she represented Bellfields and Slyfield as a borough councillor.

This rather stands in contrast with the Conservative parliamentary candidate whose commitment to Guildford is such that she spent most of this year campaigning in Canterbury, hoping to be selected as the Conservative candidate there.

I know that shamelessness is usual for the Conservative party these days but I had rather hoped that Bob Hughes (whom I remember from the Remain campaign) would at least have had enough integrity not to stoop to making obviously untrue claims that Zöe Franklin hasn’t been out door-knocking and speaking to voters.

George Potter is a Lib Dem borough councillor for Burpham
Bob Hughes Reply

December 1, 2019 at 8:38 pm

George Potter is a nice and genuine man, but he ought to stick to reality.

Our fantastic candidate Angela Richardson has campaigned once in Canterbury this year. Why not, we have a great candidate in Canterbury who deserves to be supported. For the last few years, including the 2017 General Election, Angela has been tireless in her campaigning in the Guildford Constituency.

For over 50 years I have been campaigning for what I believe, including as George says, the referendum campaign where I worked to Remain. But we lost. The people spoke and they said Leave. We have to leave otherwise democracy becomes a sham.

The Lib Dems had demanded a binding referendum and got one. How can anyone trust a Party that casually disregards the people as they now are? Angela Richardson is genuinely inspiring, hard-working and and has integrity. She will be a terrific MP for Guildford.

Bob Hughes is the chairman of Guildford Conservatives.
B Smith Reply

December 8, 2019 at 7:27 pm

It is rich that whoever this Bob Hughes chap is, he feels it appropriate to state the Lib Dem’s campaign is going down badly in Guildford, when the Conservatives’ own campaign is such a train wreck.

I have seen Angela Richardson speak three times now, and each time she has demonstrated a complete lack of basic understanding of a wide range of issues – in particular those of social projects and the environment.

At a time when the Tories are demonstrating they do not give a monkey’s about anything other than their rich mates getting richer, while the planet burns and the rest of the population suffer, this Hughes guy would do well to take a long hard look in the mirror and decide whether the shambles of a far right-wing, dishonest party bears any credibility in the eyes of either traditional Tory voters or the younger generation it needs to attract.

The Conservatives are a disgrace.

(I am a non Lib Dem voter, by the way.)