As a seasoned observer, I am reminded when local elections are not far away, as the local Labour party increases their deliberate misrepresentation of the Conservatives, as well as distorting local history to fit their own narrow and highly-politicised outlook. I am used to seeing this every year but given Labour’s lurch to the far-left under Jeremy Corbyn, which has put a spring in Crawley Labour’s step, I am not surprised that this year’s Labour claims in Crawley are becoming ever more absurd.
Readers of these political columns may have noticed last week’s Labour Leader’s column (which this year has been consistently farmed out to Labour Councillors up for re-election in May) in which Bewbush Councillor Marion Ayling wrote that the previous Conservative Council of 2006 to 2014 “wasted millions on vanity projects.” Added to this absurd claim was the ridiculous assertion that Labour is the party of financial competence.
It was noticeable that last week’s Labour column made no mention whatsoever of what any of the “wasted millions” were spent on. This is because Labour doesn’t want to highlight the successful investment programme that the Conservatives implemented in Crawley that Labour opposed, viewing it all as “spent on vanity projects”.
I am very proud of the major investment the Conservatives have made in Crawley and I note that while Labour Councillors view investing in Crawley’s future as “wasted money”, they also cynically seek to take the credit for the very same Conservative achievements. A prime example of Labour’s hypocrisy includes in Ifield, where it was the Conservatives that sorted out Ifield Mill Pond after Labour neglected it for years by allowing it to silt up. We also made improvements in Ifield West at Dobbins Pond and enabled a new doctor’s surgery, all of which Labour now claim as their own achievements.
The pattern continues with the investment we allocated to revamp Broadfield Barton and Tilgate Park’s Nature Centre, which Labour opposed but now take the credit for. Our investment in neighbourhood centres and parades was very well received and it is disappointing that Labour regards it all as “vanity.”