CTPH D-7 Camden New Journal is Biased!

CNJ 26th April 2012

Camden New Journal has today reaffirmed what Camden residents have long suspected of supporting and promoting only left wing political parties!

In this weeks copy it describes the campaign for Camden Town with Primrose Hill as being a 2-way by-election, even though this is very much a 3-way marginal seat. With very strong support for the Conservatives.

I fully support an independent press and know Richard Osley very well when he spent time with myself and my colleagues at Conservatives Conference in Manchester last year and in 2009. We had much in common to talk about.

But come on Richard you have got to be kidding by not presenting an equal opportunity in your article, as a very active Conservative Candidate tackling many of the key local issues such as Education, Housing, HS2, Policing and indeed being the local school governor for Primrose Hill Primary for more than three years in Camden Town with Primrose Hill, in today's edition of CNJ.

I also note the CNJ has not published any of my letters for the past three weeks, despite being a candidate standing in your local ward right on your doorstep!

Remind me to drop my leaflets through CNJ's letterbox!

Since the CNJ and the Labour candidate did not attend the HS2 Community Forum meeting at Swiss Cottage some weeks ago. However, CNJ did publish my "Groundhog Day Talks" (about the HS2 meeting) letter on 5th April, the last letter in fact that CNJ published!

But I was very much there and asking very pertinent questions on HS2 to the Community Forum HS2 consultation team.

So to bring you up to speed on this vital issue concerning Camden today I would be very happy to extend to you an exclusive interview for my opinions on the vital matter of HS2 to Camden so Richard I am waiting by my phone for you!

As the candidate for a major party in a 3-way by-election to be given just a cursory swift mention at article end, draws one to suspect that the CNJ is biased perhaps, no surely not, that could not be true could it Richard?

On a day that Mr Murdoch of the News International is up for very serious questions today on the Leveson Inquiry. One could have reasonably have thought that a free local newspaper such as the Camden New Journal would have demonstrated greater impartiality. But as I said you can extend to me an exclusive interview for the Election Day CNJ special you have planned!

But Richard, we know each other very well after nearly 6 years on the circuit so I shall let my favourite quote end this piece.

"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, Moves on; nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line" by Omar Khayyam, Author of The Rubaiyat

CTPH D-9 The week ahead 'over to you'..

... Campaigning, visiting and discussing with residents my new 'Camden Town' leaflet 'By-election special! Edition two' delivered over the weekend by local team of volunteers to Camden Town with Primrose Hill.

If you should have any questions for me on what I represent to you and the local area and my reasons for leaving the Liberal Democrats to position myself aligning with the Conservatives, now is your opportunity to ask me.

As an independent and free thinking Libertarian, my views are always my own and never spoon fed!

Photo was taken by one of my friends who helped me campaign over the Easter Weekend outside my local Primrose Hill school where I am governor for more than three years. A truly amazing school that is a shinning beacon of what can be achieved with vision.

CTPH D-21 Help create the most democratic ward in Camden

During these next weeks I will be calling on you the residents of Camden Town with Primrose Hill to give you an opportunity to ask me how I will serve your best interests here as your prospective councillor.

Naturally it is your choice, it is the people's choice. I have already been serving you well and hard for more than a decade here.

In my youth I served you whilst working in my local Chalk Farm Library. For the last six years I have served you as a member and vice chair of a local SNT police panel. And have made many suggestions on how to make our neighbourhood a safer place to be.

In education I have served you as governor of our local Primrose Hill School and take an active part in the working school places group. To help the 130 children in 2009 and 2010 get a local place. A bulge class was created allowing up to 20 or so children to be here at Primrose Hill School.

In housing I have represented locally a large community of leaseholders and tenants on a very large (more than 2200 people) for six years as a co-opted member of an outstanding model TRA that is a pleasure to affiliate with.

On Camden council I am a co-opted member of of the Housing and Adult Social Care Scrutiny (HASC) committee now in my second year. I have made many deputations to HASC prior to this in previous years representing the interests of the Camden community.

Yes I have made a big difference already. Changed a multimillion pound PFI project in its treatment of its residents, got the works changed to be the way the residents wanted and saved leaseholders around £1000 in costs in energy monitoring projects. The council wanted to charge installation, I went to the directorate, and won on behalf of all residents to waive that crazy fee.

With HS2 I was actively campaigning on behalf of the Primrose Hill and Belsize Park area and knocked on a very many doors in the local area that would have been potentially blighted back in 2009 and 2010. And since the so-called consultation process started 18 months ago I have been an active voice for common sense at the very many consultations meetings in and around Camden during this time. Only a few weeks ago I attended yet again another so-called consultation meeting. At that meeting I coined the phrase 'Groundhog Day Talks' if you have seen the movie then you will understand the irony!

I have been asked if I support the Legal Challenge from Camden on HS2. What I do support is common sense and if this requires a legal challenge to obtain common sense then I do.

As a local representative of the local people naturally I have a duty of care not to rush to support 'knee jerk' legal challenges that will cost every Camden resident money out of the Camden coffers. However, as I have said if a legal challenge is required to spurn a fundamental change in a flawed plan then I always believe that common sense prevails.

I am working here for you now.

Last night my fellow co-opted members and myself at the HASC Scrutiny committee were honoured and thanked by the chair and member councillors for our contributions over the past two years.

I have cross party respect and support here. So with the highly respected Cllr Pat Callaghan (Labour), Cllr Chris Naylor (Liberal Democrats) and prospective Cllr Nigel Rumble (Conservative) all serving you here in Camden Town with Primrose Hill you will have the most democratic ward in the whole of Camden, self scrutinising with no political gimmicks, equal representation of all political views. Just three people who passionately care and have demonstrated their caring to you the local community.

Help create a truly democratic ward today;

Vote Nigel Rumble on 3rd May