Ward by Ward: Waite until May 5th in Toddbrook

Politics / Tue 26th Apr 2016 at 07:19pm

THIS should be a fairly straight forward one. Labour have a stranglehold on this one and it does not look like changing any time soon.

Cllr Phil Waite won this by 254 votes (53% in 2012. It was a bit close when Labour only won by 26 in 2014 but as we know that was a highpoint for UKIP.
In 2015, Labour won by 410 votes (45% of the vote).

The standard issues of housing, crime, potholes and jobs to name just four will be concerns. And as we are finding out, national issues are of little concern on this occasion.

Labour have a well-oiled machine that is clearly doing the hard yards while you get the feeling that the Conservatives are concentrating on what they can win and what then need to defend. We have yet to come to those wards.

Phil Waite has been a solid councillor. Job changes mean we see less of him as a cabinet member which is a shame as he always brings something to the political table.

YH prediction: Labour hold.

Toddbrook

John STEER The Conservative Party Candidate
Phil WAITE Labour Party
Chris WARD UK Independence Party (UKIP)

4 Comments for Ward by Ward: Waite until May 5th in Toddbrook:

Allan

2016-04-26 20:43:05

Is this the same Phil Waite who led the meeting which unanimously agreed to further housing development in Gilden Way. The same Phil Waite who said he did not want to support 1200 new homes being built on farmland but did agree to approval any way? And the promise is that a third of the new homes will be affordable. Ha! This is Barratts they are dealing with. The same Barratts that have a permanent sales office in Beijing to sell British homes to Chinese investors. The enlightened choice has to be for UKIP’s Chris Ward.

Rosiebubbles14

2016-04-26 20:57:42

Let's not also forget that at the budget meeting labour increased council tax, cut services, owe us money for lights we didn't get and to top it all refused the tories better budget which would have benefited the residents of Harlow

UKMaverick785

2016-04-28 15:20:34

This will be the first election since 2014 which will have a normal District turnout of about 30-40% unlike the General turnout of 2015 of 70%. Unlike Waite who lives in Staple Tye, UKIP's Chris Ward lives in Toddbrook, unlike Peter Buss who was fantastically unlucky in 2014! The Tory candidate lives in Old Harlow!

Jon

2016-04-30 00:03:57

I think you know Tracy (Rosiebubbles14) that the tory budget was unsustainable, raided reserves, and was designed more for a headline in a political leaflet than for the best long term interests of Harlow. The reason Harlow is the only town in Essex that has its streetlights on overnight is because I negotiated a long term deal, with a guaranteed funding stream. Essex county Council increased Council tax by 3.99%n - voted for by Eddie Johnston, and turned the lights off. Harlow Council turned them back on again. And by the way, the Labour Controlled Harlow council fought the development in Gilden way, which the Tories passed the buck on, and then was forced through by the Tory government.