OK, I ADMIT IT: I am not a political journalist. The only reason that I cover local politics on the Canvey Beat blog is because readers, by a significant majority, asked me to.
I have written features on IT; Travel; Crime; Corruption; Terrorism and Wars – both here and on the Continent; but I have never taken-up my pen to report on local or national politics. Perhaps that is because I have never held specific political views. It has always been the arguments that have interested me and, because of that, I have been a permanent floating-voter. I have even been known to spend up to 20 minutes in a poll-booth, while others wait behind me, trying to make up my mind.
I take a lot of convincing. And I hate it when politicians withdraw into party lines. I often find that two or more parties’ solutions could be merged into one that everyone could support; but they are just too arrogant to admit that the other might hold part of a problem’s solution.
When readers’ votes were in, and ‘Local Politics’ had been the subject brought to the fore; I thought: ‘OK. I can do that. How difficult can it be?
‘Politicians are always keen to explain their positions – and it could lead to some very interesting online debates in the comments section of the blog.’
Perhaps, had I been located elsewhere in the country, that would have been the case. But not here. Not on Canvey Island where the far-left, or far-right – no one really knows – has infiltrated local politics and brought all democratic argument in the borough to a halt.
I am of the opinion that the local Canvey Island Independent Party is some kind of old militant-tendency rump (because, in the main, they consist of old Labour councillors); but that does not explain their close relationship with, and support for, Castle Point’s far-right, Independent MP, Bob Spink.
I am not a political correspondent; but I am not aware that the far-left and far-right have anything in common – other than destroying Democracy for their own ends.
That this is indeed Spink’s and his CIIP cohorts’ objective is now a matter of record – based upon both parties’ reluctance to deny the claim; but that is the problem I have found in my political reporting. While established parties have no problem answering my questions, the story is in Spink and the CIIP – whom both refuse to answer any questions I, or residents, put.
The blog’s comment section is replete with question marks to which there has never been given a reply. Not ‘a satisfactory reply,’ mind you – I specifically mean: no response at all.
Those holding CIIP seats on Canvey Island do not even have the courtesy of respecting others’ opinions. It is evident from the blog’s server logs that there has been a concerted attempt to retrieve all articles on the CIIP and, by voting numerous times to ‘Agree’ or ‘Disagree,’ manufacture a complete misrepresentation of previous general opinion. They have even attempted to manipulate the, still open, Bob Spink poll.
The CIIP’s tactics are childish, and there is no doubt in my mind that my regular readers will not be taken-in. But Canvey Island residents were taken in by exactly the same tactics, used by the party, when contesting local borough and town council seats in the last elections. The party then presented no firm policies or vision for Canvey; but islanders voted for them anyway.
Will the same thing happen this year? Has this blogging experiment been a simple waste of time? Or will all the proven, and confirmed, facts in the Canvey Beat’s posts cause residents to think again – and save their Democracy?
All will become clear on May 6th.
I hope…
