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Stabbed in the back over centre
From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 10th Dec 2002.
Time and again we hear professional politicians bleating about low turnouts in elections. They blame journalists for spreading cynicism, and accuse voters of being apathetic and uninterested.
But the recent shenanigans reported in the Adver about the Pinehurst People's Centre give the real answer people don't get involved in local politics because they rightly think they are being lied to and betrayed by the main political parties. So people conclude it isn't worth voting.
Earlier this year there was a huge public meeting in the People's Centre where local people very clearly said they wanted to keep the People's Centre as it is.
The council then organised a ballot and 60 per cent of Pinehurst residents voted for no changes.
The New Labour cabinet then promised that there would be no change for a minimum of five years.
Almost before the ink was dry they broke this pledge and started planning to knock down part of the centre, with no alternative arrangements for tenants like the New Dimension therapy centre.
It is the same story with council housing in the May elections New Labour's manifesto clearly promised to keep council housing in the public sector.
But we now know that the council has started consultations that could lead to transfer to a private housing association.
The tragic truth is that nowadays we cannot trust New Labour councillors to behave any differently from the Tories. So local elections have become a choice between Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
Andy Newman
(Socialist Alliance candidate for Gorse Hill and Pinehurst council ward)
Avenue Road
Old Town
Swindon
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