Following the news the Cllr Phil Broadhead is likely to be leaving BCP Council and moving abroad with his family… we have been asked several times today about whether the BCP And Dorset Motorists Group would be putting forward a Candidate for his ward of Branksome and Talbot Woods should a council by election take place.
I am sure that my colleagues on the Motorists Steering Group would agree with me when I say certainly not in this case. For two reasons, Firstly I am sure the local Conservative Party will find or already have a strong candidate. Secondly, as a group we have no interest in putting up candidates against political parties who share and support Motorists interests. As we have seen from their leaflet published TW, we share common ground with them on many motorist issues.
I and other members of the SG have recently been approached on several occasions by two different political parties to ask if we would be prepared to stand as Town or BCP Council candidates.
Our position remains unchanged. As a group we will support any political party of any colour that supports and protects the interests of Motorists, the elderly and the less mobile. As it stands it does not take a genius to work out that currently, that it is very unlikely that will be the car hating Liberal Democrat’s, The Poole People or The Green Party.
From a practical, organisational and funding POV it will clearly be much better for our Motorists group to get behind a support an appropriate manifesto from an existing political party. Hopefully one that delivers on the commitments we seek rather than any of us stand as isolated Motorists Candidates.
That said we might need to!! And if so we will. In several specially selected wards. It is an option we have under active and ongoing consideration.
Not with any real hope of actually winning any Council Seats ( because of our limited group numbers ) but with a real prospect of being disruptors to the administration incumbents.
Some BCP Administration Cllr’s have majorities of less than 200… incl the current Council Leader. A Motorist candidate standing receiving even as few as 100 votes in our chosen wards could make a big difference and see the end of some of the Car Hating 3 Town Alliance Councillors.
And to be clear the BCP Council Wards we would consider targeting with our Motorist candidates if we needed to are…In priority order:
Newton and Heathlands
Alderney and Bourne Valley
Poole Town
Wallisdown and Winton west
Broadstone
Creekmoor( We would work in partnership and not oppose the very successful current independent ward Cllr)
Bearwood and Merley
Oakdale
You can look up the current councillors for these wards on the BCP Council website. These reason for us selecting these will become obvious!!
It’s all going to be about May 2027. We currently have nearly 2000 FB Group Members by then we hope to have nearer 5000. We do need your help sharing our message and encouraging people to join in what we are trying to do.
We must end this shambolic, chaotic, deaf and arrogant BCP Council Administration. Thanks for reading!