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Looking through election fog MailMarks
THE fog clears a lile within the Maidstone election scene – but parliamentary and borough council results after the May 7 count are still tough to call. National opinion polls suggest minds are focused on the two main parties and the important choice between Labour and Ed Miliband and Conservatives and David Cameron. If votes increasingly polarise towards the
main parties – and the nationalist parties are a race apart – a key question is what will be left for minority parties. Latest polls suggest Ukip, who took the
most votes in last year’s European elections in Maidstone borough and won four seats on the borough council, peaked in 2014. The big question in the Maidstone and The Weald constituency is: How many of these votes will hold in May? If all, there could be a Ukip MP. But other very significant factors now
arise.We will vote for a government to run Britain for the next five years – not for members of an increasingly unpopular European government which aracts a protest vote. Ukip will be fielding a largely unknown candidate, Eddie Powell, against high- profile ConservativeMP Helen Grant, with a remarkable first term including ministerial appointments culminating in her current role as sports minister and also a powerful constituency commitment. Ukip willwant at least to deprive Lib
Dem candidate Jasper Gerard of second place. On the strength of the low Lib Dem vote in Maidstone Euro elections – and forecast of a serious decline nationally – the final positioning will be fascinating. Labour fortunes have picked up a lile in Maidstone during the past three years and they could make the top three. I ammore hopeful now of a cleaner election with the bale rightly based on manifestos and policies rather than silly and inaccurate aempts at character assassination. Soon after his selection, Jasper Gerardwent on the record to say
Organist’s legacy
Dear Sir – I would like to correct a misleading remark in your obituary in the Downs Mail March edition of my old friend Peter Bonnert, organist at East Farleigh Church for more than 50 years. An electronic organwas indeed installed at his instigation when the church pipe organ became unplayable. Your obituary mentions that this is still in use today. However, he would not wish to be remembered for this.
Itwas always his intention that the pipe
organ should be restored, and largely through his enthusiasm and hard work in fundraising some 20 years ago the electronic organwas removed and the pipe organ rebuilt. It is an instrument of which hewas justifiably proud, and a major achievement for him and all at East Farleigh Church. Brian Moore, Orchard Glade, Headcorn
36 Maidstone South April 2015
DENNISFOWLE President
dfowle2011@aol.com
General election 2010
MAIDSTONE AND THE WEALD Conservative Helen Grant 48% Lib Dem Peter Carroll 36% Labour Rav Seeruthun 9.7% Ukip Gareth Kendal 3.3% Green Stuart Jeffery 1.3%
FAVERSHAM AND MID KENT Conservative Hugh Robertson 56.2% Lib Dem Dave Naghi 19.6% Labour Ashok Rehal 16.6% Ukip Sarah Larkins 3.7% Green Tim Valentine 1.9%
that if Mr Bean had a wife she would be Helen Grant. I suspect he is much wiser nowadays. The other main local constituency,
Faversham and Mid Kent, looked straightforward until Tory Sir Hugh Robertson retired in January. He built up a very big majority and the Tories will not expect the new candidate to hold it all. But it will be a major surprise if they fail in this stronghold.
Council set to stay hung MAIDSTONE Council elections are
even tougher to call. Eighteen of the 55 seats will be contested and the Tories will need to gain four to restore overall control. They will dowell to gain even a couple –
I cannot see four – so expect probably three more years with neither Lib Dems nor Tories in overall control. The Tories fared poorly in last year’s elections, with Ukip the main beneficiaries, gaining four seats. Key factors thenwere the boom in Ukip popularity at the time of
Brian, the obituary was intended to focus on Mr Bonnert (pictured), not the organs in the church. We included the organ reference to provide an example about how he had made a positive impact on the church and local community. I amsure there are hundreds of other examples that could have also been used. I apologise for any way this may have been considered misleading. Response by Stephen
Church not dedicated
Dear Sir – I am writing about your article in the March issue of the Downs Mail on the theft of oil from East Farleigh Church. The name of the church is not St Mary’s
and it has no dedication. It is officially known as East Farleigh Church or the Ancient Parish Church of East Farleigh. Several years of research revealed that the dedicationwas lost hundreds of years ago – if itwas ever dedicated at all. Over the years all our medieval records have also been lost. Mollie Richford, former archivist of East Farleigh Church, Lower Road, East Farleigh
the Euro elections and deep concerns across the borough as the Conservative-led council tried to meet anticipated Government housing targets for approval of a much-needed local plan. This time the Ukip flag seems unlikely to
wave so strongly and the Tories will get traditional supporters active as they also vote in the general election. But that is no guarantee of Tory crosses on both ballot papers. The furore over the local plan continues.
No onewants the level of development proposed for the next 15 years or so, especially as supporting adequate infrastructure seems unlikely. But national political housing pressures seem sure from whichever government rules. Locally this is a major headache for both
the Tories and Lib Dems (who are themselves split about where this development should be planned). It is a topic that is not going away, whoever is in power nationally and locally, and as the Lib Dems now hold the vital Maidstone planning commiee chair they cannot pass the buck on decision-making. Seven results towatch out for: Coxheath
and Hunton; Fant; Harrietsham and Lenham; Loose; Shepway North; South and Staplehurst.
Let there be light UNLESS you fancy a “Black Hole of
Calcua” experience I recommend you take your torch when visiting Maidstone’s Odeon cinema. My wife and I and two grandchildren
were left to find our designated seats in just about total darkness between programmes. Itwas tough enough to see any seats, let alone to find non-illuminated row leers and seat numbers. At best itwas inconsiderate and worrying – at worst a health and safety issue. The manager did find me after a protest and apologised for lack of aention.
No more abstentions
Dear Sir – Like many people I keep a close eye on the activities of the planning commiee at Maidstone Council and I can’t help noticing how many times our councillors on the planning commiee have abstained from voting for no good reason. Theywere elected to represent the people
of Maidstone who voted for them and are on the planning commiee to vote either yes or no to any given application – it is not acceptable to abstain from voting to save the council from having to defend an appeal, or for political or other reasons. They are also not there to agree with planning officers, but to make an informed choice according to the recommendations both for and against. Recentlywe have seen the Bridge Nursery, Allington and Clock House Farm, Coxheath planning applications blighted by abstentions. The planning system needs a good shake-
up and if councillors don’t have the courage to vote they should not be on the commiee. A Polei, Allington
Comment
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