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Walcot: Swindon Democracy Collapses
June 19, 2006 11:00 PM
Nicky Sewell in Walcot
Less than a month after Walcot Labour Councillor Mavis Childs defected to the Conservatives, her colleague Walcot Labour Councillor Peter Mallinson has just joined the Tory ranks.
Lib Dem 2005 Walcot by-election candidate Nicky Sewell said:
"I am not surprised; we half saw this coming during last year's by-election. Cllr Mallinson had already defected from the Tories to Labour by that point and many residents shared our concerns that he might switch back in the future."
Lib Dem Councillor Dave Wood commented:
"Democracy has broken down in Walcot. Residents elected two Labour Councillors and they now have two Tory Councillors. These Cllrs can hardly claim to represent the views of residents anymore. Furthermore, neither Cllr lives anywhere near Walcot - Cllr Childs living in Wroughton village and Cllr Mallinson living miles away in West Swindon.
"Surely Cllrs Childs and Mallinson should seek to renew their mandate by doing the honourable thing and requesting two by-elections.
"If they do not it is inevitable that the public will become even more disillusioned with politics generally. They may sit tight by pointing to legal loopholes about the public electing candidates rather than parties, but if they are so certain of their personal support why don't they face the public vote and silence their critics?
"I know a lot of Walcot residents are feeling astounded by these moves; I hope this is reflected at the ballot box in 2007."
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