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As you know by now, the Tories in Folkestone & Hythe took a battering at the polling stations across the district on 4 May 2023. Within 48 hours the Chairman of the local Folkestone & Hythe Conservative Association, Stephen James (left, pictured with a bully ), wrote to Tory members to apologies for the trouncing. We reproduce the letter in full and provide it in PDF format for you to download at the end of this blog post.
Election Results – Congratulations, Commiserations, and Moving Forward Together
It is with a mix of emotions that I write to you following the District Council elections.
Firstly, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Clive Goddard, Alan Martin, Jenny Hollingsbee, Liz Grant, and David Godfrey for their successful election to the District Council. I am confident you will represent our Conservative values and principles admirably on the District Council.
However, it is with a heavy heart that I express my commiserations to the candidates who did not secure a win. Some were standing for the first time and will no doubt use this experience to learn and grow, but others have dedicated many years of service to the residents of Folkestone & Hythe, making it one of the best places to live and work in the UK. Elections can be unpredictable, and the results do not reflect or diminish your achievements, so thank you on behalf of my fellow Association Officers and the members of our Association.
There is no hiding from the fact that the election results have been disappointing. This is despite the tireless work of our members, who have given their all in delivering leaflets, knocking on doors, and campaigning with unwavering energy and dedication. I am deeply grateful to everyone who lent their time and energy to these efforts.
While it may be tempting to attribute our recent electoral performance to regional and national trends or to specific local issues or individuals, as Chairman, I acknowledge that the
responsibility for the results ultimately sit with me. I accept this with all humility and offer my apologies to candidates and members.
Like me, many will now be worried about our district being governed by ideologically driven socialists with no regard for the things we love and cherish.
The Labour Councillors of today are a far cry from the “New Labour” of yesteryear. They are driven by a dangerous socialist ideology that continues to idolise figures such as Jeremy Corbyn. In less than 24 hours, they have already made bold statements, tweeting that Folkestone will throw it’s doors open to refugees (illegal immigrants) and shared anti-monarchist sentiments on today of all days.
The Green Party, now the largest group in the council, is determined to pursue a net-zero agenda without considering the associated costs. Their opposition to building houses and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at Dungeness further exemplifies their uncompromising and blinkered stance.
We must also not forget that both parties have previously expressed support for open borders and a return to the EU.
What we are going to see now is a whole raft of grandstanding, virtue signaling, and meaningless motions by a district council on issues completely out of their remit. The sole purpose of this will be an attempt to destabilise our Member of Parliament and the government. Therefore, we must prepare for the battle ahead by coming together, recruiting new members, identifying potential activists and rallying behind our Member of Parliament, Damian Collins, as a general election looms.
We must strengthen our resolve and commitment to ensure that we stand strong against ideologies and policies that will harm our communities. Our focus now should be on doing everything we can to ensure that we are ready to meet the battle that lies ahead.
God Save The King.
Best wishes,
Stephen James
Chairman
Folkestone & Hythe Conservative Association
Here it is in PDF Format
Election Results – Congratulations, Commiserations, and Moving Forward Together
The Shepway Vox Team
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