Stay clam and vote UKIP

One day to go. the smears will be desperate and extreme and the political establishment yells at the peasants revolt that they think UKIP is.

How dare working class people not vote Labour ?

How dare middle class people think for themselves, their children and country and not vote Conservative?

How dare liberals realise that the EU is an bureaucratic dictatorship and not support Nick Clegg masters as he expects them to ?

How very dare anyone vote UKIP.

After all - you're a racist, mad, bad gadfly. A nutcase for thinking Britain could become a sovereign country again.

If you are tempted to kick the establishment where it really hurts then I'll be with you - voting for UKIP.

The political class treat us with utter and total contempt - its time to return the favour !

UKIP moving forward powered by the people - why not join us ?

As I mentioned earlier I've been away for the week, and I was just back in the UK a few hours ago. So I've missed some of the early local election excitement.

But I'm catching up.

2nd in South Shields - very good.
Lots of new councillors - excellent
2nd in many Woking seats - exciting
Predictable can't believe the oiks are getting votes from career Tories -tick

The Lib Dems seem rather quiet - do they have a lot to be quiet about ?

Dave has descided that those who vote UKIP aren't racists, clowns and fools as long as they come to heal and vote for him in 2015 - predictably condescending and out of touch.

Numerous Tory MPs dare a little criticism followed by the career saving statement of loyalty and its all because we haven't explained ourselves enough line.

The odd Conservative now ex-councillor gets out his 12 bore and gives modernising / marriage redefining Dave both barrels ( great - can I direct you to the UKIP membership web page where you can help finish the job ).

Is this a new purple dawn - I really don't know, I fear it might be more like a cup upset - but if you agree with UKIP and Nigel Farage and your in another political party then now is time to be counted and to come and join us and kick the political class where it really hurts.

It won't do to wish for the ends but be found sleeping in your beds when your nation needs you.

Woking HMV RIP

So what many of us have expected has happened, HMV have called in the vultures administrators, who will be trying to raise their considerable fee by flogging of the remaining assets.

Its sad. But its also profound - in Woking its the last music and entertainment shop ( with the exception of one of Game's outlets continues, for now ).

It also shows the risk Woking borough council took when on when it bought the Wolesley Shopping centre, spent millions refurbishing the town square and no plans on spending £70+ million for a development that will bring back M&S.

Of the two shopping centres in Woking - both have many gaps for closed stores, but the one the council used cheap central govt loans to beat of the private sector investor for is doing worse. ( Even though Woking's population has been sky-rocketing with mass immigration from Eastern Europe. )

I wonder if Woking councillors remember seeing this risk listed when they decided the cheap loan from central govt would allow them a nice little earner for the council ? What if shopping changes and the same number of stores aren't required any more ? How's the 'investment' paid for by debt doing then ?

I'm sad to see HMV in Woking under threat. The staff are great and I love looking around the store. But some time before Christmas I looked around and it was only the over 40's in there at the time. Those of us for whom looking round a record shop was the highlight of our pre-internet weekend trips. So they were always in trouble. I hope they find a way out of it.

Update: Perhaps soem HMV stores will survive - which will be a relief to many men. The BBC explains why in an unusually ( for them ) perceptive article.

Its civic duty time

Who knows how the new elected police and crime commissioners will work.

But my view is its your civic duty to vote, if you reasonably can.

My only advice is to avoid the former full time elected politicians ....

How will Woking vote ?

Well here's a turn up for the books, the local faithful Lib Dem "Winning here" poster site is sporting a Labour poster. The coalition has clearly been a bit too much for at least one  Woking former Lib Dem voter.

I wonder how wide spread their problem is ?

Each party has it problems in Woking this time round.

There have been warnings in the press on electoral fraud, and I hear that (all) parties have been called by the returning officer to be warned on the subject.

Labour have lost all their councillors in Woking and will be looking to claw some ground back, and perhaps even get to the balance of power position.

