Waddon By Election result

Full results

This was photo was taken just as Jon Rouse announced the results of the by election. With 3.6% of the vote, Green Party candidate Mary Davey can be pleased with a creditable result. As usual when the Tories and Labour get into tussle in a ward they both believe they will win, the consequence is a squeeze on the other parties. We all felt the BNP were going to do well. I predicted they would finish third - and they did....but with only 4.9% of the vote.

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Greens expose Labour's disgraceful behaviour

Croydon Advertiser report.

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: 10.02.09

CROYDON GREENS TODAY EXPRESSED THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT AT LABOUR’S LATEST WADDON BY ELECTION LEAFLET AS THE CAMPAIGN REACHES A NEW LOW.

The latest Labour Party leaflet manufactures the claim that the Tories plan for a Purley Way incinerator (1 ).

Green Party candidate for Thursday’s by election Mary Davey said:

"The Green Party have been involved with the South London Waste Plan consultation from the start. “We have submitted a 5000 word document (2) to the consultation detailing our concerns, including our commitment to recycling and waste minimization, and our opposition to incineration.

We took a balanced and responsible approach when we placed this story in our Waddon by-election leaflet.

"What seems to have happened is that the Labour Party have seen our leaflets (3) and have realised they can try and make some cheap political capital from this issue.

"They could have adopted a principled position like ours rather than a last minute attack on a technology a Labour government and Labour councils have endorsed, the length and breadth of the country, for example in Bristol and Mansfield. Instead of following our principled position, they have decided to whip up people’s anxieties. It's nothing short of scaremongering. No wonder the electorate is cynical about politicians. "

The Green Party has seen the full document (4) on which Labour’s tawdry leaflet is based. This document does not suggest an Incinerator will be built at Factory lane. It’s an internal document produced by Merton Council, several months ago, primarily looking at the alternative options for financing any future installations.

Spokesperson for Croydon Green Party, Shasha Khan added:

"We are not for one minute defending the Conservative council’s approach because they along with Merton, Sutton and Kingston Council may opt for an incinerator but what Labour have done is taken a quote completely out of context in order to win last minute votes. It's disgraceful behaviour and those involved should be thoroughly ashamed. This form of politics is outdated and needs to come to an end."

Ends

Notes:
(1) Jpeg

(2) http://croydon.greenparty.org.uk/assets/PDF/Croydon&SuttonGreenParty-DraftResponsetoSouthLondonWastePlanConsultation-Webversion.pdf
(3) http://croydon.greenparty.org.uk/assets/PDF/WaddonBy-ElectionSpecial-WebVersion.pdf
(4) http://www.merton.gov.uk/democratic_services/ds-agendas/ds-fpreports/656.pdf

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Tags croydon, greenparty

Waddon candidate Mary Davey's answers in full.

The current issue of the Croydon Guardian has a Q & A with the Waddon by election candidates. Due to limited space, the answers were edited down which probably didn't give justice to the quality of Mary's answers. However, for the discerning, below are the full answers.

1. What three words best described you?

2. If you could change only one thing in Waddon, what would it be?

3. Why did you go into politics

1. Ethical.....thorough......decisive.


2. I would like every household in Waddon to be properly insulated at no cost to themselves. This was achieved by the Green Party Councillors in Huddersfield who gained funding from Energy Utilities as part of their obligation to reduce Greenhouse emissions. On average, householders each saved £150 per annum.


3. When younger, I joined the Labour Party in Chingford to give my support to those who, then, shared my values. I refused to renew my subscription after they voted in Tony Blair as the leader. I told them that his manifesto read like a ‘straight from the heart’ Tory. After watching the Green Party closely, I decided that this was the one dealing with today’s urgent issues and needs and that they were addressing them through consideration of all social - environmental, educational, commercial, cultural and leisure - needs. So, here I am.
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   Tags croydon, greenparty

Greens select local candidate for Waddon by-election

Croydon Green Party has selected Warham Road resident Mary Davey as their candidate for the Waddon by-election on February 12th, 2009. Mary has lived in the ward for 16 years.

Mary said

"The present council is inherently undemocratic. With only Conservative and Labour represented, there are many examples where both these parties agree in principle with the others position resulting in no viable opposition.

“The Greens finished third in the last election in 2006 (1) and we represent the real choice for change.

“Waddon residents need a councillor that will prioritise community safety, support local shops and businesses and reduce residents rising fuel bills. They also want a councillor that belongs to a party that opposes the sale of our schools under the guise of academies; favours the renationalisation of our railways to stop inflation-busting fare increases; and wants to keep the NHS public.

"As energy bills rise, the Green Party's pioneering free insulation scheme (2) can make sure that all Croydon residents will be able to afford to heat their homes for less, and I will be pushing for a free home insulation policy.

"I will also be supporting local shops and businesses that boost the local economy and provides more jobs in the area, pushing for improved recycling on estates and blocks of flats and campaigning for a living wage (3) of £7.45 an hour for all Croydon workers. “

Mary currently works as a teacher in Croydon. She has been teaching in Croydon for 18 years. She is an active member of Amnesty International and Chair of the ‘Society of Catholic Artists’. Unlike Labour and Conservative, the Green Party has selected a resident who lives in Waddon ward.

ENDS

Notes to editor

(1)Mary Davey was the Green party candidate for Waddon in 2006
(2)http://www.kirkleesgreenparty.org.uk/
(3)http://www.livingwageemployer.org.uk/

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Tags croydon, greenparty