Community Independents: Working for YOU and YOUR Community

Community Independents (Blakenall)

Who are we?

Local people, like Cllr. Pete Smith of Harden Road, Dave Taylor of Hollemeadow Avenue and others, have been involved in community issues and community campaigns for many years. They realise the present “System is not working” and that you deserve better.

What’s wrong with The System?

Ø Decisions are made “for” the people rather than “with” or “by” the people. This is patronising and often not the decisions that the people want or support. This needs to change.

Ø Local people are rarely consulted or have real opportunities to influence decisions that are made by Councils, The Police, Housing Associations, local Health Services, etc. This needs to change.

Ø Year after year services are cut yet at the same time Council taxes are increased. This needs to change.

Ø Even Councillors in the present System have little influence, let alone power. The System gives most of the decision-making powers to unelected high- salaried senior officers, with just a handful of Councillors from the controlling political Party of the Council “rubber stamping” Officers’ decisions. The Borough’s 60 Councillors meet only around 6 times a year at Council meetings that are no more than “talking shops” This needs to change.

Ø There is a growing disconnect between the people and the Bodies that provide the services. Services are paid for by the people. Staff are working from home, sometimes miles from Walsall, telephones are not answered, people are unable to meet officials face-to-face. There is a frustrating increasing reliance on robotic, anonymous online working. Services, Staff and decision makers are out of reach to large sections of our community. This needs to change.

What is our vision?

To change the System so that ordinary folk living in local neighbourhoods and communities have a greater and a real “say” in the decisions that affect them, their families and their local communities. Ultimately we want to create a vibrant participatory democracy where people are listened and their voices and votes actually count, this should happen on a regular basis. Not just at General Elections but whenever local decision making happens.

We envisage a society, where the collective power of local residents, is a force to be reckoned with.

These are some of the practical measures that we will fight for?

We will:

· campaign to elect Councillors who are committed to changing the System, putting Community rather than Party first rejecting the same old Party candidates who want to prop-up the obsolete, failed System of Party first loyalty,

· set up local neighbourhood forums for local residents to discuss issues of local concern and convey their views and ideas to their Councillors/ candidates. Candidates will be advocates for them, not for “The Council” and its failed System,

· expect that their “Community Independent” candidates will report back regularly to the Neighbourhood Forums in their Ward (electoral area),

· work to build up trust and instil confidence in local people. Make sure they are better informed. Work together to show that they can make a big difference.

What can you do?

If you like what you have read above and you want to help us in our campaign to promote and build up “Community Independents” and you want to see local people having a greater say in decisions affecting their own community/neighbourhood, then come and join us. Contact Cllr. Pete Smith for more information.

Pete Smith.

Independent Blakenall Ward Councillor.

65 Harden Road, Walsall, WS3 1EL

Email:peteresmith51@yahoo.com

Text/call 0749 273 7440