RICHARD W. SYMONDS (RWS) - INDEPENDENT ANALYST

INDEPENDENT PRE-AMBLE, WAFFLE AND DRAFT MANIFESTO

Election time has come round again - and 'the silly season' of inane (and insane) electioneering will soon be starting in earnest in Crawley and elsewhere - to fight for your 'X' on May 3.

I had a choice to make - do I keep out of this political 'snakepit', as any sensible person would, or do I pitch in there - as before - and make a complete fool of myself ?

I would have done the 'sensible' thing - if the BNP were not standing - and saved myself a lot of aggravation.

But, it sadly appears the BNP are standing, so 'Yours Truly' is going to stand as an Independent in Ifield - again.

There is a nasty and/or ignorant number of people in Ifield who are racist and/or gullible, so there is a 'hole' just for them - the BNP.
But there are fortunately more people, the vast majority, who are not racist or gullible.
Unfortunately, the majority of people don't vote at all - especially young pople.
Whilst I understand the main reasons why people do not vote, it ain't acceptable - democracy (of, by & for the people) is being seriously undermined by such irresponsibility.
So, if anybody has never voted before, vote for me - not the BNP.
And if anybody doesn't want to vote Tory, New Labour or Liberal - I'm your man.
Give that 'X' to me - Vote for me, not BNP or A.N. Other.
You know it makes cents.

But, of course, as a 'donotwannabe' local politician I have to produce a Manifesto - a kind of political Business Plan - to persuade people to put their 'X' in my box, and to show I'm not 'just a pretty face' who only has an obsession with ensuring that BNP are treated as a dangerous racist joke etc.

Fair enough :

BNP are a dangerous racist joke.
Tory Cons are exactly that - Cons...and NHS-dismantlers
New Labour are Old Tory - and Warmongers - like the Cons.
Liberal Democrat are - what ? You tell me....even Horsham's Lib Dem Leader, Dr David Holmes, stated (March 16) : "I do not think party politics have a place in the district council."

So, here is my Draft Manifesto (which will be up-dated regularly) :

Richard W. Symonds, Independent for Ifield, will :

1. TAKE THE PARTY OUT OF PARTY-POLITICS - AND REPLACE IT WITH PEOPLE - PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT THEIR COMMUNITY, NOT A PARTY.

Old, obsolete 20th century party-politics has no place in the people-politics of the 21st century - it is dangerously inadequate to meet its challenges.

Party-politics has no place in our hospitals - or in our health; just as it has no place in our schools - and our children's education When you are ill, or someone you love is ill, do party-politics matter ? No - people matter. When your child is struggling at school, do party-politics matter ? No - the children matter.

Health and education goes beyond party-politics.

Politics - not party-politics - is more about people than parties - as much as I like a good party ! That sounds good, eh ?! I lifted (& adapted) that last comment from the Argus front page today (March 24) - "The church is more about people than buildings"

Bear with me - I am making this up as I go along.

What do you mean : I'm not taking this seriously ?

Don't misunderstand me. I am taking the issues very seriously indeed - always have done and always will. For example, I happen to think people who can't be bothered to vote (70%) are as bad - and stupid - as those who vote BNP...

It's just that I can't take myself very seriously at all...as well as some of the other people posing as candidates - like the dangerous racist idiots in snappy suits who call themelves the ...

2. GET 4, 500 PEOPLE IN IFIELD WHO CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO VOTE, TO VOTE - THAT'S 70% OF THIS COMMUNITY

(a) Global is Local and Local is Global - You're burying your head in the sand if you think otherwise - and so is any candidate who comes knocking at your door, without mentioning how the global impacts on the local eg Mortgage Interest Rates, Education and Health 'Reforms', Military conflict (what if...at Gatwick ?) etc.

