Democracy is still alive

IT'S not going to make any difference having a by-election for Royston Town Council in the Meridian ward claims Cllr Rod Kennedy.

That's let the cat out of the bag about the Conservative town council hasn't it? Should a non-Tory representative be elected with refreshing new ideas, then Royston knows in advance these will not even be considered as the new councillor is not going to be allowed to make any difference. How well I recall the blocking of any non-Tory proposal when I was a councillor.

Waste of money is another claim. Royston could have had a safe railway crossing, had the Tory town council not continually blocked it as the proposal came from the wrong political party.

And town council leader Cllr Lynn Berry claims that a by-election would be "against the town". How is giving the residents a chance to choose a replacement councillor to directly represent their interests for nearly two years going against the town's interests?

And as for the town council being "apolitical".

Why do all the Tory elected councillors adopt a party label if they are uninterested and unconcerned about politics? Shouldn't they have stood as independents?

Finally, I think those residents in the Meridian ward who called for an election are to be congratulated.

They have shown that democracy is still alive in Royston.

HAZEL LORD

High Street

Bassingbourn

YOU report (The Crow, July 3) that certain Conservative members of Royston Town council do not consider that it is undemocratic not to hold a by-election to fill a vacancy.

Instead they would co-opt someone on to the council, hence giving no voice to the people of Royston.

The Conservatives have been in power for so long in Royston that they have forgotten what the word "democracy" means.

Nothing seems to have changed among the Royston town councillors since I was secretary of the Royston Conservative Association in the 1980s.

At a meeting of the association, a member asked the town councillors if they would tell the meeting what policies they were proposing on the town council.

The meeting was told that it was no business of the association what the elected Conservative councillors were doing on the town council, our sole job was to get them elected.

When I suggested that this was not democratic, I was told that if I wanted democracy I should have joined the Labour Party.

Furthermore, for the current Tory leader of the town council to state that it is "apolitical" is quite ridiculous.

CHRIS EAST

Shrubbery Grove,

Royston

IN response to the Royston town councillors who claim that a by-election is a "waste of public money" and "going against the town", could they explain to the people of Royston why they shouldn't have a say in who runs the town?

Co-opting a crony may be cheaper, but it is certainly not democratic. In reality, are the Tories worried that they are going to lose the seat?

As to Cllr Berry's claim that the town council is apolitical, could she explain why she and the majority group on the council all insist on running as Tory party candidates at every election.

If the town council really was apolitical, then the Tories who control it would all have the confidence to stand as independents.

VAUGHAN WEST

Labour Party candidate, Royston Town Council

Meridian Ward