The Beverley Party, the Green Party, the Yorkshire Party and elected members of the Independent Group in ERYC, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, are backing Bea Willar as their unity candidate.
Bea says:
“I am proud to have earned the trust and confidence of the Green Party, the Yorkshire Party and independent councillors in ERYC.”
Martin Deane of Hull and East Riding Green Party adds,
“We are proud to back Bea in St Mary’s this year. She is a hard-working independent alternative to the usual suspects. Bea is a local resident and is focusing on the issues on people’s doorsteps – issues that matter to the area.”
The Beverley Party is keen to address the democratic deficit that exists in ERYC. The numbers of elected councillors in the different groups on ERYC are not representative of the electorate because the opposition is too fragmented. Sadly, it is obvious that if in this election we do what we have always done, we will get what we’ve always got. Learning from this, The Beverley Party set out to seek a dialogue with other parties and groups to find a solution to this problem with the aim of fielding a Unity Candidate to represent the views of the majority of the town’s electorate. In this, they have broken new ground!
The Beverley Party calls for local politicians to think independently and work collaboratively, so is delighted that one of their party members is the first one to have gained wide support under this different, innovative approach to local politics in Beverley and the East Riding.
“What this demonstrates very clearly to the electorate is that I am no party-puppet, but a local resident with a proven track record of campaigning on behalf of Beverley (remember the campaign that stopped a road being built across the Westwood?). I am an “ordinary” person keen to make a difference for Beverley and the people who live here.”
“I am confident that with the help of the other parties and the independent councillors, we will succeed, and that those welded to the old ways of doing things will learn from The Beverley Party and ensure that the demand of the people of Beverley for change is reflected in the councillors we elect to ERYC.”
“I am also glad that other party candidates have faith in me: Labour’s candidate Margaret Pinder: “She is a good egg and I absolutely respect her as a woman of integrity and commitment.”
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Whilst I do have great personal regard for Beate, to use as a political endorsement a personal reply made by me to a post on Facebook (and one not even made to Beate herself) is extremely bad form. Context is everything.
I may like and respect Beate personally, but I think she and The Beverley Party are mistaken in thinking they can provide an effective opposition to the Conservatives on ERYC.
If she wants to cite track record then mine as a serving councillor and former town mayor, brings more experience of standing up for wider Beverley.
Similarly, both I, and the Labour Party, have a far longer history of actively opposing fracking (which Denis Healey was loudly in favour of during our 2015 general election campaign, a fact he is keeping very quiet now).
But the inherent problem with The Beverley Party is their very parochialism and their claim “It’s all about Beverley.” ERYC is, in fact, about a whole lot more.
As the local unitary authority ERYC deals with county-wide issues that require a candidate with experience and vision to address, experience and vision I have demonstrated consistently as town councillor 2011-2015, and parliamentary candidate in last year’s general election.
The Beverley Party may have genuine concerns (most of which I share) at parish level, but at ERYC level it’s a far more wide-ranging and complex matter providing local and regional understanding in effective opposition to the Tories which is what I offer.
If the Greens and The Beverley Party oppose waste, then I suggest the voters do not waste theirs on a platform that is worthy, but flawed, and unable to offer the opposition to the Conservatives St Mary’s ward so desperately needs.
1. The comment was made on The Beverley East Riding of Yorkshire facebook page in the context of Margaret offering a profile of herself as a candidate in the forthcoming election.This group has nearly 6000 members, so it was hardly a personal comment.
2. Re “parochialism”: “it’s all about Beverley” is actually HU17’s slogan…
Also, the Yorkshire Party, the Green Party as well as Independent councillors from various parts of the East Riding are asking their supporters to vote for the Unity Candidate, i.e. me – these parties and groups can hardly be described as being too focussed on Beverley. Furthermore, they would not support a candidate lacking in skills, experience and vision.
3. Being a councillor on Beverley Town Council is not comparable to being a councillor on ERYC. For starters, Beverley Town Council is often led by Labour whilst ERYC has a considerable Conservative majority. I am the ONLY candidate with real experience of working in ERYC: I have been elected by local parents for two consecutive terms to represent their interests on the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-committee. I have been involved with this committee for longer than many councillors, so I have considerable hands-on experience in dealing with county-wide issues, experience that is a more solid preparation for the role of a councillor than being on the town council and standing for parliament.
4. Re. fracking: The Beverley Party was only formed just before the last election, so naturally our “history” is limited in every respect. However, the Green Party would hardly support a candidate who has not got a solid understanding of the issue.
5. Re. wasted vote: the mere fact that Margaret is putting in that much time and effort into trying to discredit me and the parties/groups I am standing for, tells a different story…