An Unhealthy Obsession?

Whilst out on the campaign trail yesterday, it was pointed out to me by an eagle eyed resident that of the four posts on Cllr Terry's blog since the beginning of the month, three of them contained the name of Anna Waite in the title. One of the posts yesterday bizarrely managed to link Anna's name and a recount of Thursday night's Economic & Environmental Scrutiny Committee.

I was asked if this focus on Anna Waite was healthy and the resident quipped that along with Cllr Terry's Conservative 'Party Whip' fetish people have received restraining orders for less. With the intensity that an election campaign can create, it never ceases to amaze me how the public can lighten the mood with exceptional moments of humour.

Taking the humour aside, it does seem odd that Cllr Terry continues to berate Anna for her comments yet it is fine for Cllr Terry to criticise people who attended public school and Eton. I have always found it odd when fellow politicos criticise the Government for the millionaires in its cabinet especially when Labour's front bench has at least seven millionaires as brilliantly exposed by Guido Fawkes on his blog.

History should teach Cllr Terry that those who play the politics of envy have little electoral success. I am of the belief that the public couldn't give a damn how much wealth politicians have but just want them to be competent.

I mentioned in a post on Wednesday that in life one of biggest pet hates is hypocrisy. It is such a stain on local politics that the Independent Party should practise so much of it. For example:

- Why does Cllr Terry claim to be a 'spokesman' for his group when he claims over £7,000 for being a group leader when being a spokesman costs the taxpayer nothing.
- Why does Cllr Terry still try to claim that Southend council's finances are out of control when even by his own admittance he doesn't understand the accounts.
- Why is it that Cllr Terry want to the Conservatives to pursuit Business Rates collection on small businesses in the town who are struggling when we have a 98.5% collection rate overall.
- Why is it that Cllr Terry says that local residents have the chance to keep party politics out of local government at this election when the Independents could never control the council and has a history of setting up political parties.
- Why is it Cllr Terry condemns Anna Waite but welcomes into the fold Cllr Aylen who couldn't care if smokers get cancer and die. Cllr Aylen was de-selected by the Conservatives.
- Why is it that Cllr Terry and the Independent Party supported the budget on their own free will yet he allows his councillors and candidates to blame the mayor and the Conservatives for not letting them have a vote.
- Why is it that Cllr Terry criticises other councillors for belonging to residents associations yet fails to call for the resignation of his own councillors and candidates who run residents associations.

As one contributor to this blog pointed out, the Independent Party in Southend are about as independent as Tibet!