On Fri, 05 Nov 2004 19:07:36 +0000, Danny Colyer
<
[email protected]> wrote:
> [Not Responding] wrote:
>> Fortunately, councillors who consistently do a below par job can be
>> shown the door at the next election. So, has anyone actually asked
>> their councillors why they've done this?
>
>Last time I e-mailed my local councillors about a new farcility that I
>considered dangerous, I had to chase them for a reply. I eventually got
>a reply from one of the three, effectively saying that he wasn't interested.
>
>This is such a safe Labour ward that my voting against him at the next
>election really won't make any difference. Doesn't stop me doing so, of
>course.
An alternative plan. If Labour isn't outside your personal spectrum of
political acceptability, join the party. Then *you* get to select the
candidates. Join with a small number of like minded colleagues and you
*control* the party.
IME, most political branches (ie ward level party associations) have a
membership of low hundreds (often less than 100) and a core active
membership of 10-20. A small amount of new blood can make a huge
difference at this local level.
I'm not advocating single-issue driven usurping of the political
structures. But I do think it important that people engage with the
processes and bodies that comprise our democracy rather than rail
against them.
