Labour Have Woken Up - I Wonder Why?
There was a knock on my door. A smiling Labour activist stood there, telling me how brilliantly things are going. They must have woken up, nearly nine months before an election.Clean, pristine streets? Crime free? Weed free? Don't worry and Just ignore the shoplifters and drug dealers we dodge daily. West Ealing, they say, is a shining example of regeneration. Yes, if your idea of regeneration is concrete towers blotting out the skyline.And the parks? A triumph, if you like "lakes" that look like industrial waste ponds.Meanwhile, nearly half our children’s centres are set to close or be repurposed, 12 out of 25 gone, cutting £11.8 million from services families depend on.But councillor perks? Untouchable. Remember the 23.8 percent basic allowance hike in 2022, quietly topped up each year for inflation. And council tax? Up around 20 percent in four years for a Band D.I will give them this: some new play areas and cycle paths. But set against the scale of decline elsewhere, they feel like crumbs from the table.Then there is the stunning derelict block near Dean Gardens, once meant to be a flagship development. The slogans on the hoardings still promise transformation. The reality is an empty shell, abandoned mid build, ghostly and still.And that is before even looking at their first year in government nationally. Gaza may dominate headlines, but when I am dodging shoplifters, drug dealers, and the risk of being poisoned in my own park, perhaps they could start fixing problems closer to home.I have voted for all parties before. But this time I will back whoever can stop another Labour candidate vanishing for four years, then reappearing with promises and leaflets.Four more years? Expect more towers, mouldy housing, rising rents, higher taxes, fewer services, crumbling streets, and yes, more 24/7 casinos (poor Hanwell — destined to follow West Ealing?) and music festivals.I know many will disagree. That is fine. It is called democracy. And yes, stupidly I did vote Labour last time. I regretted it, especially when 59 Labour councillors have been elected out of 70. That is not good for democracy or accountability. And let's face it, both have been in short supply in Ealing.Sigh. Double sigh. Vote wisely in May. PS: Produced by me, not AI.
Mark callan ● 170d12 Comments ● 163d