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Long-term Resident
Starting Member
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
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Diane
Starting Member
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 06/01/2008 : 12:09:44
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As far as I am aware, WERRA were originally simply a Residents' Association, until their decision to register as a political party in 2001, in order to stand in the local elections. Anyone attending the AGM (as approximately 130 local residents, including myself, did) would have heard Ron Gee (the president) being proposed and seconded before being elected as Party Chief. I fail to see how this could be a secret!
What would be of grave concern is if the Residents' Association forgot their roots and stopped acting on behalf of the residents on issues unless they thought that they were "vote winners". As far as I am aware, having attended all but one of the meetings this year to find out what is happening regarding the proposed School development, that is currently not the case. |
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Long-term Resident
Starting Member
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
 Posted - 06/02/2008 : 04:19:49
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quote:
Originally posted by Diane
Anyone attending the AGM (as approximately 130 local residents, including myself, did) would have heard Ron Gee (the president) being proposed and seconded before being elected as Party Chief. I fail to see how this could be a secret!
Because the far bigger majority of residents do not, or no longer see any value, in attending WERRA's AGM. Unlike the situation back in the 1960s, the majority of the West Ewell electorate are no longer paid-up WERRA members. Most residents are therefore oblivious to the true facts, due to WERRA's well oiled publicity machine that incorrectly markets itself via the distributed Newsletter as a Residents' Association. The reality is that WERRA is a political party, which like the Conservative Party exists primarily to enter candidates at local government elections, to enable them to implement their brand of government on how the Borough is managed.
quote:
Originally posted by Diane
What would be of grave concern is if the Residents' Association forgot their roots and stopped acting on behalf of the residents on issues unless they thought that they were "vote winners".
There are still many residents within the area (three within 100 yards of my house alone) who once actively supported WERRA and their aims, either as committee members and/or road stewards. Why do you think WERRA is loosing volunteer support? |
Edited by - Long-term Resident on 06/02/2008 04:26:52 |
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werra
Forum Admin
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/02/2008 : 09:10:46
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The fact that Ron Gee's position as party leader is not in the newsletter is more of an oversight than concealment. I'm sure that this can be changed in the next issue. While we are at it we can put it on the web site too. WERRA make no secret of the fact that it is a "political party". This has been a legal requirement since 2000; however I would dispute the statements that it exists primarily to enter candidates at local elections. The activities recorded in the news letter 3 times a year, every year is evidence of this. It is not incorrect to market WERRA as a Residents' Association because constitutionally and in practice, that is exactly what it is.
Sadly it is harder to recruit volunteers in many activities nowadays and this is down to the modern pressures that many people experience. It is always worth taking a reality check to make sure that WERRA has the support of local residents; but the evidence I experience is that people are appreciative of the activities of the Association and that the WERRA committee is formed of a much younger team than many if not all other RA's in the area.
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Long-term Resident
Starting Member
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/05/2008 : 13:27:16
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quote:
Originally posted by werra
The fact that Ron Gee's position as party leader is not in the newsletter is more of an oversight than concealment. I'm sure that this can be changed in the next issue. While we are at it we can put it on the web site too.
Ahh, could there be a “U-turn” in the pipeline?
Time will tell !!!
Honesty is always the best policy, which is a fact very rarely practised by both UK national and local politicians.
quote:
Originally posted by werra
however I would dispute the statements that it exists primarily to enter candidates at local elections.
Really, are you able to deny that the considerable expenditure needed to field candidates in local elections is NOT (a) the biggest proportion of WERRA's outgoing budget; and (b) all the funding needed to fight local elections are paid for by party members who subscribe to WERRA? |
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werra
Forum Admin
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 10:43:54
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In order to achieve a U turn then there has to be a complete opposite change in policy. As the status of party leader is mentioned in various places in our minutes and is voted on publically every year then any further mention is hardy a U-turn.
The facts are these: In 2007 WERRA spent a total of £3,540. Of this £401 were election expenses. The largest expense, (and source of advertising income) at £2,550 was the cost of producing our tri-annual newsletter. Therefore we can justify our claim that this Residents Association exists to serve, and communicate to, residents at all times and not just at elections.
These figures come from our annual accounts, published on the Electoral Commission Web site.
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Long-term Resident
Starting Member
United Kingdom
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/10/2008 : 08:24:33
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Thank you, but I was already aware that your annual accounts are published in the public domain. It is a requirement of Law that WERRA along with all other political parties must abide to.
From your published accounts for previous years, it has clearly always been the case that the publishing costs of your Newsletter was as far as possible self-financed through revenue earnt from advertising. In 2007 your income from advertising exceeded your Newsletter publishing costs by £499-00.
Subtracting advertising revenue from the publishing costs leaves the actual cost of publishing your Newsletter. In consequence, ‘Election Expenses’ becomes your largest single outgoing, as has been the case on some other previous years.
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werra
Forum Admin
6 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 04:47:34
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The cost of publishing the newsletter is the bill we get from the printers. That figure is a far greater outgoing than that which is spent on elections.
We make no apologies for spending money on elections; it's something that has to be done. The point that has to be made here is that there are many other activities going on around the year. The original question was about the proportion of money spent on elections. It has been shown that this is very low in comparison to the publication of newsletters, hall hire for meetings etc. The accounts can only go so far in demonstrating what goes on between elections. Our newsletters, the web site and now this forum, are the evidence that WERRA exists to serve residents throughout the year, not just at election time.
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Chris D
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 07/03/2008 : 05:58:39
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"Long-term Resident" is correct, WERRA is very much a political party, it is a requirement of English Law.
As an ex-committee member of WERRA until 2005, when it was made clear to me in no uncertain terms by email that I would no longer be welcome at the monthly meetings on account that I was "disrupting the proceedings by asking too many questions of the councillors (on behalf of West Ewell residents)". I like many other former members before me, decided to call it a day and withdraw my support from the organisation.
Regards
Chris
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Residents’ Association or Political Party?
