LOCAL ELECTIONS 2018: Getting Our Message Across

So, the papers are all in and all UKIP and indeed other parties candidates are duly nominated for the local elections on May 3rd. I think it is fair to say, indeed, it would be disingenuous to say otherwise, that this promises to be a tough round of elections for the Party. However, although it is an uphill struggle, not an impossible task, indeed, recently UKIP members have shown how resilience and determination can overcome seemingly impossible odds with their fundraising efforts.
For the purposes of this article, I intend to focus on ‘the message’ ie, the question of how the campaign should be themed. I am a strong believer that local campaigns although they do need to focus on immediate issues, ones that are relevant in the immediate locality, they should have a national ‘spine’ ie, a theme determined and pushed forward by the national Party. However, despite being an issue with national applicability, it should be one that can be ‘actioned’ locally, ie, our councillors can do something that will materially impact on the issue. This would definitely rule out Brexit as being even eligible for consideration as our local councillors will have the sum total of zero impact on the Brexit process. Furthermore, when voters enter the polling booth on May 3rd I doubt many will be thinking about Brexit at all, they might, however, be thinking about the massive increase in the council tax bill most of them will have received. Even if the people we speak to agree with us on Brexit it is going to be low down the list of what determines where they put their X on May 3rd, the only slight exception to this rule might be fishing communities where their plight is a local and national issue all rolled into one.
Council tax increases will be adversely affecting the vast majority of the people we talk to on the doorstep:
Nearly all councils (95%) plan to increase council tax while 93% will hike charges to make ends meet, the 2018 State of Local Government Finance research conducted by the LGiU think tank and The Municipal Journal found.
The council tax rises will add around £100 to the average bill for a Band D property – equivalent to 6 percent – but as much as £200 for owners of more expensive properties.
Despite this, the same survey found that 80% of councils “fear for their financial stability”. If only it ended there but it doesn’t, in addition to the rises, local authorities can raise an additional “precept” to fund adult social care. The real terms pressure on households is eye-watering. Yes, there are issues to be addressed here in terms of funding from central government, something Labour may well latch onto, however, the amount of waste on things such as executive pay is also scandalous. Northamptonshire Council, which is facing the very real prospect of being taken into effective administration and being run by Government Commissionaires, somehow managed to find £95,000 to pay off its departing Chief Executive. Bristol City Council meanwhile revealed it wants to pay £165,000 to an incoming ‘Executive Director’. It’s defence that this “reflects the level of responsibility” of the post has a hollow ring to it when you remember that the Prime Minister of Great Britain gets paid £150,402. I don’t think this gentleman will have a greater “level of responsibility” than the Prime Minister, do you?
In the above, we see fertile ground for a strong UKIP campaign which puts us once again on the side of the people vs the establishment. We will need to use our own media, especially the website, to get the message out there as we will not have a Party Political Broadcast. We should have candidate diaries, videos of local campaigns etc, etc. Yes, we have a mountain to climb to achieve any kind of credible result but as I said it can be done, we have shown that, so, it’s over to you and to the national Party to start taking a lead.
Living in Swindon as I do I was very miserable thinking ahead to the local election when I was faced with a choice between Labour and Conservative. I WILL NOT vote Labour ever again. The last time (I am ashamed to say) resulted in Blair being elected! I will not make that mistake again.
So to the alternative? Conservative? Our local candidate is the Attorney General Mr Buckland and I just cannot forget that his party have sold us down the river on Brexit over and over again.
Delighted to hear there is a UKIP alternative. So my dilemma is solved. Whether that candidate gets elected under our FPTP system is not particularly important for me. If the status quo can be disturbed enough to make those in government realise they are not representing me then that can only be a ‘good thing’!
Yes, its a monster of a mountain to climb Darrell, but I think you have sketched out the best way forward for our Party. Local issues are a must, but where appropriate fishing and the incorrect bend on our Laws, should also be mentioned. After all the Party has seen the hidden strength of its members, in the matter of finance ! GO FOR IT UKIP !
The BBC documentary “Who’s Spending Britains Billions?” is recommended local council campaigning material:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00UFYU_Gr7w
Councils and local authorities across the country, both Labour and Conservative, are guilty of wasting public money or not getting good value for money.
You’re right, budgets are being cut so some difficult choices need to be made, however I object to councils paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to ‘management consultants’ to help them make ‘efficiency savings’ while essential public services are being cut back.
These councils then have the cheek to increase council tax, but I bet we won’t see any improvements in funding for public services as a result, but increased payments to these privately operated consultancy firms, making profits on the back of cuts.
A number of the consultants used are ex-directors of our district council, we paid their redundancies, the job renamed and someone else put in at higher pay. The consultants are used extensively as the area is to have a Garden Village and our “stressed out employees are struggling to cope” says they. Some of these employees work just 2 days a week. Go figure.
Meanwhile Chief Exec has brought in his cronies as “directors” one on higher pay than himself, he keeps his below £150k, and they now run the council. They are supposed to advise elected members but most planning is now under delegated powers and the lazy CONs let them make most decisions. The unelected overpaid LEP (head of this on £190k which was voted for by themselves) here has a Greater Exeter plan so we are to be suburbs not villages soon. They work closely with these directors (by the way we used to have only one now it is 5) and the few cabinet members who are well trained on their behest.
Yet this council has had a build, build, build policy for years, the rates from these properties certainly look as if they cover the cuts by Government and our services are lost or decimated.
Weeks ago great play was made with the link up with Veterans against Terrorism,are you in contact locally with them as they could literally your ground support in the battle
Let’s face it, the vast majority of the limited number of candidates we are putting up are paper candidates, so they won’t be campaigning anyway. As a sidebar, you need to understand that for all councils 30-40% of their spending goes on pensions for their legions of ex-employees, and low interest rates over the last 8 years have required huge top-up payments into pension funds, and in addition to government cuts this is where a lot of money has disappeared. Paying more council tax doesn’t lead to more services, it just covers the hole in the pension fund.
With these elections effectively behind us already, the absolutely key task for UKIP now is to become a post-referendum party and define what it is, and to make this clear in a set of radical policies (I am sure everyone can at least agree on the use of the word ‘radical’). Whether it is populist, libertarian, or whatever, the debate needs to be had, agreed upon, and move forward from there. But we have to have the debate and get this out into the open, not constantly have this infighting and undeclared civil war. Only if we are united around a ‘common purpose’ (pun intended) will our support increase. At present a lot of people are watching from the sidelines (including UKIP supporters) to see what it is that UKIP will become before committing their support. And part of that is for the current leadership team, whose average age is knocking on 70, to renew the party leadership by seeking out talent and finding ways to allow talent to express itself.
Why should councils honour pensions to staff who quit or who are sacked for corruption or gross incompetence?