Jason Pilley, independent candidate for Southend West has posted this
on Facebook:
On Sunday 4th June,
Leigh Road Baptist Church is hosting a public meeting of the Southend West
candidates. But not all of them: only the five who belong to the
hierarchical-bureaucratic Parties have been given a platform to speak. The two
Independents have not been invited.
This is not merely a matter of logistics, of having to draw the line somewhere: one of the Independents is an elected member of Southend Council, a fairly prominent figure locally, and certainly more important in Southend politics than some of those who’ve been allowed in: but he’s an Independent so he’s been silenced.
Leigh Road Baptist Church is a private organisation and I respect their right to do whatever they want on their premises; I also appreciate that there are all sorts of organisational issues with hosting an event like this, so I have no interest in starting an argument or causing trouble (“Kallisti!”). However, I cannot passively allow a church to decide on behalf of Southend residents which political viewpoints they will be allowed to hear: so I shall be arriving at the venue sometime before the event starts, I will be outside distributing my leaflets to anyone who arrives, making sure they’re aware that there’s more to democracy than the stagnant Parties.
If you’re in the area, come and say hello: ask me any questions and I bet you’ll get a better answer than from the glove-puppets inside :-)
This is not merely a matter of logistics, of having to draw the line somewhere: one of the Independents is an elected member of Southend Council, a fairly prominent figure locally, and certainly more important in Southend politics than some of those who’ve been allowed in: but he’s an Independent so he’s been silenced.
Leigh Road Baptist Church is a private organisation and I respect their right to do whatever they want on their premises; I also appreciate that there are all sorts of organisational issues with hosting an event like this, so I have no interest in starting an argument or causing trouble (“Kallisti!”). However, I cannot passively allow a church to decide on behalf of Southend residents which political viewpoints they will be allowed to hear: so I shall be arriving at the venue sometime before the event starts, I will be outside distributing my leaflets to anyone who arrives, making sure they’re aware that there’s more to democracy than the stagnant Parties.
If you’re in the area, come and say hello: ask me any questions and I bet you’ll get a better answer than from the glove-puppets inside :-)
Jason neglects to add that
he tried to be part of the 'hierarchical-bureaucratic
Parties' - he was rejected in his
attempts to be the Green Party candidate, and is still a member of that party I
am told.
Despite being a 'glove-puppet' he has invited me to
attend. Perhaps he secretly likes glove-puppets.
I happen to believe all seven candidates should have been invited; I have no sway over Leigh Road Baptists.
"Glove puppet" |
"Glove puppet" |
"Glove puppet" |