The Conservatives are looking to extend their recent period in overall control, and on paper should have a good chance especially given the 0% town council tax rise ( but the unhelpful Surrey (also under Conservative control) large rise completely blows this out of the water ), however that's before you factor in the disillusionment with the modernising Cameron Conservatives. Woking has strong Christian and Muslim voting constituencies and Cameron's attack on marriage is going down like a bucket of cold sick here. Apparently it looks like it will be hard to get the vote out, and even if they do can they be sure that X isn't going in the UKIP box in the privacy of the ballot booth ?

The Lib Dems have the problem of being in coalition nationally, but relying on squeezing the Labour vote as the party of the left locally. Their tactics have been to be more positive this year, trying to take credit for things that have happened, rather than the usual range of Tory phobic attacks. How will that work ? Is the vote squeeze over ? ( I know some people who think there are more Labour supporters in Woking tactically voting Lib Dem than Lib Dem supporters, so there could be a dramatic unwinding. However the record shows that where the Lib Dems have high voting support it holds up - regardless of the national picture. )

For UKIP the aim will be to carry on the steady increase in local votes, potentially altering outcomes which will at least put the other parties under pressure.

What will today bring in Woking ? About the only thing I can predict confidently now is rain !

Vote for change today

Look at the last 13 years of Labour and vote Conservtaive on May 6th !

Voting Lib Dem just won't do it. Its now clear the only role left for the Lib Dem is possibly to support Labour to carry on !

The DUP are lined up to support the Conservatives and the SNP have indicated they will also. No need for the Lib Dems - there MPs only role could be to keep Gordon Brown in power and transfer more powers to Brussels.

Vote Conservative !

Why I'm voting for Jonathan Lord for Woking on Thursday

Of course you'd expect me to say that as this is a Conservative supporting blog, and Jonathan is the Conservative candidate.

But I voted for Jonathan in the open hustings the Conservatives when there were 3 other good Conservatives to choose from.

Why ?

Because Jonathan can get things done. How do I know this ? Because he has in the past.

He has a good academic record. ( Does that matter ? Well yes we need someone who can understand complex policy issues and influence that policy for the good of our country and our town. I just don't believe the Lib Dems candidate is anywhere near as capable.) Experience in local politics with Westminster council many years ago and now with Surrey county council. He lead a very successful campaign to stop drilling for gas in a beautiful area near Guildford - by leading a campaign and making good use of expert knowledge which he managed to gather in. He was also involved in the campaign to save the Royal Surrey.

Clearly he's a man who knows how to get things done.

The Lib Dems have made a spurious argument about his living a few miles over the constituency border, and even though he's selling his house and moving here with his young family they still bang on about it, but always forget to mention that their candidate stood in Horsham in 2005 and has failed to be selected as their candidate for Woking on many previous occasions. ( If you want the full sad tail of Lib Dem misrepresentation of their candidate and ours look here. )

Being a MP is an important job where you want a capable and gifted advocate representing our town. Having gone to the hustings there was just no competition on this score between the Lib Dems candidate and Jonathan Lord. ( Indeed the only person close to Jonathan has been Labour's Tom Millar who can at least string an argument together and put it across succinctly. )

Woking has been fortunate to have Sir Humfrey Malins as our MP over the last number of years, and I'm sure we would be best served locally by Jonathan Lord.

And I know that the Conservatives under David Cameron are what our country needs to repair the irresponsible damage that Gordon Brown has done to our country, and especially the way Labour has treated Surrey and Woking just as a supply of cash to be spent bribing its heartlands else where.

Given the last minute manoeuvres by the likes of Peter Hain and Ed Balls its quite clear if you vote Lib Dem you may get Gordon Brown as PM or some other Labour party front man Harriet Harman !

Good luck with your own choice on where to put your X - I thought I'd share my thoughts with you on why mine will be against Jonathan Lord's name.

Gordon Brown in the dock

OK not the trial we've most been hoping for ( Tony Blair of course ) but you get the point !

A hung parliament - anti-democratic deals behind closed doors and party lists

"The green shoots of recovery" in Woking - not

Zavvi in Woking - the staff have just been let go and the shutters drawn down today.
Woolworths now just a memory.

