Are Telford voters being let down?

Whenever a story is published about almost anything with even a hint of politics, there is often a ‘Vote Reform’ comment.

Although the party has had its internal differences and the crest of the wave they were riding on is not as high as it was, it has not yet crashed on the rocks.

This makes it even more puzzling that they have not fielded a candidate at the forthcoming Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council election next week.

Just as puzzling is the lack of a Labour candidate. The last Borough councillor to be elected in the borough was from Stirchley, with Nathalie Page, a Labour candidate, so you might think they would have a fair chance.

Lib Dems and the Greens are selective about the elections they contest, so in the Stirchley ward, you are left with three choices: Conservative, Independent or none of the above.

Telford Reform and Telford Labour have been asked why they have not nominated a candidate, but no answer was provided.

Wrekin Reform and Wrekin Labour have been responsive and helpful of late, so what is going on?

For Labour, are they fearful of a backlash on the doorstep? Unlikely, as they won a Borough election on these streets just a few months ago. Trouble finding a candidate? Possibly.

Perhaps local members do not fancy putting themselves up for a Parish Council position. Given the number of members they must have in Telford, it was thought someone would have given it a go, even for the experience.

The vetting of candidates at short notice could be a sticking point for Reform. We have seen ‘Independent’ candidates aligned with Reform values simply because they could not get through vetting quick enough.

If all this is not puzzling enough, the independent candidate, Andrew Hughes, has marked his nomination paper as ‘Dependable, fair and reliable’ where Tom Wust, the Conservative candidate, has entered ‘The Conservative Party Candidate’.

So who is Andrew Hughes? By now in the campaign, a Facebook page, a leaflet or something would have been expected. It was spotted on the nomination papers that a current Stirchley and Brookside Parish Councillor, James Anderson, had nominated Andrew for election.

Cllr Anderson was reached out to this week but there has not been a reply. Independent candidates usually have to work extra hard to get elected. No party machine to help with leafleting or knocking doors. Not in Stirchley.

It was not possible to find out what the independent candidate’s priorities were, or what work he had done in the community prior to standing. Not an email address or phone number. Not a website or Facebook page.

So, voters in Stirchley, do you feel like democracy is passing you by? Do you feel let down by the party you want to represent you in the Parish Council? Or don’t you care that much anyway?

Answer on a voting slip on 7th August.