HOLDING ONE'S NOSE IN WISBECH

POLITICS IN WISBECH is seldom less than surreal. Unkind people may even use words like dystopian, malicious and vindictive. We moved here in the early 1990s, and some people say that things were different then. They may be right, but at the time, I took no interest in such things. I had a demanding job, a large family to support and provide for, and there were only so many hours in the day. It wasn't until I retired that I had the time or the inclination to look at what was going on. By then - 2012- the situation that exists today was already well set. The Town Council was basically controlled by two people. Most of the Town Councillors were fellow Conservatives, but they seemed happy for the two main players to make all the decisions and direct them how to vote in the council chamber.

The modus operandi of these two people was very simple, and very effective. They would cultivate people who they thought were malleable and open to flattery, persuade them to stand for council, make sure they were elected - and then control them. How do I know? Because they tried it with me. I sat in a cafe with these two people, and the conversation went something like:

"How do you fancy standing for council? It's dead easy. All you have to do is make a couple of speeches to a committee, and we'll do the rest."

AT THIS POINT, to use the old line from investigative reporters on the News of The World, "I made an excuse and left." You might draw the conclusion that the judgement of these people was not up to much if they thought I was likely material. There have, of course been people who fell under the spell, became councillors, but then saw what was going on, and distanced themselves from the cabal. Others, of course fell out of favour for different reasons - in two notorious cases, this involved criminal behaviour.

TO RETURN TO THE TITLE of this episode of the blog, I mentioned last time that the local Conservatives might feel their seats are in jeopardy because of disaffection with the national government. It did seem strange that photos of the candidates out on the stump showed them wearing blue rosettes, from which any mention of the word Conservatives was notably absent. Perhaps they were, to use the old metaphor, 'holding their noses' at the smell of Mr Sunak and his travails.

PERSONALLY, I think that when some of our local councillors are pictured with Stephen Barclay, it is more likely to be him holding his nose - at the smell of certain people who have brought the town into disrepute. After all, it wasn't Mr Barclay who was breaking lockdown rules at a Christmas party and making the town a laughing stock in Private Eye. It wasn't Mr Barclay who was best chums with a councillor with a known overseas criminal rercord (which can still be found on the internet if you know where to look), and it wasn't Mr Barclay who was a close confidant of someone who narrowly avoided jail for a firearms offence.