3. TAKE PARTY-POLITICS OUT OF BUSINESS - AND REPLACE IT WITH BUSINESS INTEGRITY

Old 20th century party-politics has no place in any local community, especially its business community - it stunts growth, innovation and creativity in the 21st century.
Example : 'Farceway'

4. CUT THE CLAPTRAP - TELL IT STRAIGHT

(a) EDUCATION - IFIELD FIRST SCHOOL AND PLAYING FIELDS
(b) PLANNING - IFIELD GOLF CLUB AND IFIELD BROOK MEADOWS
(c) HEALTH - PEASE POTTAGE HOSPITAL AND THE NHS

(THREE STORIES ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PARTY-POLITICS TAKE CONTROL OF A COMMUNITY) -

FINALLY - TAKE THE DECEPTIONS OUT OF THE ELECTIONS - AND HAVE FUN.

EXAMPLES OF PARTY-POLITICAL CLAPTRAP :

CLLR. HENRY SMITH (CON, POUND HILL - WSCC LEADER AND CAMPAIGNER FOR A PRIVATE HOSPITAL AT PEASE POTTAGE) :

"I want to reassure residents that if proposals come forward which we consider would seriously reduce the quality of NHS services in West Sussex, I will have no hesitation in demanding a meeting with the Government" (Source : "Councillor warns health chiefs against county cuts", West Sussex County Times, March 9 2007 - Page 17).

Wow, Henry, such bleating is really going to scare the Government - like being "savaged by a dead sheep".

"It's important to remember the cost of members' allowances to the average taxpayer in West Sussex is 2p per year. That's a pretty reasonable price to pay" (Source : "The Rising Price Of Democracy", Argus, April 4 2007 - Front Page & Page 5)

No, Henry, that's not "a pretty reasonable price to pay" when it would have cost the "average taxpayer" LESS THAN 2P to have retained the Hot School Meal Service in 1999.
If councillors were paid by results, they would be paying us - not us paying them.

"We almost certainly wouldn't be in the Persian Gulf right now, if it weren't for that dependence on oil" (Source : 'A clear majority', Argus Letter, April 6 2007 - 'Henry Smith, Leader, West Sussex County Council')

Yes, Henry, I agree with that "almost certainly" - but I'm not so sure whether your Party would like 'one of their own' stating this so openly (ie the Bush regime (with a 'puppet' Blair regime) invaded and occupied Iraq primarily for control of its oil resources.


MONDAY MARCH 26 2007 (39 DAYS TO GO)

OK...10 people were found to sign my nomination form - thank you, neighbours. And a witness for another form - thank you next-door-neighbour. Have arranged to see CBC's 'Democratic Services' this Wednesday for the 'official check' (Andrew Oakley). Easy enough so far.

I also have received "The Full Register of Electors" for Ifield which tells me there are potentially 6,464 people who can vote for me in Ifield. Previous turn-outs have been around 30% - which means around 70% won't vote.

So, if I knock on 10 doors - 7 won't vote anyway and 3 will vote - but probably not for me.

Sod that - I'm not going to knock on doors. Not at those odds. Waste of time, money and energy. There must be a better way

Also, as I'm as good as deaf - I cannot hold a conversation at any front door anyway - even talking to the wife in bed is a major problem. OK, problem solved - no door knocking. That's a relief !

That 70% of 6,464 is a huge untapped resource - can I get them to vote. If so, how ?

Shame them into voting, perhaps ? Tell them they are as bad, if not worse, as those who vote BNP - because they (like the BNP) are insulting the democracy for which many fought so hard to achieve. If nothing else, it will wind non-voters up - and I might get a few extra votes for the publicity value. Ummmm...have to think about that one.

I might also do this : tell the people in Ifield that I'm not wasting my time on them if 70% of them won't bother to vote. But I'll make a deal with them : If they write down on a piece of paper 3 things they want me to do for them as an Independent- other than to boil my head - I will promise them that I will knock on their door and pick up that piece of paper. What about that ?

I can challenge them, saying : "Tell me what YOU think, not what OTHERS think".

Enough for tonight. It's 23.55pm and I'm tired. Goodnight and sweet dreams.