Whilst out delivering the umpteenth Focus newsletter the other day, I was wondering why we’d seen so little of the other parties’ local election literature. Then it dawned on me – none of the other parties have a local record to be proud of. Could it even be that they are ashamed of their actions and inactions at a local level over the past 12 months? Let’s analyse their key ‘achievements’:

Labour – after arguing for years against Tory cuts they out-Toried the Tories with a programme of cutting services the first chance they got.
Tories – liked Labour’s cuts so much that they voted for them in return for the postponement of a few library closures.
UKIP – allowed (by not getting all their councillors to the crucial vote last August) Labour to take over and impose their cuts, then proposed worse cuts (such as on social care) themselves!

That’s why they are all concentrating on the General Election; they all know they have done more to the people of Walsall to make themselves unpopular rather than popular over the last 12 months.

Contrast their record with ours, which speaks for itself. At every turn we have endeavoured to protect the vulnerable, and will carry on trying to protect key services.

Of course, another explanation to their inactivity in the local elections is that they arrogantly believe the General Election coverage will be enough to secure for them the votes that they need. Could they be that foolish……………?