Having looked through old local newspapers I cannot find any reference to Glan Conwy Council being subject to election since the end of the Second World War (with the exception of me and Dan standing in a by-election last year).
I'm sure that Glan Conwy isn't unique in this respect; there will be a large number of other community councilors who are also selected without election through all of Wales.
I have been congratulated on my "election" by many members of the community, but I don't think that congratulations are in order; I am bitterly disappointed that I have just been selected without having to go through the rigours of the electoral process. I would have preferred to have stood an election, made my case and lost miserably rather than be, yet another shoo in, in the long list of shoo ins to the council!
Community Councils are the foundation stone of the democratic process, the fact that so many community councillors are selected without election makes a farce of local democracy.
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There are four candidates for the County Council elections in the Llansanffraid Ward for Conwy
Ivonne Sarah Lesiter-Burgess Welsh Liberal Democrat
John Malcolm Spicer Independent
Dan Worsley Welsh Conservative Party
and
the candidate who will have my support
Graham "Gas" Rees
Thought Mr Rees was a Lib Dem?
ReplyDeleteCommunity Councils are the bedrock of our democracy, One way to encourage greater participation is to set up statutory youth councils to shadow them - to act as incubators (!) for future councillors.
ReplyDeleteNo pride to be gained by getting in without a contest.
ReplyDeleteShows what regard people hold this community councils
Anon 1 Graham was originally elected as a Labour Councillor in the days when Glan Conwy had two Labour Councillors, when boundary changes reduced the villages representation to one about 15 years ago, Labour didn't select Graham so he joined the Lib Dems for one election, but he has since sat as an independent.
ReplyDeleteCibwr that is an excellent idea. Westminster, the Assembly and the County Councils already have youth shadows, why not the community councils too?
Anon 2, I'm not sure if the lack of contest is a sign of low regard. In my village's case I suspect that the council is too big for the village, we have 12 community councillors to represent 2000 electors, one councillor for every 150 adults; a proper election where there were at least two choices for every seat would mean that 1/75th of the villagers would have to put their names forward for election, I doubt if it is practical to expect that to happen in any community.
I seem to recall at least one post=war election. That was in 1974. The Council was under subscribed and a second election was held. Clive Kay was elected and went on to be a Borough Councillor with Howard Jones.
ReplyDelete"Labour didn't select Graham so he joined the Lib Dems for one election, but he has since sat as an independent".
ReplyDeleteHardly the action of someone who claims "Integrity" on his profile. (Should people claim this. rather than their supporters?)
But perhaps I shouldn't comment on someone I don't know . You clearly see something in him
Graham stands as an Independent so that no party is pulling his strings, he's a man of community spirit and without doubt INTEGRITY! He puts his money where his mouth is and is not full of promises that he cannot keep. With the Lib Dems he realised that he didn't want to be a party puppet and in order to represent the village and its people, he had to stand as an independent. This was a big risk that paid dividends and shows that the village voted for someone they believed in, not the political party. Follow your advice Glyn, don't comment on someone you do not know, Graham has done a lot of good for the village, his attendance rate at council meetings is excellent compared to others who turn up to their minimal committment!
DeleteThe landslide win by Graham on Friday May 4th speaks volumes; 21 years of having the best interests of the village at heart and not spruiking idle promises to win votes. In 2007 with a serious heart condition awaiting surgery, Graham was getting his hands dirty in the churchyard with other fantastic community spirited villagers (Mandy Doran to name one,)building a concrete path so that people could visit graves previously not accessible in the rain/snow. Kudos to him for that!He walked around Gwynedd in the 1990's to raise money to build the Scout Hut, was instrumental in the Cae Fwt development plus numerous other campaigns that would fill this page, all the while he worked full time for British Gas. There is nothing he would not do to help improve the village and his landslide victory is testament to this. Like the campaign posters said "Community, Integrity and Action"
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DeleteReesy7, I think that we have got the message - you're pleased that your Dad won! So am I, but let's not over egg the cake; the Gasso that I know and respect isn't one for boasting or rubbing defeated candidates' noses in the mire. Without opponents Graham wouldn't have won handsomely - so show a bit of thanks and respect to those who put your dad to the test and enabled him to prove the village's trust in him in a fair contest.
DeleteSorry Alwyn,was not "over egging the cake" or showing a lack of respect to other opponents, I didn't think I had posted the first comment as my lap top ran out of charge, hence the second comment 12 minutes later at 06.53. No big deal!
DeleteYou make a fair point Glyn. As Graham Gas has always been an independently minded person he would probably have shown more integrity by standing as an independent 15 and 20 years ago. As a Labour Councillor he put our village first and his party second, which is probably why he was deselected as the Labour candidate.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations are due, because you have put yourself forward and willing to make a difference. That has to count for something. It is a great shame that there isn't an election.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Candidate and Agent briefing yesterday evening and there are only 11 community/town council elections across the county to be held. There could have been over 70.
Something has to change.
On the bus today travelling through Glan Conwy saw quite a few Council Election signs - as some one is proud of the welsh language extremely sad to see that the Conservative candidate Dan Worsley could not be bothered to have his signs bilingually (or was it the decision of the Aberconwy Conservatives ?). I read somewhere that the leader of the Conservative party in Wales (and Alun Cairns on the party political broadcast) like myself is proud of the Welsh language then surely a great start (and at the very least) would be to ensure that all their candidates have bilingual elections signs and pamphlets !!! Hypocrisy or was it a bare faced lie ? (at least their friends the lib dem candidate sign was bilingual)
ReplyDeleteCan't help but notice you have made your comment in English!!
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