Whittards in Woking is closing - despite the venture capital buy out. I tried to order my last ground coffee, but they couldn't fill a 250g bag, and then couldn't fill a 125g bag. That's it for good coffee at home.A card shop that closed and then had a temporary Calendar shop.

All these gaps have appeared in the last two weeks in the prime area of the main shopping centre. And finally Marks and Spencer the local press reports that the branch of Marks & Spencer is to close. The staff say they are in the consultation phase - the modern waiting room for redundancy.

No sign of "green shots" yet !

PS I leave out Adams as their store appears to still be trading.

A hotel in Woking refusing a soldier a room

The media, especially the BBC, are reporting about a soldier who was refused accommodation by a hotel in Woking on producing his military ID.

Under the avalanche of negative publicity, the hotel are keeping quiet.

On first pass this story is made to sound like discrimination against a soldier due to the Afghan and Iraq wars. A Labour MP is wheeled out to sound all concerned, though to give him his due he does acknowledge that their may be other reasons for this. All this a day after David Cameron announces a very popular policy with our armed forces that a future Conservative government won't cheat them out of their leave like Labour do by counting the leave as starting when they get back to the UK, not when they leave operations.

Now some background:

The hotel in question is in the middle of Woking, over a night club and on the main drinking street. Woking is a few short train stops from Aldershot - home of the British Army. It also has the Deep Cut training barracks a short bus ride away.

I've seen Military police in town before and I would be surprised if there is a no-military ban due to civil order rather than political reasons.

It is not uncommon for pubs etc near some military establishments, especially training ones, to be out of bounds. A hotel over a night club might well fit in that category.

The soldier concerned was treated badly, possibly it was discrimination, but most likely he fell foul of the local arrangements unknown to him that realistically allow the military and town to live side by side. A little basic research might tell the BBC this, but then its not the pro-Labour loves the military (even when they won't provide them with equipment or meet their coffins at the airport Mr Brown) story they are looking for.

He is still owed an apology and perhaps the town should invite him back to make amends, and the hotel concerned needs to make its policy clear and advertise its reasons. But I suspect its the Labour/BBC spin machine at work here ...

Update: A description of the hotel from this web site...

Property Description

The hotel provides 26 rooms and is affiliated with Quake Nightclub, Chameleon Late Bar and The Big Apple Family Entertainment Centre (includes Ten Pin Bowling, Laser Quest, Games Arcade areas, and a Pool area). The hotel is in a perfect location to offer you the chance to sample the vibrant nightlife on offer at the weekend with the option of a good night's rest and a safer journey in the morning. Hotel guests are provided with unlimited complimentary hot and cold drinks, which are available from reception. Guests staying at the Metro Hotel are offered complimentary entry tickets to Chameleon Late Bar, a very popular Woking late night venue, and Quake, a BEDA nominated 1000 capacity after-bar nightclub. The Metro also offers its guests discounted rates for Ten Pin Bowling, Laser Quest and Pool at The Big Apple, ensuring there is always something to do during your stay at the Metro Hotel Woking.

So why say any of this ? Well I think Surrey, and Woking have been slighted by this story.

Update: CaptainJane reports over at that:

The hotel has since “sincerely apologised for that mistake." The Metro has been the target for abusive phone calls since the incident and have now involved the police.

Congratulations to the Lightbox !

The Woking Lightbox has just won a £100,000 arts prize - congratulations ! Full details are in a BBC report here...

There are a number of interesting things going on in and around Woking. The local council's combined heat an power network, use of solar power, the new YPod (YMCA) even the controversial (ie expensive) pagoda outside the station.

For the size of town Woking has a lot going for it, including some of the best and fastest train connections into London. Its an example of a rare thing, a modern English town on the up.

No wonder the Martians wanted it. Glad I live here.

The iQueue

Taken in Woking Friday, just before 6pm on a £30 Sony Ericsson K300i (OK it was £60 - but you got £30 of calls ). You can get about 60 of them for the same that an i-Phone will cost you over its contract life.

