So Bedford Borough Council has announced the candidates for Oakley Ward ahead of the election on 7th May. And it is clear I am the only candidate who is making any effort to connect with people in Oakley, Pavenham and Stevington.
It’s not a surprise that the list is littered with paper candidates – essentially each major party wants to avoid leaving a Ward without the choice of a candidate, even if they have no intention of canvassing for votes leading up to the election. This is especially true in a General Election year.
It’s happening again in Oakley Ward; the Lib Dem, Labour, UKIP and Green Party candidates are only paper candidates with no intention of trying to connect with people in the Ward. Even the sitting councillor will rely on her reputation to attract enough votes to be returned. The Labour candidate is a serial paper candidate, as she has been entered in elections before as you can see here on a screenshot of the 2009 candidates list for Great Barford Ward;
So your choice is simple: if you want to be represented at the local level by someone who is tech savvy, has an excellent record of public service, who has genuine policies and ambition for the Ward and the Borough that will change people’s lives for the better and who is highly skilled in getting things done in the face of real challenges, then vote for me on 7th May.
Read more about me on this site. As you can see, I am not a paper candidate as the hundreds of people who have already met me on their doorsteps will confirm!
Ade Clewlow MBE 