I posted the following on hiopcouncillors.org to support the Lib Dems’ current local election campaign
1 they will work exceedingly hard.
Lib Dems always do and the evidence is in the stats which South Cambs publishes on committee memberships and meeting attendance. Over the four years of their term, Martin attended 141 meetings out of a possible 157 and Pippa 77 out of 101. (And that’s just minuted formal meetings run by South Cambs. They have also attended a great many briefings, trainings and meetings run by outside bodies). This compares very favourably with the number of meetings attended by previous councillors.
And for the record the current three councillors have been exceedingly diligent in reporting monthly to the Community and in attending Histon & Impington Parish Council and Orchard Park Community Council meetings.
You can check how many meetings they and other councillors, past and present, attended at https://bit.ly/SCDCattendance.
2 they’ve got policies.
Some people suggest that ‘politics’ is a dirty business. It’s not. It’s about people having policies which they stand by and invite support for. Lib Dems have clear policies; not all the other candidates are so upfront with what they stand for.
You can check out the Lib Dem manifesto for this election at https://bit.ly/HIOPmanifesto.
3 they know what they can do. And what they can’t do.
Councils have specific powers and councillors determine how those powers are exercised. For example South Cambs District Council has powers to control development, to build council houses and to empty our bins. It does not have powers to repair roads (that’s the County Council’s job) or to invest in local recreation facilities (that’s up to Parish or town councils or other local initiatives). That’s why the Lib Dem electoral promises relate to matters that can be delivered through the district council.
4 a team is better than unconnected individuals.
This works in two ways. In my experience the three members of the local Lib Dem district council team have been exceptional in the way that they have supported each other. I have also noticed that their combined voice has had a very strong impact when it’s been necessary to speak on behalf of Histon & Impington and Orchard Park.
5 they’re a mixed bunch.
The current team is characterised by its diversity, they are not all clones of some standard Lib Dem councillor. The team up for election this year is perhaps even more diverse and representative. There will be no lazy one way of thinking or acting but a rich realisation that few of our communities’ issues have simple responses and that there’s a variation from the far north of Cottenham Road to Orchard Park and King’s Meadow in the south.
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