The girl in the shop opposite tells me some of these guys appeared 5 hours before to queue up ( so must have taken the afternoon off - I assume the unemployed can't afford an i-Phone).

Still - its cool and if it was only a more open platform I'd be tempted.

I hope its works out for them.

Parakeets over Woking

Looks like the ring-necked parakeets may be setting up a branch office in Woking. On a number of occasions I've heard them and seen a flock of up to 20 fly over, but it was only today that I could see their colours clearly.

Apart from a lot of noise I wonder what their impact on the local wild life will be ?

(The photo isn't great - its blown up, however take my word for it their green.)

Good morning Conservative Woking

We have won control. For the last year the Lib Dems grabbed effective control thanks to it being the turn of a Conservative councillor to be mayor. The row of grim looking Lib Dem faces in the photo attached makes the point. (Sorry its a poor photo - they're loosing a Lib Dem ward as they watch).

The Lib Dem have launch a last minute desperate attack but it hasn't paid of for them.

If you live in Woking - good morning - good news at last !

Ming might want to chose another council to run his next party political broadcast from. The Lib Dems have thrown everything - including the kitchen sink and some very dubious leaflets at us and they have been rejected by the people of Woking. I'm going to finish a well earned pint - and head to bed. Its marvellous.

See BBC results summary here.

CON GAIN FROM NOC

SEATS AT A GLANCE
Conservative		19
Liberal Democrat		17

SEATS IN DETAIL
Party	Previous	+/-	2007
Conservative	15	4	19
Liberal Democrat	18	-1	17
Labour	3	-3	0

Lib Dem bar charts

I was beginning to feel a bit bipartisan. Thinking about the common problems all political parties and activists have campaigning in the modern world. I even saw the opposition councillor walking past doing a bit of a leaflet drop and felt a bit of empathy for him. But then my long awaited Lib Dem election leaflet dropped through the door.

This has to be one of the most brazen Lib Dem bar charts I have ever seen. I choosing my words as carefully as I can here - my wife heard a far stronger version an hour or so ago.

Let me explain - below is one of those infamous Lib Dem bar charts - not the can't win here one (though they have one of those and is as bad as ever ), but one on council tax.I have a band-D property so I know exactly how much money is charge for each service - see below. Those of you who can count will spot that Surrey CC tax was £1009.62, the £43 increase is 4.4% over the last year's figure. For Woking Borough council £190.62 the £8.10 is also 4.4% on the last years figure.


A realistic and fair bar chart would therefore show percentages and be of the same height. ( And that doesn't take into account the fact that the settlement from central government was good this year for the Borough and neighbouring Guildford council managed a 1.95 % council tax rise. In fact Woking's council tax bill is the highest in Surrey ! ).

So what do you think of the bar chart now ?

It was delivered at the last moment - before anyone can start to let people know about the real nature of what they have said.

The leaflet goes on to complain about Surrey CC (Conservative controlled) - even though there is no election this year for the country council !

I add the relevant section of their leaflet below.

Just in case your wondering - here is the Conservative bar chart I received, and have on one or two occasions delivered:
I have a small criticism of this also, like many newspaper graphs it isn't grounded at zero. Whilst the gaps between the different levels look ok - all the bars themselves should be higher by around 15% ( this would make the gaps look less, but not by much really - which is why this annoying). ( Based on my rough estimation with a tape measure - its getting late you know. Its possible the charts are based on area, but I think the tendency is to read them as height. It too late at night to work though all this now.)

None of the charts shown is strictly untrue - but they all lead to perceptual difficulties, especially when just glanced over. In my opinion the Lib Dem one is by far worse, and very likely to lead the viewer to conclusions that are false.

We can all do better - but I suspect the Lib Dems have by far the furthest to travel. ( See - I'm still trying to be charitable).

How far will the Lib Dems go ?

This car has been parked in the teachers car park for the last few days and my local school ( to be a ballot station tomorrow ).

