Vote is no burden (From Malvern Gazette)

Vote is no burden

3:30pm Monday 18th February 2013 in Letters

FOLLOWING Councillor Clive Smith’s recent defection to the Green Party, Councillor Mike Soley’s jumping ship from Conservative to UKIP now means that neither of the elected borough councillors for Malvern Link represent the parties for which they stood at their last election.

This is an highly undemocratic outcome for Malvern Link, as no one living in Malvern Link any longer has in place a member of the party they voted for. Assuming that Coun Smith stands as the Green Party candidate at the forthcoming county elections in May then we will shortly have the chance to vote with that in mind.

However, Coun Soley says that he doesn’t want to ‘burden’ us all with a byelection.

Perhaps we should worry a little that he sees democracy as a bit of a burden for people.

This is an undemocratic stance from him and he should stand down and face re-election.

A borough by-election could easily be held at the same time as the county elections on May 2, easing the ‘burden’ on the people.

Malvern Hills Labour Party look forward to that election and to ensuring democracy continues in Malvern.

DANIEL WALTON Chairman, Malvern Hills Labour Party