I have been an active member of East Lothian Liberal Democrats since I joined the party in late 1991. In April 2009 I announced my intention of resigning from all offices and commitments to the local party.
I believe many people think this has to do with the resignation of Amy Rodger who was the Westminster Candidate until she quit in February 2009. In a way it did but, not in the way people think. Amy was aware that when her campaign came to an end I didn’t want to remain involved at local level. I informed her I had no intention of being involved in the Council elections in 2012 and was very unlikely to be involved in the Holyrood elections in 2011.
When she quit, I originally intended to help out for the European Elections in June 2009 but, because of certain things that happened at Spring Conference I decided to quit right away. I therefore announced my resignation as Membership Secretary and looking after EARs and gave them two months to find someone else.
Despite this the Convenor at the time still approached me to help out in his “campaign”. He had decided with Amy’s resignation to put himself forward for Westminster. I told him no.
So what about the Council elections in 2012? Well, I expected that when we got 6 Councillors elected in 2007 that would be the start of something different. I expected to spend time with my local ward Councillor in advising him how to be an ‘activist’, a ‘campaigner’. That hasn’t happened. Admittedly, at the time the Councillors decided to discuss a deal with the SNP to enter into Administration, my attention was taken up with being served notice of redundancy from my job. If I’d being paying more attention I would have voted against any deal. I felt, and still feel, our Councillors were too new and needed to learn to be Councillors and activists within the local party first!
My ward councillor is called the “missing councillor” and not just by me but other people in North Berwick as well. He doesn’t campaign, rarely attends local party meetings, doesn’t do leaflets, doesn’t contact local party members or supporters in his ward.
In fact, with one exception the others are all the same.
So, disappointed, disillusioned, unhappy, loss of a very capable Parliamentary Candidate with more political and campaigning experience than the whole Council Group together, why bother. That’s why I quit.
I quit!
I have been an active member of East Lothian Liberal Democrats since I joined the party in late 1991. In April 2009 I announced my intention of resigning from all offices and commitments to the local party.
I believe many people think this has to do with the resignation of Amy Rodger who was the Westminster Candidate until she quit in February 2009. In a way it did but, not in the way people think. Amy was aware that when her campaign came to an end I didn’t want to remain involved at local level. I informed her I had no intention of being involved in the Council elections in 2012 and was very unlikely to be involved in the Holyrood elections in 2011.
When she quit, I originally intended to help out for the European Elections in June 2009 but, because of certain things that happened at Spring Conference I decided to quit right away. I therefore announced my resignation as Membership Secretary and looking after EARs and gave them two months to find someone else.
Despite this the Convenor at the time still approached me to help out in his “campaign”. He had decided with Amy’s resignation to put himself forward for Westminster. I told him no.
So what about the Council elections in 2012? Well, I expected that when we got 6 Councillors elected in 2007 that would be the start of something different. I expected to spend time with my local ward Councillor in advising him how to be an ‘activist’, a ‘campaigner’. That hasn’t happened. Admittedly, at the time the Councillors decided to discuss a deal with the SNP to enter into Administration, my attention was taken up with being served notice of redundancy from my job. If I’d being paying more attention I would have voted against any deal. I felt, and still feel, our Councillors were too new and needed to learn to be Councillors and activists within the local party first!
My ward councillor is called the “missing councillor” and not just by me but other people in North Berwick as well. He doesn’t campaign, rarely attends local party meetings, doesn’t do leaflets, doesn’t contact local party members or supporters in his ward.
In fact, with one exception the others are all the same.
So, disappointed, disillusioned, unhappy, loss of a very capable Parliamentary Candidate with more political and campaigning experience than the whole Council Group together, why bother. That’s why I quit.