It has been an interesting
few hours in Wisbech politics. In fighting terms, there have been plenty of
bruises, some blood on the canvas, a few low blows, one or two spectacular
knock-outs and, to extend the metaphor, a couple of bouts where the opponents hid
in the dressing room.
One victor in particular is entitled to raise both gloves in triumph. David Patrick is a thoroughly decent man who has been subject to some very underhand treatment in his time in local politics. He was hauled through a disciplinary tribunal which was gleefully engineered by opponents who used an autistic man as a proxy weapon in a battle over some unfortunate remarks on social media. In this campaign for District council he was subject to a bitterly personal attack published on behalf of – and those three words are important – his opponent Garry Tibbs. It has to be said that only 409 souls in the Kirkgate ward bothered to turn out and vote, but the majority of them voted for David.
I don’t know Garry Tibbs but I do recognise the ‘literary style’ of the author of the unpleasant anti-Patrick election communication, and I wonder if Mr Tibbs is feeling that with friends like that, he certainly has no need of enemies.
One victor in particular is entitled to raise both gloves in triumph. David Patrick is a thoroughly decent man who has been subject to some very underhand treatment in his time in local politics. He was hauled through a disciplinary tribunal which was gleefully engineered by opponents who used an autistic man as a proxy weapon in a battle over some unfortunate remarks on social media. In this campaign for District council he was subject to a bitterly personal attack published on behalf of – and those three words are important – his opponent Garry Tibbs. It has to be said that only 409 souls in the Kirkgate ward bothered to turn out and vote, but the majority of them voted for David.
I don’t know Garry Tibbs but I do recognise the ‘literary style’ of the author of the unpleasant anti-Patrick election communication, and I wonder if Mr Tibbs is feeling that with friends like that, he certainly has no need of enemies.
Other former Conservatives
who, over the last few months, fell foul of small group led by their very own
Beloved Leader included Michelle Tanfield and Andy Maul. Both decided to stand
as Independents and both prevailed. There were others, but less well-known in
Wisbech circles. Perhaps the most significant Tory to hit the deck was David
Oliver, who lost his Roman Bank seat to the former Conservative mayor, Nick
Meekins – another who stood as an Independent. Mr Meekins spoke to a local
newspaper before the election.
The successes of the
Independents may be small comfort to Mike and Virginia Bucknor. Ginny is facing
major - and potentially life-saving – surgery soon, but this fact didn’t deter
one or two members of the local Politburo from taking a swipe at her on social
media. Ginny and Mike have, for years, been the most prominent voices of
opposition to the particular toxic brand of Conservative politics which
prevails in this corner of The Fens. Both have now stepped down. I hope that
they have many happy years of retirement left to them, and that the constant personal
unpleasantness - orchestrated by people whose consciences can only be discerned
through an electron microscope – will leave no lasting scars.
It seems that quoting Winston Churchill can get people into serious trouble these days, so I will allude only in a general sense to his famous speech after the British victory at El Alamein in 1942. Wisbech election results this weekend are not the end; they are not even the beginning of the end; they may, however prove to be the end of the beginning. Of what? Fair question. My answer is a move towards a local political scene which is not dominated by would-be sharks thrashing about in a children’s paddling pool, but by decent people from the town who may have limited personal political ambitions, but who have the needs of Wisbech – and everyone in it – at the top of their agenda.
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