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PEOPLE FIRST AND TORY COALITION WAS TEMPORARY ARRANGEMENT

Dear Ed,

It would appear that people think I became an Independent Councillor because I was not re-elected as Vice-Chairman of Shepway District Council (SDC). How wrong they are! That incident was the straw that broke the camel's back!

I have been unhappy with the Conservatives locally for sometime now, especially over the coalition with the People First Party, which I was advised at the time by the Leader of the Council, was a temporary arrangement.

How could anyone be truly happy working with a group of people who wanted to raise council tax by 39%?

Who wanted to close the public toilets throughout Shepway, and who refused to cut grass verges?

How can the Conservatives work with someone who publicly apologised for making false allegations against a previous Conservative administration, many of whom are currently serving in the present coalition Cabinet?

The now Vice-Chairman was in the Cabinet and in charge of the department that awarded the original contract for the unstable and costly refuse trucks!

During the time I was Chairman of the Parish Council in Sandgate I had asked for assistance from the Conservative led administration o­n a number of occasions. Nothing was forthcoming despite the fact that the Conservative Shepway Leader sat o­n the Parish Council.

On o­ne occasion a meeting was arranged with members and officers of  SDC and the Parish Councillors to discuss a fairer way for the people of Sandgate to pay the unfair charges made towards the Folkestone Parks and Pleasure Grounds Charity. The Parish Councillors were assured that it would be sorted before the next financial year. To date nothing has happened to assist with this unfair charge, and it continues to cost the Sandgate ratepayers over £45K/ year.

When I began my council life as a Conservative councillor I thought the idea of belonging to a political party was so that it's members help each with various problems. Over the last 4 years this has been lacking!

Cllr. Joy MacMillan