There has been an outbreak of ridiculously size election posters in Woking - mostly Lib Dem ones - but there are Conservative ones also. (Haven't seen a Labour poster this election - they must be too ashamed to show their faces.)

But this using a private car in a school for campaigning just seems wrong to me. Schools should just be left alone (none of that intimidating campaigning outside school gates either - by any party.) Why are the Lib Dem supporters so desperate ? But more importantly how do they see out the back of their cars ?

Remember its a school car park, and they'll need to reverse to get out.

The fame of Woking is spreading.

See the today's International Herald Tribune for an article on Woking's ability to generate power locally.

I have my doubts about man made global warming, but I think energy efficiency and reduced demand on imported fossil fuels are very good things for our country.

As a Chemical Engineer I find the technology at Woking's swimming pool especially exciting ( yes really - go round the back one day and you'll see a little exhibition explaining it all in Woking park.)

No wonder the town (we're not a city - yet despite what the Int. Herald Trib. says ) is being fought over by the Conservatives and Lib Dems ( Labour just don't seem to bother any more).

Update: This will teach me not to post before reading all the article (ie page 2):

This is the first time I've heard about the fuel cell only operating at 70% design efficiency or the under ground power station having an explosion ( though now I think about it gas powered equipment in a subterranean environment must be inherently risky.

Its disturbing that you only hear of this in the international press - I can't remember seeing it in the local papers that come through my door. Perhaps the Woking News and Mail had something on it - I don't usueflly buy it as its such a biased pro-Lib Dem paper.

its perhaps also important to note the following

"Big subsidies, including $200,000 for the fuel cell, came from the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Energy, which distributed the money as part of a program testing new energy technologies. The British government gave several million pounds in grants for solar panels."

The Lib Dems with their inherent anti Americanism may find some of that hard to swallow.

Deceit and the Lib Dems party broadcast

See the following on The Woking Forum message board. Vigilante ( no idea who it is - except they're not me ) is spot on here. Tells you a lot about the Lib Dems I think.... here he/she is below:

---

By Vigilante

19 April 2007, at 22:04:25

Woking featured in a TV party political broadcast for the Liberal democrats the other night. The town was used as an example to emphasise the party's green credentials by mentioning (and showing) CHP, Hybrolights, etc. with, as I interpreted it, the implication that WBC's green policies were due to the leadership of the party currently in control. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, surely, these measures were decided upon long before the Lib. Dems had control here. It's a pity the Advertising Standards Agency can't be involved in these broadcasts; we might then get a lot more facts than spin from all the political parties, something that's long overdue.

---

See original here - whilst links last !

Update:
Looking at the BBC election web site I'd say he has a good point:

PAST RESULTS
2004: NOC 2003: NOC 2002: NOC 2000: NOC
1999: NOC 1998: NOC 1996: LD 1995: NOC
1994: NOC 1992: CON 1991: NOC 1990: NOC
1988: NOC 1987: NOC 1986: NOC 1984: CON
1983: CON 1982: CON 1980: CON 1979: CON
1978: CON 1976: CON 1973: CON

Prior to the 2006 election there was a Conservative council leader. Note the following extract from the local elections manifesto from the Conservatives that year:

Woking Borough Council (Conservative-led - note prior to 2006 election)
Climate Change
The Council has opened a town centre Combined Heat and Power (CHP) station, as part of
an extensive Climate Change Strategy. It is the first commercially-operating energy
station of its kind in the country.
The CHP station uses combined heat and power technology, together with heat-fired
absorption cooling, to produce environmentally -friendly energy services.
The station provides heat, power and cooling to town centre buildings, including the
Council offices, by distributing electricity via private wire, and heat and chilled water
services via private pipe networks.
The main benefit is that this reduces fuel poverty – the use of the private grid reduces
energy losses and costs. There is a security of supply and the ability to operate in ’island
mode‘ if the National Grid fails.

Page 17 of 21 Vote Blue go Green.

If my understanding is correct I think the real credit here goes mainly to one or two members of the council staff who have pushed this issue.