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Letter in Morley Observer and Advertiser 23/5/07 My congratulations to the Morley Borough Independents and Bob Gettings in successfully contesting the seat I held in Morley North with pride and passion since 2004. I have been overwhelmed by the messages of support since the result of the count was announced and this informs me that I was doing my job right. I can now say that I have worked hard and been incredibly committed to my constituents and environment over the last three years but, and this is not sour grapes, the voting public has either seen the need for a change and have chosen to go for a traditional part political line – as opposed to any semblance of ‘real independence’. Or, as I suspect, they’ve been duped by constant photo-calls and press releases. I have worked, through choice, entirely on my own without Officer support and publicity to achieve the best for my constituents. In the few short hours since the result, my own private analysis is that I believe no matter how hard any Independent member has worked for, or on behalf of their community, it is obvious that true independence in Morley is dead and buried. That is replicated by the fact that when my former colleague Robert Finnegan stood as an Independent parliamentary candidate in 2005 he came absolutely nowhere. I am shocked to the very core by the resounding nature of my defeat and I’m sure Robert felt the same way too years ago. He did however, bounce back to control a powerful party machine that is the MBI’s and has brokered a deal with the current Administration in 2007. The outcome of the town council elections (23 elected MBI’s out of 24) corroborates this party political line theory. This one-sided political scenario is unhealthy for local democracy – though it is what the electorate has voted for, I readily understand. There may well have been a supposition that almost blanket coverage of all town council wards was to guard against any BNP success but, there are perhaps subtler reasons. Despite all the opprobrium heaped on them by Robert Finnegan over many years since he was asked to resign from the Labour Group, perhaps the revelation that the MBI’s were delivering leaflets for Labour candidate Jack Dunn will come as a shock to many. It’s important to inform readers that there has been a lot of bad blood spilled since I resigned in 2005, for a multitude of reasons, from the Morley Borough Independents and there was never a chance of going back. I will not go into any of the many reasons why I resigned but simply say that I have been on the inside and what I experienced wasn’t very edifying. I may be perceived as a maverick (and someone to be successfully crushed), but that would be unfair. I am an individual who wants to remain a true Independent. For the MBI’s to promote themselves as never ever toeing the party line is absolute nonsense. That’s why in my own analysis of the electoral process, I could never see any way back into current political life in Morley for a true Independent. However, unlike Steven Redgrave, I would never say those famous words about never getting in a boat again! Despite my own personal disappointment, I know that I have very quietly ‘made a difference’ in Morley and the wider community in which I live, which is why I went into local politics in the first place. And at the risk of committing heresy, perhaps it’s time for some in Morley to get out of their pre-1974 mentality and embrace the wider aspects of life in Leeds. Morley is not the mill town it once was, it is now much more and like it or not, and the die-hards will not, it is part of Leeds nd those halcyon days of pre-1974 will never return. As for the future, I will try to get my business and personal life back on track. Without doubt, both have suffered over the last three years. But don’t feel sorry for me, that is the choice I made when entering public life. I have thoroughly enjoyed my status as a councillor and am all the richer for the experience. I would also wish to place on record the contribution and support of my very small team of Alan Healy, Jayne, June & Jackie Grayshon for their work in delivering the 9,600 leaflets over an eight day period. I will never forget their belief and unwavering support for me. Finally, thanks to all those who voted for a ‘quiet Independent’. I may not have won the election but, I have kept my independent integrity. Stewart McArdle Ibbelson Oval Churwell |
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