‘Why is all this happening now?’

WHAT a sad situation that Staffordshire Moorlands Conservative Association did, at their AGM on April 14, vote out their leader, Cllr Sybil Ralphs.

I did nominate Cllr Ralphs to retain her role, and, in my humble opinion, she has been an excellent leader.

Now we learn that there will be a challenge to Cllr Ralphs’ leadership of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, and, as I consider Cllr Ralphs has led that council during some of the most challenging times imaginable for so many years, when some decisions reached were not always well received, but were necessary in order to ensure that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council served its electorate to the best of its ability, I will continue to support her.

It is also my opinion that the decision reached at that meeting of the Conservative Association by the chairman and the secretary, to exclude members of the Conservative and Independent Group from voting on this matter, does seem very odd indeed as, if the Conservatives lose the support of those Conservative and Independent Councillors from Biddulph, they could lose overall control of the authority, why take the risk?

For those Independents who were voted into office by Biddulph and District residents to represent them, and who have served with honesty and integrity, to now be excluded from voting in this way is not only disrespectful to those councillors but also to their supporters.

I have to say that I have been surprised at the extensive canvassing that took place for that SMCA meeting, and one can’t help wondering what was the incentive behind these determined efforts?

Perhaps chairmanship of one of the committees such as planning or highways?

I feel that this is one of the worst elections I have ever taken part in, with many odd things seeming not quite right, such as a three-line whip being threatened to those casting their vote for anyone other than Paul Roberts.

I feel compelled to ask why is all this happening now, when, in the coming difficult months when obtaining good funding for the Moorlands will be imperative, and to my mind, could only be handled with a competent leader with vast experience in such matters, as opposed to putting an inexperienced councillor at the helm.

So I implore those eligible to vote on May 4 to do so for the candidate

they feel they should for the good of the Staffordshire Moorlands.

As a staunch Conservative and Unionist Party Member, thinking of what has been taking place of late, I did have a wry smile to myself recalling the pithy saying which has at times been attributed to the great Sir Winston Churchill “why look for a conspiracy when stupidity can explain so much!”

Ian Lawson County and District Councillor